Moviegoers of yesteryear may remember the classic film With A Song In My Heart. I remember this flick and the actress Susan Hayward who jumps off the screen in my mind.
However, what’s really going on in my mind since mid-October 2015, I’ve come to call With A Song In My Head.
When I awake each morning, I hear a song. A different song every day at whatever time I get up, and only for a few moments. If I don’t key the title (not necessarily the vocalist, group or orchestra) into my PDA or write it down right away, it disappears from my consciousness, or unconsciousness. It can happen at any other time of day (if I’ve taken an occasional power nap or a weekend nap) and there is always one tune. Occasionally, a second might kick in right after, but somehow I only remember to write the first one down. And the same song never seems to return, as if I’m only to hear it one last time.
Now into my 7th decade on this planet, I began wondering from where this life changing experience is coming?
And while I’m not exactly certain what this happening is actually called, through friend Heather Kassel and my jazz composer-drummer son Harris Eisenstadt, I sourced a Dr. Oliver Sacks book called Musicophilia – Tales of Music And The Brain, who writes, “Music is part of being human.”
I don’t know why my sleep awakening songs started or if they’ll ever stop, but the “Wurlitzer jukebox in my head” keeps cranking out daily ditties.
Dr. Sacks says, ”the power of music, whether joyous or cathartic, must steal one unawares, come spontaneously as a blessing or a grace.” Certainly that seems to be happening to me, but only at my awakening, any time of day.
Perhaps the answer is as simple as this. I’m an inveterate music radio dial twister whenever I’m driving, listening to JazzFM91 and SiriusXM stations from Little Steven’s Underground Garage, to the E-Street channel, Frank Sinatra, Jimmy Buffet, Classic Vinyl, CBC Classical, some country & western, and the 50s, 60, 70s and 80s, on a regular basis. This all happens after I get my sports radio fix on Toronto stations 590, 1050, and the 680News 10-minute wheel.
So, is that from where the songs are coming? Are some of the tunes I hear getting buried unbeknownst to me? Am I a frustrated wanna’ be radio jock? Or do I simply enjoy basic and cross-genre musical melodies and just store them away?
I don’t know the answers, but some of my family and friends have told me they’d love to have this ‘musical malady’ rather than weird and/or often frightening dreams. Even the happy dreamers say they’d prefer awakening to my ‘condition.’
Dr. Sacks says “our sensitivity to music can sometimes go wrong ….and subject us to hours of mental replay, and how a surprising number of people acquire nonstop mental hallucinations that assault them day and night. Yet more frequently music gets it right.”
Here’s what I find fascinating. Dr. Sacks describes how music can animate people with Parkinson’s disease who cannot otherwise move, give words to stroke patients who cannot otherwise speak and calm and organize people whose memories are ravaged by Alzheimer’s or amnesia.
Somehow, without looking too far down the road, I might be one of the lucky ones to avoid those illnesses, because I have this “musicophilia” condition, whatever the cause, and it’s not going away any time soon.
So, let the band play on.
You can find David Eisenstadt’s full songlist below, it just bring music to your ears this summer!
MY EYES ADORED YOU – Sun, Oct. 4
LITTLE STAR – Mon. Oct. 5
MORE – Tues. Oct. 6
IT’S A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD – Wed. Oct. 7
AT THE HOP – Thurs. Oct. 8
FLY ME TO THE MOON – Fri. Oct. 9
EVERYBODY LOVES A LOVER – Sat. Oct. 1
NORWEGIAN WOOD – Sun. Oct. 11
IT’S RAINING IN MY HEART – Mon. Oct. 12
DON’T LET THE SUN GO DOWN ON ME – Tues. Oct. 13
PARTY DOLL – Wed. Oct. 14
YOU ARE THE SUNSHINE OF MY LIFE – Thurs. Oct. 15
JUST ASK YOUR HEART – Fri. Oct. 16
ISLAND GIRL – Sat. Oct. 17
GRANADA– Sun. Oct. 18
IT’S A WONDERFUL WORLD (LA) – Mon. Oct. 19
DOWN ON THE CORNER – Tues. Oct. 20
MR. PIANOMAN – Wed. Oct. 21
LA BAMBA – Thurs. Oct. 22
I WALK THE LINE – Fri. Oct. 23
SUNSHINE SUPERMAN – Sat. Oct. 24
SAY THAT YOU LOVE ME – Sun. Oct. 25
SONG FOR OWEN – Mon. Oct. 26
ONLY THE LONELY – Tues. Oct. 27
THAT’S THE WAY, I LIKE IT – Wed. Oct. 28
SUNDOWN – Thurs. Oct. 29
MEMORIES ARE MADE OF THIS – Fri. Oct. 30
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – Sat. Nov. 1
CAN’T TAKE MY EYES OFF OF YOU – Mon. Nov. 2
TELL ME WHY – Tues. Nov 3
SAY THAT YOU LOVE ME – Wed. Nov. 4
UNCHAINED MELODY – Thurs. Nov. 5
MORE – Fri. Nov. 6
LONELY WEEKEND – Sat. Nov. 7
HAWAII 5-0 – Sun. Nov. 8
HEARTACHE – Mon. Nov. 9
I LOVE HOW YOU LOVE ME – Tues. Nov. 10
O SOLE MIO – Wed. Nov. 11
GOOD OLD ROCK N ROLL – Thurs. Nov. 12
76 TROMBONES – Fri. Nov. 13
OH DONNA – Sat. Nov. 14
SUNNY SIDE OF THE STEET – Sun. Nov. 15
I’M GOING TO SIT RIGHT DOWN AND WRITE MYSELF A LETTER – Thurs. Nov. 19
WONDERFUL WORLD – Fri. Nov. 20
BONA SERA – Sat. Nov. 21
JUST WALK ON BY, WAIT ON THE CORNER – Sun Nov. 22
SUGAR IN THE MORNING – Mon. Nov 23
CAN’T GET USED TO LOSING YOU – Tues. Nov. 24
JENNY JENNY JENNY – Wed. Nov. 25
LOVE LETTERS STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART – Thurs. Nov. 26
VOLARE – Fri. Nov. 27
EVERY SHALALA – Sat. Nov. 28
SONG FOR OWEN – Sun. Nov. 29
IT’S UP TO YOU – Mon. Nov. 30
I WALK THE LINE – Tues. Dec. 1
DOWN BY THE STATION – Wed. Dec. 2
THE GREAT PRETENDER – Thurs. Dec. 3
HANG ‘EM HIGH – Fri. Dec. 4
SUMMERTIMES BLUES – Sat. Dec. 5
EVERY DAY IT IS GETTING CLOSER (BH) – Sun. Dec. 6
LE DONA E MOBILE – Mon. Dec. 7
TELL HIM – Tues. Dec. 8
WOODEN HEART – Wed. Dec. 9
FLOWERS ON THE WALL – Thurs. Dec. 10
AIN’T SHE SWEET – Fri. Dec. 11
YOU’RE SO VAIN – Sat. Dec. 12
NEED YOUR LOVIN’ TONITE (EP) – Sun. Dec. 13
LET IT SNO, LET IT SNO – Mon. Dec. 14
MR. BASSMAN – Tues. Dec. 15
IN DREAMS (RO) – Wed. Dec. 16
WONDERFUL WORLD – Thurs. Dec. 17
SHE SAY AH OOM – Fri. Dec. 18
LET THE LITTLE GIRL DANCE – Sat. Dec. 19
MAYBE BABY – Sun. Dec. 20
THIS DOOR SWINGS BOTH WAYS – Mon. Dec. 21
TIL THE MORNING COMES (NY) – Tues. Dec. 22
DOWN ON MAINSTREET – Wed. Dec. 23
THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MINE – Thurs. Dec. 24
CHRISTMAS IN KILLARNEY – Fri. Dec. 25
NORTH TO ALASKA – Sat. Dec. 26
THE ANGELS LISTENED IN – Sun Dec. 27
CRYING OVER YOU (RO) – Mon. Dec. 28
FIVE FOOT TWO EYES OF BLUE – Tues. Dec. 29
PATCHES – Wed. Dec. 30
DANCING QUEEN – Thurs. Dec. 31
THE LION SLEEPS TONITE – Jan 1
UNFORGETTABLE – Jan 2
PERSONALITY – Jan3
YAKITTY YAK – Jan 4
WHERE OR WHEN – Jan 5
DOMINIQUE, NIQUE, NIQUE – Jan 6
THINK IT OVER – Jan 7
SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED – Jan 8
SEVENTY-SIX TROMBONES – Jan 9
EVERYBODY LOVES SOMEBODY SOMETIME – Jan 10
MARCH OF THE TOREADORS – Jan 11
LITTLE DARLIN’ – Jan 11
JUST WALK ON BY, WAIT ON THE CORNER – Jan 12
STAY WITH ME – Jan 13
TZENA TZENA TZENA – Jan 14
DONNA PRIMA DONNA (F VALLI) – Jan 15
O MY PAPA – Jan 16
SUNNY – Jan 17
CELITO LINDO – Jan 18
YOU ARE THE SUNSHINE OF MY LIFE – Jan 19
THAT’S THE WAY I LIKE IT – Jan 20
ON THE ROAD AGAIN – Jan 21
SUNSHINE SUPERMAN – Jan 22
TIME PASSAGES – Jan 23
TRACES – Jan 24
ISLAND GIRL – Jan 25
TELL ME WHY – Jan 26
ONCE IN A WHILE – Jan 27
CHAPEL IN THE MOONLIGHT – Jan 28
LES MIS – STORMING THE BARRICADES – Jan 29
BROWN EYED GIRL – Jan 30
LOVE WILL KEEP US ALIVE – Jan 31
WHISPERING BELLS – Feb 1
MEXICO – Feb 2
SMILE – Feb 3
ROOT BEER RAG – Feb 4
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – Feb 5
NEW YORK STATE OF MIND – Feb. 6
LITTLE DARLIN’ – Feb. 7
JAMMIN’ – Feb. 8
BLOWIN’ IN THE WIND – Feb. 9
A WHITE SPORT COAT – Feb. 10
ANGEL EYES – Feb. 11
GEORGIA ON MY MIND – Feb. 12
INDIAN LAKE – Feb. 13
NEVER MY LOVE – Feb. 14
LENINGRAD – Feb. 15
SO FAR AWAY FROM YOU – Feb. 16
GODFATHER THEME – Feb. 17
MY BLUE HEAVEN – Feb. 18
THE HOCKEY SONG – Feb. 19
AIN’T SHE SWEET – Feb. 20
TEQUILA SUNRISE – Feb. 21
RUBY, RUBY WHEN WILL U B MINE – Feb. 22
REBEL ROUSER – Feb. 23
UPTOWN GIRL – Feb. 24
EL PASO – Feb. 25
KUMBAYA – Feb. 26
SIHILOUETTES ON THE SHADE – 27
NEED YOUR LOVE SO MUCH (Elvis) – 28
LITTLE STAR – 29
LIPSTICK ON YOUR COLLAR – 5
MASHED POTATO – 6
WHEN I FALL IN LOVE – 7
ALONE – 8
LIES (The Knickerbockers) – 9
YELLOW SUBMARINE – 10
TEMPTATION – 11
TIRED OF WAITING (the Kinks) – 12
RUM IS THE REASON (Toby Keith) – 13
BLUE BAYOU – 14
BROWN EYED GIRL – 15
LAUGHIN’ (Burton Cummings) – 16
MEXICO (Bob Crew Orchestra) – 17
JUST ASK YOUR HEART – 18
OCTOPUS’S GARDEN (Beatles) – 19
ZANZIBAR – 20
ONE PARTICULAR HARBOUR (Jimmy Buffet) – 21
SUSAN – 22
COME MONDAY – 23
LONELY BULL – 24
CLEMENTINE – 25
MAYBELLINE – 26
EVERYDAY HOUSEWIFE – 27
TIGHTROPE (Leon Russell ) – 1
GREEN TAMBOURINE – 2
I WALK THE LINE – 3
YOU KNOW WHAT I LIKE – 4
SWEET CAROLINE – 5
SAVE YOUR HEART FOR ME – 6
FEEL SO FINE – 7
SUNNYSIDE OF LIFE – 8
I WRITE THE SONGS – 9
JUST THE WAY YOULOOK TONITE – 10
SURFER GIRL – 11
RAINDROPS KEEP FALLING ON MY HEAD – 12
THAT’S AMORE – 13
I’D LIKE TO TEACH THE WORLD TO SING – 14
RHYTHM OF THE (FALLING) RAIN – 15
SWEET CHERRY WINE – 16
YOU R MY SUNSHINE – 17
WIPEOUT – 18
I SAW LINDA YESTERDAY – 19
DIANA – 20
ANGEL EYES (Jeff Healey) – 21
A KISS TO BUILD A DREAM ON – 22
ALMOST LIKE BEING IN LOVE – 23
SCARLETT RIBBONS – 24
UP THE LAZY RIVER – 25
PURPLE RAIN – 26
PEG OF MY HEART – 27
YOU’RE SO VAIN -28
LOOKING BACK – 29
ANGEL EYES – 30
OOH BABY I LOVE YOUR WAYS – 1
SUNSHINE SUPERMAN – 2
JUST THE WAY YOU LOOK TONIGHT – 3
OH SUZY Q – 4
MOON RIVER – 5
SHE’S GOT TO BE SOMEBODY’S BABY – 6
HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE – 7
MRS. ROBINSON -8
WON’T YOU COME HOME BILL BAILEY – 9
RAMBLIN’ MAN – 10
SUNNY SIDE OF THE STREET -11
WALK DON’T RUN – 12
SWEET GEORGIA BROWN – 13
PEGGY SUE – 14
IT’S A LOVERS QUESTION – 15
STAY (JUST A LITTLE BIT LONGER) – 16
David Eisenstadt is Founding Partner of tcgpr – PR Consultants to News Makers® in Toronto – tcgpr.com.
