Loss of innocence
Music:●Tom Petty, “Free Fallin’”Lyrics: Tom Petty – “Free Fallin'” Lyrics | Lyrics Freakhttps://thehomelessblogger.com/wp-content/uploads/2048/03/01-free-fallin.mp3●Great White, “Once Bitten, Twice Shy”Lyrics: Great White – “Once Bitten, Twice Shy” Lyrics | Lyrics Freakhttps://thehomelessblogger.com/wp-content/uploads/2048/03/01-once-bitten-twice-shy.mp3●Billy Joel, “Easy Money”Lyrics: Billy Joel – “Easy Money” Lyrics | Lyrics Freak“https://thehomelessblogger.com/wp-content/uploads/2048/03/01-easy-money.mp3●Elvis Presley, “It’s Now or Never”Lyrics: Elvis Presley – It’s Now Or Never lyrics | LyricsFreakRelated: What are the lyrics to ‘O sole mio’, and who wrote it?https://thehomelessblogger.com/wp-content/uploads/2048/03/15-its-now-or-never.mp3●JVKE, “Golden Hour”Lyrics: JVKE – golden hour Lyrics | AZLyrics.comhttps://thehomelessblogger.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/03-golden-hour.mp3
Script:
It’s The William Tell Show. I call myself William Tell; you can call me Bill. Thank you for including me in your world; don’t you just love to be included?
On January 5th, Dunkin’ Donuts changed the radio station they play in the store, from WZFT, to WLIF. WZFT plays the current top 40 hits, whereas WLIF plays music from the ‘80s and ‘90s. This means a greater portion of this music is familiar to me, but there’s no difference in how much I like or don’t like.
I got a big dose of WLIF many years ago. When I first became homeless, I used to spend my mornings at Lenny’s Deli, at the northwest corner of Central Avenue and Lombard Streets. This must have gone on for a couple years, as in November and December they play so-called “Christmas music,” and I’m sure I went through that more than once.
There’s one song they play on WLIF, that I have never, never liked; I don’t know why it’s even in their playlist; and they play it at least once every day. I heard it every day. This was true ten years ago at Lenny’s, and it’s true today at Dunkin’ Donuts. The song is “Free Fallin’,” by Tom Petty. It came out in 1989. I have linked to the music, and to the lyrics, and also the music and lyrics to a number of related songs.
If you’re not familiar with it, you might want to pause the podcast and listen to it now.
It’s one of the most objectionable songs I’ve ever been exposed to.
It speaks of a young couple, probably in high school or college, who have just broken up. The male protagonist says, “She’s a good girl,” and goes into quite some detail about what makes her “a good girl.” Then he says, “And I’m a bad boy, for breaking her heart.” It’s quite clear that he has no regrets, nor remorse, about this whatsoever.
There are no details about what caused the breakup. But from the whole context, from her being “a good girl” and him “a bad boy,” to his really hard-nosed attitude about the whole thing, it seems clear that he gave her an ultimatum about sex. Either have sex with me, or we’re done. And she wasn’t down with it. So he cut her off. That’s how he broke her heart.
Loss of innocence.
It reminds me of another song that I find equally objectionable, that also came out in 1989: the cover of Ian Hunter’s “Once Bitten, Twice Shy,” by Great White. I am linking to the Great White version because it’s musically better than the original, and this is the version that became a big hit. But it includes the line, “She didn’t know what rock & roll was, until she met the drummer on the Greyhound bus.” Is that what rock & roll is? Sex with a man whether you want it or not? From the singer’s tone of voice, that’s the way it seems.
Loss of innocence.
These offend me in large part because I would never treat a woman that way. I never, ever want to. And as I listen, I get personally involved; since, with any song, the listener is prone to identify with the protagonist. That’s a big part of the appeal of any song, even if the protagonist is a fool; as is the case with another song I’ve linked to, Billy Joel’s “Easy Money,” which concerns a foolish compulsive gambler.
So, it offends me when I’m called upon to feel like someone who would take advantage of a vulnerable female, to call oneself “making love” when there really is no love involved.
Yet another song in the genre of sexual ultimatums, perhaps the best-known such song, is Elvis Presley’s “It’s Now or Never.” I have linked to that song, and its lyrics, too. Everybody knows that the music comes from an Italian song, “O Sole Mio.” What people don’t know is that “O Sole Mio” has nothing to do with a sexual ultimatum at all. It’s actually about a sunny day.
Let’s take a break.
[Commercial break]
This is shaping up to be a shorter installment than usual, of this podcast. I’ve got to have a segment of at least a minimum length after the commercial, or the commercial won’t play.
So, where are you, when it comes to sexual ultimatums? If your partner doesn’t happen to want to screw, right now, do you love that person enough to respect that wish? Or is it necessary to force, to violate, the person, just so your gonads can get their satisfaction?
To me, love is love. Period. I will not violate my partner.
The last song I’ve linked to is “Golden Hour,” by JVKE, for reason that this is the one song they play on ZFT, that I really like.
Comentarios