1969. It was the year of Woodstock, and I mean the *REAL* Woodstock, the thing that happened on its own and wasn't 'assisted' by commercialism. Why is it that when something that could only happen once DOES happen, someone wants to recreate the magic? it can never be the same again, so never mind Woodstock II or Woodstock the Sequel.
I stood on the corner tonight waiting for the traffic light to change, and at the light was a carload full of youngsters. Their radio was turned up loud enough that I'm sure they could have been heard in the next county, and the *music* (I use that term under advisement) was rap. Every other word was f**k. Quite litereally. There were a few others words in there that were gratuitous obscenities. I'm not a prude! I remember Country Joe screaming "give me an F", and I really can't say that was good clean fun. I realize that not all *songs* of today are like that, but it seems like a good share of them are. I picture myself at 18, listening to Gordon Lightfoot sing about "rockets in the meadow and ships out on the sea" and Kris Kristofferen singing about 'The Silver Tongued Devil' and figure that perhaps one of the reasons the behavior and the attitude of today's 18 year old is the way it is, is because there are very few artists (there are a few!) who know anything about melody and lyrics, all they know is NOISE.
You know, I gues I really have become one of the people my parents warned me about.
|