This morning I was getting into the car while Marlo was nestling their backpack onto the floorboard beneath their feet. As soon as I turned on the stereo, this song came on and it happened to be easing into the following lyric:
“Well I remember, I remember don’t worry…”
Now, everybody needs to sit down and understand that this is the greatest song of all time. It’s just the facts. And I tilted my head toward Marlo and gave them a look, the kind of look a mom gives to their kid that says, “Are you ready for it?”
And Marlo said, “Oh, I remember.” And they laughed.
I let the song continue, and as I was driving out of the neighborhood toward their school I rolled down the windows because this is the greatest therapy in life. Nothing feels better than a good song mixed with the wind in my hair.
And this is the best part, you see. The best part about music, all music, is the percussion. It’s the rhythm. And Marlo knows rhythm better than any kid in the world. Which, of course, brings us back to the plain and simple fact that this song kills every other song ever written. It hands them their walking papers.
Marlo rolled their eyes a bit and gave me a look that only a middle school-aged kid can give a mom, the look they give me knowing just how much I love to bang out a drum solo on the steering wheel. The look that says, “Just not too loud in front of the other kids.”
Phil Collins – In The Air Tonight
Coincidentally, this song came on right after. And I had no idea it was going to be such a great morning, what with two of my favorite songs playing back to back. You may not have ever heard of this band, and that’s okay. That’s fine. But this particular song has played the hugest role in the last three months of my life. So significant, in fact, that whenever I would hit shuffle it would show up and serenade one of those, hmm…what do you call them? Oh, right. An “ah-ah” moment.
Those.
Metronomy – “Right on time” HAAi Remix