A few weeks back a friend made reference to the song “Mama Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys.” I hadn’t heard that song in ages, so I used it to build a Pandora station. Little did I realize what the result would be – a time machine back to childhood.
The very first song that played was “Thank G-d I’m a Country Boy.” I loved that song when I was growing up. As that played I thought of other John Denver songs. We sang “Country Roads” and “Calypso” in elementary school.
“Calypso” was written about Jacque Cousteau’s vessel, and we were taught the song after an oceanography unit. Now that I think of it, “Country Roads” is a strange choice in that it didn’t tie into anything we were learning, but it was fun.
Some of the songs on the station I remember hearing on my grandma and grandpa’s huge old record player. The mentioning of Waylon, Wylie, and the boys, and not to mention the steel guitars, brought back memories of their home.
When I spent my semester at the University of Alabama, everybody was impressed that I knew all the words to “Why don’t we get drunk and screw.” (That was thanks to Tom’s cousin, a wonderful performer.) They taught me “Friends in Low Places,” which often plays on my new Pandora station.
For someone who doesn’t really enjoy listening to music, I have loved this dip into the nostalgia lagoon.
Did everyone listen to country music growing up? Or Did other people’s elementary school teachers ever incorporate popular music into their lesson plans?
Grown Up, Now What? 