In certain lights, I can almost pass for someone with cool musical taste.
I know my way around the back catalogues of Pearl Jam and Green Day, and I can name more than a dozen Bob Dylan tracks. I can even bluff for almost ten minutes about the Beatles, and Led Zeppelin.
See? I have musical props.
But there’s another side to me. Â A dark side. A shameful side that has an unabiding love of Taylor Swift and John Mayer. A side that knows every single word to Joey Scarbury’s Believe it or Not, and can still do the dance to the Spice Girls Wannabee, if plied with enough alcohol.
Of course, this is a side of me that must remain hidden, under all circumstances. It is allowed out only during working hours (sorry, Lindy) when I crank up the Sonos and Spotify, or on the school run, when I plug my phone into the car, and let the cheese flow.
But most of the time, my dodgy musical tastes are a closely guarded secret.
Or… they were.
Last week, I drove the 5 minutes to our local health centre, to collect a prescription. As is my habit, I took the phone with me, and was merrily singing along in the car.
It’s a short drive, and when I arrived I jumped out of the car and hurried inside, grabbing my stuff.
It was busy.
Really busy.
First I stood in line at the reception desk, behind a row of pensioners each with highly complex and time-consuming queries. I didn’t mind though. Our GP surgery plays background music while you wait, so I hummed along to myself. I got a few funny looks, but people never like to see too much happiness in a medical setting, so I didn’t take it personally.
Ten minutes later, I got to the front of the line, grabbed my prescription and headed over to the pharmacy.
More waiting.
Waiting for a pen. Waiting for the pharmacist to take the script. Waiting for it to be filled. Waiting. In the busy waiting area. Just waiting.
And all the while humming to myself, by now to John Mayer’s Your Body is a Wonderland, while thinking to myself, “Wow. You really don’t hear this song very much any more.”Â
It wasn’t until I clambered back into my car a few minutes later that I realised that my GP surgery does NOT actually play background music while you wait. Oh no, friends.
In fact, the sweet, sweet sound of Selena Gomez’ deeply moving musical oddysey “Come and Get It” was in fact coming from my iPhone, which had been playing, at pretty much full volume, in my pocket, for close to 15 minutes. Without my ever realising.
It is true.
My name is Sally and I bring the (shame) party with me.
Image:Â Bloomua/Shutterstock.com
What’s wrong with John Mayer? I love his stuff, and he’s fantastic live.
Oh, I love John Mayer. Utterly. But I fear he is not cool. Too skeevy to be cool, I think.
Brilliant.
I think its a parents duty to have questionable music sense, albeit not in the doctors!
That is very true. Although the Selena Gomez? Was downloaded by Flea.
How do you manage it? Just that.
I have a special knack, evidently.
Love this! Don’t feel embarrassed, just look at it as putting a ray of sunshine in the lives of the people waiting in a usually boring doctors surgery!
Yes. That is exactly what it is. Disguised as utter humiliation.
Hahahahaha, that’s the sort of thing I’d do!
I was dancing around to Shake It Off in my kitchen with the back door open when I realised my neighbour saw my “sick moves”… I felt a bit queasy after that! >_<
I don’t even want to think about how I dance to that song. But it’s an AMAZING song. Just not, you know… cool.
Don’t worry everyone has a secret musical side to them – most people know me as a rocker but I’ll listen to taylor swift, maybe even rap along to pitbull! I wouldve loved to have been in the queue behind you. I would have probably joined in humming too 🙂
Taylor is a legend. Fact.
Hilarious!! It could have been worse – It could have been Hanson Mmmbop and Whigfield Saturday Night! x
Saturday Night. Oh, the memories. Actually, best not dwell on my early 20s.
The only thing that could have made this better is if you had a teenage daughter with you who WAS SO HORRIFIED AND CANNOT BELIEVE THAT HER MOM IS SO EMBARRASSING.
Coming from someone who is regularly shouted at with “OMG MOM STOP!”
Bring on the Taylor Swift. 🙂
Ha! My 9 year old is already mortified by me on a daily basis 🙂
That’s hilarious! I’ve done this before, but it’s never lasted quite so long – or occurred in such a public setting.
(I love a bit of Spice Girls, Five and even Steps.)
With hindsight, it seems endless.
From now on I will always wonder if that person in front of me actually realises they are humming along to something only they can hear or just being annoying!
I don’t have earphones but I have been known to sing along in the supermarket to background music. My biggest embaressment was “I’m horny, horny horny horny” twas a very catchy tune 😮
Well, in my case, EVERYONE could hear the music – I just didn’t realise that the music was coming from me 🙂
Pure class. At least it wasn’t Olly Murs 😉 x
I am still word (and move) perfect on that one.
Hehe. I love this and am so glad it’s not just me who does this
I’m equally glad it’s not just me!
Nothing wrong with that… I love Michael Jackson and Boys II Men! 🙂 x
Boys II Men? Wowzers. Not that I can judge. At all.