Hello my Deep Digging Friendlies,
Recently, I spent some time at a little gem of a record store in St. Joseph, MO called the Music Exchange. It's a little vinyl stuffed room tucked in the deep reaches of an antique booth maze. As I made my way back through the seemingly endless twists and turns past various treasure squares, I began to wonder if this supposed record paradise was real or not. Then I heard the faint sound of classic rock music, turned a corner and beheld a glorious site.
From the Vintage 70's light box pulsing along with beat of Aerosmith's "Dream On" to the stack of vintage stereo equipment, I was instantly transported back to my older sibling laden childhood of the 70's. There were an abundance of KY 102 stickers displayed throughout the room and I thought these were merely a vintage throwback to the 70's and 80's of the KC based rock radio powerhouse until I realized that the between song commentary shouting out the call letters over the speakers was not a recording pulled from past decades, but instead a current on air broadcast of the recently revived KY 102 moniker playing in the St. Joseph market.
As I contentedly browsed through the PVC garden of sounds, the opening power chords of "Jack & Diane" suddenly came leaping out of the sound system above my head. Maybe it was because I was immersed in an environment perfectly conducive to a heartland rock time warp. Maybe it was because I'd been feeling confused, foggy and a bit numb in the face of some personal life difficulties. Likely some of both. Whatever the case, as John began his "little ditty", I heard the words more vividly than ever before and realized just how deeply meaningful and undittyish ™ this tune actually is. Although I'm not super familiar with his musical catalog, something tells me that this song is John Cougar at his most melancholic Mellancamp.
While the song presents Diane as a young girl who's greatest desire is to live in every moment (and make them all count) with her "football star" beau, Jack has a very different mindset.
He wants to take action.
He wants to indulge every impulse.
But not with the typical teen sense of oblivious invincibility or optimism that Diane possesses.
Quite the contrary. Jack wants to live life to the fullest now before it's too late for he feels the impending reality of the shackles of adult responsibility that will soon be upon them both.
So he's singing:
"Oh yeahLife goes on, long after the thrill of living is gone"
Despite Jack's teenage libido working overtime as he rests his hand between Diane's knees and suggests that they run off behind a shady tree and "dribble off" her Bobbie Brooks, was he actually somewhat wise beyond his years?
I mean, when I was sixteen, I certainly wasn't thinking of holding on to those moments as long as I could. I spent most of the time anxiously hoping just to survive those years. But despite my anxiety and depressive tendencies, I don't remember once having any inkling that I may one day experience a time when I would find no inspiration in life. Yeah, I had my struggles. But I was inspired with a heart full of art and a soul of optimism. I didn't have the prescience that Jack had.
Jack, he says,
"Oh yeahLife goes on, long after the thrill of living is gone"
