The first time I ever really heard Pepperby the Butthole Surfers was at the end of a roll while I was riding around in the car with my brother. I knew I'd heard the song before because it sounded a little familiar but I certainly hadn't heard it in a very long time. My brother and I were riding around waiting for the last of the drug to wear off and, of course, also smoking a bowl.

I just remember hearing the song and jacking it up and listening so so so intently because this was way before iTunes and I wanted to remember the lyrics so that I could find out what the song was later, because it was so brilliant to me at the time. I still love this song, and whenever I listen to it, I think about that moment: we were cruising on back country roads in PA, very relaxed, just kind of talking about nothing and wondering if our dad would still be up when we were home. My brother knew this song and was rocking out to it too; he was surprised I didn't recognize it.

So anyway, that was my introduction to that song.

Another song that is very meaningful to me is The Band's The Weightwhich I'm given to understand is a pretty popular song to get attached to in college, but whatever. I was on the outskirts of a very cool, very close-knit group of (mostly) guys who had weekly poetry readings at their house for two years. It was great...although the weekly poetry readings slowly turned into ragers. Anyway, they'd all get drunk and there were several musicians in the group and at some point this song would get trotted out and everyone in the room would sing along. it became a song that encapsulated a lot of my experience with that group (that, and Semi-Charmed Kind of Life I can't listen to either without immediately hearkening back to those days and those people. I never was able to be as close with them as I wanted, for various reasons like they were cliquey and, well, social awkwardness on my part, but nonetheless that group and those nights were among the most important parts of my college experience and I'm so glad I was a part of that. Even if it was the outskirts.