connections

When the Counting Crows came out with Anna Begins I was elated. I couldn’t believe that there was actually a song with my name in it. I had witnessed friends in songs like Sarah and Ayesha. When I was five or six and my father listened to the Oak Ridge Boys, there was the song They Call The Wind Moriah that was a brush with fame for my middle name, but nothing could match having your first name in a song. Nothing. It would mean that people would think of you every time they heard that song. While Ayesha would be hard to forget, it’s a toss up as to which Sarah in my life I would be remembering.

I was bitter that my name was so different growing up. I didn’t like to be so unique. All my friends had ordinary names and I was jealous. It wasn’t until late high school that I was OK with being an Anna, but it stills seemed like an underground name that I didn’t share with many other people. Then Anna Begins was on an album by a popular band I was thrilled that my friends would hear that song and think of me. It was my teenage egocentric thinking that wanted my name in the speakers of my friend’s stereos. I’m sure no one thinks of me when they hear that song.

Having a brother who works in the music biz has a lot of perks. I’ve met some famous people, I’ve gone to A LOT of free shows, and I get to hear some back stage gossip at times. None of it impresses me anymore. I know that musicians are just regular people who happen to be famous for a living. They are nothing special, just a little untouchable. I’ve even left bars and conversations with famous musicians because honestly, sleep was more interesting than their self indulgent, drug induced 3 a.m. conversations. But the connections to the people aren’t the perks I care about anymore. It’s the music.

My brother just gave me a DVD with over 900 songs on it from his library tonight. His iTunes collection is better than a music store. He’s a music file of the first degree and thank God for digital storage because his Cds were taking over his home. He gave me a copy of EVERY single Beatles song and as I’m downloading and sampling some songs I see a song titled Anna (Go To Him). I don’t recall ever knowing that the Beatles had a song with my name in it. Oh My God. Do you know what it’s like to hear John Lennon and Paul in the background singing your name? Well, unless you are a Julia or Lucy or Pam or Maxwell or Joan or Maggie Mae or Eleanor Rigby or Dr. Robert or Michelle or Martha or Sadie or Nowhere Man or Sergeant Pepper or Rita or Jude, then no, you have no idea. Well, let me tell you something. Hearing the Beatles sing your name is AMAZING!!!!!!! I’m just sayin’. And every time you here the song, I want you to think of me.