Category: memories

Wednesday’s Theme Music

It’s a lovely spring southern Oregon day. The dogwoods are living up to their pink and white hype, splashing delicious contrast against the valley’s spring green. A day like this calls for a little metal. “Breaking the Law”, Judas Priest, is currently streaming through the cerebellum. It’s a direct cause and effect stream, triggered by watching drivers try to drive, while talking on their cell phones, eating food, and applying cosmetics. It’s a circus act!

Look at her, putting her lip stick on, weaving in her lane, speeding up and slowing down, breaking the law, breaking the law.

Look at him, wheeling that eighties era Chrysler around the corners, one hand holding a phone, the other holding a cigarette and hanging onto the wheel, breaking the law, breaking the law.

And look at her, meandering through the traffic instead of bothering to use crosswalks, forcing everyone to stop and wait for her, breaking the law, breaking the law.

Yeah, I got an uptight, fucked up mind.

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Tuesday’s Theme Music

This one came to me in the bathroom this morning.

In there to do the morning toilet, I sniffed my pits (I don’t know why, nor why I write it), and said, “Damn, I’m a dirty white boy.” Click. My mind began streaming Foreigner’s “Dirty White Boy” from 1979.

As a felicitous coincidence, the local rock station played the song on the radio as I drove downtown. I thought, “That seals it! The song was predestined to be my theme music today.” Because, you know, coincidences are always omens.

 

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Monday’s Theme Music

Streaming back via the Wayback Machine to 1971, I was reminded of a lot of music that I enjoyed. The Who, Led Zeppelin, Rod Stewart, The Doors, Jethro Tull, Yes, John Lennon, Elton John…a solid foundation of future classics were out that year. Against all those albums was a simple sound delivered by Bad Finger. Right off of Straight Up, here’s “Baby Blue”.

I admit, the album disappointed me a bit. It seemed too simple and a little derivative. Once again, my exposure, through an eight-track cassette on a continual loop, came via a friend. He played this album whenever he drove his father’s Ford 500. This was about two years after the album came out. I honestly think he only had three or four eight-tracks. He played this one so often, it developed all sorts of warble.

I still laugh thinking about it.

 

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Sunday’s Theme Music

This morning found me awakening with a song streaming in my mind. How unusual! I don’t believe that’s ever happened before (*snark*).

The theme du jour was being delivered by Sammy Hagar on vocals as part of the amplified group called Van Halen. The song, “Why Can’t This Be Love”, was released during my formative years. 1986 found me moving from South Carolina to Germany.  I was a wee lad of thirty years old, and full of wide-eyed wonder and innocence. My new friends introduced me to this interesting musical genre called rock. That changed my thinking forever.

I really associate this with Randy, though. After Germany, my next assignment took me to California, where I met Randy. Now dead of cancer at fifty-nine, he was a huge Van Halen, Boston, and Atlanta Braves fan. Go to his home, and it wouldn’t be unusual to find him on the patio smoking, windows open and drinking coffee or beer, with Van Halen, Boston, or the Atlanta Braves on.

Crank it up. You know Randy would.

 

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Saturday’s Theme Music

Today’s theme music comes to me from Pink, 2001. I woke up streaming it. I’d paraphrased the words, though. I was singing, “I’m getting up, so you better get the coffee started, I’m getting up.”

Here is “Get the Party Started”. I enjoy the beat and lyrics, and her activities as she’s getting ready, like sniffing her pits. LOL.

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Friday’s Theme Music

A good one out of the eighties, a reflection that, no matter what happens or who you appear to be, you have a core of who you are. In this case, Sting is the “King of Pain”, part of the new wave rock movement. I don’t know why, but this was the song streaming in me this morning as my cat curled up on my pillow and purred against my head.

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Thursday’s Theme Music

I always have enjoyed convertibles. Named spyders and spiders, roadsters, rag tops, I include the targas and tee tops in this group. The top down lets the world in when you’re motoring along.

I was trying my best to emulate that yesterday. A gentle spring sun warmed the day into aspirations of summer. Our little town was an idyllic verdant green. Sunroof and windows open, I was cruising home like it was yesteryear. To help me on that journey, the radio station played C.C.R.’s eight plus minute version of “Suzy Q”. Turning it up, I felt like a teenager for the six minutes that I listened as I drove home.

Not too much to the lyrics. Very straightforward, but I enjoy the guitar work and the variations on the drums and cymbals that arise.

 

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Wednesday’s Theme Music

So, reading and listening to news reports (“He was only shot three times in the back, not eight, with three shots in his side” — doesn’t change that he was armed only with his cell phone and was in his own backyard), an old Rolling Stones song started streaming through my mind.

The police in New York City
They chased a boy right through the park
In a case of mistaken identity
They put a bullet through his heart

Heartbreakers with your forty four
I wanna tear your world apart
You heart breaker with your forty four
I wanna tear your world apart

h/t Lyricsfreak.com

This song was released in 1973, over forty years ago. Pathetic how little has changed, with police shooting black men for little or no probable cause in America, a trend that’s being carried over to homeowners, who fear fourteen-year-old black boys asking for directions. Sad. Sickening.

Here it is, with the bizarre title “Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)” by the Rolling Stones, from 1973.

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Tuesday’s Theme Music

I know exactly why and when I started streaming today’s music selection.

I went into the MBR and stripped down in front of a ginger floof. He’d been sleeping but lifted his head and watched me with sleepy eyes, to confirm I didn’t have food and wasn’t a threat. I was speaking to him, telling him what I was doing. Taking off my shirt, I inhaled my armpit essence and told my cat, “Definitely stink this evening. Know what I mean?”

Like that, here comes Lee Michaels streaming through my head with his song, “Do You Know What I Mean”. I enjoyed Lee Michaels’ offerings. This song spoke to me. Its lyrics  seem real and autobiographical. The way he sings it delivers pain and bewilderment juxtaposed against a heavy beat with brass sounds that remind me of a circus environment. It’s is an excellent vehicle to capture relationship confusion.

Back when the song came out, my friends never took to the song. Many current friends know it vaguely or not at all. Hope I’m reacquainting you with a song that you enjoy. Cheers

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Monday’s Theme Music

Music about traveling always speaks to me. Between my father’s military career and mine, I moved forty-four times by the time I was forty. Besides moving, I traveled in the military, and then more while in marketing with Silicon Valley startups.

That’s the background. In the foreground, Eddie Rabbit’s song, “Driving My Life Away”, started streaming through me last night. I really enjoy the lyrics:

Well the midnight headlights blind you on a rainy night
Steep grade up ahead slow me down makin no time
Gotta keep rollin
Those windshield wipers slappin out a tempo
Keepin perfect rhythm with the song on the radio
Gotta keep rolling

Ooh I’m driving my life away, looking for a better way, for me
Ooh I’m driving my life away, looking for a sunny day

Well the truck stop cutie comin’ on to me
Tried to talk me into a ride said I wouldn’t be sorry
Oh, but she was just a baby
Well waitress pour me another cup of coffee
Pop me down jack me up shoot me out flyin down the highway
Lookin for the morning

h/t to Lyricsmode.com

That song, along with his song, “I Love A Rainy Night,” became part of my travel and streaming staples. He was another amazing talent, gone way too damn soon.

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