Back To The Old Skool

You know they have this segment on Class95 radio called Back To The Old Skool where listeners can request for songs that remind them of their school days. Each dedication is accompanied by a short ditty on why the song is so special. Some are pretty hilarious.

Well if I happen to be driving home from work or to dinner during the show, I'd tune in. Never fails to bring back some memories of my own...

What's Love Got To Do With It - Tina Turner

During the Prefects' year end party in primary school circa 1984, some of us guys were tasked to put up a short item to amuse the seniors. I had a good friend called Lionel who was pretty effeminate. Tina Turner's What's Love Got To Do With It was pretty much ruling the airwaves at the time and since Lionel was eurasian, brownish and had pouty lips like hers, he was arrowed to do an impersonation. I remember a couple of us spraying a mop black with streaks of gold to be put on his head and then waiting by the radio hoping to catch the song and record it on cassette. Needless to say, Lionel was a hit, after he got over the trauma of being forced to perform that is. Till this day, we call him Tina :))

We Belong Together - Los Lobos

The song was originally done by Richie Valens but he died in a plane crash. And in the 1987 movie La Bamba, which was about Valens' life-story, Los Lobos did an excellent cover which became a hit. I was in Sec 2 in '87, had just picked up the guitar in church and there was this girl Jessica from our Youth Ministry who had a crush on me. Yes I know we were younglings :)) And so one day the both of us were up on the roof whilst the rest were at the church courtyard downstairs having a BBQ. As the sun began its descent behind the swaying casurina trees in the distance, I started strumming and singing like a romantic romeo. It must have sounded quite horrible since I had just learnt to play but what the heck, I'm sure Jessie enjoyed every note :P Until Pastor Wong suddenly interrupted our twilight twosome because the rest wanted a group photo. Dammit! We Belong Together earned me a chastise for having the gall to sing a secular lovesong in church. But it also earned me a girlfriend :)) Priceless!

When Will I See You Again - Brother Beyond

Oliver, my best friend from secondary school, and I were head-over-heels crazy about Lynette during our first 3 months in Junior College. She eventually chose to go out with me. But you know how these things are, there were already awkward feelings between the two of us. I mean we behaved like gentlemen but boy was he moody. Lynette eventually moved to the States after our first 3 months in JC. On the day of her departure, some of us schoolmates were at the airport to see her off. I had my Walkman plugged-in on the bus on the way back home from the airport. Brothers Beyond (Hope) were crooning on the radio amidst the pitter-patter of raindrops against the window. Melancholic to say the least!

So there, a couple of songs from me. What songs 'did it' for you? ;)