Lisa Loeb on Kid Tune Tuesday…

Reality Bites came out when I was a senior in college in Texas.  A movie about some lost 20-somethings ran parallel to what I was experiencing at the time.  Uncertainty about the future, hanging out with friends in the same boat, and unbearable Texas summer heat.

And let’s face it, the soundtrack was phenomenal.

One track that blew up from that film was Lisa Loeb’s “Stay.”  You remember this song, right?  And the video?  Adorably funky little Lisa Loeb in her black dress and smashing horn-rimmed glasses, singing tenderly about someone who only hears what they want to.

I admit, I bought what she was selling and fell in love with her first album Tails.  Filled with some great break-up ballads, this CD was my go-to album for melancholic and reflective benders.

But I haven’t really followed up with her since.

And then, a few months ago, I heard her distinctive voice on the radio.  On a children’s music station.

Did you know she writes children’s music?

This week I’m featuring her tune “Going Away” from her 2005 album Camp Lisa which features covers and original songs about that age-old kid experience of summer camp. Something I never did but wished I had, if nothing but to walk away with some great stories, penpals, and the ability to start a fire from scratch should I ever suddenly find myself on a episode of Survivor.

While my kids have never been to a sleep-away camp, Lisa Loeb’s inventory of personal effects that should be packed sounds like my kids’ checklist as we’re trying to leave the house in the morning.

The chorus of the song is simple and catchy, but it’s the list rattling that’s the most fun to listen to.  It reminds me quite a bit of Steve Martin’s “Late For School” where the song feels like it’s almost going to ride off the rails.  It feels as if there’s no way she can keep the list going at that speed, and yet she does.

But it also captures that child mindset of needing to have some comforting items from home to keep you feeling safe and secure.  It never ceases to amaze me what our kids will pack for trips if left to their own devices and equipped with an empty suitcase for 20 minutes.

And make no mistake, her voice is every bit as strong and alluring as it was when I’d drown my tears to it in my 20′s.

Here is Lisa Loeb, singing this song from 2008, she looks just as adorable as she did in the early 90′s. How is that possible?  It must have been all that sunscreen she packed in her camp bag as a child.