Dark, cold and, in many places snowy, winter is a tough season. It can be even harder for those of us whose happiness is solar powered. Even here in Southern California, we can go for many winter days without seeing the sun.
But we still have to commute to work. We still have to drag our asses into the car to buy groceries. We still have to drive to Aunt Bettie’s house for her annual Super Bowl Party (thank God for that artichoke dip). We still have to pick up the kids from yet another visit to the mall. How will we make it through?
Sometimes, when the going gets tough, the tough has to get dorky. Consider some of these excruciatingly nerdy favorites:
If your kids are little, this tune could launch a fun lesson in geography. ‘Key Largo, Montego, baby why don’t we go, Jamaica’—they’ll learn all about the Florida Keys, the Caribbean and its islands. It could be great. If your kids are teenagers, it will give them new, highly Instagrammable destinations to pine for. Either way, it’ll whisk you right back to 1988. Maybe you’ll even remember that terrible dance you did at summer camp for some next level dorkiness. Either way, it’ll be a conversation starter.
How could you possibly forget the shining star in the Billy Ocean catalog? Sure, it’s somewhat impossible to sing, but we both know you’ll remember every single lyric (hint: ‘No more love on the run..’) so let it all hang out, baby. Get that blood flowing, even if it means putting your offspring into a cringe fest of epic proportions, it will certainly liven the mood. Now before you go hating on Billy, check out the recent stats around this song — it was remastered just six months ago and the video already has close to 3 million views. Now we’re sharing the same dream…
* Margaritaville, Jimmy Buffet
Time to dust off your Hawaiian duds, Parrot Heads! Jimmy Buffett probably isn’t America’s most diverse or prolific songwriter, but he sure nailed the sentiment behind white guys in Tommy Bahama shirts. ‘Wastin’ away again in Margaritaville’ used to sound like such a cliché, but here in middle age, it much more sounds like a call to action. I dare you not to listen to that song and not think fondly upon tequila. Your kids probably won’t get it, but who cares. If they don’t like it, they can walk home.
This one’s worth remembering for the album art alone. 1981 never looked so good. And of course, there’s nothing like parenthood to instill that ‘Vacation, all I ever wanted; Vacation, had to get way’ and even worse the ‘Vacation, meant to spent alone’—good luck with that one. But don’t be surprised if your kids know the words, since this tune has shown up in everything from Alvin and The Chipmunks’ ChipWrecked to, of course, Glee.