Dancing Queen

1981 (or thereabouts..) "Friday night and the lights are low".  Okay it was Saturday nights and it was at the Gravenhurst Community Centre, but whenever it was and wherever it was, I was The Dancing Queen (at least in my own mind).  And, every time I hear that song I am 17 years old again, at the disco, dancing the night away in my turquoise Danskin.

Music is miraculous that way.  It brings us back, it creates a mood, it changes our mood, lifts our mood, sets the mood, soothes us,  at times moves us to tears.  It fills our lonely voids, fills our hearts and brings us joy .  Music brings people together like no other thing. It provides the soundtrack to our lives.

Of course, I have earlier memories of music in my life than ABBA's Dancing Queen.  My parents were big music lovers with everything from Classical, the Soundtracks to Annie Get your Gun and My Fair Lady, to the Beatles, Bob Dylan, the Rolling  Stones, Cat Stevens, and Joni Mitchell, to one of my Mom's favourites -  Neil Diamond. All of this music and much more bring back memories that, if I didn't hear the songs, might never come to mind.

Cat Stevens is tied forever in my mind to my sisters and I doing "gymnastics" in our matching baby doll pj's; the Beatles is hours and hours of learning lyrics, reading Archie comics, and dreaming of being married to Paul McCartney.  Neil Diamond brings an instant and vivid recollection of skating on the ice on the bay in front of our house right down to the frostiness of the air and the sound of the ice cracking.

Early music that I actually owned, either on vinyl, or on 8-track were Olivia Newton John, the soundtrack to  The Sting, The Partridge Family and Donny Osmond (the latter two of which I think my brother broke in half - see below regarding my compulsive music personality).

Music that is forever tied to my daughter as a baby are Enya and Bob Marley (both of which I played endlessly to soothe her to sleep).  My son (needing not much coaxing to get to sleep) preferred the lively beat of the Gypsy Kings while he danced for hours in his Jolly Jumper.  Family meals in those days were often accompanied by the Bridges of Madison County Soundtrack (both kids know most of the words to all those songs).

I have a very diverse taste in music, but tend towards the play it till nobody in the house ever wants to hear it again kind of personality.  I use music to bring back memories that I want to keep in my mind.  There is some music I refuse to listen to because it brings back memories I don't want.

These days my musical taste is more of the folk music genre; Sarah Harmer, Great Lake Swimmers, Alexi Murdoch, Cowboy Junkies, Be Good Tanyas, and Feist being the favourites at the moment.  But every once in a while when I want to be "young and sweet, only 17" you might hear ABBA playing in the house... and you might even find me dancing by myself in the living room.  Maybe one day I will dig my disco ball out again.

The Danskin body suit and wrap skirt -
 perfect for dancing the night away.