Boomers Are Staying Alive

I was born in 1959.

This was before color television, car seat belts, and diet sodas.  Back then, everybody, including doctors, smoked. Doctors smoked during surgery.

Doctor:  "Scalpel"
Nurse: "Scalpel"
Doctor: "Pall Mall, Lucky Strikes if you got it."

Back then, marijuana was considered so dangerous only jazz musicians could smoke it. Now you can eat it in a gummy.

In 1959, major league baseball was not in Atlanta, Tampa, Miami, Houston, Arlington, Seattle, or Phoenix.  There was no Super Bowl, either.

I've started thinking about my status as a Baby Boomer. I'm one of the younger ones.  But now some people say we should "get out of the way" and let the more youthful people take control.

After all, boomers have been in the spotlight for some time now. 

Boomers came into our own in the mid-60s when we started growing our hair out to make room for our brains.

We played our music loud. Songs were sung by people who could not actually sing (looking at you, Mr. Dylan).

But our songs were profound, man. Like "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida," which said, and I quote, "In a gadda da vida, honey don't you know that I'm lovin' you" The songs were so deep we didn't even know what they meant.

However, somewhere in the '70s, music began to change. A new form of popular music came out called "Disco."

Disco songs centered around several basic topics. One was "boogie."  It was vital to get up and boogie. It was also essential to get down and boogie.  What "boogie" meant, I don't know. I guess you'll know it when you see it.

Another topic was dancing.  Dancing was very important in the Disco era because it was integral to getting up/getting down to boogie.

I must admit that I was one of the people in the "Disco Sucks" crowd.  It had nothing to do with the fact that I am very un-coordinated, and when I dance, I look like I am having a seizure.

It was just all of the songs sounded the same. I liked a couple of them.  That one that says, "I like the nightlife, I like to boogie," was one that I liked, but for the most part, disco left me cold.

The other day, my wife and I went to a concert by a Bee Gees cover band, The Florida Bee Gees. Let me say that they kicked The Tennessee Bee Gees butt.

When The Florida Bee Gees came out on stage, they told us we should be dancing.  That was really bad advice for most of the audience.  Most of the crowd should not be dancing, at least without written permission from their physician.

They had three guys up front, like the real Bee Gees.  One guy could sing in that falsetto that Barry Gibb sang with.  I got to give that guy credit-there's no way I could sing that high EVER.

They did all of the Bee Gees songs. Some pre-disco, but mostly the disco era Bee Gee songs. They did one song I wasn't familiar with: "I Started A Joke."  You are not telling the truth if you say you remember this song.

They ended the concert, of course, with "Stayin' Alive" from "Saturday Night Fever."  I didn't see "Saturday Night Fever" when it came out because I associated John Travolta with his character on "Welcome Back, Kotter," Vinnie Barbarino.

Plus, you know, it had disco music in it.  Yuck.

"Stayin' Alive"  is a great song.  One line has always confused me.

"We can try to understand
The New York Times' effect on man." 

I am still trying to understand what that means.  But The Bee Gees have a point. Everything has to be run by The New Times to make sure it is what the country needs to be thinking about. 

In the seventies, The New York Times told us we must be concerned with The Shah of Iran, the energy crisis, inflation, and a million other things. The New York Times still says we should be worried about those things, except for The Shah. (If you want, substitute the word "Trump" for The Shah.)

In any event, I was glad I went to the Florida Bee Gees concert and shook what was left of my groove thing.

It showed me that even the music I wasn't fond of is better than what's out now.

If you'll forgive me, I must go now. I have some kids to tell to get off my lawn.