Welcome to Music Monday! As many of you know, music contributes a great deal to my writing process. Whether it’s a song’s lyrics, beat, rhythm, or tone, I find myself constantly inspired by it.
My Dad loves music, particularly Oldies. When I was a kid, he’d often quiz me and my two siblings. A song would come on the radio and he’d ask, “Who sings it?” Of course, I’d never know, so I’d always guess The Beatles, The Beach Boys, The Monkees, and finally, out of sheer desperation, Buddy Holly…Yeah, I kinda stunk at remembering the smaller bands/artists.
Despite my poor performance during my Dad’s impromptu quizzes, I grew to love his music. I especially fell for the Malt Shop classics. Not only do they make me think of summer BBQ’s and crazy family road trips, but they offer a surprising amount of writing inspiration.
Lately, I’ve been obsessed with “Downtown” by Petula Clark.
I’m not sure what it is about this song, but it just makes me want to write. It’s upbeat, cheery, and fun. Yet, at the same time, it’s dark and eerie…Yeah, totally weird and random, I know. And I’m positive I’m the only one who thinks this way. But I can’t help it. Whenever I hear this song, I sense a dark, menacing undertone. A creepy, chilling whisper that would play as perfect background music to a scene that’s anything but upbeat, cheery, and fun.
It’s sort of like this opening scene in the TV show Flash Forward.
I suppose it’s one of those yin-yang things? Happy, lighthearted tunes can make a devastating, suspenseful, frightening scene even more devastating, suspenseful, and frightening.
Anyways, if you’d like to listen to “Downtown” by Petula Clark, here you go! It’s definitely one of my “Oldies but Goodies” favorites.
What song(s) are you in love with right now? Which one(s) offer you inspiration? Let me know! I’m always searching for songs that motivate my writing.
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Jen's Pen Den 
That’s a GREAT song! I know a blogger who has a whole category on Petula Clark. Here’s his most recent post, from a couple of years ago, but she’s still actively singing in her 80s: http://www.dograt.com/2012/11/19/petula-clark-downtown-girl/
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I can’t stop listening to it. Definitely one of my favorites 🙂 I’ll have to check out that link. Thank you so much for sharing it…Wow, she’s still singing? That’s crazy. AND amazing!
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