Musical Memory

A picture might be worth 1000 words, but nothing can bring back memories as effectively as music. A picture might remind you about the people and the landscape in the picture, but music can transform past into present and replay all the emotions associated with a setting and more. There are always certain songs which you associate with special events like your first car, your first crush or your first pay raise and then the lyrics of these songs take an altogether different meaning in your life.

"I'll be there for you, When you want me to...."

Tyler, recollected the first time he heard the song on FM while driving with the love of his lifetime through the scenic Sierra Nevada. He had planned the road trip along the scenic route CA-395 the day after Meg accepted his proposal. Things could not have been any better, and the song only accentuated their mutual feelings. Cruising at 70 mph, their humming wafted through the breezy valley as their roadster lapped up miles amidst the snow clad 13,000+ ft mountains. They had heard the song more than 50 times on the trip and from that trip on that song became their love anthem. However, their crooning came to a tragic end when their rear wheel drive fish-tailed on a slippery patch of ice and slammed into an oncoming 18 wheeler. The excellent air-bag safety system and bucket seats fell short in their endeavour, as both the occupants were rushed to the Bishop County hospital in severe condition. After 3 days of battle, Meg surrendered, but Tyler survived, barely.

It took Tyler almost a year to recuperate, physically, from this ghastly accident. But the mental scars were permanent. Without Meg, he felt his life was without a purpose. Before the accident, Tyler was the lead singer for the famous band "Tool". But the accident had taken away his sole inspiration and he could no longer go back to music.

"I'll be there for you, When you want me to...."

...he heard the song as he walked into to the coffeeshop, and he could feel a mental fit besieging him. What was once his favorite song, was now tormenting him.

"I'll be there for you, When you want me to...."

...3 days later he was having dinner with his siblings at the diner, when he heard the song again. Unlike pictures which only bring back good memories, music can very easily bring back bad memories too. Tyler could feel his head explode, as he ran out of the diner with the lyrics to his once upon a time favorite music trailing him.

But when a song tops billboard charts for months, its difficult to avoid hearing it at public places. And every time he heard the song Tyler felt a seizure creeping through his body. Sometimes it would make him throw up, at times it would make him throw sudden tantrums, but mostly it would plunge him into long periods of depression. The song would give him nightmares and on somedays just sleepless nights.

.....Its been 5 years now since, the song debuted at the billboard charts and single-handedly made Tool's first albumn platinum. Many consider it to be the song of the decade, but Tyler wishes he never wrote that song.......