All posts by Dona

11. Smells like a car full of boys

Music, , ,

I’d heard of the band Nirvana and knew who Kurt Cobain was, even before Dan Bern sang about Cobain and before I heard Dan sing Pennyroyal Tea. But I didn’t care. I still don’t necessarily like Nirvana’s music, but one song brings back a not-so-distant memory.

A few summers ago my kids and I visited friends in Lake Tahoe. It was my first time there and driving from Oakland to Tahoe was more experience than I’d expected. I was content to hang out at our friend’s home and drive around the lake a bit.

One day the hosts decided we’d all visit Virginia City and my car was necessary to carry passengers there. I was nervous, but figured it would be good for me – to drive though the mountains once again before I had to drive back to San Francisco later that week. The kids were allowed to choose the cars they wanted to ride in. The two girls (my daughter and her friend) chose to ride in the van with the experienced mountain driver leaving me to ferry the boys to Virginia City. (What did they think? If I got too scared to drive the boys would push the car?)

They were all excited – after all, the airport had upgraded me to a bright blue PT Cruiser and it was a novelty car at the time. “The boys” included David and his friend – both 16, Artie – 15 and my son – 11. We started out and as long as I didn’t look off the side of the road I was okay. The one thing I soon became aware of was the odor in the car. Three teenage and one preteen boy in a closed-up car in Nevada summertime made for a nose scrinching aroma.

To take my mind off the smell and mountain roads, I turned on the radio, but David handed me a CD. Artie, who was in the front seat, slid it into the CD player and as we sailed over the Nevada mountain roads the perfect song came over the speakers: Smells like Teen Spirit. Not only did I forget where I was, I let the boys roll down the windows and we played the song loudly several times. No fear and no smell…

Yeah, so the song is not about stinky boys, but I always think of that car ride when I hear it.

10. And Now for Something Completely Different

Song Blog

I didn’t watch much television when I was in high school. Not sure why, but I didn’t. There were two programs that I did watch, however. Religiously. I put up a fuss if was forced to miss them.

Sunday nights were my TV nights. Homework was done and I’d earned a break. At 8:00 I watched Masterpiece Theatre. It was a perfect program for the Anglophile I was turning into. I don’t watch it much anymore, but the theme music still makes me shiver with delight.

Right after Masterpiece Theatre, WETA in Chicago, ran Monty Python’s Flying Circus. The theme music for that program cheers me up. I occasionally watch an episode of the Flying Circus. It doesn’t give me the belly laughs it used to. Either I’ve lost my sense of humor, or I know all the jokes. My kids still laugh at the episodes though.

And now for something completely different…

9. Faaaaaaar Out!

Music, ,

I tend to be a one musician at time person. I don’t know if that is normal or not, but there you have it. After my fleeting interest in Jack Wild and before I discovered Kate Bush I was a huge John Denver fan. Like with Kate Bush, it was the lyrics that caught and held me. Except for hearing songs on the radio, practically the only music I listened to during that time was John Denver’s music – the fact that I only had two of his albums meant that I listened to the same songs over and over and over…

One of my favorite songs on his Greatest Hits album was For Baby (For Bobbie). I pictured a man walking with his young son and showing him the wonders of nature. It was simple, and sweet and I liked it and made me think of what life would be like with a child of my own.

I remember seeing John Denver on a couple of TV specials, but the show that I remember the most was when he was on the Tonight Show – probably in 1973 or 1974. He may or may not have been wearing his signature glasses, but I suspect not. He was changing. When Johnny Carson (or Ed McMahon) urged him to say “Faaaaaaar Out!” he refused, saying, in essence, he was beyond that. I lost a little respect for him that night, and it was not much later that I put his albums away.

I never told too many people about my John Denver obsession – the ones I did, laughed at me. Still, when I hear a song that was on one of those two albums that I particularly liked, I usually smile and even tap my foot a little.