"Pilot of the airwaves
Here is my request
You don't have to play it
But I hope you'll do your best
I've been listening to your show
On the radio
And you seem like a friend to me"
(Charlie Dores)
Do you listen to the radio? I do. I'm very much attached to the music of the airwaves, believing in a feeling that it connects me to everyone else who is listening, (at the same time!) Hearkening back to the "olden days", when folks would gather around the radio and listen to their favorite program together.
(I think that is partially why I am so fond of radio plays- the community, the shared experience, people gathered together, listening.)
I can remember hearing about important events on the radio-
Reagan being shot, for example.
Do you remember something you heard first on the radio?
Do you remember sharing that information with someone who said, "Oh, yes, I just heard that in the radio!"
I listen to the radio whenever I can. I know I could personalize my audio experience, download my favorite artists, albums, create a channel based on my listening habits, but I feel I would miss *something* if I did. I enjoy the silly banter of the DJ, the personalities, the human element.
It's connection. Maybe it's my way of combatting the loneliness I sometimes feel.
Have you heard Brandi Carlile's new song, The Joke?
It stirs something so deep inside me every time I hear it I have to take a break and process all the emotions it brings up in me. (In case you haven't heard it, I'm sharing a link to the lyrics here, and a performance on YouTube.)
The lyrics to The Joke
https://www.google.com/search?q=lyrics%20to%20the%20joke&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-b-1
A performance of The Joke
https://youtu.be/2adTSxUqnc4
Another song that really fueled my passion for a while is Jason Isbell's High Road. (Link to lyrics, YouTube below)
Lyrics to High Road
https://genius.com/Jason-isbell-and-the-400-unit-hope-the-high-road-lyrics
The High Road
https://youtu.be/ci-6Au1Gnrs
Then there is the Curious George guy, Jack Johnson's, My Mind is For Sale. (This time I found one with the lyrics in it, enjoy!)
https://youtu.be/Q3REipDpxNQ
What do all these songs have in common?
They are not exactly protest songs, but they sure could be interpreted as subtly subversive.
It's no secret I listen to WXRT, my number one choice when they aren't playing their 10th Stones song of the day (sorry, I'm not that big a fan, Mick).
One of the many reasons it's my favorite, is because it's LIVE. There is a real live human DJ playing music. Unlike so many of our stations that have gone national, a WXRT DJ can actually tell you the time, because it's the same as yours.
I don't know how much freedom the DJs have to choose their music, but I so appreciate the majority of the music that is played. They didn't use to call WXRT progressive rock for nothing. (Anyone else remember the Bear, WCBR?)
On particularly bad days, (esp. after the cheetah-in-chief has tweeted something ridiculously dictatory or overturned another Obama directive, and MSM is only talking about his hair, or giving KellyAnne Scary Lady another interview, and not covering the horrible laws the administration is passing in an effort to dismantle every single protection set in place for every single earthling and every inch of our precious earth, all in the name of profit), I find it immensely comforting to at least pretend the DJ is playing specific songs with the motive of making us feel better, helping us to know we are not alone, gathering us together through a subtly subversive song on the airwaves.
What are your favorite subtly subversive songs?
I'd love to hear from you.
#connectioniseverything
#WXRTfan
#iloveyoulinbraemer
