The Soundtrack of Your Life by Tim Smith

Do you have a time machine that can take you back to when things may have been simpler, or when you were happier? Maybe a vacation with someone special, or enjoying a once-in-a-lifetime experience? The answer is yes, we all possess such a device. It’s called memory, and do you know what can magically kickstart that machine? Music! It has the power to bring back things we filed away in our mental scrapbooks.  

We just survived another Christmas season, and nowhere was this musical memory connection more apparent. Be honest: when you felt ready to get in the holiday spirit, how many of you looked forward to hearing favorite songs on your MP3, or car radio, or CDs (maybe vinyl in some cases)? I always find the holiday channel on satellite radio because there are some songs I just have to hear to get in the mood. I listened to many of them while growing up and felt nostalgic hearing them again. Can you honestly say that when you heard Crosby crooning “White Christmas” or Mariah belting “All I Want for Christmas is You” that you didn’t think “Hey, it’s that time of year again!”     

The term “facing the music” has been around for years but I never gave much thought to its meaning or origin. My research uncovered the definition “To accept the unpleasant consequences of one’s actions.” It’s been used to the point where it’s become a cliché. Irving Berlin wrote a popular song called “Let’s Face the Music and Dance.” Why he thought dancing was the best way to atone for your sins is a mystery to me, but Fred Astaire choreographed it beautifully in a movie.  

I’ve always admired the way a talented lyricist like Cole Porter, Sammy Cahn, or Ira Gershwin could tell a beautiful, complete story to accompany the melody. This is in direct contrast with today’s output, where you’re lucky if you can understand what’s being sung, or make sense of it. I’m especially fond of Cole Porter, and the way he expressed feelings through music. His lyrics were sophisticated, but not unattainable. He also possessed a crystal ball. His 1934 song “Anything Goes” contains this line:  

“Good authors, too, who once knew better words now only use four-letter words writing prose, because anything goes!”  

The ability to tell a love story with lyrics within 128 bars is a rare gift. Of all the songs Irving Berlin composed, one of my favorites is “Be Careful, It’s My Heart” from the film “Holiday Inn.” It beautifully sums up the growing infatuation between two people, set to a melody that’s easy to dance to. Fast forward 30-some years to Barry Manilow’s disco classic “Copacabana (At the Copa).” Follow the words and you’ll hear an entire Lifetime romance movie set to music, told in three minutes.   

My own musical time machine evokes memories that comprise my life’s soundtrack. When I hear Tony Bennett sing “I Wanna be Around,” I may think of the one that got away. Elton John’s “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” will forever be associated with a sensuous turn on the dance floor many years ago, and Chicago’s “Color My World” evokes the same response. I get a little melancholy when I hear Bryan Adams sing “Have You Ever Loved a Woman?” and another one that gets to me is Jim Croce’s “I’ll Have to Say I Love You in a Song.” I’ve never laid claim to a particular melody, but I used to joke that Marvin Hamlisch had me in mind when he wrote “Nobody Does it Better.”  

I’ve brought this love of music into my writing by working it into a scene to enhance the mood and atmosphere. You’ll find references to some of the piano jazz masters in my mystery/thrillers, and the reason is simple. I like that kind of music, therefore my leading characters do, too. I’ve dropped in little bits like “The soothing sounds of Oscar Peterson’s piano jazz played in the background.” In my mystery “The Other Woman,” the action takes place around Christmas, so naturally I had to include holiday music to set the mood. In particular, I mentioned Dave Brubeck’s solo jazz Christmas album.   

I used the song-as-a-memory thing in one of the Nick Seven spy thrillers. He requests a certain selection from the jazz trio at his club, and when Felicia asks him why he chose it, he reminds her that it was played the first time they went on a date several years earlier. It forged a prominent place in his memory, and was forever associated with that special night. Yes, I know that’s straight out of “Casablanca,” but at least he didn’t request “As Time Goes By.” 

My knowledge of the music business came in handy as fictional fodder in one of my recent crime thrillers. “The Neon Jungle” tackles the dark underside of the entertainment industry in Miami. The person in a bind is a popular local musician trying to get out from under the control of a supposedly legit music mogul who is using his business as a cover for criminal activity. Do these things actually happen? Maybe, maybe not. Is any of it based on my personal observations and experiences? I’ll rely on the disclaimer at the front of the book. 

This story gave me the chance to include song references within the plot, and some of them were used to enhance the action. A character longing for the gal that left a vacancy in his heart? I trotted out the ballad “Here’s That Rainy Day” to emphasize what he was feeling. When it was time for the happy-for-now ending, “Never Gonna Let You Go” is featured. While writing the action sequences, I listened to recordings by Buddy Rich and Henry Mancini to help me set the mood and pace. If only I could transfer those tracks to the book.  

There’s a scene in the movie comedy “10,” where Dudley Moore played a successful middle-aged pop songwriter lusting after a much younger Bo Derek. At one point, he’s lamenting to a bartender about changing musical styles. He says “One day, a couple will be listening to a band and the woman will say Honey, they’re playing our song! And the band will be playing ‘Why Don’t We Do It in the Road’.”    

Frank Sinatra was blessed to have the talented Nelson Riddle as his primary arranger. Besides being a creative orchestrator with a knack for matching the arrangement with the singer, Riddle had a philosophy which lends itself to this topic. He always equated music with sex, and offered the explanation “After all, what else is there?” Think about that the next time you’re choosing the playlist for a romantic evening by the fire.  

What songs make up the soundtrack of your life? 

Visit Tim's website at: www.allauthor.com/author/timsmith