ReyRine Ridiculousness: Car Jamming

So wholehearted living requires us to let go of always being cool and in control, right?  I can think of lots of different scenarios when I am not cool (i.e. all the time).  The control thing is a separate issue though.  I usually try to keep it together, but there are certain points in time when I catch myself doing something completely ridiculous without even realizing it.

Example: Singing (and sometimes dancing) in the car (sometimes with the windows down).

Have you ever been lost in thought while driving, and then one of your favorite songs comes on the radio?  And then you start singing at the top of your lungs and doing some sort of car dance?  You know, like, “car jamming.”  Em and I are constantly giving our mom a hard time for tapping her fingers on the steering wheel and humming to her favorite tunes, which I’m pretty sure is her version of car jamming.  And, I must confess that I’ve caught myself doing this exact same thing way more times than I’d like to admit. Now that’s losing control.

We’ve all done that, right?  I mean, maybe not necessarily the finger-tapping thing, but whatever your version of finger-tapping is—you’ve done that.  I sure hope so, because if you haven’t, you’re totally missing out.

SO, today I want to share my top five all-time favorite car jams. I’ve put them in descending order for dramatic effect, but there really is no order (except for the last one, which really is #1).

6. “All Star”—Smashmouth

I know, I know...I said five, but technically this doesn’t count since it isn’t actually on my top five list anymore (I promise).  But, I had to include it in honor of the time that I blew out my driver’s side speaker in my ’94 Camry while driving to my hostess job at O’Charleys.  In 2005. These were the formative years of my life, folks.

5. “Not Ready to Make Nice”—Dixie Chicks

Okay, so this certainly is not the most upbeat song in the world, but it is powerful!  I love singing this song when I know I should feel guilty for something or should apologize but feel absolutely no regret and am completely unwilling to say, “I’m sorry.”  (Although that almost never happens—because I never make mistakes.  Just kidding.  I always make mistakes.  And, I always apologize for everything—like, if I’m walking down the sidewalk and I trip and someone is standing right next to me, I’ll say, “Sorry.”  Why?  Oh, I don’t know.  I guess because I don’t know what else to say.  And because I feel sorry that the person had to feel embarrassed for me, even though I’m not embarrassed at all, because I’m just used to it.  In short, this song never really applies to me.  It’s more like a fantasy of mine that one day I’ll do something so bold that I shock myself…like the time I yelled at my eighth grade basketball coach.  What happened to that girl?)

4. “Forever”—Chris Brown

Is it just me, or was Pam and Jim’s wedding not the greatest thing in the entire world?  I loved this song before that episode of The Office, but seeing the entire cast cut a rug to that song sealed the deal for me.  I don’t even care that there were a gazillion YouTube videos, or that Chris Brown has questionable character (okay, I’m not cool with that, but it didn’t ruin the song for me), and I can’t even pick out a favorite cast member’s dance moves—I love it that much.  If you catch me singing this in the car, though, I’ll most likely be doing “The Oscar.”

3. “All I Want for Christmas”—Mariah Carey

I don’t care what time of year it is—I love this song.  I also love the Backer.  And, I love that the Backer deejay and I are the only people who play this song all year-round.  Or maybe he only played it because I requested it every time I went.  Oh, no…that was usually “Love Story” by T-Swift.  I mean, who wouldn’t want to dance to “Love Story” after watching the Irish dominate?  Sorry, I don’t know much about football (Wait, you mean people go to ND for something other than football?!) so I couldn’t come up with a better word than “dominate.”  

2. “Ridin Solo”—Jason Derulo

Regardless of my relationship status, this song has always made me feel like a total baller.  Yes, I just said “baller.”  Also, I love the word “holler.”  With the “er” at the end, of course…the more colloquial versions of “balla” and “holla” are not my style.

1.5. “22”—Taylor Swift

This only counts as half a song, because I feel like half a person if I listen to it without Ashley.  This is our “I had a really bad day and I can’t wait until I’m out of my twenties, but also never want to grow up, and all I want right now is an insane amount of chips and salsa and guac, and I would maybe die without you” song, and we crank up the volume and sing really loudly on our way to Baja or Chipotle.  Warning: This song drastically loses it fervor if it’s sung in any context other than what I just described.

1. “Chicken Fried”—Zac Brown Band

This is it!  The real number one!  (For the record, I just refrained myself—wait, I mean refrained from, or restrained myself—from making a really bad joke about Eminem and Nelly.  You know, like, “The Real Slim Shady,” and “Number One”? Yeah, I know, that’s why I stopped myself.)  Anyway, to be honest, I didn’t even like this song that much when it first came out.  I don’t know what happened a couple of summers back, but I had a total change of heart.  Singing this song at the top of my lungs is the definition of letting go of being cool and in control. Why?  Because I literally can’t control myself.  I choke up every single time.  Trust me, I’ve tried—a lot of times.  It usually hits me somewhere around the line, “It’s funny how it’s the little things in life…” Sometimes it hits me earlier, sometimes later (it’s directly correlated to how loudly I’m singing—the louder I sing, the earlier I choke up).  Then, I start laughing at myself for being completely inept at controlling my emotions.  Then, I thank God that no one is in the car with me to see me simultaneously singing (except for when I’m choking up and physically can’t make sounds come out), crying, and laughing at myself.  To make a long story short, if you’re ever in the car with me and this song comes on, I’ll probably sing the first few lines and stop.  I’m doing this for you—I would never subject another human being to the awkwardness of that experience.  Also, I don’t want you to see me that uncool and that out of control.  Ever.

Till next time,

RR

PS: Leave a comment* with your favorite car jams!  What songs make you lose control? 

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