Everything I Need to Know I Learned From Classic Rock

Having established my fogie credentials last time, let's turn our attention to the greatest decade in rock 'n roll, 1967-1976. These days, I spend most of my radio time listening to KVRK, the local Christian rock station, but when they're playing something I don't like, I'll sometimes wander off to the classic rock station for a bit. Occasionally I'll think, "that's a good line, I need to start writing those down." I've been thinking that for probably ten years. Now I finally have. With apologies to Robert Fulgham, here's classic rock with you all you need to know.

Education
When I think about all the crap I learned in high school, it's a wonder I can think at all.

Kodachrome, Paul Simon

Contentment
You can't always get what you want
But if you try sometimes, you just might find
You get what you need.

You Can't Always Get What You Want, Rolling Stones

Introspection
I can never see what's right and what is wrong.

Amie, Pure Prairie League

Won't you please, please tell me what we've learned?
I know it sounds absurd, but please tell me who I am.

The Logical Song, Supertramp

You can travel 10,000 miles and still stay where you are.

Sequel, Harry Chapin

Everyone's looking for something.

Sweet Dreams, Eurythmics

What'll you do when you get lonely, and nobody's waiting by your side?

Layla, Eric Clapton

All I want is to have my peace of mind.

Peace of Mind, Boston

It's so easy to blow up your problems.

Moving in Stereo, The Cars

I want to know what love is.

I Want to Know (What Love Is), Foreigner

I was a prisoner of doubt.

Straight On, Heart

And so you finally ask yourself just how big you are?

Thick as a Brick, Jethro Tull

Though my eyes could see I still was a blind man.

Carry On, Wayward Son, Kansas

I have become comfortably numb.

Comfortably Numb, Pink Floyd

Been a long lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely time.

Rock and Roll, Led Zeppelin

So often times it happens, that you live your life in chains
And you never even know you have the key.

Already Gone, Eagles

Money
Money so they say is the root of all evil today.

Money, Pink Floyd

Helping Others
If I shiver please give me a blanket, keep me warm, let me wear your coat.

Baba O'Reilly, The Who

Feed the babies who don't have enough to eat.

Fly Like An Eagle, Steve Miller

Life
I found the simple life ain't so simple.

Runnin' with the Devil, Van Halen

Don't you know that you are a shooting star?

Shooting Star, Bad Company

Life is just a dream here.

Welcome to My Nightmare, Alice Cooper

Maybe tomorrow the Good Lord will take you away.

Dream On, Aerosmith

Save my life, I'm going down for the last time.

Never Been Any Reason, Head East

Be a simple kind of man.

Simple Man, Lynyrd Skynyrd

Talk is cheap.

Promises in the Dark, Pat Benatar

Relationship with People
Every girl's crazy 'bout a sharp dressed man.

Sharp Dressed Man, ZZ Top

You better find somebody to love.

Somebody to Love, Jefferson Airplane

You can't hide your lying eyes.

Lyin' Eyes, Eagles

I want you to want me, I need you to need me, I'd love you to love me.

I Want You to Want Me, Cheap Trick

These cuts I have, they need love to help them heal.

Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me, Elton John

I get by with a little help from my friends.

With A Little Help From My Friends, The Beatles

I've been searching for the daughter of the devil himself
I've been searchin' for an angel in white;
I been waitin' for a woman who's a little of both
And I can feel her but she's nowhere in sight.

One of These Nights, Eagles

This thing called love, I just can't handle it.

Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Queen

Hold on loosely, but don't let go.
When you squeeze too hard, you're gonna lose control.

Hold On Loosely, 38 Special

Teach your children well.

Teach Your Children, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

Relationship with God
I never did believe in miracles, but I've a feeling it's time to try.

You Make Lovin' Fun, Fleetwood Mac

We were liberated from the fall that's all.

Won't Get Fooled Again, The Who

Jesus is just all right with me.

Jesus is Just All Right, Doobie Brothers

I got a friend in Jesus.

Spirit in the Sky, Norman Greenbaum

A new road's waiting, you touched my life.

Feeling That Way, Journey

When the final light is over, and it's certain that the curtain's gonna fall
I can hide inside your sweet sweet love, For ever more.

The Story in Your Eyes, Moody Blues

You are like a hurricane.

Like A Hurricane, Neil Young

Your love has set my soul on fire.

Heartbreaker, Pat Banatar

I know I'm worth nothing without you.

Bargain, The Who

Writing lessons from two Dan's

(For those reading this on FB, I don't know if the links will make it, if not you might want to read it on the blog.)

In the early days of the 80's, Dan Fogelberg released a song titled Same Old Lang Syne. It was a straightforward "story" song, along the lines of Taxi or You're So Vain. (No, there haven't been any decent story songs in the last 30 years and yes, I'm an old fogie. Now get off my lawn.)

The song told the story of the singer running into a former flame in the grocery store on Christmas Eve. It is a bittersweet reunion, as they sit in their car and reminisce (they "couldn't find an open bar"), and think about what was and realize that it is still "was" and will never be "is". The last line is one of the most memorable, bittersweet lines in American music.

As I turned to make my way back home, the snow … turned into rain

The symbolism is unmistakable, but more than that, those last five words evoke a mood, paint a picture in our minds that is so clear, so descriptive, we might as well have been there. You can see this played out on the Web, as you read story after story of people who heard the song and immediately thought of a lost love of their own.

Five words, and we have the complete visual in our head. That is masterful writing, as evocative as a John le Carré sentence that communicates more about the subject than any three pages from another author. If it weren't for "the reckless raging fury they call the love of God", it would be my favorite line ever (and if you know me, you know the highest praise I can give is to put it second to Rich).

I thought of that song this morning as I was reading another Dan. Dan-i-el is a popular book for children's Sunday School classes, because it has some great, kid-friendly, stories in its first half. However, no one reads the last half of Daniel, or admits to it, because it is, to say the least, confusing. (Google "Daniel" and "seventy weeks" sometime, it's very entertaining.)

In Daniel 10, Daniel has been praying intently for the nation of Israel, and as a result is visited by the archangel Gabriel. As almost always happens in Scripture when an angel shows up, everyone is petrified, so much so that Daniel's companions run for cover. Of himself, Daniel says, "No strength was left in me." And then he says this (from the ESV footnote):

My splendor was changed to ruin.

What a wonderful phrase! By this time, Daniel has been the servant to four kings (Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, Darius, and Cyrus) and two kingdoms (Babylon and Media-Persia). He has been the third highest person in the kingdom. He has, to use Rich's words again, "seen the best that ever was." This Dan knew splendor. But in the face of a mere messenger of God, all of that splendor faded to nothing.

This is what Isaiah meant when he said, "all of our righteous acts are like filthy rags" (do a word study on that "filthy" — it's a lot filthier than you think). The best we have is worthless when we stand before God. Whatever we think we have or are in ourselves is exactly nada in God's economy.

I am too often impressed by my "splendor," too self-satisfied with what I've done, where I've been, how I've contributed. It only takes a second before God, if I'm really before God and not just going through the motions, for all of it to turn into the nothing it really is. And that's a good thing, because then I can reflect the splendor of Jesus, which is of course how it's supposed to be all the time.

How long has it been since your splendor turned to ruin?