I am a lifelong fan of loud, passionate and unbridled rock and roll (if you are surprised by this – we have never met). The spirit of this music flows through me like oxygen – I have even been called a bit of a rock snob to boot. As I was driving home with the wife and youngest from the park the other night – Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven” came onto the radio. It immediately struck me how long it had been since I had heard this song. This was a stark contrast to the ubiquity of this song on classic rock radio from my earlier years.
As the song played (I subtly edged up the volume – met with a complete absence of protest), Oscar -my eleven year old- says from the back seat, “I thought that this song was faster.” It occurred to me – somehow miraculous that he had escaped the irresistible temptation to listen to this song over and over the first time he heard it – that I remember so clearly from my own first encounter with this monolith. “Just wait” I responded, and edged up the volume a little more.
The song took over the mood of the car and its wonderful accelerating pace and volume enveloped our imagination and the mood of the moment. The song was wistful and mystical, transcendent and passionate – and the all too familiar path from placid calm to swirling tempest that characterizes this beauty transfixed our ride home. It was perfect. It was rock and roll. It reminded me of why I love that music so much and reminded me of simpler times – when I was not so predisposed to bury my own head in the more complex world of grown up issues and actions. The juxtaposition was captivating. I wondered if this juxtaposition provided any opportunity to reconcile the weird and sometimes deflating character of some of the things happening in our common culture today. I wondered if I might try...
:)
So here...with a little help from the Greatest Rock and Roll Band of all time...and utilizing the lyrics from what is arguably the greatest rock and roll song of all time (at least the second greatest in my book) is my attempt to soothe my own soul spreading the healing power of rock and roll over the fractures and contusions of some of our clumsy and bruising public discourse.
SATISFACTION– by the Rolling Stones
(as playfully amended...it helps if you actually hear the song in your head)
(transcendent opening guitar lick here....)
I can't get no satisfaction
I can't get no satisfaction
'Cause I try and I try and I try and I try
I can't get no, I can't get no
"In my many years I have come to a conclusion that one useless man is a shame, two is a law firm and three or more is a congress." ~John Adams
When I'm drivin' in my car
And that man comes on the radio
He's tellin' me more and more
About some useless information
Supposed to fire my imagination
I can't get no, oh no no no
Hey hey hey, that's what I say
"As a rule we disbelieve all the facts and theories for which we have no use. A great many people think they are thinking when they are really rearranging their prejudices." ~William James
I can't get no satisfaction
I can't get no satisfaction
'Cause I try and I try and I try and I try
I can't get no, I can't get no
"America is the only country that went from barbarism to decadence without civilization in between" ~Oscar Wilde
When I'm watchin' my TV
And that man comes on to tell me
How white my shirts can be
But he can't be a man 'cause he doesn't smoke
The same cigarettes as me
I can't get no, oh no no no
Hey hey hey, that's what I say
“You can always count on Americans to do the right thing - after they've tried everything else.” ~Winston churchill
I can't get no satisfaction
I can't get no girl reaction
'Cause I try and I try and I try and I try
I can't get no, I can't get no
"The difficulty lies not so much in developing new ideas as in escaping from old ones." ~John Maynard Keynes
When I'm ridin' round the world
And I'm doin' this and I'm signing that
And I'm tryin' to make some girl
Who tells me baby better come back later next week
'Cause you see I'm on losing streak
I can't get no, oh no no no
Hey hey hey, that's what I say
"YOU LIE!" ~Congressman Joe Wilson (R- SC)
I can't get no,
I can't get no
I can't get no satisfaction
No satisfaction,
no satisfaction,
no satisfaction
"Well, I learned a lot. You'd be surprised. They're all individual countries." ~Ronald Reagan talking to reporters upon his return from Latin America. 12/4/1982
...song fades...
As the song played (I subtly edged up the volume – met with a complete absence of protest), Oscar -my eleven year old- says from the back seat, “I thought that this song was faster.” It occurred to me – somehow miraculous that he had escaped the irresistible temptation to listen to this song over and over the first time he heard it – that I remember so clearly from my own first encounter with this monolith. “Just wait” I responded, and edged up the volume a little more.
The song took over the mood of the car and its wonderful accelerating pace and volume enveloped our imagination and the mood of the moment. The song was wistful and mystical, transcendent and passionate – and the all too familiar path from placid calm to swirling tempest that characterizes this beauty transfixed our ride home. It was perfect. It was rock and roll. It reminded me of why I love that music so much and reminded me of simpler times – when I was not so predisposed to bury my own head in the more complex world of grown up issues and actions. The juxtaposition was captivating. I wondered if this juxtaposition provided any opportunity to reconcile the weird and sometimes deflating character of some of the things happening in our common culture today. I wondered if I might try...
:)
So here...with a little help from the Greatest Rock and Roll Band of all time...and utilizing the lyrics from what is arguably the greatest rock and roll song of all time (at least the second greatest in my book) is my attempt to soothe my own soul spreading the healing power of rock and roll over the fractures and contusions of some of our clumsy and bruising public discourse.
SATISFACTION– by the Rolling Stones
(as playfully amended...it helps if you actually hear the song in your head)
(transcendent opening guitar lick here....)
I can't get no satisfaction
I can't get no satisfaction
'Cause I try and I try and I try and I try
I can't get no, I can't get no
"In my many years I have come to a conclusion that one useless man is a shame, two is a law firm and three or more is a congress." ~John Adams
When I'm drivin' in my car
And that man comes on the radio
He's tellin' me more and more
About some useless information
Supposed to fire my imagination
I can't get no, oh no no no
Hey hey hey, that's what I say
"As a rule we disbelieve all the facts and theories for which we have no use. A great many people think they are thinking when they are really rearranging their prejudices." ~William James
I can't get no satisfaction
I can't get no satisfaction
'Cause I try and I try and I try and I try
I can't get no, I can't get no
"America is the only country that went from barbarism to decadence without civilization in between" ~Oscar Wilde
When I'm watchin' my TV
And that man comes on to tell me
How white my shirts can be
But he can't be a man 'cause he doesn't smoke
The same cigarettes as me
I can't get no, oh no no no
Hey hey hey, that's what I say
“You can always count on Americans to do the right thing - after they've tried everything else.” ~Winston churchill
I can't get no satisfaction
I can't get no girl reaction
'Cause I try and I try and I try and I try
I can't get no, I can't get no
"The difficulty lies not so much in developing new ideas as in escaping from old ones." ~John Maynard Keynes
When I'm ridin' round the world
And I'm doin' this and I'm signing that
And I'm tryin' to make some girl
Who tells me baby better come back later next week
'Cause you see I'm on losing streak
I can't get no, oh no no no
Hey hey hey, that's what I say
"YOU LIE!" ~Congressman Joe Wilson (R- SC)
I can't get no,
I can't get no
I can't get no satisfaction
No satisfaction,
no satisfaction,
no satisfaction
"Well, I learned a lot. You'd be surprised. They're all individual countries." ~Ronald Reagan talking to reporters upon his return from Latin America. 12/4/1982
...song fades...
Wow, sucka. It's about time you got off your ass and used your head again. Would it be fair to say that you waited too long? Okay, Talor. I'mma let you finish.
ReplyDelete