V-day Mix Tape

Every year I make Mike a mix tape for Valentine's. It is fun to document some of the songs we (I) loved that year.

Here is the Valentine's 2011 playlist:

When You Say Nothing At All is "our" song, so it is always the first one on the list.

Kelly Clarkson always must appear on the list, and so must Justin Timberlake.

Some are old. Some are new. Some are on there just because I like the music. Most are on there because of the lyrics. Some are more of a joke--Justin Beaver (Jessi will not call him Bieber.) And some are meaningful.

Dynamite is our dance song of the year. It is an anthem for control freaks everywhere--not that I am one or anything...

"I throw my hands up in the air sometimes

Saying AYO

Gotta let go

I wanna celebrate and live my life

Saying AYO

Baby, let's go."

The New York song represents our trip there last year. It was cool because I found the video on youtube before we left and then when we were at the Yankees game they played it and Jay-Z was there. I do love me some rap--it's just hard to find good clean rap these days.

The Beatles usually make an appearance on the list. Life Goes On is the one I picked for this year.

"In a couple of years they have built a home sweet home,

With a couple of kids running in the yard,

Of Desmond and Molly Jones."

Then I let each kid choose one of his or her favorites to add:

Andrew: Fireflies

Bev: Down

Christian: Battlefield (It's so funny that he likes this song. I think he thinks it's about a real war--not love.)

Jessi: Liberian Girl (She loves anything Michael Jackson. We think it's pretty cool he did a song about a girl from Liberia.)

Watching You. I like some country music. This one is a little twangy for my personal taste, but the message is perfect and makes me think of Mike and Kiki.

He said, "I've been watching you, dad ain't that cool?

I'm your backaroo, I want to be like you.

And eat all my food and grow as tall as you are.

We like fixin' things and holding momma's hand

Yeah, we're just alike, hey, ain't we dad?

I want to do everything you do; so I've been watching you."