Playlist: Mama, I'm Coming Home

The semester is coming to an end, and so begins our return to childhood homes filled with memories of music floating from the kitchen counters and radios tucked into the storage shelves of the crammed and dusty garage. Whether driving or flying back, plug into the hits of your childhood and your parents’ favorite karaoke tracks.

Written by Deborah Hill

Illustrated by Izabella Padilla

Normally, nostalgia surrounds us the way a warm knit sweater would: soft and comfortable in its oversized envelopment. Its warmth seeps into our bones inch by inch, like the first ray of sunshine on our skin after a long winter. But like all things, nostalgia is prone to change, and sometimes it springs comfort on us with no warning — surprisingly evoking long-forgotten memories.

The funky beats (Queen’s “Radio Ga Ga”), dramatic rock (Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ On A Prayer”), and classic country (Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5”) of our childhoods marry to create a soundtrack of some of the best musical artists of all time. They transport us back to something experiential, proving our parents were right about these legendary blasts from the past. From pop princesses to grunge rockstars, these fun and romantic songs dare us to dream again.

Sing, headbob, or dance to this playlist as you see fit.