I went to the eye doctor yesterday (my eyes are actually way better than they should be for my age, so that's good). But I'm in the eye doctor's office, and they have one of those "lite" radio stations on - the kind that supposed to appeal to everyone, and also be kind of background music for offices, etc. So they play Cyndi Lauper's Time After Time and I think to myself, yeah... classic song (in fact I recently heard a music historian YouTuber say the same thing).
Anyway, the next song was Nirvana's Come As You Are - and that threw me, because when these songs were new, no radio station in the world would play them back to back. In fact, I'll bet no radio station in the world would play them both at all - one or the other - but they would assume that their listeners could not possibly like both of these songs. Now I know, they were not new at the same time, they came out almost a decade apart, 1983 and 1992, respectively. But you get the idea.
So how is it that early 80s Cyndi Lauper and 90s grunge now get played on the same "lite" radio station? I mean, let's face it, "lite" radio is just one step away from the elevator. Kurt Cobain must be spinning in his grave to know that his song got played on "lite" radio, right after Time After Time - so is it that the passing of time dulls the impact of songs, as we become so familiar with them that they start to blend together? Or is it that the real Nirvana fans from the 90s are now middle aged adults who will simply smile with nostalgia when their song comes on in the office? Or am I making too much of the difference between these songs?
In 1983, I LOVED Time After Time - but in 1992, I HATED everything from Nirvana. The whole grunge movement symbolized for me everything that was wrong with the world (though I did like some of the other bands that would be classified as grunge, the more I perceived an artist or group as drug users, the more I hated them, and to a large extent I still feel that way, if only for the sake of their influence on youth). And yet, here we are in 2023, 40 years after Time After Time and 30 years after Come As You Are - and they are played back to back on "lite" radio in the doctor's office.
Thoughts...?
Dear friends - Please take 10 minutes to watch this personal update from me:
I'm back, up and running, and ready to go - I should have a new JOURNEY episode within the next week or so - and because you are my loyal peeps, here is an exclusive, just-for-you, behind the scenes SNEAK PEEK into my new office:
I mentioned in The Journey that I wrote a song based on Isaiah 2, which is one of my favorite OT passages:
In days to come, the mountain of the Lord’s house
shall be established as the highest mountain, and raised above the hills.
All nations shall stream toward it. Many peoples shall come and say:
“Come, let us go up to the Lord’s mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob, That he may instruct us in his ways, and we may walk in his paths.” For from Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between the nations, and set terms for many peoples.
They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; One nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again. House of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!
I hope you like the song!
The problem with us men is that often we don't have the wisdom to be a father until we're a grandfather.
This may sounds like some ironic statement that makes you nod your head in agreement but shrug your shoulders in resignation, thinking, well there's nothing we can do about that. But the practical application of that is that it demonstrates how important it is for kids to grow up around their grandparents. But as in our culture the family becomes ever more fractured and spread out, that is harder and harder to do.
Lately I've been thinking that part of the problem is the whole concept of college. It used to be that everyone thought a person had to go to college to make a good living. Not only is that not the case (truck drivers make more money than I do) but now college has gone from useless to actually ruining our kids. But when I went to college, what you were supposed to do is figure out what career you wanted (as if anyone knows that at age 18) and then go away to the college ...
And don't forget, if you would like to read my latest novel:
The Sword and the Clover - just let me know by email.
I'm happy to send you the PDF version, even if you haven't been a monetary supporter of the community - all I ask is that you don't share it with anyone else.
My email address:
Keep in touch!
JIm
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