Email from The Beat Goes On

Word of the week: CHEEKY

5/19/23 + No. 4

Blow up your TV

John Prine declared war on our beloved television in the song "Blow Up the TV," which he released in 1972. Today the average American spends 7 hours and 4 minutes looking at a screen daily.* Those current numbers include Teens and Adults! Over the years, I have had a love/hate relationship with television, and this song struck a chord that touched me deeply. Since the seventies, my goal has been to balance my life and my family life with screen time.

This tongue-in-cheek song reports how I have handled the modern-age screen time challenge. Sitting on a couch in front of a television is the perfect metaphor, as it's just the opposite of going outside for a walk in a forest. So playing this song reminds me that my life would be fine with less screen time and that I should never give up aspiring to free myself from my beloved TV.

SONG OF THE WEEK: "Get off the blessed couch" LINK

Get off the blessed couch,

stand up on your own two feet.

Put on your running shoes,

hit the waiting street.

Turn off the TV, throw away the remote.

What the heck are you waiting for,

a heart attack, a stroke?

Are you up to the challenge?

Are you a man or mouse?

Open up your eyes,

get off the blessed couch!

You wrote this silly song, many years ago.

Now you got HDTV, 42 inches don't you know.

Roku's streaming Netflix and Hulu’s on demand.

Apple TV is magic, magic in your hands. ARE YOU...

You sit through Colbert, and stream shows full of charm.

The Simpsons are funny, Prime will do you no harm.

SportsCenter has scores and highlights galore.

But somehow you always want more, more, more! ARE YOU…

John Prine pleaded, to blow up the boob tube

You even read a book**; it made sense to you.

You don't need TV. You don't need that fix.

One more shot of fox news won't do the trick.

It' not just the tv, think of the screens you have,

iPod, iphones, iwatches and ipads.

There will always be distractions, that will take up your time,

break on through to a world outside!

HARMONY BAND Credits: Backup vocals: Steve Galati, Drums: Jon Laufersweiler, Lead Guitar: John Wilson, Bass: Dan Frey, Lead vocals, 12 string guitar, and organ: Jim Ford

Picture: On the tube, my partner, Steve Galati, and myself in 1978. We have been playing music together for 45 years!

This song is from the album "Couch Music by Harmony," which is available on Apple Music or iTunes LINK

A FEW GOOD QUOTES:

“If a man watches three TV football games in a row, he should be declared legally dead.” - Erma Bombeck

“Thanks to television, for the first time the young are seeing history made before it is censored by their elders.” - Margaret Mead

“I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book.” - Groucho Marx

“If everyone demanded peace instead of another television set, then there'd be peace.” - John Lennon

“If television's a babysitter, the Internet is a drunk librarian who won't shut up.” Dorothy Gambrell, “Cat and Girl” Volume I

“Television is a medium of entertainment which permits millions of people to listen to the same joke at the same time, and yet remain lonesome.” - T. S. Eliot

“In the age of television, image becomes more important than substance.” - S. I. Hayakawa

“Television is an invention that permits you to be entertained in your living room by people you wouldn't have in your home.” - David Frost

A FEW GOOD SONGS:

“Blow up Your TV”(Spanish Pipe Dream) by John Prine LINK

"Nobody gets killed in our house" by Charlie King: LINK I have been running sound for Charlie King concerts in St. Louis for many years, and when I first heard this song, I realized I still had much more work to do with my relationship with teleision. This is a clever song with so much depth and meaning. I am happy to present it to you in this blog. I talked to Charlie on the phone this week from his home in Massachusetts. He still does not watch TV programs, cable, or streaming services. (Note: for those who live in the Saint Louis area, Charlie will be in concert on October 21, 2023, at Eden Seminary. (From the album “Feelings of Fire with Dave & Kay Gordon”℗ 1986 Vaguely Reminiscent Sounds.) Charlie King's website LINK

*A GOOD RESOURCE: Alarming Average Screen Time Statistics (2023) LINK

**A GOOD BOOK:

"Four Arguments for the Elimination of Television" a 1978 book by Jerry Mander. This is the first book that collects information from various sources to determine how the wide availability of television affects society.

For more info on the book, go to LINK

A GOOD VIDEO: Evolution of Television 1920-2020 LINK

WORD OF THE WEEK: Cheeky

Cheeky means bold, brash, and a bit rude, but also maybe a little playful and amusing.

Synonyms & Similar Words from Merriam-Webster: wise, bold, sassy, saucy, impudent, fresh, brazen, cocky, insolent, blunt, brassy, defiant, cute, audacious, brash, impertinent, nervy, assertive.

NOW IT'S YOUR TURN: further reflections on Mother's Day and the song "Going Home"

Moms struggle to keep opening our hearts, sharing love and hopes, seeing good and God stuff...we celebrate with time and food, care and little acts of love, kindness, prayers...there is joy and hurt, fun and tears, every precious moment! And lots of original blessings too! We remember "them little ones" with hugs! DO

I enjoy the writings of Langston Hughes and Paul Simon is an all-time favorite of mine. JH

That first Mother’s Day without Mom is exceptionally tough, and my heart goes out to you. It is obvious she was the center of your life. Thank you for sharing your memories of her. How beautiful that she gave you the gift of music! And you were a mighty cute baby too! SB

Your blog this week was such an inspirational honor to your mother and all mothers. As I read the lyrics to your song, the picture in my mind which you created was of a woman of strength, beauty, and grace. A woman who loved her children beyond words and a woman who taught them well. It brought me to my own thoughts of my mother whom I loved dearly, a “country gal” as my daddy would call her. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to walk back in time and visit my momma, the country gal! I’m sure your momma was smiling brighter on Mother’s Day knowing how much you love her and how highly you think of her. She sends her rays of love straight from the heavens above! DG

Any thoughts about this week's song, the word, the quotes, or anything else you encountered in this blog? How do you experience Cheeky moments in your life? Send comments to:

jim51ford@outlook.com

or reply to the email this blog came in.

I look forward to publishing some of the comments I receive.

Archive of "Everything is Music" blogs:

#1 Amazement LINK

#2 Suffering and Hope LINK

#3 Admiration and Gratitude LINK

#4 Cheeky LINK

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