Most people are familiar with the Eagles' "Hotel California" and that well-known opening line "On a dark desert highway, Cool Whip in my hair". Okay, I didn't come up with that. I once heard a comedian say that when she and her friends were teens, they would crank that song up really loud and sing at the top of their
I think many people feel as I do, that music is a big part of our lives. It's brought joy, tears and so much fun, even if we didn't actually know all the lyrics or understand their meanings at the time.
For several years I have been listening to my favorite oldies radio station, and have particularly enjoyed the "70's Saturday" show. Even though I recognized most of the songs, I started noticing words that I hadn't really caught before. I've had a few "Ah Ha!" moments regarding some of them. Those that my teenage self didn't always get back in the day. Yes, realizations that left me just a bit embarrassed!
The theme of so much music back then was free love and drug experimentation. Then later, the battle cry of rockers was "Sex, drugs, rock n roll!". I was aware of all that, but I was still quite naive and inexperienced. Now when I hear some of those songs again, I have to say "Oh...sex?!" or "Oh my gosh, that's about drugs!" or "Now I know why the Village People had so much fun at the YMCA." I thought Margaritaville was a real town, or the name of a bar.
Excuse me, but when I was a Jr. in high school, I had an 8 track of Rick James, R and B/ Soul /Rapper. I'd run around the house, singing with him "I wanna shoot you with my love gun!" I did not have a CLUE. My sister still teases me about it to this day. But hey, I didn't know what a Super Freak was either.
My Mom would occasionally hear some of those questionable lyrics, and call me on them. "OH MOM!!" I'd answer, with typical eye roll. Parents don't know anything about that stuff, right?
I still think that some of the best music originated in the days of my youth! I'll bet you do too, no matter what your age. Music has shaped our values, influenced our social lives and provided so many memories. And yes, laughable moments too!
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| Di-age 18 |
Who will confess that they thought (as I did), that Manfred Mann's 1976 hit "Blinded by the Light" says "...wrapped up like a douche, another roamer in the night"? Come on now, 'fess up! Epic fail for most of us. Look up the lyrics. But we sang it at the tops of our lungs anyway, didn't we?
Amazing how the words mean more as we get older, as kids were just having fun.
ReplyDeleteThanks for taking time to read my story! Yes, maybe it was better to be blissfully unaware.
DeleteHa! "...wrapped up like a douche, another roamer in the night", that's what I thought too. Made absolutely no sense to me and so looked up the lyrics on Google and it was really "revved up like a deuce, another runner in the night" Still makes no sense...
ReplyDeleteOn another note, "Words" always mean a lot to me. ;-)
Beautiful job, as usual, when are you going to write a book?
Love,
Taffy
Oh "Taffy",thanks again. Great play on "Words" there too! No book yet, have to get much better at blog writing first.
Delete'there she was, just a'walkin' down the street, singin' doo wah diddy diddy dum diddy doo' = ? whassup wit dat?
ReplyDeletenearly everything by bob dylan
Years ago, the wife of one of my best friends heard the song "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" by the Beatles on the radio. She started singing along (half heartedly, I might add) and when she got to the verse which actually goes "..the girl with kaleidoscope eyes", it actually came out of her mouth as "...the girl with colitis goes by"! When quizzed about why she thought the Beatles were singing about a young lady with colon problems, she said she assumed it had something to do with all the pot they were smoking! Really!
We have a listener who thinks the opening of Help Me Rhonda by The Beach Boys contains this lyric: "Well since she put me down, there's been owls spewing in my bed" The actual line was: "Well since she put me down I’ve been out doin’ in my head"
...We also have a listener who requests "Secret Asian Man" by Johnny Rivers instead of "Secret Agent Man".
Go figure.
- Mike Ray (Eagle 106.9 KEGK-FM)
"workin' on a knife wound"
Bob Seger - Night Moves
"God bless America, land that I love
Stand beside her, and guide her
Through the night with the light from a bulb"
Kate Smith- God Bless America
On the Dutch version of Idols a girl sang Killing me Softly with his song,
by Roberta Flack (already on your list, version by Lauryn Hill)
Instead of singing "Strummin' my pain with his fingers", she sang "Strong in my pants with his fingers".
Just so you know.
Ahhhh...haaaa Michelle! A blog added to my blog. Soo funny! I was absolutely correct,in knowing that you would share my sense of humor about this. Thanks Goofy Girlfriend.
ReplyDeleteI've always been quite fond of Pat Benatar's classic song from 1980 or so... "Hit Me With Your Pet Shark"
ReplyDeleteThen again, I've often been told I'm on a roll when it's plainly a croissant.