George Strait has a song called "Famous Last Words of a Fool". I'd be a fool not to blog on Halloween. I'd also be a fool not be blog about DEATH on Halloween. So many "horror" movies dwell on the subject of death; usually shocking grisly death of attractive young people by some demented psychopath or some remorseless other-worldly menace. Our fascination with death extends into the world of music, of course, and the trend goes way back. In 1964, the Shangri-La's gave us the sad love story "Leader of the Pack" about a guy who crashes his motorcycle and dies. That same year, Jan and Dean told us the story about a drag race gone awry in "Dead Man's Curve". Teenage tragedy records were so popular in the 1950's and 1960's that they were referred to as "splatter platters". Some of the most gruesome ones are "Last Kiss", "Teen Angel", and "Tell Laura I Love Her". "Ode to Billy Joe" was a particularly sad little ditty about a teenage couple who throw their baby off a bridge and then the baby's father also jumps to his death out of remorse.
The teenage tragedy genre has never really left us. In the 1970's, there was "Seasons in the Sun", "Billy Don't Be A Hero" and "D.O.A." The 1980's gave us "Girlfriend in a Coma", and the 1990's gave us "Adam's Song" by Blink-182, in which a depressed teen commits suicide. That song contains Adam's suicide note and his Last Words were "Remember the time that I spilled the cup of apple juice in the hall. Please tell mom this is not her fault." It also contains the line "I took my time, I hurried up" which is lifted from Nirvana's "Come As You Are". Four years later, Nirvana's lead singer Kurt Cobain would kill himself. He also left a suicide note and his Last Words were "it is better to burn out than to fade away" which was lifted from Neil Young's "Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)". In the 2000's, death is rampant in rap music and suicide is once again the inspiration for Eminem's "Stan".
Rock stars always say the darndest things. Often they are clever and funny things. Often the rock star dies shortly after and someone remembers the last stupid thing they said. One of my personal heroes, Bono, has said some profound things, like "If I am close to the music, and you are close to the music, we are close to each other", and "Music can change the world because it can change people." But, he also reportedly said, "There's a lot of bullshit in rock and roll, but some of the bullshit is pretty cool." Fortunately for all of us, Bono is still with us, and he still has time to say something else crazy before the Grim Reaper comes knocking.
“I hope we've passed the audition.” quipped John Lennon after playing “Get Back” at the famous Rooftop Performance on the roof of Apple Studios on January 30, 1969. "Ever get the feeling you've been cheated?” snarled Johnny Rotten at the end of the last show the Sex Pistols ever played. Those were not their last words, but they were pretty cool.
Don’t die in the bathroom. “Okay, I won't.” were Elvis Presley’s actual Last Words said to his fiancé Ginger Alden on August 16, 1977. She had advised him, when he was on the way to the bathroom, "Don't fall asleep in there." Sadly, it turned out to be ‘The Big Sleep’.
Yoko Ono told reporters that John Lennon’s last words were in response to her question “Shall we go and have dinner before we go home?” John reportedly said "No, let's go home because I want to see Sean before he goes to sleep”, just before he was shot and killed on December 8, 1980.
On March 19, 1982, Randy Rhoads, guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne said “Why do you drink that stuff, Ozzy? One of these days it's gonna kill you”, referring to Ozzy’s alcoholism. Randy died in a plane crash later that day.
“This is it... this really is it.” announced Michael Jackson as he entered his limo, leaving a rehearsal of his "This Is It" concert. He died the next afternoon on June 25, 2009.
Probably the creepiest last words were spoken late in the evening prior to The Day the Music Died. Waylon Jennings lost the coin toss with the Big Bopper for a place on the plane that crashed killing Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens on February 3, 1959. Buddy jokingly told Waylon "I hope your bus freezes" and Waylon replied "I hope your ol' plane crashes". Waylon often admitted that he regretted saying it, as I imagine most of us would.
Be careful what you say. Someone might be taking notes.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Sunday, October 24, 2010
That's What The Doctor Ordered
Time for a check-up. How are you feeling today? I hope you are well.
If not, music is the best medicine unless you have a disease. What are your symptoms? Perhaps, like Springsteen, you have a "Fever". Let's examine what might be causing that fever. Do you have a "Chest Fever" like Three Dog Night, or do you have the Full Moon Fever like Tom Petty? If you're lucky, you only have a slight fever like a "Pac Man Fever" or a "Justin Bieber Fever". If you're from the Country, you might have Ferlin Husky's "Freightliner Fever" or David Allen Coe's "White Line Fever". If you have been dancing, you might have "Boogie Fever" or "Night Fever". Lord help you if you have "Cat Scratch Fever".
Here's my favorite kind of fever http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZ0CCh2rg5s
It's "Jungle Fever" by the Chakachas.
Have you been "Too Sick To Pray" like Willie Nelson or "Sick As A Dog" like Aerosmith? Perhaps you were recently ill and now you are "Sick Again" like Led Zeppelin. I thought I might be coming down with something but I only have a "Bad Case of Loving You" like Robert Palmer. At least I'm not "Sick of You", like Lou Reed. Warren Zevon said "Don't Let Us Get Sick".
If we do get sick, we have lots of healthcare options. Like the Beatles, we could visit "Doctor Robert". Ben Folds goes to "Dr. Yang". They Might Be Giants go to "Dr. Worm". He's an actual worm. Gary Glitter is a patient of "Dr. Who". Lil' Wayne goes to "Dr. Carter". Motley Crue visit "Dr. Feelgood", quite often, I suspect. The Who needed frequent medical care because on A Quick One they called "Doctor, Doctor", on Tommy "There's A Doctor", and on Quadrophenia they visited "Dr. Jimmy". My best advise for you is to avoid the "Witch Doctor". As for me, like Kiss, I'm "Calling Dr. Love". Ted Nugent would agree it's "Just What The Doctor Ordered".
Stay well.
If not, music is the best medicine unless you have a disease. What are your symptoms? Perhaps, like Springsteen, you have a "Fever". Let's examine what might be causing that fever. Do you have a "Chest Fever" like Three Dog Night, or do you have the Full Moon Fever like Tom Petty? If you're lucky, you only have a slight fever like a "Pac Man Fever" or a "Justin Bieber Fever". If you're from the Country, you might have Ferlin Husky's "Freightliner Fever" or David Allen Coe's "White Line Fever". If you have been dancing, you might have "Boogie Fever" or "Night Fever". Lord help you if you have "Cat Scratch Fever".
Here's my favorite kind of fever http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZ0CCh2rg5s
It's "Jungle Fever" by the Chakachas.
Have you been "Too Sick To Pray" like Willie Nelson or "Sick As A Dog" like Aerosmith? Perhaps you were recently ill and now you are "Sick Again" like Led Zeppelin. I thought I might be coming down with something but I only have a "Bad Case of Loving You" like Robert Palmer. At least I'm not "Sick of You", like Lou Reed. Warren Zevon said "Don't Let Us Get Sick".
If we do get sick, we have lots of healthcare options. Like the Beatles, we could visit "Doctor Robert". Ben Folds goes to "Dr. Yang". They Might Be Giants go to "Dr. Worm". He's an actual worm. Gary Glitter is a patient of "Dr. Who". Lil' Wayne goes to "Dr. Carter". Motley Crue visit "Dr. Feelgood", quite often, I suspect. The Who needed frequent medical care because on A Quick One they called "Doctor, Doctor", on Tommy "There's A Doctor", and on Quadrophenia they visited "Dr. Jimmy". My best advise for you is to avoid the "Witch Doctor". As for me, like Kiss, I'm "Calling Dr. Love". Ted Nugent would agree it's "Just What The Doctor Ordered".
Stay well.
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