I can see it now. The baby blue interior of my sister’s beautiful dark blue 1979 Camero Berlinetta as she drove us down the turnpike on one of our pilgrimages to our dad’s house when we were young. He and my stepmom lived in a nearby town about 45 minutes away, which seemed like a long car ride at the time. We did that road trip so many times I practically had every road sign memorized. I was around 10 or 11 and she was around 16 or 17 years old.
Let me just say that we ROCKED that 8 track player on our turnpike trips. I can picture us now, two young brunettes bobbing our heads to the music and singing very loudly while gyrating all over the car while in transit. (Not super safe but we usually had a hell of a fun ride.)
So when a few of our theme songs from these little sisterly road trips come on the radio I am instantly transported back in time, sitting shotgun in the Berlinetta like my sister’s sidekick who thought everything she did was cooler than cool. And she was cool. One of the funniest, smartest and wittiest people I have ever known.
She drove the heck out of that car and it survived much abuse, a flood, even a few wrecks. I remember the doors were so heavy it almost took two hands to pull them shut. And I’m surprised we didn’t wear that 8 track player out. Man, the stories that car could tell.
The Gap Band You dropped a bomb on me – (click to watch hilarious video – these guys are from Tulsa OK and band name was based on first letter of the three streets they lived on: Greenwood, Archer and Pine.) . Don Henley (Dirty Laundry) and the song that most reminds me of these trips … Rod Stewart … If you think I’m Sexy … and you want my body…. come on suga lemme know…. We would sing out every word along with dear Rod. I’m sure microphone gestures were involved.
This flashback-inducing song came on the radio as I was flipping through channels on my morning drive today. (XM radio is my guilty pleasure and I love it so much that sometimes I sit in the car after I arrive just to listen – where else can you find a whole channel just for 70s or Elvis music? Or listen to what the weather is like in southern Asia? And LOADS of great news channels for news junkies like me. It’s my own form of crack.)
So as Rod started singing about his sexiness, I drove right back out of my neighborhood and did the long loop home as I blared that music so loudly that I could feel the seats vibrating. Click to take a quick listen and I bet you smile.
The happy tears started running down my face as I smiled and I’m quite certain the crazy lady mascara effect on the way back into the neighborhood frightened a driver or two.
God bless Rod Stewart for his crazy hair, raspy voice and definitely for his sexiness. And that blue Berlinetta.
What song transports you back in time?
life on wry 
I have a few such songs; actually, I wrote a post about a handful of these some moons back. I’d have to say the first that comes to mind by name is “The Gambler” (Kenny Rogers). Although it was the song my siblings and I sang as we said goodbye to our mom, it was also a song that we spent countless hours singing with her, and laughing only from tears. There are some of those in my eyes right now, as it happens, but they’re matched by the smile of getting to remember it all. Thank you.
Oh my gosh that Kenny Rogers song reminds me of my sister. We used to sing that together and knew all of the words. Listened to it on her eight track player in her Camero. Thanks so much for stopping by and for making me think of that song.
I’m transported back to 1972 and “Go All the Way” by the Raspberries. I was a geeky stringbean in the high school drum corps, so the song was absolutely inapplicable to my life, but it reminds me of girls piled in a car headed for drum lessons (after a pitstop at Mister Donut).
Love it.. I once met Rod Stewart (I won backstage passes on a radio show). I was 16 and thought once he met me he’d run away and marry me.. Guess he did not think I was sexy enough..lol
The Gap Band was one of my favorite bands too 🙂
good memories!
Okay I’m so jealous you got to meet the Rodster.
Well, that song for sure, Landslide, but I can’t remember who did it! This was fun to read.
Thanks for stopping by!
Love it. the way you describe it, I can almost envision the two of you cuties rockin’ out. Glad you got to relive the memory today. Merry Christmas!
you too!