Everything You'll Ever Need To Know Is In Pop Songs!
I had this notion today of what would be a fun or at least interesting "dream job".
It would be to be an advice columnist.
Except with a twist. I'd only answer by using quotes from pop songs. None of the actual answers would be mine in the direct sense because I'm not a PhD in anything, I'm not licensed, and quite frankly I don't want the pressure that would go with it; that responsibility I'd feel if my advice was lousy. But blaming it on Morrissey? I can live with that. Giving a suggestion through the words of Neil Young and having it not work out for the person I gave it to? I could just throw up my hands and say, "Hey! It worked for Neil. Don't shoot the messenger..."
The fact of the matter is I think there is a lot of wisdom in pop songs. More than enough to take from and pass on.
I actually thought of this today after I quoted Morrissey on Facebook and three people who know me both here and there 'liked' it. And because I know them a bit from LJ I actually think I got why they liked it. The line was "Let the right one in/Let the old dreams die/Let the wrong ones go/They cannot do what you want them to." See! Wise words. Dear Abby would need a paragraph or two for that one! I'm saving column space!
Let's say I get something complex, like a guy writing to say he really likes a certain girl but she's very religious and he isn't and he wonders if it can ever work out. He worries that the difference could be too huge. My advice? "The treasure can't be found by men who search/Whose Gods are dead and whose queens are in the church." Thank you, Bob Dylan.
How about this one... The girl/guy who knows the guy/girl he/she likes is never going to be right but he/she can't seem to shake him/her no matter what. But going cold turkey is really hard (and it is!). How does he/she remind her/himself to not answer that call or return that text? I just quote the obscure but awesome Jarrod Gorbel: "Is there ever any pleasure without consequence? There's certain people I can't have around/Anticipation, thrill of chasing disappointment, There's certain people I can't have around".
A man is approaching age 40 and feels like time is running out and getting older sucks. Mr. Roger Clyne... take it away... "Hello blessing, hello curse/Hello cradle, hello Hearse/Could there any stranger universe?/Hello new day". That's just a nice way of saying, "Relax and realize life is short and you need to approach each day with humility and optimism."
I could do this for days. I could do this for a living!
So if you want "advice" I challenge you to ask for some and I'll give you a lyric and we'll see if it measures up to your needs. You can even leave it anonymously!
Let's play! ;)
J
It would be to be an advice columnist.
Except with a twist. I'd only answer by using quotes from pop songs. None of the actual answers would be mine in the direct sense because I'm not a PhD in anything, I'm not licensed, and quite frankly I don't want the pressure that would go with it; that responsibility I'd feel if my advice was lousy. But blaming it on Morrissey? I can live with that. Giving a suggestion through the words of Neil Young and having it not work out for the person I gave it to? I could just throw up my hands and say, "Hey! It worked for Neil. Don't shoot the messenger..."
The fact of the matter is I think there is a lot of wisdom in pop songs. More than enough to take from and pass on.
I actually thought of this today after I quoted Morrissey on Facebook and three people who know me both here and there 'liked' it. And because I know them a bit from LJ I actually think I got why they liked it. The line was "Let the right one in/Let the old dreams die/Let the wrong ones go/They cannot do what you want them to." See! Wise words. Dear Abby would need a paragraph or two for that one! I'm saving column space!
Let's say I get something complex, like a guy writing to say he really likes a certain girl but she's very religious and he isn't and he wonders if it can ever work out. He worries that the difference could be too huge. My advice? "The treasure can't be found by men who search/Whose Gods are dead and whose queens are in the church." Thank you, Bob Dylan.
How about this one... The girl/guy who knows the guy/girl he/she likes is never going to be right but he/she can't seem to shake him/her no matter what. But going cold turkey is really hard (and it is!). How does he/she remind her/himself to not answer that call or return that text? I just quote the obscure but awesome Jarrod Gorbel: "Is there ever any pleasure without consequence? There's certain people I can't have around/Anticipation, thrill of chasing disappointment, There's certain people I can't have around".
A man is approaching age 40 and feels like time is running out and getting older sucks. Mr. Roger Clyne... take it away... "Hello blessing, hello curse/Hello cradle, hello Hearse/Could there any stranger universe?/Hello new day". That's just a nice way of saying, "Relax and realize life is short and you need to approach each day with humility and optimism."
I could do this for days. I could do this for a living!
So if you want "advice" I challenge you to ask for some and I'll give you a lyric and we'll see if it measures up to your needs. You can even leave it anonymously!
Let's play! ;)
J