Thursday, November 02, 2006
A question for my coworkers, and immortalized in song...
Why is Chris always calling Ronnie?
*************
It is said that time heals all wounds. But sometimes, reading about history creates a wound where there wasn't one before. Like reading about celebrities that had died quite some time before I was born. In the Jan/Feb issue of the magazine (yes, you're getting a sneak preview! woo!), there's an article about the weather on "the day the music died." February 3, 1959, I think. Anyhow, so Buddy Holly, J.P. Richardson, and Ritchie Valens were in the plane, along with the 21-year old pilot, Peterson. They all perished in the crash.
The crazy thing is (and I'm positive this is old news for anyone who cares about this stuff...but it's new to me) is that Richardson and Valens weren't even supposed to be in the plane. Richardson was given a seat because he was sick with the flu - Waylon Jennings had pity on him, so he let him take the seat, and Jennings rode the tour bus. Holy crap.
Valens wanted a seat on the plane, so he coin-tossed with one of Holly's band members. Valens won the toss, and got the seat on the plane. A side of a coin had decided his fate.
Holly had been married for only six months. His wife was pregnant, and she miscarried after his death.
I read the lyrics to the song "American Pie," and to be truthful, a lot of it didn't make sense, but that doesn't really detract from its power. And the song, it's become a song that everyone dances to, from middle school dances to throw-back moments in the bar. And it's just crazy to think that we're singing about death...in a pretty cheerful and jumping up-and-down manner.
I do think that death should be laughed at, especially death in peculiar circumstances (Mary got a tire in the FACE), but...it's such a strange phenomenon. Tuesday night I was dancing with a tall hottie (oh, like I'll stop mentioning that any time soon. Fat chance.), and I seem to remember him singing,
Well, I know that you’re in love with him
`cause I saw you dancin’ in the gym.
I suppose it's one way to avoid being forgotten. And it's a rather nice way, I suppose. A rallying cry for appreciating life, and acts as a demonstration of how music touches us deeper than on a temporary or superficial level.
*************
It is said that time heals all wounds. But sometimes, reading about history creates a wound where there wasn't one before. Like reading about celebrities that had died quite some time before I was born. In the Jan/Feb issue of the magazine (yes, you're getting a sneak preview! woo!), there's an article about the weather on "the day the music died." February 3, 1959, I think. Anyhow, so Buddy Holly, J.P. Richardson, and Ritchie Valens were in the plane, along with the 21-year old pilot, Peterson. They all perished in the crash.
The crazy thing is (and I'm positive this is old news for anyone who cares about this stuff...but it's new to me) is that Richardson and Valens weren't even supposed to be in the plane. Richardson was given a seat because he was sick with the flu - Waylon Jennings had pity on him, so he let him take the seat, and Jennings rode the tour bus. Holy crap.
Valens wanted a seat on the plane, so he coin-tossed with one of Holly's band members. Valens won the toss, and got the seat on the plane. A side of a coin had decided his fate.
Holly had been married for only six months. His wife was pregnant, and she miscarried after his death.
I read the lyrics to the song "American Pie," and to be truthful, a lot of it didn't make sense, but that doesn't really detract from its power. And the song, it's become a song that everyone dances to, from middle school dances to throw-back moments in the bar. And it's just crazy to think that we're singing about death...in a pretty cheerful and jumping up-and-down manner.
I do think that death should be laughed at, especially death in peculiar circumstances (Mary got a tire in the FACE), but...it's such a strange phenomenon. Tuesday night I was dancing with a tall hottie (oh, like I'll stop mentioning that any time soon. Fat chance.), and I seem to remember him singing,
Well, I know that you’re in love with him
`cause I saw you dancin’ in the gym.
I suppose it's one way to avoid being forgotten. And it's a rather nice way, I suppose. A rallying cry for appreciating life, and acts as a demonstration of how music touches us deeper than on a temporary or superficial level.
# posted by MegS @ 10:41 PM 
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Ha, it's great that you're still mentioning dancing with the hottie. When you're still using it at Christmas, then we'll talk. ;)
I love that song... takes me back to bus trips in high school with the entire bus singing. Strange, I know, makes no sense, I also know, none-the-less, that's the way it goes. :)
I love that song... takes me back to bus trips in high school with the entire bus singing. Strange, I know, makes no sense, I also know, none-the-less, that's the way it goes. :)
American Pie is one of the top eight songs of all time. I had it on my answering machine for two years after my roommate drunk dialed the house and sang the entire thing.
Bye-Bye Ms. American Pie (oh yeah, bye bye to you too Meg).
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Bye-Bye Ms. American Pie (oh yeah, bye bye to you too Meg).
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