Sade, “Like a Tattoo,”
and the music we carry
From my mother’s beauty salon in Waterloo to a quiet evening in Las Vegas, some voices keep traveling with us.
Some music brings back a place before it brings back a particular day. For me, Sade takes me to my mother’s beauty salon in Waterloo, Iowa. I remember the conversations, the hair dryers, people coming and going, and that unmistakable voice somewhere in the room.
The music was part of the atmosphere. Years later, I can put on Sade and find myself thinking about that room again. It is remarkable how a voice can hold onto a place long after you have moved away.
That connection is part of why I wanted music to have a home at The Pacific44 Journal. We carry songs through school, work, relationships, moves and all the ordinary days between the milestones. By the time we reach our fifties and sixties, a music collection can hold a surprising amount of our history.
A little space for “Like a Tattoo”
For this session, I wanted to leave room for “Like a Tattoo.” It is a song I want to sit with. Sade’s voice has a way of drawing my attention without demanding it, and I appreciate that more as the years go by.
There are times when I want music for a workout, a drive or a busy afternoon. There are also times when I want to hear one recording from beginning to end. No skipping ahead. No searching for the next thing before this one has finished.
This page gives us a place for that kind of listening. Press play on the song, let the film run, and take a few minutes for yourself. The story will still be here when you look back.
Some songs become part of how we remember a room, a person, or an earlier version of ourselves.
From Waterloo to the life we’re living now
Angie and I live in Henderson now, with Las Vegas close by. That is the setting for the film above: an evening skyline, a turntable, a cup within reach and the feeling of having a little time to enjoy where you are.
I like bringing those parts of my life together. The Iowa memories are still with me. So are the years in California, the places my work has taken me, and the experiences Angie and I are sharing now. Music has followed me through all of it.
My years working with KBBG gave me another connection to the way music reaches people. Radio makes room for a voice, a selection and a reason someone chose to play a particular record. I still enjoy that human part of listening—the moment somebody says, “Here’s a song I think you’ll appreciate.”
That is the spirit I want to bring here. I’m sharing artists I love, recordings I return to and the memories they bring with them. Sometimes you’ll know the song immediately. Sometimes you may discover something you’ve never spent much time with.
There is still more to hear
The journey to 60 and beyond gives us plenty to think about: our health, our families, our work and the years ahead. It also gives us a good reason to enjoy the interests that have stayed with us.
For me, music is one of those interests. I’m excited to give it more space in this project, alongside the stories, places and discoveries that make up Pacific44.
Sunday Sounds & Smiles will grow one session at a time. There will be familiar favorites, different sounds and more films to spend a little time with. I hope you’ll find something that takes you back—and something that gives you a reason to keep listening.
For now, settle in with Sade. Let the whole song play. See where it takes you.
Allen S. Robinson
Founder & Publisher | The Pacific44 Journal
The Journey to 60 and Beyond
LIVE WELL ◆ STAY CURIOUS ◆ KEEP MOVING
