Fear of Music

Post by **Lightning Rod** » February 20th, 2009, 9:32 pm

Fear of Music

It's begging week on PBS
that's when they run all the popular shows, the concerts
they want contributions

they have been showing a series of performances by old timers like me
mostly they look terrible, but some of them sound as good or better than ever
the Zombies looked like zombies but they sounded great

Chad and Jeremy weren't the little Ken dolls that they once were
they looked like grandpas
but their harmonies were clean

Eric Burton did well
he made the sun rise over the whorehouse

There was Donovan and the Procol Harem guys
and Petula Clark and what's her name from to sir with love
and even Jerry from the Pacemakers
I had to call him Geriatric with a Pacemaker

this impelled me to go take a look at myself in the mirror
am I a has-been or a-never-have been?

my credulity was a little strained when
I watched this old fat guy
(the lead singer for Steppenwolf)
sing Born to be Wild
and they showed the audience
and it was a bunch of Q-tip headed old women
swaying to the beat and singing the words
it was kinda sad really
I was born to be wild
but I wasn't born yesterday
and neither were they

I think I have been lucky in this respect:
I've never had a hit tune that I had to repeat
night after night after night for years and then have to come back and
do a parody of it for the old-timers

I met a guy one time in the Winedale Pub in Dallas
he said his name was Jimmy Velvet and he had written the tune
Blue Velvet

I'm sure he was a drunken impostor
his royalties weren't too great
because he was soliciting drinks

my point is this:
it doesn't matter if this guy really wrote Blue Velvet
he was using his claim that he had written a hit tune
as his ticket for a drink

is that why we do this?
because we hope that someone
will sing our song after our bodily remains are gone
and we will achieve that degree of immortality?
Is it fear of death that causes us to get old?
or the fear of music?

Post by **goldenmyst** » February 20th, 2009, 10:14 pm

You are in fine form as always my friend. These bands were a little before my time. However, songs like, "Whiter Shade of Pale," are vintage. I loved your contemplation of aging as well. You write like a pro. Long may your run.

John

Post by **Lightning Rod** » February 20th, 2009, 10:49 pm

Thank you John

at least Janis and Jimi and Morrison weren't there
they had the grace to die young

Post by **Lightning Rod** » February 20th, 2009, 11:33 pm

it's a narrative poem
I wrote it like this and even tried it as prose
but it's a narrative poem

Post by **Lightning Rod** » February 20th, 2009, 11:48 pm

the poetic device is just what John mentioned
it's a conceit
the theme is aging
the metaphor is aging rock stars as a symbol for aging

it's not a sermon. It's a poem with angle and contrast
there is little rhyme and only my natural rhythm
a poem starts with a thought
and I learn much from you too.....still

Post by **mtmynd** » February 20th, 2009, 11:55 pm

Some may read this as a well-written critique of a PBS program. You know that.

Post by **Lightning Rod** » February 21st, 2009, 12:09 am

mtmynd wrote:Some may read this as a well-written critique of a PBS program. You know that.

touche

Post by **Lightning Rod** » February 21st, 2009, 12:17 am

I'm such an amateur that I've never been able to tell the diff between
free verse and blank verse
my bad

Post by **mtmynd** » February 21st, 2009, 12:22 am

LR, whatever the reader chooses to call your piece - poem or prose, the Creative Writing board is certainly the place to post it.

Post by **Lightning Rod** » February 21st, 2009, 12:31 am

ok, I think I'll call it a hybrid poem
little blank, little free, little epic narrative
runs on batteries for forty miles
very fuel efficient

Post by **Nazz** » February 21st, 2009, 5:43 pm

my point is this:
it doesn't matter if this guy really wrote Blue Velvet
he was using his claim that he had written a hit tune
as his ticket for a drink

is that why we do this?
because we hope that someone
will sing our song after our bodily remains are gone
and we will achieve that degree of immortality?

Probably. I could see that.

And why do I suddenly have that 'I Zimbra' tune by the Heads in my head? Fear of music.

Post by **hester_prynne** » February 22nd, 2009, 4:40 am

Dont overthink it man...just sing along!!!!!!

H

Post by **Lightning Rod** » February 22nd, 2009, 11:10 am

this thread makes no sense no because doreen snuck in and deleted her posts
she does this when she is afraid to face the music

Post by **Lightning Rod** » February 22nd, 2009, 12:48 pm

Post by **Arcadia** » February 22nd, 2009, 1:08 pm

well... I like the Talking Heads!!!

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