Quick Quiz
Q. In what world is it acceptable for a seven year old to sing the words "You'll take a lover in the afternoon"?
A. Apparently, in my parents' world, circa December 1982. That's when I received a copy of Branigan by Laura Branigan for Christmas. At the time, my favorite song (probably my very first "favorite song") was "Gloria." She'll marry for the money. She'll take a lover in the afternoon. Good lessons for a second grader.
I heard the song on the radio yesterday and flashed back to my Fisher-Price record player (shared w/my brother) and masterfully choreographed dance numbers. Somehow, I didn't remember the controversial lines. I must never have known what they meant. Or my parents managed to dig up an edited version of the record. That wouldn't surprise me. These same parents wouldn't let me wear Jordache jeans (too much sex in the commercials), watch Three's Company (too much innuendo...not that I would've gotten the jokes) or watch MTV (until I turned 19. Kind of backfired.)
Once I got past my shock, though, I was pretty impressed with myself for liking such a good song. And it is. Has a little Janis Joplin edge to it.
Which brought me to an unrelated thought: are musical tastes entirely learned or are they partially innate? Clearly my appreciation for screamy female singers comes from my father...but am I genetically predisposed to like them or did I just listen to a lot of Pearl when I was little?
And what makes me like the Janis, but hate - hate - some of my dad's other musical favorites? The Eagles, of course, I hate because of the Clockwork Orange effect: we listened to them SO much on our terrible, endless family trip out west in 1989 that I can't deal with them anymore. But why does Linda Ronstadt makes me want to break things?
A. Apparently, in my parents' world, circa December 1982. That's when I received a copy of Branigan by Laura Branigan for Christmas. At the time, my favorite song (probably my very first "favorite song") was "Gloria." She'll marry for the money. She'll take a lover in the afternoon. Good lessons for a second grader.
I heard the song on the radio yesterday and flashed back to my Fisher-Price record player (shared w/my brother) and masterfully choreographed dance numbers. Somehow, I didn't remember the controversial lines. I must never have known what they meant. Or my parents managed to dig up an edited version of the record. That wouldn't surprise me. These same parents wouldn't let me wear Jordache jeans (too much sex in the commercials), watch Three's Company (too much innuendo...not that I would've gotten the jokes) or watch MTV (until I turned 19. Kind of backfired.)
Once I got past my shock, though, I was pretty impressed with myself for liking such a good song. And it is. Has a little Janis Joplin edge to it.
Which brought me to an unrelated thought: are musical tastes entirely learned or are they partially innate? Clearly my appreciation for screamy female singers comes from my father...but am I genetically predisposed to like them or did I just listen to a lot of Pearl when I was little?
And what makes me like the Janis, but hate - hate - some of my dad's other musical favorites? The Eagles, of course, I hate because of the Clockwork Orange effect: we listened to them SO much on our terrible, endless family trip out west in 1989 that I can't deal with them anymore. But why does Linda Ronstadt makes me want to break things?
posted by Kit Pollard at
11:03 AM
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