The Song in My Head

"It's the way I'm feeling, I just can't deny." -Rihanna, We Found Love

Behold, the amazing and yet somewhat disturbing chain reaction that lands a song in your head. And, subsequently, in your child's head. Not only is this song in Peanut's head, she now claims that it's her favorite song. And it's all my fault.

Here's how it happened:

1. One day on my way to pick up Peanut from daycare, I didn't change the car radio from My Director's Top 40 station to my classic rock station. (A station that has been instrumental in Peanut's musical education. More on that below.)

2. A song comes on that just so happens to remind me of the book I couldn't put down. The Hunger Games. If you've been living under a rock, the two main characters fall in love during a televised fight to the death between themselves and 22 others. Or did they? You never know if they're in love, or playing the "game." (Ya gotta read the book. Then ya gotta read the next two.)

3. Since I instantly connect this song that I have never previously heard (because I listen to classic rock) to the popular book I am reading, I start to sing the chorus repeatedly in the car.

4. I continue to sing the chorus at home while cooking, then during dinner, playtime, and bedtime.

5. A couple of days later, I catch Peanut doing this:


6. A week later, we're all in the swagger wagon and My Director points out that she and I listen to different music with Peanut while we're driving. So I ask Peanut, "Which music do you like better? Mommy's or Daddy's?"

7. She answers, "We Found Love in a Hopeless Place." (I cringe a little.)

8. We get home and Peanut asks us to buy that song on iTunes.

9. We buy it and this happens the first time we play it:


10. Now Rihanna has become part of the soundtrack of our lives. We all bust out to this song constantly. And it's all because classic rock dad just so happened to be listening to Top 40 mom's station at the right (or wrong) place at the right (or wrong) time.

And we can't stop. But at least it's not as bad as this:

Or is it?

Luckily, Peanut DOES enjoy and recognize a lot of the classic rock I expose her to. I wrote about one special instance here.