Conditioned

In Rainbows was released via download in October of 2007 and I eagerly downloaded it not knowing that I would eventually acquire a conditioned response to every song on the album over a year later. As I recall, I listened to that album every day, more than once a day for about 3 weeks. What moments I can vividly remember in connection to the album is waking up at 6:30 in the morning during October and November and taking public transit to get to one of my classes at 8:00. I remember it so vividly because as soon as I left my house I would turn on the album while walking in the crisp coldness of the morning, it was completely silent and still a bit dark out. I would wait for the bus in silence for about 5 minutes with just the sound of In Rainbows (probably the song Bodysnatchers) in my ears. I would get on the bus and it would be packed (which is weird because around the same time this year the bus wasn’t that packed) but I would get a seat. I would be staring at the person’s body that happens to be standing in front of me, the bus completely silent because it’s 7 am and no one is in the mood to talk. I remember sometimes it would be raining and I would look outside and see water droplets on the windows and distorted car lights. The album is 42 minutes and 34 seconds long, but by the time I was almost at my destination I would have to restart it. Every time I hear any of the songs on In Rainbows I remember those very moments. I remember what everything looked like, smelled like and sounded like and I feel as though I’m right back on those bus seats, sandwiched between two people.