Music Is My Weapon
Caesar had his legions, Napoleon had his rifles, we have our music.
Thursday, November 17, 2005
Setting the Stage: a Musical Odyssey
I've been asked to discuss my favorite album of all time. After giving it long thought, I've come to a decision: that would be impossible. There isn't just one record I would hold above all others; I'd have to pick a genre, then a specific date-range, then it would still probably depend on my mood that day. I'll give you an example: yesterday my favorite album was CocoRosie's Noah's Ark, before that Death Cab for Cutie's Plans, then Mirah's C'mon Miracle, then Sufjan Steven's Greetings from Michigan, then ... you get the idea. Asking me to pick a favorite record is like asking a child to pick a favorite candy. I do, however, highly recommend the album above. But I'm not without my roots. I can say with certainty there exists a song that changed the world for me, in more ways than just my taste in music - the Queers' "Punk Rock Girls." So you can get an inkling as to why, here are the lyrics (Don't Back Down, Lookout! Records, Aug 1996):Leather jackets, stupid boyfriends
poor report cards, life is just a ball
Hi-top chucks and bubblegum oh my gosh
I'd love to love em all
They're so cool,their styles never cramped
Too much of everything and everyone is amped
Well don't get hot and bothered
listen, I know I got problems
I also know just what this goofy world needs
Yummy yummy punk rock girls
I wish they were all punk rock girls
The smartest of the smartest and the
sweetest of the sweetest, they're the most
Me and Dr. Frank have both decided that we love
them more than toast
I wish they'd let me share their bubblegum
And let me hang with them and life would be so fun
I should be sedated cause my heart is all inflated
I guess I gotta get me one or two
I don't know where I'm going
but I know just where I'd like to be
With my punk rock girlfriend kissing me
lets go
Now, who wouldn't swoon at the chance to be described as smart, independent, sweet, and charming? Joe Queer's whining, cooing punk rock vocals sweeten the deal, not to mention alluding to the Queers' long-standing collaboration with the Mr. T Experience, soon thereafter to become my favorite band of all time (or to be more precise, Dr. Frank was to become my favorite musician of all time, as MTX has changed all other band members repeatedly since their 1st album release in 1986; also important to note: MTX made Green Day the "stars" they are today and set the pop-punk scene. Anyone who tries to tell you otherwise is a misinformed fool).
Bubblegum pop-punk was born, and I was swept along. Before hearing this song, I was listening to bands like Live, Dave Matthews Band, and Phish (as hard to believe as that is!); I listened to whatever was playing on Charleston's alternative radio station, 96-Wave. I had no musical personality of my own, but that all changed with just one song. I got my hands on whatever punk records I could find- no small feat in South Carolina in the 90s, trashing all my old records and listening to punk - and later ska - exclusively. My standard outfit was a punk rock tshirt, two sizes too big and cut to fit, and a mini-skirt. I quit the cheerleading squad and shunned all my old "popular," fake friends. I deliberately wanted to be on the fringe, quirkly, cutting-edge, and out-spoken. I wore hot pink lipstick and teased my hair. I sneered, grimaced, and spat on the floor (ok, not really).
The biggest effect this song had on me was to develop my love for music. I felt as if I lived in a musical black hole before, desperately wanting to hear some real music, live music, music from the heart, but had not yet found what I was looking for. Needless to say, that all changed with my exposure to punk rock, and thereafter I was hooked. Heeding the advice of my good friend Bowman, I went to an informational meeting to volunteer at Clemson University's student-run radio station, WSBF. Hands-down, WSBF is the best radio station known to man and beast.
And I lived happily ever after.