It's Still Rock and Roll to Me

I was thinking about my days in 6th through 9th grade. I was really a bit neurotic because of what I was taught about certain things. Rock and roll being one of those ‘hot button’ issues. I was told that Rock music was evil and straight from the devil. (Whether it was the beat or the lyrics I don’t know.) Of course being a ‘younger than the rest of my classmates’ kind of a guy I wasn’t really informed on what ‘rock music’ really was.

One particular day as I was at baseball practice standing in the outfield I’ve got that Darrel Hall and John Oates song “Kiss is on my list” going on in my head. Over and over it played. I tried my best to get it out of my head because of the guilt I was feeling for even thinking of such evil. But as I practiced and the words came out of my mouth, “(Because your kiss) Your kiss I can't resist. Because your kiss is what I miss when I turn out the light,” The Guilt…Oh The Guilt! Besides, Darryl Hall and John Oates…not the coolest group in the world.

I do remember one day as I’m riding with my brother to school. He had a friend with him in the front seat…Mike. He was a no-nonsense kind of a guy who found out about my little ‘Rock-n-Roll’ phobia. We’re sitting in my brother’s 67 mustang listening (not by choice) to that evil musician Billy Joel. Mike turned to me, noticing my disdain and sympathy for the two of them, and said, “You don’t like rock and roll huh? Well…you will!” I just brushed him off thinking, who’s this guy to tell me what I will like? I might as well marry Satan.

But later…he was right. I realized that some things aren’t as evil as I was told. I eventually got into some groups, but didn’t really have a group with which I could associate. You know a lot of my friends had their bands that they would promote. I had nothing. So I decided to start looking. That’s when I discovered The Police. Sting’s really cool band that I didn’t really care for all that much, but I liked being able to sound like I was into a band. So, when people would say, hey, what band you like? I’d respond, The Police. Yeah, they’re awesome. And that was that. Of course Now...I really like Sting...but that's a whole different story.

It’s funny how I feel the need to have something with which to associate. I can’t just be myself. I couldn’t just tell everyone that I really did like Hall and Oates. And that Adult Education was one of my favorite song ever. No…I just told them that I liked the Police…even though the only song I knew them to sing was Roxanne…that was them…right?