Soundtrack of My Life

"Birthday" by the Beatles

You say it's your birthday.
It's my birthday too, yeah.



The Beatles have sung me Happy Birthday every year for as long as I can remember. It started as a tradition where my parents would play this for me and my siblings on the morning of our respective birthdays, while we all ran and danced around the living room in celebration. Now I play it for myself every year and run and dance around my own living room. It just doesn't feel like a birthday otherwise. Even if this weren't specifically a birthday song, I would listen to it any day of the year. It's just so much fun. The Beatles sure knew how to write a hook. I believe this one is the work of Sir Paul. (Indisputably my favorite Beatle).

I've probably heard this birthday song more often than the original birthday song, to be honest. And, let's face it, the original Birthday Song is one of the worst songs ever written. I have no problem saying that, as the chances that the person who wrote that song is currently reading this Blog entry are near zero. If you are reading this and you happen to be the one who wrote "Happy Birthday", I'd love to hear the thought process behind writing that particular melody. Hardly anyone can actually hit the random high note on "birthday", and no one knows what key to start in or what the timing will be. It doesn't even feel celebratory to me. It's just a weird ritual we have now. I vividly remember my best friend's one year old bursting into tears when everyone suddenly gathered around him to set a cake on fire, stare and sing at him in unison, and then clap for him afterwards on his first birthday. I can't blame him.

In any case, I've got an important piece of Black Forest cake to finish.

Anni