I can admit I don’t exactly have my finger on the pulse of today’s music. My favorite song is an Indigo Girls song from 1992… my favorites as a kid were REM (obsessively so), Violent Femmes, The Cure, INXS, Bread, U2, but only until Joshua Tree, then they got too cool for me… and then the slightly more main steam, but MUCH less popular with my particular age bracket: Air Supply, Barry Mannilow, Johnny Mathis, etc. When I went into the Air Force, the radio stations offered bible reading and country music. No offense to God but I chose country and eventually went full on to the dark side. Once iPods came to be, I was able to join all my crazy, unpopular genre’s together on one little memory drive! The point is, and probably needless to say, I’ve never been much of a Top 40 kind of listener.
My daughter, on the other hand, is the epitome of a Top 40 listener. Although she does like a lot of Broadway music (much to the chagrin of her father) and she’s down with Fleetwood Mac, the majority of her musical interests fall between Jonas and Justin, Miley and Taylor. She came home recently and told me that she and a friend were going to perform “Poker Face” for her class… I said no, not knowing the lyrics but assuming the worst. Then she found a song on my iPod by Laura Brannigan (An old co-worker once described my play list as the most horrific compilation of music EVER), “Gloria.” I listened to Gloria and told her no on that one too. ”A-ha-ha, a-ha-ha, Gloria, how’s it gonna go down? Will you meet him on the main line, or will you catch him on the rebound? Will you marry for the money, take a lover in the afternoon? Feel your innocence slipping away, don’t believe it’s comin’ back soon….” Um, no for an 8 yr old. Eventually they decided on a Taylor Swift song. When I really start listening to the lyrics of the songs she listens to, I realize the content is so way beyond her maturity level.
We had a party recently and I wanted something playing in the background that wouldn’t kill the vibe instantly (as only “Joey” by Concrete Blonde can do, lol!) so I knew my song selection wasn’t going to cut it. I went onto iTunes and downloaded what I thought were good party background songs. I put some Black Eyed Peas, Beyonce, Daniel Powter, etc. I broke down and added Lady Gaga too, after hearing Abby raving about her for months. I will admit I like the beat of her songs and I never paid too much attention to the words.
The other day Abby and I were riding along in the car and Poker Face came on the iPod. She was singing along. I was kind of tuning in and out… then all of a sudden I heard my 8 year old child sing, “Get him hard, show him what I’ve got” and I nearly crashed into the car in front of me. I sat at the red light madly trying to google the lyrics on my blackberry and was only mildly relieved to read it actually said, “Get him hot and show him what I’ve got.” I guess it’s better because it rhymes? I don’t know… either way it’s horrifying, really. I know these are concepts that are way beyond her little brain at the moment but still, in the not too distant future she may understand. So many of her little friends love Lady Gaga… it seems very, very WRONG!!!
On a positive note, I have found a new love love love song among my Top 40 downloads! ”If I Were A Boy” by Beyonce. I have never owned anything by her but I just might try expanding my horizons….
In the meantime, how do I manage all the influences coming in from the radio?? I can’t screen everything she watches or hears, especially as her time away from me/ independence increases constantly! I can’t believe these words are coming out of my mouth but I can’t express how much I miss The Wiggles!! Anthony, Murray, Jeff, and Greg: I miss knowing I can leave the room and you won’t be embedding profane references into my baby’s head =)
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