Songs That Take Me Back 2

Songs That Take Me Back

I figured since I'm on this 90s nostalgia trip, I might as well continue. Eventually, I'll get to the 2000s. After all, I did spend my entire teenagehood in the 2000s. That's an interesting perspective. I spent my childhood in the 90s and my teenagehood in the 2000s. That's probably a good way to summarize a large chunk of millennials. In my personal life, the 90s where a blast and so where the early 2000s. My life took a sour turn during the second half of the 2000s and it would remain less than ideal until shortly after the 2010s began. All things considered, it wasn't all that bad and I definitely made it through, scars and all. But whenever I feel the fever of nostalgia, I will always retreat to this period in my life. So, here we go again: more 90s songs that take me back.

Six Pence None the Richer - Kiss Me

It was a close call between either this song, or "There She Goes". They both harken back to that living room in the old house as I watched either of the music videos on The Box back at our old house. I selected "Kiss Me" becase it was an original song from the band and it appeared in a movie: "She's All That". I remember seeing the commercials for it during the time but never watched it. I decided to watch it recently and honestly, I shouldn't have. I never liked rom-coms and this movie fits that description and it's boring. I definitely preferred the parody "Not Another Teen Movie". We watched that when it came out and had a blast. Maybe I only enjoy rom-coms when they're straight up raunchy.

Randy Newman - You've Got a Friend in Me

This song hits me right in the feelings in more ways than one. Of the plethora of animated films released in the 90s, this one was my favorite. Being the first movie to feature computer 3D animated, it was a sight to behold. The phenominally charming story about reconcilliation and friendship certainly helped. One of my dad's friend was nice enough to take me to Disneyland with his family where he bought me a Buzz Lightyear action figure. In addition to all that, I played the Super Nintendo game of Toy Story until I was able to beat it in one sit-down. I can no longer even get past the first level.

Jason Paige - Gotta Catch 'em All!

This is definitely one of the most recognizable songs of the 90s. Pokemania was utterly inescapable in the late 90s. Every single child was possessed by it and dragged their parents along. There was the animated series, the cards, the video games, the movies, the toys, and whatever Pokemon branded merchandise you can think of. It's completely crazy how Pokemania took over our lives during this time. We where all obsessed. We battled and traded cards as well as the Pokemon in our Game Boys. We would get excited every time we leveled up our Pokemon and watch them evolve. I don't think there's ever been anything as massive. I remember Yu-Gi-Oh arrived some time after Pokemon. Sure, we went crazy for Yu-Gi-Oh, too. But it was nowhere near as intense as Pokemania. I don't think anything has been and ever will be. It was nuts.

Bone Thugs-n-Harmony - Tha Crossroads

This song makes me think of two of my cousins that I used to hang out with a lot. They where both older than me; one by a single year and the other by several. I was always a little jealous that they could play basketball better than I could. I used to chalk it up to age differences, but the older we grew, the more the gap became noticeable. Granted, I didn't practice or play anywhere near as hard as they did. It didn't help that I became a skater boy and subsequently a guitar shredder. I still try to play ball at the park once in a while but....yeah, I'm a scrub. Hahaha. They both continued loving rap music while I became a rocker. It's a little sad that we sort of drifted apart. Such is life.

Next - Too Close

This song also reminds of my two cousins I once frequently hung out with. It was the oldest among us that had a mix CD with this song and Savage Garden's Truly Madly Deeply. There where other songs, of course. But for some strange reason, I remember these two the most. I don't even like Truly Madly Deeply. So, Too Close is definitely the choice and a good song. Not only does it remind me of my cousins, but it specifically reminds me of the time we visited Mexico in the winter of 1999 since this mix CD was brought along. One of my other cousins that lived down there jokingly remarked that if the world ends because of Y2K, at least he'll be in his home village. Rest In Peace, great grandpa. He was the reason why we went down there.

Santana - Smooth

This was undoubtedly the biggest smash hit of 1999 and one of the biggest smash hits of the 90s. It was like a big sendoff to the decade or something. It topped the charts and it remained at the top for what seemed like forever. There was no escaping this song. It played on the radio, on TV, in supermarkets, at the gym, doctor's waiting room, parties, and in offices. You name the place, Smooth was sure to be playing at that location. Much like Steal My Sunshine, Smooth doesn't recall any specific memories, just a general vibe of the summer of '99. Those where definitely more optimistic times.

Looking Back

I think I'm done with the 90s for now. Next time, I'll discuss more 2000 songs that take me back. As I mentioned earlier, my life took a sour turn early in the second half of the 2000s. So, I'm not going to be terribly nostalgic about that time in my life. Prior to that, it was blast. Naturally, I'm going to emphasize the first half of that decade. I've read that the early 2000s can be characterized as "90s leftovers". Seeing as how I argue that the late 90s and early 2000s collectively belong to the Y2K Era, it makes perfect sense to me.