The Song's Wrong, but...

Mr Richards believes in frequent naps.

The other day on Teri Gross's radio show "Fresh Air," they re-ran an interview she did with Keith Richards in 2010, and as always, Mr Richards was a font of fun and facts, such as...did you know that his guitar parts to "Street Fighting Man" and "Jumpin' Jack Flash" were not played on electric guitars, but on acoustic guitars jacked into early-model cassette recorders, with all the overmodulation and audio compression and so forth? This is why I try never to miss "Fresh Air."

People are always dancing at weddings to "Crash Into Me," by that Dave Matthews Band. Check the lyrics next time! "Afternoon Delight" is not about a snack and a nap! "Turning Japanese" and "Summer of '69" are not innocent either. Yikes!

During the interview, Teri remarked that the song "Under My Thumb," a song that's sexist and chauvinistic and awful in its depiction of the role of the woman in a relationship was just that....a horrible song lyrically, yet such a catchy tune that she would find herself singing along it! She chuckled, he laughed, and quickly pointed out that he did not write the lyrics. Mick Jagger did.

It got me to thinking about songs I like that are wildly inappropriate in text or context. Such as the time in my country deejay days, when a listener called and asked for a certain song to be played. "It's really important," he importuned. It was a special day, the 25th anniversary for him and his sweet pooh-bear, the love of his life, the lucky lady who shared his hearth and heart. I said ok, what's your special song for your special lady?

"Your Cheatin' Heart"! he proudly crowed.

Somewhere, those two crazy kids are together today, I just know it.

Speaking of kids, you might want to ask yours if they know what some of those songs they sing along to are all about.


People are always dancing at weddings to "Crash Into Me," by that Dave Matthews Band. Check the lyrics next time! And, "Afternoon Delight" is not about a snack and a nap! "Turning Japanese" and "Summer of '69" are not innocent either. Yikes!

The only Pistols I carry around

People who pick up my iPod and set it to shuffling are often wont to remark that there may not be another music player with songs that jump from Andy Williams to Hank Williams to Paul Revere and the Raiders to AC/DC to the Sex Pistols. People remember the Pistols as being in the forefront of punk rock in the late 70's, and there are three songs on their first album "Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols" that still play nicely for me: Pretty Vacant, God Save the Queen, and Anarchy For the U.K.  Well sir, I am not vacant, I am actually thoroughly here. I have nothing against the Queen as a person, and the British are certainly entitled so spend their money on royal trappings if they see fit. And I despise the notion of anarchy anywhere at any time. There are rules in a decent society.

But there's no rule that says I can't love the music! Those tunes just soar! So if you see me walking past with headphones on, you have to wonder why I'm smiling!