My embarrassing musical taste

The tale of a quest to find a timeless classic of the musical paste

HE KNEW IT.

I didn’t want to believe it. But a week ago on a Tuesday night, I was about to tarnish my reputation as someone who knows more about hip-hop than the stuff I’m supposed to know in my classes. In the name of having the chorus on auto-repeat in my head, I had to do it. A catchy song wouldn’t let me go that easily.

Sitting in my friend’s car, I asked him about downloading a certain pop song. This was right before I said some of 50 Cent’s music is much like pop music, the kind that makes your teeth ache, resulting in a helpless up-and-down motion made by your head.

“Have you heard of ‘Last Christmas’?” My voice softened to a mumble, my hands started to tremble and my eyes lowered to the floor of the car.

“Uh.” He looked at me strangely, as if he didn’t know the person who was sitting in the passenger side. “That’s kinda random.”

Yes, it was.

But I explained to him that the previous Saturday I fell in love with the voice of a friend who sang the chorus to “Last Christmas,” an infectious ‘80s song by the British pop duo Wham! — which is not safe to listen to in your lowered Honda.

Last Christmas, I gave you my heart
But the very next day, you gave it away
This year, to save me from tears,
I’ll give it to someone special

And that sparked my quest.

The karaoke party wasn’t the first time I heard the song. A certain bookstore I worked at played a certain CD with a remake of the song weeks before Christmas 2005. A co-worker told me it was on the O.C. soundtrack.

Months later, I was reunited with the lovely song. Then I started my search, looking for the correct O.C. soundtrack. But there are about 18 O.C. soundtracks. I turned away from that path quickly. I went in favor of retrieving the original album.

Still, no luck.

Then came a distraction.

It was Cambodian New Year last week. That meant too much Cambodian food to eat and too many Cambodian girls to gawk at to even bother.

It was still dancing in my head. And I knew I still I had one option left. That was to download the song.

Then again, I’m too proud of a consumer to subject myself to such an act, especially when I didn’t mind coughing up cash for music by George Michael, an individual who is so cool. And I also had to look at the fact that I could do something that would taint my reputation.

I’m the same dude who was denied access last November to a club because I looked “too thuggish.” And, in grade school, I used to eat corn bread. Not only that, I would take two milk cartons, instead of one, to wash down my corn bread, without telling my teacher.

To find that song in my possession would decrease my value to a high school junior who enjoys reading Tiger Beat.

Then I did it.

I should have known I couldn’t resist. But admitting this is like giving you my heart. If you don’t want it, then I’ll give it to someone special.

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