Music: A Bridge Between Generations

I guess music has always been a big part of my life. Growing up in a small town, kids sang in the choir, played an instrument in the band or sang along to KLMS in Lincoln, the nearest radio station.

I still love to sing along to the radio while driving. I’ll sing country western, rock and even modern hits on KFRX. I’m still drawn to modern music — although rap is a tough genre for me. I suppose I’m still listening to “today’s music” because after 32 years of supervising middle and high school dances, I still like to sing along and think I’m “hip”.

While driving grandkids to various lessons, games and appointments, I will try to impress them by showing them my ability sing “their” songs. But it’s now 2016 and my hearing isn’t as good as it used to be, so I don’t always sing the lyrics correctly.

The Case of the Wrong Song

About a month ago, I heard a new song being announced as “Downtown”. I immediately thought “Wow, they’re redoing the old Petula Clark song “Downtown”.

When you’re alone and life is making you lonely
You can always go, downtown.

“Wrong, Grandma,” the grandkids quickly reminded me.

They had a good laugh and belted out the new song about downtown like they had written it themselves. The new song, by Macklemore, was about a guy buying and riding a moped. I listened closely to the song. Despite my thoughts on rap, it had a good beat. I googled both songs and, amazingly, the songs were released 50 years apart — a great connection. I knew Petula’s version by heart, but wasn’t sure about this new song.

I asked the grandkids about a lyric that I couldn’t quite hear from Macklemore’s version. They’re used to my itty-bitty hearing loss. They’ll laugh hysterically when I repeat what I hear and when I’m obviously way off the mark. Like one time, they got a good blooper of me when I thought I heard the words “O.B. City”. I didn’t think we were talking or singing about a geographical place, but also wasn’t feeling too sure. My granddaughter soon revealed that she actually said “obesity”. Wrong again. I am becoming an easy target for jokes. Ugh. Just put a huge target on my back. Somehow I think this will be a recurring theme.

A Musical Triumph for Grandma

While listening to the Macklemore version, I could hear something what sounded like tiramisu. I asked myself “What does a moped have to do with an Italian dessert? How could you carry a tiramisu on a moped?” Then the next time I listened, I heard the words “tear in my suit”. I found this lyric made more sense to me. You know — the guy’s riding on his moped and his suit pants drag on the ground when he comes to a stop. Poor guy is tearing his suit, and he’ll have to ask his grandma to buy him a new one.

I then googled the lyrics of the Macklemore’s “Downtown”. There are many naughty words I didn’t hear while listening on the radio. Thank goodness, radio stations censor naughty words when songs are played on air.

I soon realized the artist used both tiramisu and tear in my suit in his song. I was thrilled at this revelation, and quickly shared with the grandkids to showcase my listening skills. I really am not totally deaf! As usual, they were more than kind to me, forgiving my lapses in hearing and rhyming.

In the end, today’s music may not make much sense to my generation, but it doesn’t stop me from singing at the top of my lungs and I have a good time belting out the lyrics I do, and don’t, understand.

And you may find somebody kind to help and understand you
Someone who is just like you and needs a gentle hand to
Guide them along
So maybe I’ll see you there
We can forget all our troubles, forget all our cares,
So go downtown

(and not on a moped!)