Inspired by a story that was shared of Crasstalk commenters reuniting following a particularly revealing Photo Phriday, I reflected on my junior high and high school crushes and the songs that I reminded me of them. Music can be so intrinsically tied to one person or period of time in our lives, that a song may instantly make your heart race and stomach flutter.
The skater boy from the eight grade had a wide smile, great calves, and the coolest clothes. A friend of ours had a half pipe in the backyard and I would sit and dream of our future while watching him do tricks after school. It was Dead or Alive’s Brand New Lover that I would sing in my head. I had not yet had any lovers, so how he could be my brand new lover was all just a matter of details but I just really wanted him to ask me to the dance. This dream never materialized.
Once in high school, the boy who captured my heart was of course, my best friend. We would sit for hours on the phone after school, me on my Swatch phone, as I listened to my New Edition tape over and over and over again while he told me about the girls he has crushes on. He reminded me of Ralph Tresvant and New Edition was my life, so it only made sense that the Heart Break album was the soundtrack of our relationship. If I was feeling morose about my unrequited love, Can You Stand the Rain was on repeat: play – stop – rewind – stop – rewind some more – play. But if I was feeling particularly optimistic about our future together, then I would turn on If It Isn’t Love and do the choreography in front of my mirrored closet. He ended up dating my best friend (John Hughes really had it right) but we remained friends throughout. Looking back, it really wasn’t him that I wanted, I just wanted him to want me.
Sadly, I don’t know where either of the boys are today, in spite of Facebook.