I'm revealing my age, but I have to say that the 70s were a weird time to come of age. The social change for women, African Americans and the youth were all in such turmoil. We'd stirred up a hornet's nest and nothing could be the same again. We'd spent too long in Vietnam and lost too many brilliant young men and the gas pump prices were rising and inflation was bursting. So, a horrible decade? Not really. It actually made us stronger, more determined, sort of like how we see the Japanese right now, rolling up their sleeves and getting it done. If we didn't have the 70s, we wouldn't have had the affluent and productive 80s. So, with similar times upon us, I know the next chapter is only as great as the strife the last chapter went through. My parents went from being children in the Depression Era to highly successful in the post WWII era boom time. So, let's hear it for the next decade by listening to the depressing 70s lyrics that ushered in the resolve of the 80s... (I readily admit, I never knew Shannon was about a dog, Seasons in the Sun always made me cry, Timothy made me wonder about cannibalism, and DOA scared me so much I'd run from the room if it came on the radio).
Expect a part 2 later on about the 80s...
("Timothy" by The Buoys)
Trapped in a mine that had caved in
And everyone knows the only ones left
Was Joe and me and Tim
When they broke through to pull us free
The only ones left to tell the tale
Was Joe and me
Timothy, Timothy, where on earth did you go?
Timothy, Timothy, God why don't I know?
Hungry as hell no food to eat
And Joe said that he would sell his soul
For just a piece of meat
Water enough to drink for two
And Joe said to me, "I'll take a swig
And then there's some for you."
Timothy, Timothy, Joe was looking at you
Timothy, Timothy, God what did we do?
I must have blacked out just around then
'Cause the very next thing that I could see
Was the light of the day again
My stomach was full as it could be
And nobody ever got around
To finding Timothy
Timothy, Timothy, where on earth did you go?
Timothy, Timothy, God why don't I know?
Timothy...
'
("D.O.A." by Bloodrock)
I remember, we were flying along,
And hit something in the air...
Laying here, looking at the ceiling,
Someone lays a sheet across my chest.
Something warm is flowing down my fingers
Pain is flowing all through my back.
I try to move my arm and there's no feeling
And when I look, I see there's nothing there.
The face beside me stopped bleeding
The girl I knew has such a distant stare.
I remember, we were flying along,
And hit something in the air.
Then I look straight at the attendant,
His face is pale as it can be.
He bends and whispers something softly,
He says there's no chance for me.
I remember, we were flying along,
And hit something in the air.
Life is flowing out my body,
Pain is flowing out with my blood.
The sheets are red and moist where I'm lying.
God in Heaven, teach me how to die.
I remember, we were flying along,
And hit something in the air.
("Seasons in the Sun" by Terry Jacks)
Goodbye to you, my trusted friend.
We've known each other since we're nine or ten.
Together we climbed hills or trees.
Learned of love and ABC's,
skinned our hearts and skinned our knees.
Goodbye my friend, it's hard to die,
when all the birds are singing in the sky,
Now that the spring is in the air.
Pretty girls are everywhere.
When you see them I'll be there.
We had joy, we had fun, we had seasons in the sun.
But the hills that we climbed
were just seasons out of time.
Goodbye, Papa, please pray for me,
I was the black sheep of the family.
You tried to teach me right from wrong.
Too much wine and too much song,
wonder how I get along.
Goodbye, Papa, it's hard to die
when all the birds are singing in the sky,
Now that the spring is in the air.
Little children everywhere.
When you see them I'll be there.
We had joy, we had fun, we had seasons in the sun.
But the wine and the song,
like the seasons, all have gone.
Goodbye, Michelle, my little one.
You gave me love and helped me find the sun.
And every time that I was down
you would always come around
and get my feet back on the ground.
Goodbye, Michelle, it's hard to die
when all the bird are singing in the sky,
Now that the spring is in the air.
With the flowers ev'rywhere.
I whish that we could both be there.
We had joy, we had fun, we had seasons in the sun.
But the stars we could reach
were just starfishs on the beach
("Shannon" by Henry Gross--about a dog)
ANOTHER DAY IS AT END
MAMA SAYS SHE'S TIRED AGAIN
NO ONE CAN EVEN BEGIN TO TELL HER
I HARDLY KNOW WHAT TO SAY
BUT MAYBE IT'S BETTER THAT WAY
IF PAPA WERE HERE I'M SURE HE'D TELL HER
SHANNON IS GONE I HOPE SHE'S DRIFTING OUT TO SEA
SHE ALWAYS LOVED TO SWIM AWAY
MAYBE SHE'LL FIND AN ISLAND WITH A SHADY TREE
JUST LIKE THE ONE IN OUR BACKYARD
MAMA TRIES HARD TO PRETEND THINGS WILL GET
BETTER AGAIN
SOMEHOW SHE'S KEEPING IT ALL INSIDE HER
BUT FINALLY THE TEARS FILL OUR EYES
AND I KNOW THAT SOMEWHERE TONIGHT
SHE KNOWS HOW MUCH WE REALLY MISS HER
SHANNON IS GONE I HOPE SHE'S DRIFTING OUT TO SEA
SHE ALWAYS LOVED TO SWIM AWAY
MAYBE SHE'LL FIND AN ISLAND WITH A SHADY TREE
JUST LIKE THE ONE IN OUR BACKYARD
JUST LIKE THE ONE IN OUR BACKYARD
