Our House

I like all my rekkids.

On a Friday night with enough beers in my system, A-ha with Hunting High and Low is my favourite. Guilty. If however, early customers have paid attention, they will have heard Almost Cut My Hair by Crosby, Still Nash & Young. It’s an anthem, especially for my dad. He was in the Dutch army, waiting at the Iron Curtain for the Soviets. They were waiting for what eventually never happened.

They waited in style because they were the first and one of the only generations of draftees who didn’t have to cut their hair. Hair until the shoulders and a beret or a helmet. Of all the different countries that had their sons stationed at the Iron Curtain, I don’t think the Soviet Union was very scared of the Dutchies.

As a lightie I would wake up to the sounds of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young on most Sunday mornings. My dad would turn the volume up when Our House would come along. It’s a perfect love song.

My dad lighting the fire and my mom placing the flowers in the vase. I like all my records, but Déjà Vu is one of my absolute favourites. My dad had it on vinyl when there were no alternative music carriers around, he had it on cassette in the 80s and he had it on CD in the 90s. I would stare at the album cover. Those guys looked old. I pictured that my old man was also dressed like that back in the early 70s. What did I know about the Civil War. 

Déjà Vu is equally as important to my brothers. Waking up with such good music on a Sunday morning is a privilege that not everyone has. Because my dad almost cut his hair, we were lucky enough to have the foundation for a good taste in music. That was Our House and, now that I can browse my own records on a Sunday morning it’s Our House again. Those are the moments I never play A-ha. I actually only play A-ha because you want me to.