I will be back on Father’s Day with new content. For now, here is a post from my Mother’s Day week that go lost in the shuffle between a trip to New York and my birthday.
Name: Kelley
Song: “Coming Out of the Dark” by Gloria Estefan
You may recognize Kelley from the third week of Five Song Project when she contributed songs that she learned to love later in life. This week she shares a song that reminds her of her mom.
5songpjct: When I first asked you to contribute for Five Song Project, you gave me several lists of songs, one being a list of five songs that reminded you of your mother. I know that you mom passed last year. Can you share a song that reminds you of her?
Kelley: “Coming Out of the Dark” by Gloria Estefan. I actually just heard it on “House of Pop” on MTv classic recently and I completely lost it.
I remember growing up with her, she was completely obsessed with her weight. She fluctuated between a size six and size twenty and constantly lost and gained the same sixty pounds. She didn’t make the best food choices. I remember she would shut herself in the room with the treadmill and listen to music at full blast. That was her time, a time where she was off-limits. One of the songs I remember the most was “Coming Out of the Dark.”
I also remember her being obsessed with my weight too.
5songpjct: Why do you think that was?
Kelley: It had a lot to do with perception.
5songpjct: What do you think she thought people were thinking?
Kelley: It was because she thought people would think we were lazy. That being overweight equalled laziness. She would hate that I said anything about this, but hey I am in a space where I can talk about her in this way now.
At the end of the album is the Spanish version of this song and this is how I started to learned Spanish.
5songpjct: Did you get your music taste from your mom?
Kelley: Yes and No. I did get my love for Motown from her. She also loved it when I got into Bowie.
NEXT WEEK….Word to your dads