First Passions

You know, it was almost a decade after the single came out that I heard the three forbidden words “I Love You” in the song. Either because I had better headsets or I was more mature – you decide. But having listened to this song god knows how many times, I was completely surprised, and embarrassed, I had missed those words for a lot of years.

In 5th grade the teacher took a class poll of our favorite singers, which was obviously the fun lead in to a boring elementary math lesson. This was the first time I realized I was musically out of the loop. I was lucky to be sitting next to Lindsay. Lindsay was cool, nice, down-to-earth, essentially the girl everybody loved to love. She was the one who made wearing glasses cool. Or at least she was cool wearing glass because she had shimmering blue eyes and a winning smile.

I was the small and shy girl. I blanked when my turn to vote came. I figured I could fall back on the Chinese stereotype that I listen to classical music. Maybe turn my nose up if I was bold. Lindsay nudged me and pulled my hand up. She told me to say Alanis. I hadn't even heard Alanis then - when Alanis owned the music scene. At any rate, Lindsay saved me from mortification.

I remember that because it wasn’t Alanis who tuned me into music, it was two blokes named Darren Hayes and Daniel Jones. I was a huge fan of the Aussie import Savage Garden. I’m not embarrassed to admit that. I may not  have been old enough to know the movie the song Truly, Madly, Deeply takes after, but I am part of the generation that remembers Road Rules Down Under. When Celine Dion was going on and on about her heart going on and on, my guys from Australia were making multi-platinum with their self-titled. Ahem. Not bad for taking on the Titanic.