Open for Interpretation

Thanks to Marli and Krista for their suggestions for this latest blog. Krista, I will write about Toronto adventures or the CCMA's down the road. There are a few people who may be in those stories who I'll perhaps see in Edmonton this weekend who might punch me in the face if they read something prior to then. Once they're gone and I don't have to see them for a few months or more, it's on!

I will however go down the path Marli suggested, in an off-handed way. She suggested pick a favorite song and talk about what it means to me. I was thinking instead though, of things that meant one thing to you when you were a kid, but when you grew up to form your own interpretations of words, they meant something entirely different.

Let's start with Elvis. When I was 5, the King's Gold album got a million spins on our record player. I knew every song and every word. Hound-dog was probably my favorite. When I was that age, it was about a dog who ain't never caught a rabbit and was barkin' all the time. But now, my take on the song is that it's about a mouthy nag who doesn't come close to walkin' the talk and isn't worth a second look.

Another one of my favorite songs when I was very young was "The Joker" by Steve Miller. I thought it was about a guy who was funny, although I always wondered what exactly a midnight toker was. Well, now I know. The song definitely meant something different after that!

What else? Let's face it, "Relax" by Frankie Goes to Hollywood is not about being mellow and stress free as first perceived when younger. Cyndi Lauper's "She Bop" was a fun, let's be happy song as a kid. As an adult I empathize with her challenge to get anything to rhyme with masturbation. And perhaps the master of all innuendo was one of my favorite movies and soundtracks, that being Grease. When I was a kid, it was about the music and Danny & Sandy making such a cute couple. Between you and me, listen to the words of the song "Grease Lightenin" and you'll feel dirty and perhaps slightly turned on! Grease by the way, why I often use the moniker Sinwagon...which Natalie Maines was also inspired by for their song of the same name. Flash back to that scene when Danny & Sandy were in his car at the drive in and he was trying to make his moves.

Perhaps some mindless dribble you don't give two hoots about. But it may make you listen to the words of a song a lot more closely now. Mission accomplished!

Tia