Nikki's soundtrack

Though I can’t carry a tune, I’ve always loved music. It’s an important part of my life, and I have to have it surrounding me all day as the background of everything I do.

Obviously, there are songs that have been the soundtrack of my life and songs that just blow me away. Here’s the skinny, in case you’re interested, and hey, maybe it’ll make you remember a song that means something to you.

“Southern Cross” by Crosby, Stills and Nash: I fell in love with this calming song the very first time I heard it because it mentions Papeete, the capital of French Polynesia. Going to Tahiti is a major life goal of mine, and this song takes me there.

“Black Betty” by Ram Jam: How fantastic is this song?! And how hot is Johnny Depp in “Blow” when he’s walking through the airport with two suitcases full of kilos to it?

“Something to Believe In” by Poison: Always my happy place band, this Poison song came out around the time my beloved Pop-Pop died. I’ve always associated the song with him and how much I loved him because he always told me to take the high road, while he’d take the low road whenever we’d go somewhere together.

“Ebony & Ivory” by Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder: This is one of the first songs I remember liking. I clearly recall singing it on the Cross Valley — when it only went to Wilkes-Barre Boulevard, mind you — in my mom’s ’77 yellow Beetle.

“Breakfast at Tiffany’s” by Deep Blue Something: Takes me back to the summer after my senior year of high school on that cusp of being a teen and being an adult. Life was all about Coors Artic Ice, Marlboro and skinny dipping late at night in Lake Louise.

“Maybe I’m Amazed” by Paul McCartney: Beautiful song. What girl doesn’t want a guy to say such emotions to her — and mean it — just like you know Paul meant them toward Linda? Sigh.

“Misty Mountain Hop” by Led Zeppelin: By far my favorite song by my favorite band. This is my quintessential “in the mood song,” because there’s just something about the riff and image I get in my head from hearing the lyrics, like I’m dancing in a field with sunflowers in my hair and nothing matters but just being barefoot and free.

“Cowgirl in the Sand” by Neil Young: I want this song to be my theme song, as in, I wish it would play each and every time I walk into a room. Young’s gritty guitar, poignant wording and almost breathy delivery speaks volumes to me — like it was written for just me.

“Everyday” by Buddy Holly: Where do I even begin? Holly’s prose is so optimistic and sweet that you can’t help but wonder what might have been had his music not died.

“Mother’s Little Helper” by the Rolling Stones: I love the book “Valley of the Dolls,” and this song sums up that entire period of time for me when ladies were the epitome of class and the men were always dapper in suits, until they ultimately came crashing down. It just proves that nothing is ever perfect no matter how perfect it seems from afar or how hard you try to make it so. Burn that frozen steak, Mother, burn it!

“Comfortably Numb” by Pink Floyd: When I get stressed to the point of near insanity, I go to Pink Floyd. No other band’s music mellows me out and takes me back to center quite like Floyd. This is my absolute favorite PF song because it’s so ethereal that I can just detach. I’ve been known to just put it on repeat and go to bed, letting it be the perfect lullaby.

“Hand on the Pump” by Cypress Hill: The only rap band I’ve ever been able to tolerate, Cypress is fantastic. This song, with its “Duke of Earl” sample and hooky lyrics, just is brilliant. I will never forget blasting this on a battery-powered boom box in my backseat because my first car didn’t have a tape deck (or F.M. radio), but my car full of friends and I made it work like only those of us in ’93/’94 could.

“Living Dead Girl” by Rob Zombie: I love Mr. Zombie and everything about him and his music — all of it. His genre’s in-your-face full-throttle sound is sexy music to my ears, but this song takes the cake.