I love rock and roll music. If that surprises you, you must not know me very well. Other than my family, I would put it right up there at the top — along with friends, good food and drink. Seriously, my wife and kids and pets probably get tired of me listening to music, and talking about it. Music is always in my head, just like blood flows through my veins. I couldn’t live without it.
When I say “rock and roll,” I really mean classic rock, mostly, plus soul, especially Motown and STAX music. I’ve spent so many years in the radio business and have had the opportunity to play so much music on the air (not always the songs I wanted to play) that the sheer volume of music has accumulated in my brain… so much so that it probably weighs it down! Maybe that’s my problem.
I’ve often said, “I can recall the lyrics of an obscure song from back in the 60’s, but I can’t remember where I parked my car 5 minutes ago.” And it’s true. Sometimes I find myself talking in song lyrics. Many of those words that readily come back to me mean absolutely nothing to anyone else, but they’ve stuck with me, and I may as well be happy about it. Besides, some good song lyrics are words to live by… at least, I think so.
These days, I think a lot about “What’s Going On,” by Marvin Gaye. “War is not the answer. Only love can conquer hate.” There’s so much hate in this country right now! And the things Marvelous Marvin sang about are just as relevant today as they were 50 years ago, in 1971! John Lennon expressed his sincere hope for a better world when he sang, “Imagine all the people living life in peace.” And “You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one. I hope someday you’ll join us, and the world will live as one.” That Lennon masterpiece also comes from 1971. One of the most powerful protest songs out there is “For What It’s Worth” by Buffalo Springfield. “It’s time we stop, Children, what’s that sound? Everybody, look what’s going down.” A plea for folks to pay attention to what’s going on around them. That’s a great message for today’s situation, too. In my favorite Sly & The Family Stone song, there’s a line that says, “Different strokes for different folks,” and I’ve tried to live by that slogan. I am “Everyday People.” I think we’re the same, more than we’re different, but we have to accept those differences, and realize that the way we look at things isn’t necessarily the only way that’s correct. If only people would stop trying to force their opinions on others! Moving on to more powerful lyrics, there’s a line in one of Jackson Browne’s songs, “The Pretender.” He sings, “caught between the longing for love and the struggle for the legal tender.” When you get right down to it, aren’t we all? We’re conflicted between being with the ones we love and working to make a living. It’s a balancing act.
Some song lyrics are just hilarious to me. In the Van Halen song, “Jump,” David Lee Roth sings, “Can’t you see me standing here, I got my back against the record machine. I ain’t the worst that you’ve seen. Can’t you see what I mean?” What a pickup line! (I wonder if it ever worked?) Taking that thought to the other extreme, Bob Dylan had the ultimate putdown, when he said, “I Wish that for just one time you could stand inside my shoes and just for that one moment I could be you.” And then, “You’d know what a drag it is to see you.” That’s from “Positively 4th Street,” although it doesn’t sound so positive, does it? David Byrne, leader of The Talking Heads has some crazy lyrics. For example, in “Once In A Lifetime,” consider these words: “You may find yourself living in a shotgun shack. And you may find yourself living in another part of the world. And you may find yourself behind the wheel of a large automobile. You may find yourself in a beautiful house with a beautiful wife. You may ask yourself, well, how did I get here?” Silly stuff, right? But I love it! Other song lyrics that crack me up are “Really love your peaches want to shake your tree” in “The Joker,” by Steve Miller. “Clowns to the left of me. Jokers to the right. Here I am, Stuck in The Middle With You.” That offering is from Gerry Rafferty. How about, “She’s so fine, there’s no telling where the money went,” from “Simply Irresistible,” a rocker by Robert Palmer. And “My soul’s been psychedelicized,” from “Time Has Come Today” by The Chambers Brothers. Coincidentally, that was the last song I played on my radio show.
These days, now that I’m older, I find special meaning in a lot of reflective songs. Those that look back over the years through the eyes of someone who has naturally accumulated more knowledge and wisdom just from having lived longer and experienced more. A few good examples: “Time makes you bolder. Children get older and I’m getting older, too,” from Stevie Nicks in “Landslide,” the Fleetwood Mac tune. “There are places I remember all my life, though some have changed. Some forever, not for better. Some have gone, and some remain. All these places have their moments, with lovers and friends I can still recall. Some are dead and some are living. In my life I’ve loved them all.” Surely, you recognize that John Lennon song by The Beatles. I have to admit, that one really hits home. There’s a line in “My Back Pages” by The Byrds that says it all for me. “Ah, but I was so much older then. I’m younger than that now.” I actually feel that way. Not physically, of course, but otherwise, yes. Bob Seger has always been good at expressing my feelings, especially in one of my favorites from him, with lines such as “Wish I didn’t know now what I didn’t know then.” And “Those drifter’s days are past me now. I’ve got so much more to think about. Deadlines and commitments. What to leave in, what to leave out.” And after all these years, he says, “I’m older now but still runnin’ against the wind.”
Finally, there’s a great song by one of my favorite artists, Eddie Money. He says “I want to go back and do it all over but I can’t go back, I know. I want to go back ’cause I’m feeling so much older but I can’t go back, I know.”
A good song is so much more than just the music. The words can make a real difference in the songs that remain with you, and the ones that go away. Not to say that there aren’t great songs with meaningless lyrics, but you get the idea. To quote The Rolling Stones, “It’s Only Rock And Roll but I like it. Like it. Yes, I do!”
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