One Song To Rule Them All

Article 009.

It was October 12, 2015. Facebook shared a memory of what I posted that day— “All it takes is one song to bring back a thousand memories!” I got really excited about this. Well, if you haven’t been paying attention, I always have a reference to either a song or an artist in almost all of my blogs. What can I say? I love music. And my appreciation runs deep. I may have too much to say actually when it comes to this so there maybe a Part 2, maybe even a third. Let’s see how it goes. Oh and by the end of this, I will let you all know what that one song is.

Five nights and eight years later (can you do the math?), we are doing a typical “e-numan” session (video call version of inuman = drinking session). The Fab Four— Howard, Dexter, Joffree and me, Tuesday night and Joffree with a revelation. Prior to the assembly, I was already watching some random music videos in YouTube. Not surprisingly a lot of Taylor Swift suggestions with a few Ed Sheeran’s. But for some old school sentimental reason, I searched for Against All Odds by Phil Collins [https://youtu.be/zeQazoWvr3s?si=Oo2s6GiFTlQSkj47]. It was the music video with clips from the movie of the same soundtrack. Jeff Bridges, James Wood and there I laid my eyes on her again, Rachel Ward. One of the first actresses that I was so uncontrollably smitten with. During the session, I mentioned this to the guys and the names being dropped of women we thirsted and crushed on back then was a great ensemble— Jennifer Connelly, Liv Tyler, Marisa Tomei (until now really) and my Claire Forlani— in Meet Joe Black, ugh, it’s over. It Must’ve Been Love by Roxette [https://youtu.be/k2C5TjS2sh4?si=A8rglxppoUpwPNMg] cues up on my TV as I sing it out loud to everyone’s amusement, “Relating too much are we?” I cackled. As the video was showing Julia Roberts, I posed a very serious question— who’s the best Julia character for you— Julia Pretty Woman, Julia Notting Hill or Julia My Best Friend’s Wedding? Joff wasn’t on the call yet at this time. I didn’t get Dex’s answer honestly because he said Natalie Portman, doesn’t count. Howard is Julia Notting Hill as he started doing the famous line “I’m just another girl, standing in front…” well, you know the rest. And you already know what’s mine (reference a previous blog please— and kinda disappointed you still don’t know— wink). Surprisingly, no one really had Julia on their list. Howard even said cutie Moira Kelly (The Cutting Edge) but no Julia.

Joffree has been teasing us with hints that he is “going through something”. So when he finally joined the call, we were ecstatic. He shows up in his usual black hoodie riding his poor man’s Peloton bike inside the garage. After consistently egging him to spill out, he finally gives in. Moves outside the house and into his parked car. I can tell this is big hence the effort to complete privacy. Alas, he squeals. Family, married life and money— the usual suspects in a matrimonial detective story. On one side, I’m glad it took him this long to have these kinda problems. That usually happens really early in marriages and they’ve been together since college. On the other hand, he sounded like he doesn’t know how to proceed with his predicament. So Dex and I gave not just two cents-worth of our perspective and suggestions but in the hundredths. Howard stayed centavo level. In the end, after all the back and forth, I told Joff, “Alam mo na ang dapat gawin, ang tanong, may bayag ka ba para gawin?” (You know what to do. The question is do you have the balls to do it?) He said no. And so I told him to be ready for his health to deteriorate— as if he’s in his best shape right now so it could be brutal for him. He will lose sleep thinking about it (already does) and would stress out that work quality will regress. It will have a domino-effect in his life. Been there. The first step was to tell someone, us, his buddies. Proud of him. At least now, he can breathe a little. But I’m sure this story will be a saga. We should hear from him soon.

Tootsie, circa 1982, Dustin Hoffman. Star-studded cast including Jessica Lange, Geena Davis and yeah Bill “F’n” Murray. Both movie and song were inspiring, and Hoffman, well, he could’ve easily won an Oscar for his performance. The carrier single from the soundtrack was from Stephen Bishop— It Might Be You [https://youtu.be/Y9AVoIROBt0?si=zzVDqwp9nn344SJb]! And yes, before you say anything, that’s the inspiration behind the handle ItMikeBeYou. I knew back then that the sobriquet will be derived from a classic song and coming up with it was instantaneous. Catchy ain’t it? In the same lines of the Bishop hit and classic 80s ballads were the likes of Take My Breath Away by Berlin [https://youtu.be/Bx51eegLTY8?si=HUhZ7OyLH2J2J1Qr], Up Where We Belong by Joe Cocker/Jennifer Warnes [https://youtu.be/bjrOcrisGyI?si=bORjFGOWw2pDOqRn], Arthur’s Theme by Christopher Cross [https://youtu.be/qMdwFkO8xA0?si=7biAK8wfegi5WPF2] and that iconic John Cusack boomboxing scene from Say Anything of In Your Eyes by Peter Gabriel [https://youtu.be/kU8OJAOMbPg?si=aZxbmE2u7Zpl-X-g], just naming a few. All of which are great soundtracks for their respective films, and a great influence to yours truly. And since we are on this subject, might as well add in notable ones (that I like and not voted by the public, to be clear) like Kiss Me by Sixpence None The Richer [https://youtu.be/Jnq9wPDoDKg?si=cpYJTdqGPqUzdDhf], Iris by GooGoo Dolls [https://youtu.be/NdYWuo9OFAw?si=qj-SAHToZVJNdDIy], I Don’t Wanna Miss A Thing by Aerosmith [https://youtu.be/JkK8g6FMEXE?si=kOqtw1dcObtw99J9], Hopelessly Devoted To You by Olivia Newton-John [https://youtu.be/jhOn4oPn3Bw?si=AW2VdJal6E6t-oCi] plus previously mentioned Against All Odds and It Must’ve Been Love. Bet you can’t tell which movies all these songs were from, huh? Don't worry, the video link per song is pretty much a dead give-away (wink).

I seared some flank steak and sautéed some onions and broccoli for lunch. Sat at the couch, had a few bites, paused and took a stab again in finishing this blog. Put my Sennheiser over-ear headphones, went to my playlist and shuffled my Bar-Inspired collection. The Lady Wants To Know by Michael Franks [https://youtu.be/ujpIGdk-IIU?si=jmoU5jFgY0LpWxZQ] sounds off. I love, love this song. I paused again. Put my hands over my head and pressed my back against the cushion, almost retreating from the idea of doing anything, even from a plateful of food. But I asked myself, “Does this song even crack my Top 10 all time?” The answer is no, it doesn’t, but for sure in the next 10. I gotta revisit that list. Would my #1 song be also the song that brings back a thousand memories? Well there’s a Part Two of this after all. In the meantime, what’s your 1 song??

The stunning Rachel Ward 🥰