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11-Year-Old Me Explains ‘90s Song Lyrics
While most of my interests have waxed and waned in intensity throughout the years (I assume that’s generally the way people’s interests go), my love of music is one that has remained strong since childhood. Whether I’m reading the stories behind my favorite songs or racking my brain to create the perfect playlist, the countless forms of music appreciation permanently reside at the front of my mind.
These days, my music consumption is largely reserved for times I’m driving somewhere, and try as Spotify might to help me stay in tune with emerging artists, I’m comfortable admitting that my tastes are rapidly falling behind. I’ve long since entered “washed” territory, and “New rapper or guy who’s famous for doing something on Youtube?” is a test I imagine I’d pass only by dumb luck. On the other hand, when I was a kid in the early ’90s, I was absolutely consumed by the day’s hottest new music. When I wasn’t watching music videos in the living room, I was sitting on my bed with my AM/FM clock radio locked on the local hip-hop and R&B station, blasting the day’s top hits until the 10 pm “Quiet Storm” music meant it was time for bed. Even to this day, I can still remember every word.
Well, not every word.
See, here’s the thing: I listened to the same songs over and over again, but whenever I encountered some lyrics I didn’t know…
