The World I Know
Added: December 22, 2006

December 20, 1996 - 2:00pm

I was sitting in my eighth grade World Studies class. While listening to Mr. Batchelder talk our ears off about South America, I stared over at a map of the United States. I looked mainly at New York, the city that stood about 236 miles from my town, Germantown, Maryland. I stared at New York, for one reason, because I felt that city received credit for everything and thus almost envied it. My other reason was a song I was thinking of, a song that mentioned New York in it.

“Definitely an easy listening song,” I kept telling myself, unable to remember exactly when I last heard the song. The little memory I had about it was part of the tune and New York being mentioned in it. I was yet to learn much more about this song and decided that song reminded me of New York City.


December 21, 1996 - 6:30pm

After coming back from a store with my dad’s Christmas gift, the radio was on WHFS, an alternative rock station. Leaning back and staring forward at the car in front of us, I suddenly realized something. It wasn’t something I was seeing. It was something I was hearing. I wasn’t sure exactly at first until it did suddenly dawn on me! It was the song! Unaware of the radio station at first, I glanced at the radio, expecting to see it was on the easy listening station. No! It was on WHFS. Surprised, I listened to the song, happy until my mother turned down the radio to yell at my stupid nine-year-old sister for some reason. I had to put my ear next to the speaker to hear it. To make things worse, Mom then turned the radio down all the way. If I turned it up again, she would just turn it back down and leave me with an earful of “Don’t turn up the radio when I’m yelling at your sister!” The scolding didn’t last that long and luckily Mom turned the radio back up, so I was again content.

I was content only a few seconds before Mom changed the station. I was so upset! That was the only time I’d ever hear that song on WHFS, but I didn’t know that at the time. After a few seconds, I turned the station back. Too late! The song had already ended. Maybe I could have at least learned the song’s name if my mom hadn’t done that. Drat.


December 22, 1996 - 4:00pm

This day made up for the day before. Mom, my sister, and I were in a Middle Eastern food store called Asadur’s Market. After looking at olives I headed back to the front of the store when I stopped in surprise. The song again! I realized it was about halfway through the song, but, realizing Mom was nowhere in sight to change station nor had the current authority to do so, I listened through to the end of the song, learning a little more about the tune. To this day, I can’t remember whether or not they said the name of the song. If they did, I was not listening. I didn’t hear the song WHFS again but on a mix station, MIX107.3, which I don’t listen to very often. After the song ended, they played “Winter Wonderland,” being three days before Christmas. Then they played a song that I was more sure was easy listening at the time, a song reminding me of Dulles Airport. After that, they played “Don’t Speak,” an alternative rock song by No Doubt which was new at the time, during which we left the store and went home.


December 22, 1996 - 9:00pm

That night I decided to turn on my radio to WHFS to wait for the song. I realized something that day. I had at least five songs that reminded me of different things. I wrote them down on a piece of paper, calling them “Songs that Remind Me of Things.” The songs are “Circle of Life” (the one from The Lion King, not that stupid Elton John version.), “Happy Together” (by The Turtles), “Counting Blue Cars” (at this point, I thought this song was called “Tell Me All Your Thoughts of God”), and the fourth and fifth were nameless. “Lightning Crashes” by Live later replaced the original fourth. The fifth was the song I heard earlier that day in Asadur’s Market. From then on, for the next four months, the song was referred to as Number Five.


December 31, 1996 - 8:00pm

It was New Year’s Eve. I was sitting in the back of the car with my sister while we rode to the restaurant we would dine at that night. It had been over a week since the day in Asadur’s Market, and I hadn’t heard Number Five since. While sitting in the car, a song came on WHFS. No, it wasn’t Number Five. It was a song I’d heard before, but I never knew much about it. I couldn’t tell exactly who the group was, but the song was called “New Year’s Day,” perfect to hear for that night. It was right then that I called “New Year’s Day” an Auditioner, a song that would go on the list with the five songs later. The reminder of “New Year’s Day” was, and still is, New Year’s Eve and Day of every year. That night I hoped I’d hear Number Five. Hoping was in vain.


January 30, 1997 - 3:00pm

I strutted home from the bus stop, proud that I’d passed my Algebra exam. While I walked I began singing something to the tune of Number Five; I was making up words as I moved along. Number Five! You know I still hadn’t heard that song since three days before Christmas? It was almost completely evident that I’d never again hear Number Five. But I was eager to hear the song. I listened constantly to the radio, hoping that I’d someday hear the song for which I’d waited so long.


February 6, 1997 - 8:00am

I had once again missed the bus in the morning, so I had to have Mom drive me to school. On the way, I heard “New Year’s Day.” That did it! Right then, “New Year’s Day” got on my song list, reminding me of December 31 and January 1. I decided that these six songs needed a shorter name. They were called the “Savaging Six.” Still no Number Five, however.


February 21, 1997 - 6:30am

That morning I woke up to hear “What Do I Have to Do?” a song that reminded me of an incident I had that previous year with old friends. It also became one of the “Savaging Six” except now there were seven of them. It was then I decided to give the list a new name: the Savaging Songs. That name would stick permanently. However, Number Five was still nowhere to be heard.


March 11, 1997 - 6:45am

My third Savaging Song, “Counting Blue Cars,” was in the spotlight that day when I heard it on the radio and then learning who performs the song: Dishwalla. Funnily enough, there was an article about Dishwalla in a magazine I had! The status of Number Five was just the same as that past few days I’ve mentioned.


March 20, 1997 - 5:30pm

After having learned that morning about the name of my third Savaging Song really being “Counting Blue Cars” and not “Tell Me All Your Thoughts of God,” I sat at the computer, typing, the radio on WHFS. Suddenly, I heard the beginning of a song I recognized. It suddenly dawned on me. New Year’s Day! Quickly, I ran into my room and pressed Record on the tape player part of my stereo. I had prepared a blank tape for such an occasion. I sat, awaiting the end of the song. I stopped the tape when it ended. I played it back. It recorded okay, but it had static at times. By the way, New Year’s Day is by the band U2. Once again, no Number Five.


March 25, 1997 - 7:00am

“Counting Blue Cars” was nearly at the end of its rope. Its days were numbered. What do I mean, you ask? Well, that next week I would go on a trip to Québec with my French class. Québec is a Savaging Song reminder for “Counting Blue Cars,” along with Ontario and New England. I would therefore meet this Savaging Song with its reminder. I woke up to hear “Counting Blue Cars” on the radio. I ran to my stereo, switched it to DC101, the other rock station, and pressed Record. By the time I did, however, I missed recording the first verse. At least I got the song recorded, that’s for sure! And just in time for that following Monday!


March 26, 1997 - 11:35am

For the first time, I got beat up by some kid at school. I had a concussion and needed to be taken to the emergency room. It was a horrible day! I remember that, on the way home, I heard a song that sounded like the same band as Number Five, which I hadn’t heard yet. That day was horrible! But the next couple of days would definitely make up for it...


March 27, 1997 - 2:30pm

I missed school that day. My mom and I were driving down the road. She did her usual “run through the radio stations.” She passed MIX107.3 and happened to stay on there long enough for me to pay attention to the song that was playing. Then she changed the station.

“Go back!” I said, having referred to December 21. Mom went back. I gasped, my eyes widened, and a smile of surprise appeared on my face. Number Five! It had been three months since I last heard the song. I listened to the rest of the song, but they didn’t say the name. I resolved something. As soon as I go home, I’d change my radio station to 107.3 until my fifth Savaging Song was recorded.


March 28, 1997 - 11:30am

I didn’t have to wait very long! I heard the song I said earlier reminded me of Dulles Airport, and it became my eighth Savaging Song! Well, if that sounds exciting, you don’t know what happened shortly after. I was still on MIX107.3 and suddenly heard the beginning of a song that sounded very familiar. What was it? I knelt down beside my stereo.

“Has our conscience shown?” I heard the singer say in a delightful tune. Immediately, I pressed Record on the tape player. It was it! It was it! I stared wide-eyed at my stereo until my fifth Savaging Song had ended. It was Good Friday, and I called the recording an Easter gift.


April 1, 1997 - 5:00pm

After eighteen hours of driving in a bus, we at last reached Montréal, and “Counting Blue Cars” was given the honors of being the first locative Savaging Song to meet its reminder. Unfortunately, the batteries died in my walkman later that day, so I couldn’t really learn what it was truly like to meet a Savaging Song with its reminder. A month later, I’d find out...


April 5, 1997 - 4:00am

I was probably the only person other than the bus driver on the bus who was still awake. The walkman was dead, so I couldn’t listen to anything. We were passing a bunch of bridges that led to a city. I hoped to God that wasn’t New York. Not with the walkman not working! At the time, I assumed it was Newark, unsure of whether or not we’d already entered New Jersey. Even if it was New York, which was very likely, it was probably not time for it yet.


April 7, 1997 - 2:00pm

Nothing much happened except for obtaining a ninth Savaging Song. As far as Number Five, I wasn’t finished with it yet. I still needed to find out its name.


April 15, 1997 - 6:45am

Guess what! I heard Number Five that morning on DC101! However, I still didn’t find out its name.


April 16, 1997 - 7:30pm

After watching “The Simpsons,” I walked upstairs. On my stereo, DC101 was playing a song called “Where the River Flows,” but I did not know its name yet then. After it, I heard “numero cinq.” Well, for those of you who don’t understand French, I mean to say that I heard Number Five. Let me explain. DC101 has this little thing on Tuesdays called “Two for Tuesday,” and that means they play two consecutive songs that are by the same band. Well, this day was Tuesday, and that meant something. That song I heard before Number Five was the same band as Number Five!


April 20, 1997 - 12:00pm

I was on my way to my first game of softball. On the way, I heard WHFS on the radio. Earlier, I mentioned a song that sounded like the same band as Number Five. I heard it in the car. Before it came on, the DJ said, “Here’s Collective Soul.” Then they played the song, which I now know is called “Shine.” At the time, I wasn’t sure whether Collective Soul was the band or the song. I’d find out that night in a spectacular way.


April 20, 1997 - 11:00pm

I was listening to DC101 in my room. They did that thing where they say a bunch of bands that they’d play after a commercial. One of them was Collective Soul. They started playing songs by other groups such as STP, Smashing Pumpkins, Pearl Jam, and others. I heard Number Five. They still didn’t say its name or the band. As the next song played, I wondered, “So when are they going to play that Collective Soul song?” Then I realize something. Maybe Number Five WAS the Collective Soul song! I listened for another hour or so. I listened until I got “What Do I Have to Do?” recorded, finding out that it was by the band Stabbing Westward. But it was narrowed down. Collective Soul! My fifth Savaging Song is by Collective Soul!


April 23, 1997 - 5:00pm

It’s the day I’d been waiting for! I didn’t know exactly when the chance would come though. We were at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda when Mom and my sister went into a toy store to see my uncle. I sneaked out to the CD store. I was now 100% sure that Number Five was a Collective Soul song. I looked at the alternative rock section. At last, I found the Collective Soul CDs. I picked up the first one I saw and glanced down the list of songs on the back. None of them looked like they’d be it. But then I realized something was blocking the name of the third song on the CD. It was a little plastic thing they had on the CD. I lifted the plastic thing. I don’t know for sure, but I think for that moment my heart stopped. I placed back the CD gently into its slot. I walked out of the store in a daze. The question I’d been asking myself was answered. I knew the name of my fifth Savaging Song.


May 1, 1997 - 6:30am

I got a tenth Savaging Song: Precious Declaration, another Savaging Song by Collective Soul. Its reminder is Washington DC. Anyway, I was almost overwhelmed with excitement about the next day.


May 2, 1997 - 4:30am

I woke up this early for a great reason. I was going to go on a field trip. Not just any old field trip to some museum, it was a trip to... New York!!! The Savaging Song had been over a month recorded, so I was pretty much ready. I’d already gotten a new walkman and remembered to listen to it sparingly. That is, until we got to New York.


May 2, 1997 - 10:30am

I saw something! Clutching my walkman play button, I realized my mom, who was chaperoning, kept looking at the buildings in the distance then turning to me with a huge smile. I thought it was Newark again. But it wasn’t Newark. It was Manhattan!


May 2, 1997 - 5:30pm

All went well! We parked the bus just across New York Harbor from Manhattan. We stood in line for a while to board the ferry to Ellis Island. After realizing back on the bus that I was seeing Manhattan I played the song continuously. I didn’t forget to bring the walkman along, of course. I kept it in a black bag I have, where I also stored my camera and money. In line, I listened to the song a couple of times, but I was careful as to not let any teachers see my walkman, for it would be confiscated. At last, we got on the ferry. On each ferry ride, I listened to my fifth Savaging Song constantly. I even listened to the song while in line for the Statue of Liberty, which lasted two and a half hours. After the two islands of Ellis and Liberty, we returned to where we waited for the ferry. Since not everyone had gotten off Liberty Island (meaning everyone in the eighth grade who went on this field trip), we waited in the little field by the harbor. For the longest time, I stood by the water and stared at Manhattan from there. I stared up at the Twin Towers, which stood taller than anything else, crowning it all.

When we got back on the buses, I continued to endlessly play my fifth Savaging Song. I played it back on and on until I could no longer see Manhattan. I kept playing my fifth Savaging Song, a Collective Soul song entitled “The World I Know.”






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