You may remember the first ‘conversation I wish I’d never started’ with my teenage son. The inability of my addled, middle-aged brain to connect with the sharp, intolerance of youth. Here’s another one from this morning at breakfast.
Me: I just heard a good song this morning from Radio One’s Big Weekend
Son: What was it?
Me: I can’t remember.
Son: Who was it by?
Me: The Foo Fighters.
Son: Was it Everlong?
Me: No idea.
Son: Well, how did the song go?
Me: I can’t remember now.
Son: What, nothing at all?
Me: No. Say a few more of theirs.
Son: Pretender? Best of You?
Me: Doesn’t ring a bell. Actually it might have been Chasing Status?
Son: Chase AND Status
Me: That’s what I said! What do they sing?
Son: Let You Go? Blind Faith?
Me: Oh I don’t know.
Son: Mum, you’re really annoying. Try and think.
Me: I’ve got it! It went “I’ve got a feeling…oooh….oooh…..that tonight’s gonna be a good night”
Son: That’s the Black Eyed Peas.
Ha ha ha. I have to say I am not lookking forward to these conversations, but even I knoew that was the black eyed peas and have to say I adore the Foo Fighters and have seen themlive so many times.
Luckily my daughter's Ipod is still limited to what she can find in my CD collection, so at least I can sound knowledgeable, although once she discovers songs have continued to be released in the 21st century I'm going to be in trouble…
@Mad House – I'm so embarrassing, Jen. I know the tunes but can never put the right names to them. Now you have my respect for seeing the Foo Fighters live! My son would be very impressed too.
@Kate – Haha! I'm going to have to get my act together: I lost the ability to impress and sound knowledgeable some years ago.
Oh Trish, you had me in stitches with this post! I could have written it myself. Amy and I are always having these conversations and she spends ages trying to get me to remember songs. One day it'll come to them, guess that's the only consolation we have, lol.
Hope your mum's okay.
CJ xx
@Crystal Jigsaw – It's our age, isn't it! I'm sure I didn't used to be so hopeless and unable to finish sentences either!
Mum doing ok – misses Dad terribly but in the main is coping very well. Thanks, Kathryn xx
2 words – Radio 4! đ
@Very Bored – Jeez, you ARE old! đ
You should be a judge on Eurovision. No, really.
@Steve – I know a good tune when I hear one! I wanted Spain to win…
Haha…..I have lots of those! đ
My musical conversations with my eldest normally take place in the car. When some bit of music I detest plays the convo goes:
me: aaargh!
son: don't you like it mum?
me: no
him: oh, I suppose that's normal (ie you're so old you couldn't possibly like anything so cool as this hip and with-it sound)
me: turn that crap off
at which point he switches over, not off and I get more of the same. Personally, I like peace in the car. Some hope.
@Cherished by Me – Oh I'm so pleased: safety in numbers!
@Sarah – Oh God we have those too. In fact my husband's worse than me in the car. If Rory has some contemporary stuff playing, it always gets turned off at roundabouts or junctions as Dougie "can't concentrate with that racket". As there are numerous roundabouts and junctions, poor Rory never hears one complete song.
2 more words – Radio 5
Doesn't get any better the older they get…although our kids seem to still quite like the stuff we brought them up listening to….yet they are going to a festival this year where I don't know who any of the acts are…cest la vie.
Take comfort. I have these conversations with my seven year old daughter all the time! She can't read to save her life but she knows her Taylor Swift from her Coldplay.
I saw you in the Blogger Year Book. I'm in too!
http://stickyfingers1.blogspot.com/2011/05/blogger-year-book.html
@Libby – it's good to know that your children still enjoy your music: you must have taught them well. I don't think we've been as successful but then poor lad would have been put off with all the musical theatre stuff I've listened to over the years!
@Emma – She sounds like a cool little girl!
I didn't know I'd submitted a photo! Have just had a look – Tara has used a close-up of me from the group netball one so I'm rather grainy. I wish I'd given it more thought and sent her a proper individual one. But it's still very sweet to see everyone.
what are we here for if not to annoy our children?!
@Kelloggsville – Absolutely. It's the law.
LOL!! Next time ask us first and THEN have the conversation with your son, he will be impressed by your musical knowledge… ;o)
@Funky – can you give me some lessons on being cool please?
Actually, I think your son is incredibly patient. I would have hummed the tune round the beginning and my son would have made an appalled grunt and moved quietly away. I am def becoming more like my mother with my "that TV show with the man with the blue shirt" senior moment style.
This conversation sounds exactly like the ones I have with my two sons. usually get the sense of the name of the song right(you get no points for that, by the way,) but the name itself wrong, eg, referring to Lady Gaga's song "Paparazzi" as "Photographers." Plenty of eye-rolling at that one…
@About last weekend – I couldn't even think of the tune which was even more frustrating for him.
@Ms Caroline – ah yes, that's a favourite of mine too: wandering around the subject and just not getting it spot on. Why do they insist on accuracy?
God Trish even I knew the Black Eyed Peas song! Mind you, with all the stupid band names these days (Finger Eleven? Mumsford Boys etc) I never know what we're talking about!
@Expat Mum – I knew it was the Black Eyed bloody peas was once he'd told me!! Does that count?
Mumsford Boys??? Mumford and Sons – even I know that, even got the CD (ah bugger, I should have said it's on my iPod but I haven't got one)
@Ms Caroline/Expat Mum – I've just remembered a classic of mine from a few weeks ago. Trying to remember Jessie J's song 'Price Tag' I called it 'PayPal'. You can sort of see how I got there? Yes?
…Mumsford Boys…PayPal…what a great set of comments to come home to after an annoying day!!! So good to know I'm not alone….
@Ms Caroline – you're always welcome here!
This made me laugh so hard! Urrrgh I think I've had this exact same conversation.
@Being Me – I do try and listen to the current music but can never put a band name with a song. These daft conversations are so common!