Nu turns 17 tomorrow and they have plans with friends, so we had our family celebration today with pizza, cake, and presents. Nu rarely wants things, so we collaborated on a list of 70 songs about 17-year-olds that they loved. Steph, did something like this for North, I think? We weeded out the more letchy ones (there are so many songs about adult men checking out 17-year-old girls!) and tried to find songs that described being 17. The top ones: "Seventeen without a purpose or direction, we don't owe anyone a fucking explanation" (The Rock Show, Blink-182); "You won't be seventeen forever and we can get away with this tonight" (Seventeen Forever, Metro Station); "Pack me up and put me in a time machine, so I can remember when we were seventeen" (Seventeen, Four Year Strong). There are so many songs about being 17, and Nu thinks it has something to do with the number of syllables in "seventeen," rather than the age itself. Also: The grandparents sent gift cards and cash, this Pack Rat puppet who carries a knapsack might be their new purse, they have a new speaker for their room, and a snack box from Japan.
Big A is working tonight, so he headed to bed after dinner while the kids and I headed out to see The Substance. It was a bit heavy-handed and the body horror was extreme enough to make me want to retch--but the kids thought it was all hilarious. What on earth have I wrought?!
After we dropped At off, Nu started to play Imogen Heap on the car stereo. I don't even know how Nu found this music that's now nearly 20 years old... I internally debated whether I should tell them that I had always thought of "Goodnight and Go" as my song for A (not the stalker-y bits, but the "must you make me laugh so much" section and also the oops missed the train home part). I ended up telling them, and then they earnestly asked me if I would be okay "sharing" the song with them. I guess the kids are alright after all.
(Whom am I kidding? I love my little humans to bits... I can't believe this may be Nu's last birthday at home.)
Pic: Nu's delicious (pumpkin cheese)cake looks like it has a hundred candles because there are candles spelling out "Happy Birthday" in addition to their 17 candles.
14 comments:
Happy birthday Nu! What great celebrations for them. (there are SO many gross songs) (but I love Dancing Queen, young and sweet only seventeen, feel the beat of the tambourinnnnnnne)
Happy Birthday
The only 17 song that came to my mind was Janis Ian's "At Seventeen"--beautiful and meaningful, but not a cheerful song at all.
Happy Birthday to Nu, who I hope will have fond memories of being 17.
Happy Birthday Nu!!!!! They sound very unique- my kids always can think of things they want! I love your compilation of "17" songs. Nu will definitely remember this as a special birthday.
I did do that, too, and there are a lot of them. I have a similar theory about the syllables. If you want two syllables in the line you have many choices, but if you want three, there's just one. But I also think it's a liminal year, the last one before many kids leave home, so it can be poignant.
Happy birthday to Nu! Their face is as lit up as that cake.
"Seventeen" by Winger is sort of letchy, right? Do you have that one? "I Saw Her Standing There" by the Beatles has that "she was just seventeen if you know what I mean" line. Egads. Now that I'm thinking about it, we need to protect the 17-year-olds!
Hbd Nu! Great, fun idea for a mixtape. I love this one; did it make the cut? https://youtu.be/jEu23ehmBlE?feature=shared
Thanks, Nicole! (Yes Dancing Queen is in there!)
Thank you!
Thank you, Nance. (And yes, the Janice Ian is in there :)
Thank you, Jenny! It makes me a bit sad my kids don't want things, honestly.
Thank you, Steph--there were a lot of candles :). I wonder how many songs made it onto both our lists. You have a wider range of musical taste than I do, so there are bound to be a lot of "new to me" titles in your playlist.
:D Right, Engie?!?! "if you know what I mean" WINK, WINK!! UGH
Anon, this was new to me. Thank you for sharing this absolutely beautiful melody.
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