Volume 3

I can't sleep. What does that mean for you? You get the list of songs off Volume 3 of my 30th birthday CDs.

Sarah's 30th Volume 3
1. My Hero - Foo Fighters: This song is good on its own merits, but when you put it in the most crucial scene in "Varsity Blues" it becomes epic. I used to drive my college roommates crazy by listening to that movie soundtrack on an endless loop. That and "Every Morning" by Sugar Ray. Dorky sidenote: I saw "Varsity Blues" seven times in the theater. Seven. I had just broken up with my boyfriend of 5 years and was in a bad place. I deal with grief by immersing myself in television and movies. I also deal with everyday life that way.

2. Glory of Love - Peter Cetera: Obviously. Come on-Cetera, Ralph Macchio, Miyagi? You can't go wrong. I remember every time this song came on and our babysitter, Kathy, was with us when the ending part would come on and Cetera would break out all his "ooohs" we would go, "I hate this part." And Kathy would say, "Why? You don't like the oooh-ing?" And we would say, "No-because it means the song's over." That story was totally lame and, if it's possible, made me sound like more of a dork, but I really don't care. Interesting sidenote: Kathy gave us Ralph Macchio posters for Christmas one year. Best. Present. Ever.

3. Everyday Love - Rascal Flatts: Dammit I love me some Rascal Flatts. Tied for first place on my list of favorite country bands. I like this song because the words are so sweet. And it's fun to sing along.

4. If She Knew What She Wants - The Bangles: The Bangles are (were?) a terrific band. This is my favorite song by them. I really don't know why, but I absolutely love it. I used to dream about being a Bangle. How cool would it be to be in an all chick band? John, you and me should form an all girl band. Ahahaha-oh yes I did.

5. Learning to Fly - Tom Petty: Tom Petty's a genius. This is my favorite song by him ever. Everytime I go to a bar with a jukebox I play it. One time I discovered that a boy I liked liked me back because we got to the bar, and he played this song for me. It sounds dumb, but it's a nice memory. Tom Petty is...not attractive. But I would still totally do him.

6. Who Am I - Point of Grace: Okay this is a religious song. I don't talk about religion here or anywhere because people who talk about their relgion with other people suck. I'll just say that I love this song because the words are fantastic, and it makes me feel like I matter. Okay let's move on. I'd like to talk to you about Jesus. Just kidding (I love you, Jim Gaffigan!).

7. Do Me - Bell Biv DeVoe: Another religious song. When I bought the Bell Biv DeVoe cassette in junior high, I listened to it for hours every single night for a week until I learned the raps. Oh my God with every post that I write on this blog a new layer of dorkiness is revealed. Sometimes I wonder how it's possible that I even have friends, and then I remember that it's because you guys love Bell Biv DeVoe, too, and you practiced the raps as well and now we are friends forever. I had no fucking idea what "I need a bodybag" meant when I first heard this song. I just figured since it was hip hop it probably meant that someone got shot at one of their shows. Smack it up, flip it, rub it down, oh nooooo!

8. Cool Rider - Michelle Pfeiffer, Grease 2: You guys, when you are an 11 year old girl, and you are watching TV with your dad and then he puts Grease 2 on and says, "Here watch this-you'll like it." and then you watch it and you see singing and dancing and cool girls wearing pink jackets and guys with motorcycles and Michelle Pfeiffer, you are changed...FOREVER. This particular number has Stephanie Zinone (Michelle Pfeiffer) singing to our protagonist Michael, the new dorky, clean cut Australian student who has just asked Stephanie out. Stephanie is explaining to him, through song, that she doesn't want just some ordinary guy, she wants a guy with a motorcyle. A cool rider, if you will. Allow me to share with you some of the lyrics:

"If you really want to know
What I want in a guy...
Well, I'm lookin' for a dream on a mean machine
With hell in his eyes.
I want a devil in skin tight leather
And he's gonna be wild as the wind.
And one fine night
I'll be holdin' on tight...
To a coooool rider, a coooool rider.
If he's cool enough he can burn me through and through.
Whhoa ohhhh
If it takes forever
Then I'll wait forever.
No ordinary boy
No ordinary boy is gonna do.
I want a rider that's cool. "

A devil in skin tight leather? Look Michael, you with your perfect haircut and yellow cardigan just ain't gonna cut it. At the end of the song, feeling Michael is just not getting the point, she goes on to spell it out for him. Literally:

"I want a C-O-O-L R-I-D-E-R.
I need a C-O-O-L R-I-D-E-R."

There are approximately 37 different versions of me and my friends singing this song into my Fisher Price tape recorder.

9. Heaven - DJ Sammy & Yanou: Yes this is the remake club version of the Bryan Adams song. I know it's blasphemy. But this song came out the summer we were doing A LOT of dancing on the roof of Velvet Dog, and we lost our minds every time it came on. Yes-we were those girls. Make fun. I'm not ashamed. I once (twice) made out with a giant wooden totem pole there. Okay for that I'm ashamed. (Not really I'm just saying that for my parents' sake.)

10. Somewhere in Between - Lifehouse: I have this habit of buying CDs based on album covers and band names when I have no idea who they are or what kind of music they sing. This was one of those purchases. I bought the CD like 4 or 5 months before they hit it big. I am awesome. This song is genius. The lyrics couldn't be more honest.

11. Believe it or Not - Joey Scarbury: Oh yes she did put this song on here. Because it's AMAZING! Greatest American Hero! Where is William Katt hanging out these days now that Perry Mason is dead? I think my mom may have dressed up as the Greatest American Hero once for Halloween way back in the early 80s. She had blonde hair and a perm so she was halfway there. For anyone wondering, this is a great ringer to have on your phone.

12. Sweetness - Jimmy Eat World: Honestly one of the best songs ever. The first time I heard this song I lost my mind. It is so great. It just makes you want to jump up and down and fist pump.

13. As Long As You Love Me - Backstreet Boys: I've outed myself as a Backstreet Boys fan in previous posts. Let me just say that when they emerged while I was in college, I resisted them something fierce. I felt they were trying to be the New Kids, and I was not okay with that. Plus I really didn't like their first song. Then they released this one, and I was theirs forever. I'm sorry, but this song is so catchy. And they do a chair dance to it. A chair dance! More dorkiness revealed: I have seen them in concert 4 times.

14. Shake Ya Tailfeather - Nelly, Murphy Lee, P. Diddy: Look, I don't like P. Diddy. At all. But my love for Nelly far outweighs any hatred for Puff Daddy Diddy Changes His Name Everyday. I'll be straight with you: this song couldn't kick more ass if it was Chuck Norris actually kicking someone's ass. I will shake my tailfeather for Nelly right now so help me God.

15. Runaway - The Corrs: If you don't know who the Corrs are, you are missing out. They are an Irish band made up of an unsettlingly beautiful group of sisters and one brother. You probably know them as the group that sang "Breathless". "Runaway" was their first single ever released, and I heard it while I was in Columbus visiting my grandparents, and I made them take me immediately to the nearest record store so I could buy this album. Then the boy who checked me out clearly had a funny feeling in his pants when he looked at the album cover because he wouldn't stop saying how hot they were. It was frightening.

16. Human - Human League: This. Song. Rules. We took a family trip to either California or Flordia-I can't remember which one-and on the plane my sister and I listened to one of the plane radio stations. It played the same like 10 songs over and over and over, and we listened to it the entire way. This was one of them. I never get sick of this song. Or the part where the lady tells the guy, "Hey you know what-don't beat yourself up about cheating on me. Turns out I'm a cheating whore, too."

17. Felicity Theme: You guys, Felicity came on when I was in college, and it was about her going to college, and Scott Foley is hot. Wait-what were we talking about? Seriously I loved this show so much. I love Keri Russell. She was in the Mickey Mouse Club. Which I watched religiously. And went to a live taping of when I was in high school where I saw JC Chasez in person (from 'NSync). I have his autograph. It's probably worth money now. Or at least it was until Justin was all like, "Screw you guys. I'm going solo. And I'm bringing sexy back. And I'm not as cute as I think I am."

18. Set Adrift on Memory Bliss - PM Dawn: I was a big PM Dawn fan in 10th grade. My friend Kim and I would listen to this song at lot while we did homework at her house. And when I say we did homework I mean we did homework for 10 minutes and then called boys.

19. MmmBop - Hanson: What's with all the over-the-Internet judging? You think I can't feel that? I am who I am, you guys, and who I am is a cheeseball who loves MmmBop. The first time I heard it, I couldn't believe what was happening. 'Are they seriously saying MmmBop?' I thought to myself. And they were. And I rejoiced. This song is effing fun. But I really have no idea what it's supposed to be about. Maybe it's about 3 kids who wrote a song and got a record deal when they were like 11.

20. Vox - Sarah McLachlan: Sarah is a personal hero of mine. Her songs are gorgeous. Her voice is hauntingly beautiful, and if you ever get the chance to see her in person, JUMP AT IT. She's phenomenal. This song is a personal favorite of mine and my sister's because it's awesome and it's called Vox. She wrote this when she was 19. When I was 19, I was skipping class so I could sleep off my hangover. Not much has changed.