"If I Let You Go" by Westlife (1999)

Westlife: lasting memories

I may have heard the song "Fool Again" by Westlife way back in 2000, during the summer afternoons, everytime I boiled hot water for next morning's milk. I thought the title of the song was "Born Again".

Late that year, everyone at (high) school was singing "My Love", another song of theirs. I didn't care much about popular music then. I was heavy into trading cards and toys: I collected Dragon Ball Z, Digimon, and Pokemon cards from my classmates, and also bought a set of tiny Digimon toys from my history teacher.

After the Yuletide break, a classmate brought his Christmas purchase, the first album of the record-breaking Irish vocal group. I would buy that cassette months later, after I bought a bootlegged copy of British group A1's third album "Learn To Fly".

At the school's Valentine's Day program, some bloke from the sophomores performed a solo rendition of "If I Let You Go". I don't know what hit me or took hold of me, but the song instantly became my last song syndrom (LSS). It would eventually land in my top 100 favorite songs.

Image from mahkarani.blogspot.com

Westlife's 2nd UK chart-topper off the first album was my ultimate LSS in the first quarter of 2001. In what was one of my favorite summers, their rendition of the Billy Joel classic "Uptown Girl" took over as LSS.

14 years has passed, but "If I Let You Go" remains my most favorite Westlife song, my most favorite pop song. It was the catalyst for my great interest in music, one that fueled my attraction to Britney Spears, Linkin Park, My Chemical Romance, AKB48, and Nogizaka46.

Like every other song that I like, "If I Let You Go" brings back certain memories. While writing this post, I suddenly remember my former crush (a sophomore) and another schoolmate (a classmate's boyfriend) who always played the song (on his guitar) at my request. May God bless them wherever they are now.

And how could I forget when four other classmates and I sang the song ala-Westlife during the convocation program, when my class hosted the event? Days later we would sing "Flying Without Wings" at another school program.

Too bad I can never turn back time to relive those memories. At least, I can enjoy those moments in my memory, with the song playing in the background.

"All The Love In The World" by The Corrs (2000)

The Corrs hit evokes memories of school prom

I was a high school sophomore when I first heard about The Corrs. My mother and my sister liked them, so I was curious to know more about the band that hails from the same country as U2, Boyzone, and Westlife.

Thanks to FM radio and music video CDs, I got to know about their music, their notable songs being "Breathless", "Irresistible", and "All The Love In The World" which was the soundtrack to the movie America's Sweethearts, starring starring Julia Roberts, Billy Crystal, John Cusack, and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

The movie to the song (Image from Wikipedia)

If I could go back time, I'd like to maul to death the people who picked and approved "All The Love In The World" as music for the prom dance when I was a high school junior. Though I didn't get to dance (because I refused to), I can't stand the blasphemy that took place. It's horrible to relieve the painful memory. It's something I'd like to forget... or rectify if I ever had the chance.

Why "All The Love In The World", and not anything from Disturbed, System Of A Down, or Linkin Park? Too bad the lord of the underworld did not bestow upon me the spirit of Jessica Priest when I needed it.

I'd like to push a bullet down the throat of one schoolmate who had the gall to complain about our meager food on our poor-looking table. You see, we had groupings in our prom, and I was grouped with fellow juniors and seniors who didn't dance - and yes, we were not moneyed enough to provide for ourselves a nice table and lots of good food, just a pitcher of juice and some bread. The other groups had a feast. And that schoolmate, he didn't even contribute.

Next year, I'd endure another horrible moment at the prom, this time I was forced to dance. I forgot the music, though, but it was the appropriate music for the dance, if you ask me. But what about the songs played as interval music for the affair? It wasn't screaming music.

I was glad I left before things can get mushy or embarrassing for me. I asked a cousin to hold my bag for me while I had something to eat. (How wicked of me!)

Later, I sneaked out and headed for home. I got away just in time to escape from embarrassment. Hours after arriving home, I watched music videos of Mel C (of the Spice Girls fame), Jennifer Lopez, Macy Gray, Mandy Moore, and yes, The Corrs.

Ban proms now

Those high school proms took place around the time when I was going through some sorts of problems and I was alone in facing them. Perhaps I can't still move on from those sad and painful moments, reason why I hate proms, but proms don't serve any purpose at all, just only to get people wear fancy clothes and spend a lot of money.

I pray for the day the government will ban proms, and if I have the resources to fight a war to implement the ban, I'd do it. But I have to watch the movie first.

"All The Small Things" by Blink-182 (2000)

Blink-182: legacy

A UK music poll once adjudged "All The Small Things" by Blink-182 as one of the best music videos of all times. Westlife's "Flying Without Wings" and the Backstreet Boys' "Everybody" also made it to the top ten. Back then, the songs were noteworthy, the videos were fantastic, and the artists were great. Not anymore.

The first time I heard Blink-182's pop punk magnum opus was way back in 2001, when part of the song was incorporated into the teaser of a local TV station's Sunday sitcom, Bitoy's World, top-billed by the talented Michael V and shown on GMA 7 every Sunday evening. Too bad it didn't make it to year 2002.

Bitoy's World. All roles performed by Michael V (Image from Retro Pilipinas blogspot)

But I remember the song. In 2003, my brother got hold of an FM station that played rock, R&B, and hip-hop tunes, and "All The Small Things" was included in rotation on the station's Sunday afternoon rock music program. It was also on this FM station that I first heard Evanescence, t.A.T.u., Matchbox Twenty, and Daniel Bedingfield. It was also on this station where I heard Linkin Park's "Somewhere I Belong", Christina Aguilera's "Fighter" and "The Voice Within", and Michelle Branch's "Breathe".

"All The Small Things" was etched in my consciousness. Maybe because the three-piece band parodied the popular music videos of that time: "I Want It That Way" by the Backstreet Boys, "Because of You" by 98 Degrees, "Sometimes" by Britney Spears, and "Genie in a Bottle" by Aguilera (who was a teen pop gal then).

Or maybe because the song was catchy and timeless. Well, timeless because no pop punk, metal and rock bands make it to today's music scene, and what we have now is an overdose of music that appeals to oversexed, club-hopping, and drunk teenagers and adults. Good Lord, if the devil can take them now and bring back to life Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley, Ray Charles, Johnny Cash, Whitney Houston, and Amy Winehouse.

In the summer of 2005, I would fall for another Blink-182 hit, "Stay Together For The Kids". I stumbled upon the song on a local music video station, and next year, I would watch a live performance of the song, wherein the band got a pianist to perform with them.

Weeks ago, I read about one of the members being ousted from the band. So bad, so sad.

"All 'Bout The Money" by Meja (1998)

One song, many problems, no money

Until now, I still have money problems. Life is indeed all about the money. For some people, no money, no life. No money, no love, no respect. What a life!

I believe all of us did go through some money problems in life. We had seen our parents fight over money. We broke up with relatives and friends over money. We failed to take our exams because we didn't pay our school fees. We skipped meals. We were overdue on our rent. We cried.

Worse, we had to resort to crime to make ends meets. We stole from people, including our loved ones. We robbed students, old people, and even children. We even had to steal from the treasury. We renegaded on our promises of payments to people whom we owe money. We put on a thick face every time we had to face them. If we're lucky, they'd forget to collect and we'd forget to pay. We even hide from our creditors. We lied.

Some others committed suicide. This is life. 

Life is all about the money. What a life!

MTV Fantastic Females Vol. 1 (Image from http://www.cduniverse.com/)

Memories of 2003 high school prom

First heard Meja way back in 2003. I borrowed a MTV Fantastic Females 1999 CD from a cousin twice removed, played it that night, and I was blown right away with the song from Meja. Simple lyrics and edgy tune. It was my last song syndrome of February 2003.

Okay, that was days before I heard Evanescence and t.A.T.u. That time, we high school junior and seniors were busy preparing for the prom. Though I had a choice not to attend, I'd still end up paying for the affair, because no prom payment, no clearance. It was not fair. Too bad I can't do nothing that time.

The track is #4 in Meja's Seven Sisters, her second studio album released in 1998 (Image from http://eil.com/)

Fuck we had to dance to the tune of "All The Love In The World" by The Corrs. I love The Corrs, but I hate proms. I hate paying for that event. The money would be better used for music magazines and cassette tapes. But I forgot I had no money. I had to ask prom payment from my father and cassette tapes from my mother.

Too bad I have to live in a society where people look up to people based on material and financial wealth, not principles and ideologies. Money, not ideas, rule my society.

Life is all about the money. We do crazy thing for it. What a life!

"Senpuuki" by Nogizaka46 (2013)

For the music video, please click here.
For the English lyrics to the song, please click here.

About Nogizaka46

To date, this is the only "new" song featured here in this blog. So why am I writing about this song? What do I remember about the past that I am relating to this Japanese pop (Jpop) song?

But first, some introduction:

• Nogizaka46 was created as an "official rival" group to the world's biggest female group AKB48, which also has the same founder.
• Nogizaka46 debuted in 2012, the same year AKB48's "queen" "graduated", in other words, departed from the group.
• "Senpuuki" is Japanese for electric fan. The word sounds cute, right?

The keyword for this post is electric fan.

Member Saito Asuka "speaking" to an electric fan. She is the center of the "Senpuuki" music video

The past involving an electric fan or two

The ceiling fan was the kind of fan that I grew up with, as far as I can remember of my childhood. Every time I went to sleep or took a nap, I would stare at it, watched it turn its blades around. I used to have a fear that it would come off the ceiling and fall on me, either wounding me or killing me.

Ceiling fan

The time came when my family decided to own our own house. We moved to the province and stayed for a while at a house owned by one of my mother's relatives. My father thought about buying the house and its lot because he liked the idea of living closer to the beach.

The house had no ceiling fans, so a relative lent to us her standing fan. A standing fan? It was the first time I ever saw such type of fan. As someone who was accustomed to ceiling fans, I found the invention strange. I can't remember if we returned it to our relative after we bought our own electric fans and moved to a permanent home.

So at our permanent home, we moved on with life. We went to school, our parents took up some farming and fishing, and two years later, my mother went to the capital for work. Her employers sought her out, persuaded her to work for them again. She was allowed vacation. At times, she brought new electric fans home.

Standing electric fans

Electric costs: the suffering

Like every other family, we struggled with rising electric costs and broken electric fans. My father managed to fix them, so we would not have to pay a repairman or buy new ones. But we were powerless against rising electric costs.

I don't know but I seemed to be the most affected about electric costs than anyone in my family. The situation (or perhaps fear or worry) got hold of me, pushing me to make sacrifices. I was forced to forgo the electric fan. It wasn't easy at first for me to live life, sleep, or do things under the sweltering heat. I urged or appealed to my siblings to forgo the electric fan too, but they weren't ready to make such a sacrifice. My insistence led to quarrels.

Desk fan

I felt that my sacrifices would be for naught. We did see some decrease in the electric bill but my sacrifice weren't worth it, especially that my family did not support me much. But the best thing was that it helped me endure the heat, get along with the warm weather. I am now used to hot nights.

I am now used to life without electric fans. Family and friends would ask if I use one at my place. They even tell me to buy a portable fan, the types sold at stores that sell China-made goods. But why buy when I have a hand fan (the one given away by politicians during elections)?

Oh yeah, the portable fan. A classmate once donated a portable fan to my class as our classroom was the only one without an electric fan. Speaking of donations too, the parents of one schoolmate donated a big electric to their sons' class and even got a recognition for it at the closing and recognition program 13 years ago.

Think about everyday household items that bring back the memories.

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