CCR--that change music

Every time I have a big change in my life I listen to Credence Clearwater Rival (CCR.) I must get to the bottom of this:

Growing up my dad was extremely picky about musical choice, everything I listened to was deemed “noise,” but his classic rock, now that was music. My mom would have no part in this, as the second my father walked into her life she terminated the fire-engine red corvette, blaring speedboat that required earplugs upon each lake destined adventure and confined the rock music to the basement (ohh, women…)

My dad, though a trooper, was determine to culture me in the world of rock n’ roll on his own time. Since Zeppelin, can hardly be considered nursery rhyme music, my dad fought for a selection of ballads a bit less temperamental—Credence.

Though my ears had become accustomed to the Best of Credence Clearwater growing up, it wasn’t until High School I actually became aware that they could possibly be that one band that I listen to when nothing else feels settled.

In part, their music has won me on the very basis of pure nostalgia, in part because my dad thought it was cool, but soon I developed some reasons of my own. You see, they have the kind of lyrics and tone that doesn’t fed depression, but doesn’t fuel happiness either. The only band I can listen to when in sheer glee, or when I’m (in the words of Anne of Green Gables,) the depths of despair. Something about the music is comforting regardless of my current emotion.

Something about CCR takes me to that “so be it” mindset, and whatever is, seems perfectly fine to be as is. And the cool thing about it, is though the songs all have different memories that flood when I hear them, even if it was not a particularly great memory, it is the only music that the bad memory connotations don’t affect me.

It brings me back to my dad, a beach trip with a friend, graduating from high school, a family camping trip, my high school guy friends using it to run out to at a basketball game or playing pool in our basement, a certain someone from high school, a certain someone from college, moving to college, crying, feeling really happy, a birthday and now heading off to London…

As cheesy as it sounds, and as cheesy as other people think it may be, I can’t help it, it just fits, it’s my change music, except the cool part is, the music never changes.