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# I Still Know All The Words to “The Sign”
- URL: https://justincox.com/blog/2019/02/i-still-know-all-the-words-to-the-sign/
- Published: 2019-02-12T17:17:46.000Z
- Updated: 2023-06-17T00:34:14.000Z
- Description: What I learned fixing my iTunes Library.
- Author: Justin Cox
- Tags: Tech, Life, Humor, #music, #taylor-swift

## What I Learned Fixing My ITunes Library.

The other day I had a near disaster on my hands as 8,000 songs in iTunes disappeared. Luckily I saw the sign and when I opened up my eyes there was a backup on my wife’s computer.

In the process of copying over 60 GBs of music, I noticed some of the songs in the library and, well, they gave me pause. So walk with me down Memory Lane as I embarrass myself.

***Author’s Note: All of the musical acts link to Apple Music and no, I don’t earn any money from any of them. I wish I did though.*

It was fall of 1993 and I was an awkward fifth grader. For my birthday I received a super-cool Sony AM/FM Clock Radio with CD Player! The thing probably weighed ten pounds and took up a cubic foot of shelf space, but for me, it was a ticket into the world of the **cool kids*!

I could listen to **music*!   
I could buy my **own* music from Best Buy or even **Columbia House*!   
I could become a real man!

***Author’s Note: Yes, in the 90’s we had to buy music from actual stores. Apple Music and Spotify are basically voodoo.*

Along with the clock radio, I received two albums that were atop my wishlist:

- [The Sign](https://itun.es/us/iJCm5?ref=justincox.com) by Ace of Base, **and*
- [All-4-One](https://itun.es/us/mhi8r?ref=justincox.com) by All-4-One.

First, it’s bad enough that the Ace of Base album has been **remastered* for iTunes. I mean,

1. I’m not that old, **and*
2. Ace of Base?

**Whatever*.

Anyway, these were my first CDs and I swear I can sing every word of each song on them. These albums were my gateway drugs into the world of **music*.

My middle school alarm would be set daily to angsty songs from Smashing Pumpkins’ [**Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness*](https://itun.es/us/5jq%5FQ?ref=justincox.com) album. There was something about Billy Corgan screaming about being a rat in a cage that really got twelve-year-old me going in the mornings.

My little 90’s punk brain expanded and led me into the baggie shorts and flannel shirt phase of life. I’d listen to [Garbage](https://itun.es/us/T2A?ref=justincox.com) and complain about stupid girls while playing pogs in the band room. You know what I’m talking about.

I was **so* cool.

![](https://justincox.com/content/images/2023/04/giphy.gif)

“[Big Pappa](https://giphy.com/gifs/biggie-smalls-notorious-big-the-lfxVZngS8TG3m?ref=justincox.com)” on Giphy

This was also the point in life where my musical tastes hit a crossroads when MTV introduced [Bone Thugs N Harmony](https://itun.es/us/nLSf?ref=justincox.com), [2Pac](https://itun.es/us/o4z?ref=justincox.com), and [Notorious B.I.G.](https://itun.es/us/IU-u?ref=justincox.com) I was on our eighth grade trip to Washington D.C. when Biggie died. We learned about it in a **newspaper* at the hotel. A girl in our class cried. It was snowing and strangely beautiful.

***Author’s Note: Newspapers are giant, printed, pages that physically deliver news to people every day. You can probably still find one at a gas station or your grandparent’s house.*

By high school my taste expanded as I discovered **oldies* from groups like [Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band](https://itun.es/us/W8o?ref=justincox.com), [Queen](https://itun.es/us/FWKm?ref=justincox.com), and [Creedence Clearwater Revival](https://itun.es/us/wS8h?ref=justincox.com). There was a lady who [worked at the grocery story](https://medium.com/justincox/memories-from-my-first-job-8f5a3abe3015?source=friends%5Flink&sk=1a7373400fa5da2ad39a1694168428bc) with me who I only knew as Proud Mary. She **might* have had a bird living in her hair.

**Probably not though.*

Mixed in with these timeless treasures were selections from the pop revolution of the day. Yes, I was a fan of [NSYNC](https://itun.es/us/OmHb?ref=justincox.com) (**still am and if you don’t like you can go* [**bye bye bye*](https://itun.es/us/IBGes?i=303171368&ref=justincox.com)). I didn’t stop with JT and the boys, my bowl-cut brain had a love for the [Backstreet Boys](https://itun.es/us/p%5F0?ref=justincox.com), too. But I drew the line with [98°](https://itun.es/us/U9-?ref=justincox.com). **Sorry,* [**Nick Lachey*](https://itun.es/us/CQyd?ref=justincox.com)**.*

I wasn’t just into boy bands, my musical tastes included other former Disney stars, too. In the classic battle between [Brittney](https://itun.es/us/T-0?ref=justincox.com) and [Christina](https://itun.es/us/gv%5F?ref=justincox.com), I sided with the genie in the bottle. Who wouldn’t? I was #TeamChristina before it was a real thing.

![](https://justincox.com/content/images/2023/04/giphy-2.gif)

“[Genie in a Bottle](https://giphy.com/gifs/xtina-christina-aguilera-genie-in-a-bottle-l49JAEZyMCxwvHurC?ref=justincox.com)” on Giphy

Pop music opened the doors for my California pop-rock obsession in college. I’d listen to [Yellowcard](https://itun.es/us/EsZi?ref=justincox.com) and [O.A.R.](https://itun.es/us/p0Af?ref=justincox.com) while playing our own crazy games of poker in the study rooms. My roommate introduced me to the fledgling [Fueled by Ramen](http://www.fueledbyramen.com/?ref=justincox.com)imprint and I couldn’t get enough of what they shipped.

As my musical tastes continued to expand, I discovered the ability to download music from other people’s computers connected to the dorm network. As a result, I began to siphon off anything I could get my hands on and **discovered* people like [Ben Harper](https://itun.es/us/KzDc?ref=justincox.com) and [John Mayer](https://itun.es/us/KzDc?ref=justincox.com).

***Author’s Note: Would you believe [Room for Squares](https://itun.es/us/iOo6q?ref=justincox.com) was on every computer in the dorm? Every. Single. One. Maybe John Mayer is my generation’s [Marvin Gaye](https://itun.es/us/HfF?ref=justincox.com).*

Over the last decade, my musical preference grew into a large mixture of all of the above, with a healthy dosage of [Taylor Swift](https://itun.es/us/%5F6HFj?ref=justincox.com) thrown into the mix. What’s not to love about catchy pop lyrics and brilliant marketing?

Despite my original hope, the music I listen to can never make me cool. **Did I mention my first album was Ace of Base and I was a fan of the bowl cut?* Instead, the music I consumed gave me ways to connect with like-minded friends and words to convey my teenage feelings.

I guess that’s what music is all about:

- A way to connect us to others.
- Or maybe it’s about creating a memory that we can always draw upon like I’m doing now.
- Or maybe it’s just for us to enjoy?
- Or maybe it’s a way for artists to pay the bills?

**Who knows.*

I’m starting to get introspective which means we’ve gotten to the end of the road and, as a result, I’m going to go blast some [Boys II Men](https://itun.es/us/fJiu?ref=justincox.com).

![](https://justincox.com/content/images/2023/04/giphy-3.gif)

“[End of the Road](https://giphy.com/gifs/3ssFoQBrgLTMs?ref=justincox.com)” on Giphy