I was listening to the radio the other day when all of a sudden “When I Come Around” started playing on 93.5 WOZZ. At first, I thought, sweet, they are playing Green Day on the classic rock station now. Then I thought, oh shit, they are playing Green Day on the classic rock station now.
First of all, I’m all for Green Day becoming part of the classic rock canon some day. I mean who doesn’t love the wild shirtless lyrics of Billy Joe Armstrong? The bong-rattling bass of Mike Dirnt? The competent drumwork of Tre Cool?
But you shouldn’t be classified as classic rock if you are still actively making music towards your original core demographic. Green Day still successfully fills up stadiums for teenagers, just like they did back in 1994, therefore they don’t even meet the bare minimum standards of classic rock.
To be eligible for classic rock designation, your band should to have break up and get back together a few times, unsuccessfully reinvent yourself at least once or twice, release a few albums that flop on the billboard charts, disappear completely for a few years and then eventually wind up on the Indian Casino and County Fair touring circuit. If you get booed for attempting to play some new stuff, you know you are classic rock.
Then again it could just be me that is out of touch with what is going on in the music industry. On the way to work today, I heard not one but TWO of possibly the worst lyrics ever committed to song.
The first one, I’m sure you heard before but you probably didn’t realize how lame it is. “Party on the White House lawn, wake up Barack and Michelle and let ‘em know that it’s on”.
I actually like the song “I Like It” before this part, hell I can fist pump like the rest of them. In fact, I basically invented the fist pump, it's one of my signature moves. If you see another Jersey Shore-based music video that features head bobbing and extreme shoulder shrugging, you know they are copying me.
But I cringe every time I hear the part about partying with the president, not for the politics, but I just don’t understand why a song about youth, having fun, and partying would want to associate itself with the most authoritative position in the free world. It’s the extreme opposite of rebellion. I can think of about a billion more places to party that would be more fun than the White House. The corollary to this would be like having Lady Gaga write a church hymm. No, thanks.
The other lyric I just heard today and boy was it bad. It sounded like Pink and I don’t know the name of the song but at the end she utters something to the effect of “too school for cool.”
I shit you not. Somebody thought that lyric was a good idea. Lame. Super lame.
I was so frustrated in the car, I almost tuned in to AM talk radio. That’s how bad it got. It doesn’t help that Green Bay has God awful morning talk show personalities. That John Maino on WIXX is a real darsh, someone needs to be an ambassador for microphones everywhere and get a restraining order from him on their behalf.
In the meantime, let’s keep Green Day where it belongs, on 105.7 and 106.7. And play more Offspring too, while you’re at it.
7 comments:
Yeah, I can't stand his smugness either.
Well, classic rock is defined as what was listened to by people in their 30s, so since we are now creeping up into that category, we will see more and more of what we heard in middle school and high school as time goes on.
Whatever happened to King Biscuit and the Flower Hour?
Why don't you grow a pair and listen to sports talk radio in the morning. Maybe then you wouldn't have the worst fantasy football team ever assembled.
You should get XM Radio. Thats all I ever listen to and it is much better than the local stations!
What's your problem with John Maino?
I can't listen to John Maino without envisioning him in the morning giving himself a daily pep talk in the mirror. "You are John Maino. You are the coolest guy in Green Bay. You ARE John Maino."
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