Mystery Topic Challenge #6

This challenge question was posted by Jester. I'm going to give you the preamble to the question too, as I think it'll make more sense that way.

You know how you can be driving along, just minding your own business and suddenly a song will come on the radio that transports you through space and time so clearly and throughly that you miss your exit or rear end the car in front of you?

Here's your topic: What song transports you through space and time, and where do you go?

I didn't even have to think much about this one really. There's a song that does this to me pretty much any time I hear it. It's as much a conditioned response as anything Pavlov ever taught to a dog.



This one takes me back to CN Skate Palace circa the mid-to-late 80's/early 90's. It was THE place to be on a Saturday afternoon if you grew up where I did. Everyone would show up right when the place opened and the line to get in the door would often stretch farther than the length of the building. All the kids had their birthday parties there. Everyone else just came to skate with their friends. And every week every person in line would be wearing the strangest socks they could get their hands on.

You see, there was a contest for the funkiest socks, and everyone was in on it. At some point during each skating session the DJ would announce that he'd be playing "Gator" next and everyone would ready their socks, pulling them high up above their skates so they'd be easily visible. This was in the days of neon colors and layering multiple pairs of "scrunch" socks together. People would wind glow necklaces around their ankles to grab everyone's attention.

Then "Shake It Up" would begin. The skating floor would be packed. Everyone in the place was out there, along with all of the staff acting as judges. During the verses of the song, the DJ would say things like "everyone skate backward" or "spin in circles" and you had to follow his commands. Then, in the chorus he'd say "GATOR" and everyone would lie on their backs on the floor and kick their skates in the air. The judges would skate around and look for funky socks. At the end of the song, a few kids would get picked to win prizes like food bar coupons and free admission.

I can still hear the DJ yell "GATOR" every time I hear that song. And I can still feel how heavy those skates were. Especially after you were already dizzy from spinning in circles and such.