Writing Life

A periodic record of thoughts and life as these happen via the various roles I play: individual, husband, father, grandfather, son, brother (brother-in-law), writer, university professor and others.

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Location: Tennessee, United States

I was born on Shaw Air Force Base in Sumter, South Carolina, then lived a while in Fayetteville, North Carolina, before moving, at the age of 5, to Walnut, NC. I graduated from Madison High School in 1977. After a brief time in college, I spent the most of the 1980s in Nashville, Tennessee, working as a songwriter and playing in a band. I spent most of the 1990s in school and now teach at a university in Tennessee. My household includes wife and son and cat. In South Carolina I have a son, daughter-in-law and two granddaughters.

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Remember This One?

1, 2... 1, 2, 3, 4, Ow!

Eddie: People moving out, people moving in. Why, because of the color of their skin. Run, run, run but you sure can't hide. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Vote for me and I'll set you free. Rap on, brother, rap on.

Dennis: Well, the only person talking about love thy brother is the...(preacher.) And it seems nobody's interested in learning but the...(teacher.) Segregation, determination, demonstration, integration, Aggravation, humiliation, obligation to our nation. Ball of confusion. Oh yeah, that's what the world is today. Woo, hey, hey.

Paul: The sale of pills are at an all time high. Young folks walking round with their heads in the sky. The cities ablaze in the summer time. And oh, the beat goes on.

Dennis: Evolution, revolution, gun control, sound of soul. Shooting rockets to the moon, kids growing up too soon. Politicians say more taxes will solve everything.

Melvin: And the band played on.

So, round and around and around we go. Where the world's headed, nobody knows. Oh, great googalooga, can't you hear me talking to you. Just a ball of confusion. Oh yeah, that's what the world is today. Woo, hey, hey.

Eddie: Fear in the air, tension everywhere. Unemployment rising fast, the Beatles new record's a gas.

Dennis: And the only safe place to live is on an Indian reservation.

Melvin: And the band played on.

Eve of destruction, tax deduction, city inspectors, bill collectors, Mod clothes in demand, population out of hand, suicide, too many bills, Hippies moving to the hills. People all over the world are shouting, 'End the war.'

Melvin: And the band played on.

Great googalooga, can't you hear me talking to you. Sayin'... ball of confusion. That's what the world is today, hey, hey. Let me hear ya, let me hear ya, let me hear ya. Sayin'... ball of confusion. That's what the world is today, hey, hey. Let me hear ya, let me hear ya, let me hear ya, let me hear ya, let me hear ya. Sayin'... ball of confusion.

"Ball of Confusion" by The Temptations (1970)

Writers: Norman Whitfield, Barrett Strong

2 Comments:

Blogger nbta said...

Great song.

5/23/2009  
Blogger quig said...

So to sum up it - the more things change, the more they stay the same?

Happy memorial day... Cheers, john

5/25/2009  

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