The Friday Five

Friday Five : |ˈfrÄ«dā – fÄ«v| : On the sixth day of every week, I hit the shuffle button in iTunes and share the first five tracks and thought for each track. Sometimes there is a playlist involved, occasionally we’ll have a guest, but most of the time it’s just me. The rest is up to you, our friends and readers! Fire up the media player of your choice and share the first five random track of your shuffle in the comments.

The Five:

I’m dedicating this week’s Friday Five to my youngest son, who joined us this past Monday. He came into the world surrounded by music, and here are a few of the songs–randomly shuffled–that were playing during his birth. I know this one is late, but I think you’ll all understand.

“Ruby Heart” by The Guggenheim Grotto (from The Universe is Laughing, 2010)

“Something something is about to happen
I feel it in my heart a thumping
I’m fired up my thoughts are spinning”

During our extended stay in the labor and delivery room I came back to this song repeatedly. Once upon a time, this was my least favorite song on The Universe is Laughing; now it resonates with a newfound bit of self discovery.

“There a whisper in the trees a blowing
A promise of a new beginning
This could be why I’ve been waiting
This could be my second coming”

“The Great Unknown” by The Damnwells (from No One Listens to the Band Anymore, 2011)

There were a lot of Damwells tunes played during labor, for their calming effect. For the same reason, we listened to the both the “Red” and “Blue” versions of the Sliver Seas record, ChÁ¢teau Revenge.

“Crush” by Dave Matthews Band (from Before These Crowded Streets, 1998)

One of “our” songs.

“Push It” by Salt-N-Pepa (from A Salt With A Deadly Pepa, 1988)

I kid you not, my wife requested this gem.

“Wouldn’t it be Nice” by The Beach Boys (from Pet Sounds, 1966)

In a moment that couldn’t have been more serendipitous if it were scripted, the song playing on the radio as I wheeled my newborn son into the nursery for his first checks was “Wouldn’t it be Nice.” I’ve long maintained that Pet Sounds is–in my opinion–the perfect first record to share with your children. The fact that it was the first song that my boy heard as he entered this world made for a simply perfect memory to add to the vault. His second song: “Don’t Worry Baby.”

What’s on your shuffle today?

About the Author

Michael Parr

Husband, Father, Writer, Musical Voyeur, Pop Culture Glutton, Gourmet in Training. I'm the tall guy behind all these short guys. You can find me on the Twitter.

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