Smell My Music

Music and smell have an odd common thread. They seem directly linked to memory. Nothing else brings out a seemingly buried memory quite like a distinctive smell or a certain chord.

Smells can bring out memories like almost nothing else. The smell of a country. The smell of a house. The smell of a piece of clothing. The very tinge of something familiar can bring back memories so old that they are not even conscious. The only thing that comes close to smell is the specific note and chord progression of a song. That is, if the song is infused with meaning from a distinctly memorable event.

So how long does it take for a song to stop reminding you of a lost love? I can tell you from experience that 10 years isn't long enough and I have an inkling the actual answer is never. I have a hunch that whether it is tomorrow or 20 years from now, every time I hear the opening guitar riff of "Bent" by Matchbox 20, I will be thrown back to being 16 years old and lying in the sand with Mary.