Sunday Stealing: The Beach Boys' Meme
1. SURFER GIRL : “I have watched you on the shore, standing by the ocean drawer, do you love me do you surfer girl” Were you ever interested in someone (other than a celebrity) who did not return your interest? Of course! Every boy I loved desperately in high school was a boy who didn't acknowledge my existence.
2. BE TRUE TO YOUR SCHOOL : “So be true to your school now, just like you would for your girl or guy…” Looking back, how do you feel about your high school days? Worst time in my life. It was the 1970s and despite what Donald Trump tries to tell you, America was not "great" then. Nationally we were reeling through Watergate and Vietnam. On the personal front, my immediate and extended family were both unraveling. God help us all, "Billy, Don't Be a Hero" and "You're Having My Baby" were popular. All this was going on, and I was somehow supposed to care about "pep" and homecoming floats? (Oh yeah, and to make it even worse, I was invisible to the older boys I worshipped.) In retrospect, I'm surprised I didn't drink even more.
3. FUN FUN FUN : “…and she’ll have fun fun fun till her daddy takes the T-Bird away…” What was the worst punishment you received as a teenager? Technically, I'm still grounded. But, since both my parents have since died, I'm pretty sure the sentences they imposed are unenforceable.
5. HELP ME RHONDA : “You gotta help me Rhonda, help me get her off of my mind” What do you do to cheer up after a personal tragedy such as a lost job, power outage or broken relationship? I find that soaking in the tub -- where I allow myself a nice, long cry -- prepares me to face the world again after a setback.
6. CALIFORNIA GIRLS : “I wish they all could be California girls. The west coast has the sunshine and the girls there get so tan, I dig a French bikini on Hawaiian island dolls, by a palm tree in the sand” Where are the best boys found? I'm not going to answer this. Instead I'm posting the astonishingly kitschy David Lee Roth "California Girls" video. Diamond Dave may have worked hard on the locations, costumes and choreography, but he never bothered to learn the lyrics. Really. Go to 2:35. He sings, "I dig a French bikini on Hawaiian Island coasts." Which is not to say I don't enjoy this video.
7. SLOOP JOHN B : “I wanna go home, please let me go home, ya ya. Well this is the worst trip, I’ve ever been on…” What is the worst trip you’ve ever been on? My birthday trip to Tampa in 2013 was pretty bad. My cousin Rosemary was going through a tense time trying to sell her house and, in retrospect, probably should have either rescinded her invitation or suggested I stay in a hotel.
9. IN MY ROOM : “There’s a place where I can go and tell my secrets to. In my room. In my room.” What is your favorite thing about your own personal room or space in your home/office? I love reading in my bed, because I never keep anything about current affairs in my bedroom. Currently I've got an a book on my nightstand called Jackie: A Life in Pictures. I can wind down before I doze off by turning the pages and watching Miss Bouvier evolve into an icon. I believe it's important to keep up with what's going on in the world, just not at bedtime.
10. GOD ONLY KNOWS : “You never need to doubt it, I’ll make you so sure about it. God only knows what I feel about you” When was the last time you told a significant other or close relative that you loved them? Hmmm .... the last person I said I loved was neither a significant other or a close relative. My friend Kathleen switched jobs this past week, going from a very secure position with an established company to a start up. I applauded her for following her heart and said, "You know I love and think you can do anything." Does this count?
11. GOOD VIBRATIONS : “My baby has good vibrations, she’s giving me excitations…” When do you get good vibrations? Every time I enter the Friendly Confines of Wrigley Field! We just got our tickets for Cubs-Giants over Labor Day weekend. I'm so excited.
12. KOKOMO : “We’ll go to Kokomo. We’ll get there fast and then we’ll take it slow. That’s where I wanna go…” What is your favorite warm weather destination? I'll go with Key West because 1) I'm returning there this Christmas and 2) it's mentioned in the lyrics.
13. DO IT AGAIN : “Let’s get back together and do it again…” If you could go back in time and gather up your school friends, what would you do again? Fuck to the no. Please reread #2.
" when I get to see that orange misogynist Donald Trump get his ass handed to him" Oh pleasepleasepleaseplease!
ReplyDeleteAs for your dream for the Cubs, I dare not comment, at least not while wearing my Giants shirt...
I can't watch news shows like Rachel Maddow or anything because they wind me up too much to go to sleep. I watch them online the following day if I'm interested in anything that pops up in my newsfeed. The news today is enough to make you puke. And I'm with you on November. I want to see that orange orangutan taken down.
ReplyDeleteKey West is one place I'd really like to visit. I'm jealous you're going AGAIN.
ReplyDeleteMan I'm sorry that you had those rough high school years. While I never made it into "The IN clicks" I didn't care. I wasn't much of a jock (although I did play running back for one season)and was never in circles. It bothered me my freshman year. In my sophomore year Bouncing Billy & Galloping Gary help me create WTIT. I asked them if they wanted to "Play radio". But then my social life became centered on the 10 to 12 guys who recorded. We became a decent click with girls fascinated by what we did. I never imagined that we'd last nearly a half century. At the time in one of our first comedy bits I was interviewed by a cop. He asked me how old someone was. I responded, "Really old. Over 30." Now I meant it to be funny, but in realty 30 was twice my age. Twice my age now in 128. Although they do say that the first person to make it to 150 has already been born...
ReplyDeleteExpressions of Love to any person, pet, or invisible friend counts.
ReplyDeleteNot watching news or simulated violence before bedtime is very good medicine. True!
You made my day with that small political rant! Yessssssss!!!! And that's exactly how I feel about "going back" to revisit the teen years. Fuck to the NO!
Those were definitely rough years to be in high school! I'm a little younger than you, but I remember those grades sucked! Though I must admit that hearing "Billy Don't Be a Hero" these days does make me go all weird inside. :)
ReplyDeleteThank God we only have to do our teens once!
My high school tribe makes me nostalgic for going back. Nothing actually related to academics, just the social side. ;-)
ReplyDelete