I'm not one of those music-y people who always has to have tunes playing in the background. In fact, I've been known to go DAYS without listening to much of anything, even in the car, and would rather have a good audiobook playing in my earbuds than listen to music most of the time.

That said, I have a running soundtrack of snippets of music and lyrics in my brain that pop up at the strangest times.

Tonight, after spending several hours hanging pictures in my new space, I stepped outside to toss some (more) empty boxes and heard, quite clearly, one line from a 1970s Barry Manilow song... "looks like we made it."

Eek! Barry Manilow? Seriously? I don't even know the rest of the song! When all is said and done, that's what's downloaded into my gray matter? Earlier this afternoon my mental radio was repeating the three lines I remember from "Jesse's Girl" by Rick Springfield, circa early '80s pop tunes. Ew. Again, not a favorite and another song I'm surprised to find stored in my memory bank. Maybe I need counseling.

At one particularly stressful time a few years back, I caught myself humming Pat Benatar's "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" mixed with lines from Queen's "Pressure." At least those songs made sense at the moment, even though I hadn't heard either of them in years.

Whether you are musical or not, music is an emotional outlet and form of expression for both performers and partakers. It can clue us in to things we're dealing with in our subconscious.

Barry Manilow? Seriously? That's going to take some serious thought...

What's playing on YOUR personal, internal soundtrack today?