Do It, Damnit!

Last night I made a strafing run to the nearby convenience store and when I returned home, as I was shutting off my car, a song came on the radio. Now, there are certain songs that you don’t care about and then there are those songs that you stay in the car to listen to. My radio stays on for 15 minutes after you take the key out but will shut off if you open the door. There I sat in my car, 11:30 at night, singing Bob Seger’s “Night Moves.” “Night Moves” is up there with “Jesus Is Just Alright” by the Doobie Brothers, and “Jane” by Jefferson Starship, oh, and “Show Me the Way” by Peter Frampton, or “Black Dog” by Led Zeppelin, “Stone Cold” by Rainbow, “I Was Made For Lovin’ You” by Kiss, “Personal Jesus” by Depeche Mode, “Piano Man” by Billy “I Can’t Drive Worth a Damn” Joel, and damn near anything by Journey. Shut up. I love Journey. Steve Perry kicks ass. Speaking of Steve, I love his song, “Oh, Sherry.” I’ll sit in my car for that one too. Why? Because he puts his soul in his voice, even if he and Sherry didn’t make it. And you can argue that every singer puts soul in their voice but you would be wrong and you know it. Just because someone can carry a tune in something besides a bucket doesn’t mean they have any passion for what they’re singing. When Mickey Thomas song “Jane,” damnit, he meant it! When Lou Gramm sang about wanting to know what love is, he meant it! Conversely, when Grace Slick sang about building some damn city on rock n roll *shudder* she didn’t mean it. She didn’t give a shit about it. Now, Janis Joplin, there’s someone who gave a shit. When Dolly Parton sang about “Jolene” takin’ her man, she gave a shit and she made us give a shit. When Gordon Lightfoot sang about “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald,” we cared. I still cry when I hear that damn song. Its haunting. Its almost like I can feel the pain of the people involved. So, if you’re going to sing or dance or write or pick your nose, do it with passion. Do it with conviction. Put your soul in it. Now, get out there and do it.