The Musical Divide, Part I: Mother Knows Best.
I remember when I was little there was a rule in my dad's car: My car, my music. He was a big fan of classical, opera and country and as tortuous as it was at the time, I have to say that if it weren't for him I may never have been able to tell the difference between Beethoven and Bach, or heard the exquisite voice of Maria Callas. Or appreciated the sage words of wisdom from Johnny Paycheck as he sang, "Take This Job And Shove It."
Nevertheless my friends and I were usually mortified on these car rides, praying he would come to his senses and switch stations so that we could be spared another concerto and could groove to just one Kool & The Gang song. It sounds so cliché, but I actually do remember him turning around to us young punks sitting in the back seat as the sounds of Mozart played over our station wagon's tinny speakers and saying, "Now, that's music. Not like that noise you're always listening to." We'd sit in tortured silence, rolling our eyes and promising ourselves that when we had kids we'd never be so out of touch with their musical tastes.
Fast forward to present day and this conversation that took place in my car last week:
Kira: Ooooh! Turn it up! I love this song.
Me: Is this Yellowcard?
Kira: No, this is Snow Patrol.
Me: They sound exactly like Yellowcard.
Kiyomi: They don't sound anything like Yellowcard.
Me: Yellowcard, The Fray, Snow Patrol, Five For Fighting. Who can tell? They all sound exactly the same. Exactly like Coldplay.
When the next song came on, "Family Affair" by Mary J Blige, I turned the volume up and could almost hear my dad's voice saying, "Now that's music." And my girls sat there in tortured silence, rolling their eyes and promising themselves that when they had kids they'd never be so out of touch with their musical tastes.
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tags: turning into my father | mary j blige and i have the same birthday
I must be really out of it as I have never heard of ANY of those bands, except for Coldplay. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteMusical bigots, that's what teenagers are- I was and so are my girls.
ReplyDeleteI hated country music as a kid- Tammy Wynette, George Jones, Loretta Lynn. But my dad played it all the time.
My kids (well at least one of them) can't stand anything I like- The Cure, Talking Heads, and gasp old BeeGee's. Though I suspect if her guitar teacher or friend introduced her to any of them she would think they were cool.
lol....the cycle continues, huh?
ReplyDeleteok. Snow Patrol so do Not sound like Coldplay. Nuh-uh. (sulk)
ReplyDelete(who's yellow card? i feel old. i need tweener daughters so I can stay young...)
What goes around comes around. I remember cringing when my parents played any opera, which I hated.
ReplyDeleteNow, when I put on any Eric Clapton or Pretenders, my kids leave the room.
You can take the girl out of the "hood", but you can't take the "hood" out of the girl.
ReplyDeleteFUNK-SOUL SISTA' TIL YA DIE!
I love you
Ha! Your tags on this totally made me laugh out loud.
ReplyDeleteYou know you're old and square when the classic rock station plays U2, the police, etc. - stuff that makes me say, "In my day..."
ReplyDeleteOh God...I remember those days so well. The only way on earth we could listen to our music in the house was if we were in our room. Every other room in the house belonged to my father. I like Snow Patrol, but I have to agree with you that they sound like...uh...everyone else.
ReplyDeleteMy dad used to drive us to school in his old yellow Toyota pickup. (Me in the middle, no lap belt! Yikes!) BLASTING his classical music. I was only in the 2nd grade, but even then, I knew it was way uncool.
ReplyDeleteSo far my daughter likes whatever we like, but she's only 4. Her favorite song is Twisted Sister's "We're Not Gonna Take It", I think it's in some commercial.
I also have only ever heard of Coldplay. Wow.
Ummm, mary makes our kids roll their eyes? But I LOOOOOOVE mary j!! oh, god we ARE our parents....
ReplyDeletei have to admit, five for fighting and yellowcard, what?
ReplyDeletehowever, i do like snow patrol and will feel ever bit the old "has been" in the audience tomorrow night. i'm guessing a coordinated outfit will not be necessary.
I listen to my itunes all day everyday through my stereo speakers and therefore force my children to listen, so far so good. My collection includes Travis Tritt, Janis Joplin, Phil Collins, Rod Stewart, Classical, and Salsa... My oldest, at almost 11, loves John Williams (thanks to Star Wars).
ReplyDeleteI refuse to admit I am becoming my parents. Now, or ever. :P
ReplyDeleteOK, I know all those bands, and I like them all...especially Coldplay. Love them. I was fortunate to have a Dad who was into hip music. He still is, at age 65. He listens to great stuff to this day. My mom on the other hand? It was either Elvis or country music. Unfortunatley, that hasn't changed. I suffered, and still do when I'm in the car with her!
ReplyDeleteYeck. Coldplay. Every song is the same.
ReplyDeleteAnd I have the same rule, my car, my music.
Hey- why all the hatin on Coldplay?
ReplyDelete-annie
Oh, I would have KILLED for a little musical culture as a kid. Actually, I just wanted DIFFERENT culture. My dad always blasted his Vicente Fernandez and Freddy Fender 8 tracks in his Pinto. AND sang along at the top of his lungs. Needless to say, I kept my friends far far far away.
ReplyDeleteP.S. I love what you've done with the place!
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a kid, my parents tortured me with classical. Now my son does...
ReplyDeleteMy mom always listened to the Beatles and Elvis and the Supremes and the Temptations on the Oldies station when I was growing up. I'm so glad she did! I love all the 50s and 60s music I grew up with and wouldn't have known it otherwise. But, small confession, I liked it then too! I listed to Madonna and George Michael in my room, but could still groove to Smokey Robinson in the car :)
ReplyDeleteMary J Blige is awesome! But I'm into the tortured sensitive rockers too, though, so I can't blame your girls for their taste. You can find The Fray and Coldplay in my collection.
ReplyDeletewhat's wrong with the kids these days? now back in my day the music had something - you could really pogo to it. ah - the sex pistols!
ReplyDeleteThis was such a funny post b/c I too tell my 6 y/o that "it's mommy's car, it's my music!" How we become our parents it's pretty scary!
ReplyDeleteGod, I feel like a loser. I've never even heard of Snow Patrol, and one of my best friends saw them in concert on Tuesday night.
ReplyDeleteBut. I really like the new header, and the double columns.
Oh man, this brings back some painful memories. I am unable to listen to The Doobie Brothers, The Band, or Eric Clapton without thinking of my parents. Completely unable.
ReplyDeleteLove the new header, by the way.
I can still remember sitting in my Dad's t-bird...1967...I was in my first year of college and was home for some holiday. "Let's Spend the Night Together, " Rolling Stones, came on the radio and I can remember singing along with too much gusto. My Dad turned off the radio and said something like "not a song to sing around your Pa."
ReplyDeleteyou know, you could have gone 'reaaaally old school' on them and played some Ace of Base..?
ReplyDeleteMy dad had the same bent, although there was also a healthy dose of Southern Gospel (we are Canadian, FYI) and Johnny Cash. Oh, and ZAMFIR. Panflutes.
ReplyDeleteAside from the panflutes, I credit my parents from cultivating, in me, pretty good taste in music. but as I said, *aside* from the panflutes.
Mary J sooo wins that one.
ReplyDelete