Back in MY day...

As I started writing this entry, I realized that I may come across a little like Dana Carvey in that old SNL skit where he played an old man hell-bent on making sure everyone knew how much harder his growing-up years were than for kids today. Remember, it went something like this?

"Oh yeah...well, back in MY day we didn't wear those fancy-smancy Air Jordan's or pumped up high tops. Why, we didn't even HAVE shoes! We walked to school barefoot on shards of glass each day..yeah, and when our feet would start bleeding, the teacher would say 'toughen up kids, toughen up!' And we liked it, I tell you. We LOVED IT!"

So, as I was working out today, enjoying the '80s station, I realized what the problem is with music today. It's entirely too serious. I started pumping iron to Oingo Boingo's "Dead Man's Party," and I just had a smile on my face. I mean, what a ridiculous song! I always loved it though! And, most of the music in the 80s was half-nonsense really. It made for some really fun and interesting videos too. Videos are so boring now.

Back in MY day, we had songs like "Kung Fu Fighting" and "The Safety Dance." We had really weird videos like the Cars', "You Might Think" or Tom Petty's, "Don't Come 'Round Here No More." Songs were fun. There was always lots of room for interpretation with the lyrics too. Was Cyndi Lauper's "She Bop" really about what we ALL thought it was about?

Nowadays, it seems like things are pretty spelled out for us. There's no crazy lyrics, unless you stumble across a new Tori Amos track or something...and even blessed Tori has become more mainstream. I miss the days of "Cornflake Girl" and "Little Earthquakes."

I want the nonsense and the escape those songs brought me. Life's been way too serious for me lately. I want some silliness again. And, is that too much to ask for in my music? Do I really have to resort to listening to Weird Al now to get that? C'mon!!!

It's a dead man's party.
Who could ask for more?
Everybody's coming,
leave your body and soul at the door.

Don't run away,
it's only me.
Don't be afraid,
of what you can't see.