Friday, August 04, 2006

Forever Young
Those of you who read regularly have probably noticed that I talk about songs a lot. I heard a song today (on Jack 105.?) that I am pretty darn sure I have not heard since the summer after my senior year of high school. No, it's not Burning Flame by Vitamin Z, nor is it The Jeweler by This Mortal Coil (that came to me in '88-'89). Not even World Destruction by Time Zone, since I downloaded that from Napster back in the day.
No, it was a pathetically melancholy tune by a band I always assumed was German although I really have no idea from where they hailed called Alphaville and their homage to youth-fullness was entitled Forever Young. I was immediately transported back to a high school dance that I couldn't leave for until Love Boat was over. (You could skip Fantasy Island but Love Boat was a must.) I just realized that I have almost the exact same big mess of hair that I had in high school - it was more feathered and blond, though. Having just had my birthday, I have spent some time reflecting onmy past, and to steal from Gypsy...here are 10 Things That Didn't Suck About High School

10. Totally expendable income - but we shoplifted anyway.
9. Not having to pay for a car, a house, untilities (what were those, anyway?)
8. Not knowing how to pump gas into the car that I also didn't pay for.
7. Clothes. My mom worked retail and we always looked great.
6. Perms - whose mom didn't give them a home perm at some point?
5. John Hughes.
4. Joyriding around the countryside smoking illicit cigs. I still love this!
3. Sex - never even thought about having it...too busy driving, drinking, and shopping.
2. New Wave Music.
1. Being incredibly, fabulously naive.

So, things have changed. I have no money but I don't shoplift, except by accident. I have more untility bills than I can name. I pumped gas today at Costco for $2.98 a gallon - ouch. I wear overalls almost all the time, the more threadbare, the better. I would never think of letting my mom touch my hair OR get a perm, even from a Beauty Operator. What happened to John Hughes/where is Molly Ringwald? Joyriding is saved for special trips with Gypsy and they are few and far between. Sex - nevermind. Soft cell gets sampled here and there, and I Melt with You is resurrected in some sort of remix or commercial regularly, but I miss my pink and purple checked Vans. And I like to think that I am still incredibly, fabulously naive. Not so naive that I don't realize the privilege that I have. My list makes it sound like I was some ditzy shopaholic, brat with no direction. Oh wait, I was.
I hope I am making up for that now. The universe has a way of being patient with some of us slower ones.

So friends, here is Forever Young. Feel my angst.

Let's dance in style, let's dance for a while
Heaven can wait, we're only watching the skies
Hoping for the best but expecting the worst
Are you going to drop the bomb or not?

Let us die young or let us live forever
We don't have the power but we never say never
Sitting in a sandpit, life is a short trip
The music's for the sad men

Can you imagine when this race is won
Turn our golden faces into the sun
Praising our leaders were getting in tune
The music's played by the madmen

Forever young, I want to be forever young
Do you really want to live forever, forever and ever?

Some are like water, some are like the heat
Some are a melody and some are the beat
Sooner or later they all will be gone
Why don't they stay young?

It's so hard to get old without a cause
I don't want to perish like a fading horse
Youth is like diamonds in the sun
And diamonds are forever

So many adventures couldn't happen today
So many songs we forgot to play
So many dreams are swinging out of the blue
We let them come true

Forever young, I want to be forever young
Do you really want to live forever, forever and ever?
posted by Rosie @ 8/04/2006 12:18:00 AM

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