Again, another toughie.  Also, are we distinguishing between songs that remind us of a place, or songs that conjure up a feeling of a place?  Is there really a difference?  (I think so.)

Real Places
"If I Ever Feel Better", Phoenix reminds me of Austin, Texas, where I first heard it while driving in the middle of a June night.  A perfect summer night song, really, made even more perfect by the fact that I was mulling internally over an almost-heartbreak (caused by my "Almost Lover").  I felt as if no one could tell how broken up I was on the inside, and I couldn't really release all the anguish, since it'd been a love that'd ... never been.  I'd been struggling to leave it all behind and have a fresh start ... all sentiments mentioned in this song.



Others:
- "Here In Your Arms", Hellogoodbye reminds me of March 2007, squished in the backseat of an Oldsmobile, heading towards Boston for a night out.  I was sitting next to two near-strangers, and we had just finished hollering "All I Want For Christmas Is You" at the top of our lungs, and this song came on and I'd never heard it before and I struggled to sing along while the two others embraced each other, finishing each other's lyric.  I felt simultaneously left out and exhilarated by the unfamiliarity of the situation all at once.
- "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)", John Lennon didn't mean much to me until I found myself standing near the entrance of a Tesco in Manchester, England in December and everyone was in the Christmas spirit.
- "The Sweet Escape", Gwen Stefani reminds me of a particular room in one particular corner of Massachusetts on a particular Marathon Monday.
- "Fallin' For You", Colbie Caillat reminds me of the Black Hills of South Dakota and the hills of Wyoming, which I was ripping through with this song on repeat.
- "Believe", Cher reminds me of my steamy middle school gym and the exhilaration that came along with the novelty of middle school dances.