Say Cheese!

Other possible titles for this entry:

"Who cut the Cheese?"

"Cheesy Goodness"

"Its Cheese-a-riffic!"

...or, my personal favorite...

"Songs on my iPod that are so cheesy that I will blame my Husband for downloading them when it was actually me, after 2 glasses of wine and too much time watching the beginning rounds of American Idol."

Hee, hee.

I have a confession to make. I love cheesy songs. More specifically, cheesy love songs from the late 70's to the early 90's. And I have the feeling that I'm not completely alone on this island of Christopher Cross and Air Supply. I know there are many more out there just like me - Like you! Yeah you. The one with "I Wanna Sex You Up" blasting from your ear buds.

Yesterday I had television on the 80's music station (love that digital cable) while I was cleaning the house. When from the television I heard the first few notes of a song so quintessentially gouda that it stopped me in my tracks and brought tears to my eyes. That song was "Same Old Lang Syne" by Dan Fogelberg. Man, I LOVE that song. And its so wrong to love that song. Dan Fogelberg is not an artist you're going to admit to loving in mixed company and especially not after your friends are talking about the latest song by the The Killers or Death Cab for Cutie. Can you just imagine the reaction? He's the kind of singer you'll admit loving to someone whose darkest secrets you already have knowledge of. Like your best friend from High School who was crazy in love with her 20 year old boyfriend - you know, the one who drove the camaro - who quoted Survivor in your Senior Yearbook.

"I was living for a dream,
Loving for a moment
Taking on the world,
That was just my style
Now I look into your eyes
I can see forever,
The search is over
You were with me all the while"

(c'mon, you know somebody who quoted something like this in their yearbook.)

Okay, I've shared some of my favorites, now you share some of yours. This could be fun. All you need to do is comment on your favorite song or songs that you still crank up in your car. But with the windows rolled all the way up. I'm going to lay down some ground rules, however, as to eliminate the haters.



- This is not a forum to judge others. After all, one person's cheese is another person's Brie... or something like that.

- The songs do not have to be love songs, they can also be those ridiculous songs that you loved in the clubs (think "Rump Shaker") or those crazy heavy metal songs from the late 80's. Careful, though. I was a metal girl all the way. Big hair, ripped jeans and everything. Ugh.

- Cheesy songs are subjective but they need to be real songs that you are embarrassed to admit that you like. They can't be cheesy for cheesy's sake. For example, all songs by Weird Al do not qualify, or any other parody song for that matter. "The Homecoming Queen's got a Gun?" Uh uh. That doesn't cut it either.

- Likewise, songs that are embarrassing now but were really popular back in the day. These are the ones that had cred at that moment but haven't stood the test of time. Like some early Madonna or Whitney Houston. Although, "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" might slip through.

- All songs have to be somewhat recognizable. Please no deep cuts from albums that nobody else has heard of. I have Billboard on standby.



So let's go, people. Bring out those fondue pots and stir 'em up because I've got my bread cubes ready to dip in.

Okay, that was officially my last cheese metaphor.