Most songs that I consider "my generation" fall squarely into the years of 1978 to 1985, which covers a reasonable (and surprising) range: the end of disco and easy listening, the heyday of "Rock" (or as they call it now, "Classic Rock") and the beginning of Metal. Add on a sprinkling of remainders from the 50's, 60's, and earlier 70's and you have as much music variety as you could ever desire.
Most of the songs, like most songs I suppose, do not age well. They can bring back a pleasant memory about what was going on at some pivotal point in time or what you were doing when "X" was playing, but on the whole they are pretty droll stuff: listening to the lyrics now, things like "Here I am/Rock you like a Hurricane" and "Come on, feel the noise" is just as silly a sentiment as read is to sing.
Occasionally though, in my musical reminiscing, I find a song that makes more sense now than ever.
Today's song, for your consideration is "Take The Long Way" home by Supertramp (circa 1979).
It may seem more poignant to me now than ever in that I am struggling with my own sense of washing out in a world that seems very different than I expected and in a life situation I find very different than what I expected (not necessarily bad, just different). And, it has a rather well done harmonica part, which is seldom done correctly.
Link below, then lyrics.
So
you think you're a Romeo
Playing a part in a picture show
Well
take the long way home
Take the long way home
You're
the joke of the neighborhood
Why should you care if you're
feeling good?
Take the long way home
Take the long way home
There
are times that you feel you're part of the scenery
All the
greenery is comin' down boy
And then your wife seems to think
you're part of the furniture
Oh, it's peculiar she used to be...
so... nice
Lonely
days turn to lonely nights
Take a trip to the city lights
Take
the long way home
Take the long way home
You never see what
you want to see
Forever playing to the gallery
You take the
long way home
Take the long way home
When
you're up on the stage it's so unbelievable
Oh, unforgettable
how they adore... you
But then your wife seems to think you're
losing your sanity
Oh, calamity is there no way out?
Oh,
yeah
Does it feel that your life's become a
catastrophe?
Oh, it has to be for you to grow boy
When you
look through the years and see what you could have been
Oh, what
you might have been if you'd have had more time
So
when the day comes to settle down
Who's to blame if you're not
around?
You took the long way home
You took the long way
home
You took the long way home
(Lyrics: Metrolyrics)
Supertramp, Meathead, Fleetwood Mac, April Wine...in the period of 1978~1985, I went from being a teen in junior high to being a father. I dunno who changed more in that time - me or the world.
ReplyDeleteThe soundtrack of our lives, eh Glen?
DeleteIt is funny - after that period of time music really feel into the background for me. There are songs I have liked over the years - even some relatively new ones - but none of them have the all encompassing set of memories (or baggage) that music from those years evokes. Perhaps it is simply that the music became background noise instead of fundamental to the experience.
Super Tramp, as well all the others from that time frame bring the smell of rich running carbs, old oil, pig manure, dust, cool mornings, gym lockers, and natural gas burning pump engines to mind.
ReplyDeleteIt's so strange to have the time roll back in an instant... To feel the way I felt back then... It's so long ago, yet right here.... Just need a musical combination to unlock the memories....
STxAR - That is it exactly. Or in my case, last nights playing D and D or post band and drama activities. Funny how a song has the ability to take us back like that. Also funny how music since then does not impact me the same way.
DeleteGood Lord. I'm living that right now. I had time after second shift today to listen and read... Vivid memories of my youth working on old cars and farming, but it speaks to my late 50's experience with life.... Now that is one starkly poignant song.... Thanks TB. I read your post, heard them music in my head and wrote what I felt, but listening tonight.... man... no words to express how.... wow.
DeleteSTxAR, that is why the song is so poignant to me. It is one of those songs that transcends the years. In a lot of ways, I find the sentiment more true than ever. For many of us, I think we are taking the long way home more than ever.
DeleteThat is an awesome song that I never read the lyrics while hearing it. Really improved the experience.
ReplyDeleteIt is. I always find there are elements to the song I missed- or in some cases, completely sang incorrectly.
DeleteThanks for stopping by!
Growing up, I always said that I wouldn't let my musical tastes stagnate like those of my grandparents and parents before me. Each of us seemed to hang out on different channels of the tractor radio, at least when I was old enough to get to drive a cabbed tractor. I thought I was doing pretty good with my promise until sometime after I left college and entered into the real world. Somehow, my interest in music surely and slowly started to fade unless it was something that was nostalgic. It wasn't long before I had to admit, that I was like my grandparents and parents before me, just someone whom my daughters will never quite identify with me music wise. Perhaps now that I write that, maybe all music is, is the medium we use to identify with that period of our lives when we are learning to spread our wings and explore new surroundings.
ReplyDeleteP.S. I usually say my musical tastes fall between the late 70's to early 90's.
Ed, William Lind in his book Retroculture has an interesting note on this. He notes that the 1940's was the last time that all generations shared in the same musical tastes. What happened? Generational thinking: the concept of teenagers as being a separate (and marketable to) group. Suddenly, every age bracket was a marketing tool. Now, it is almost an unbreakable barrier.
DeleteNice range of an era. New Wave never quite worked for me, although The Ravishing Mrs. TB (two years younger than I am) was quite into it.
U2, David Bowie ( but you are out of the range for Ziggy Stardust ( one of the best albums ever made!), Pink Floyd ( speaking of remembering : 1987 Listening to Pink FLoyd 'The Final Cut: the gunner's dream' and sitting on a swing at night sad at being dumped by A*!). So many great bands and artists..the 60's and 70's was where the music was...the 80s and 90s is mostly garbage. Even good artists in the 80s put out bad music. Supertramp is amazing..and Yes. I find that anytime I am sad or have decesions to make that the music can speak to me.
ReplyDeleteEGB - Oddly enough, U2 never really spoke to me the way it does to others (or David Bowie either, but he was a little before my time). Pink Floyd is hit and miss for me (On The Turning Away, for example, is in my opinion one of their best songs). Most of my 60's acumen has been acquired later in life.
DeleteI wonder if in some ways the 80's changed the music as things shifted more and more to generalized tastes?
I think (if you had to put a date on it) the world "ended" in 1985 when David Lee Roth left Van Halen. Everything just kind of fell apart after that.
But the right song - yes, there are still timeless lyrics (see the afore mentioned On The Turning Away).
(If it makes you feel any better, I was dumped by The Ravishing Mrs. TB as well. I mean, before we were married (to make that clear...).)