There’s a very specific kind of shock that happens when you realize your teenager’s playlist looks exactly like yours did twenty-some years ago. You’re riding in the car, feeling pretty good about yourself, when suddenly you hear the opening chords of “Creep” by Radiohead—and your teen starts singing along like it’s the latest TikTok hit. Wait… how do you know this song? And more importantly, do you even know what it’s about!?

I’ll admit, it’s equal parts delight and mild horror. I’m proud that my son has great taste in music (he’s been digging Radiohead, Three Days Grace, and Linkin Park lately—hello, late 90s and early 2000s angst!), but then I start actually listening to the lyrics again. Yikes. Did I really have this blasting through my Discman while doing geometry homework and journaling about my crush? I didn’t think twice about what those words meant back then, but now—listening as a parent—I hear every line differently.

It’s funny how time shifts your perspective. As teens, we felt the emotions in the music but didn’t always grasp the depth or darkness behind them. Now, as adults raising kids who are discovering these same songs, we see how deeply lyrics can affect them. My son, for example, is really tuned in to words—music speaks to him in a big way—so I’ve learned to be more mindful of what’s playing, even when it’s from “my era.”

But I’ll be honest: there’s something incredibly special about singing those songs together. We’ll crank up “In the End” by Linkin Park in the car, both shouting the lyrics with full conviction—me remembering who I was, him figuring out who he’s becoming. It’s surreal, and a little emotional. These songs are the soundtrack to my youth… and somehow, they’re becoming part of his too.

It’s a reminder that we’re aging (whether we like it or not), and life really does have a way of looping back around. The styles, the sounds, the moods—all recycled with a new generation twist. And maybe that’s not such a bad thing.

So tell me—what songs or bands are your kids into that you used to love growing up? Do you ever catch yourself singing along and wondering, “Wait… did I really listen to this!?”