I am no neuroscientist, but I know a little about music. It is a proven fact that that music and happiness are linked intimately. Science also shows happiness will actually make your brain work better. Now, neuroscience has come up with the ultimate list of tunes to make you happy.
Note: I have to tip my hat to my old radio pal, Johnny Molson for this. He featured this on: Mike and Molson – The Podcast.
Back in 2015, a music-loving Dutch neurologist did us all a favor. He figured out what makes for the most mood-boosting tunes. The reason for the study came from an unusual source: the British electronic brand Alba. Apparently, they wanted to know what made for a happy song. They reached out to Dr. Jacob Jolij for the answer.
The first thing that Dr. Jolij reminds us is that taste in music is subjective. You may not like what I do and vice versa. “Music appreciation is highly personal and strongly depends on social context, and personal associations. In that respect, the idea of a ‘feel good formula’ is a bit odd,” he commented.
There is something that you can do that can help find the answer. He asked the listening public to submit examples of their favorite feel good tracks. Those tracks were then analyzed for patterns to reveal what characteristics are generally associated with smile-inducing songs. After the analysis, he compiled a list.
He found that the happiest tunes are slightly faster than your average song. They will be between 140 and 150 beats per minute on average. They will also be written in a major key, and either about happy events or complete nonsense. Dr. Jolij combined these factors into a formula for the happiest songs possible. With hat formula, he went searching for existing hits that matched his template.
Based on that template, here are the ten songs that are scientifically proven to make you happy!
10. Walking on Sunshine – Katrina and the Waves
9. I Will Survive – Gloria Gaynor
8. Livin’ on a Prayer – Bon Jovi
7. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun – Cyndi Lauper
6. I’m a Believer – The Monkees
5. Eye of the Tiger – Survivor
4. Uptown Girl – Billy Joel
3. Good Vibrations – The Beach Boys
2. Dancing Queen – Abba
and the number one song that is scientifically proven to make you happy:
1. Don’t Stop Me Now – Queen
Do you agree? Disagree? I’d love to hear your thoughts! Drop them in the comments.
During my radio career, I met with many program directors. Almost all of them had suggestions on ways to make my radio show better. They were smart coaches who offered some great advice.
Tim Roberts, who currently programs a cluster of stations in Detroit, once offered some simple advice. In prepping each show, he advised me to find (1) a good local story, (2) a personal story,(3) a water cooler story (stories that might get swapped by coworkers at the water cooler), (4) an artist story, and (5) a “heart” story. These needed to be something that would connect with the listener. Examples of each:
(1) The construction is finally done on (local) road! (2) I couldn’t believe how difficult it was to put together my daughter’s dollhouse. (3) Can you believe (big Hollywood star) won a Golden Globe last night? (4) It looks like you’ll have a chance to see the Doobie Brothers on tour this year.
(5) A “Heart” Story
The “heart” story is one that brings about strong feelings. It can warm your heart, it can make you smile, or it can make you cry. The heart reacts to it. I say all of this to share a “heart” story I saw today with you.
Anonymous Christmas Note
Black Sheep Burgers & Shakes in Springfield, Missouri has a yearly tradition. It opens its doors to those in need of a free meal on Christmas Day. Last December 17th, they posted this on their Facebook page: “All we ask is that you bring your hearts so we can celebrate Christmas together.”
The tradition meant so much to one patron, that she left the staff a note. That note brought the staff to tears and now the author is being sought by the owner. The handwritten note begins:
“A very heartfelt thank you for the kindness of you all! It would have been a very boring Christmas for me as I have no family left. I never thought of this years ago, but being the youngest in my family, I have seen everyone leave this Earth before me.”
She goes on to say that she is living off Social Security and has had to downsize. She explained that she is currently renting a room in a shared house. It continues:
“A dear friend heard about the offer of the free meal and invited me out for ‘Christmas lunch.’ Great idea since I was down to $1!” she wrote. “The meal was wonderful as were the staff. Thank you again for making it a day to remember! Blessings.”
Mike Jalili, the owner of the restaurant, posted a copy of the letter on Facebook. He hopes that someone might have information about the author. The writer did not sign her name or include a return address. Along with the letter, Jalili posted, “I’m wanting to invite her to our house for holidays. This is the reason I’m trying to locate her.”
In an interview, he said, “Something about this letter has touched so many people. The whole community is now looking for her. She is welcome to come and eat a burger on us whenever she wants. I’m determined to find her.”
As of this writing, I do not see anything about the author being found. I truly hope that they find her. This story is a heartwarming example that there are still good people in the world.
This always happens to me. I am going through things looking for one thing and I stumble on something else. Usually the thing I find is something I was looking for previously. That is what happened while searching for today’s photo. I had something completely different in mind, but stumbled on a classic.
I am pretty sure that this is a photo taken on Easter Sunday. I am also pretty positive that this was taken at our house, as I remember that ugly couch. Look at that thing! Wow! Now, I could be wrong and this may be at my grandma’s house. I say that because they also had that horse picture hanging on their wall.
Apparently, this thing was quite popular back in the 70’s.
I absolutely love the photo of my brother and me. I’m not sure who thought that putting us both in matching suits would be cute. It could have been my folks, but it was probably my grandma.
A few years after this photo was taken, Fantasy Island debuted on TV. From that moment on, this photo became known as the Fantasy Island picture. I was Mr. Roarke and my brother was Tattoo.
Smiles, everyone! Smiles!
I cannot help but chuckle at (1) the suits, (2) the buttons, and (3) the wide collars! Good Lord, what were we wearing!?
After staring at the photo for a few, I need to grab one of those alcoholic drinks that were given to Fantasy Island’s guests when the got off the plane!
To say that I have been waiting my entire life for this is an understatement! Like many Detroit Lions fans, I wondered if we’d ever get to see a winning season. This season was the best in the history of the team!
My nerves were shot as I waited for the kickoff. So much was riding on this game. The winner would take the #1 seed, while the loser seed #5. I have never really understood how that seeding thing works.
There was plenty of nail biting going on throughout the game, but it ended in a Lions victory! They beat the Vikings 31-9 and ended the season with a 15-2 record. Not to mention that the win gave us back-to-back NFC North Championships.
I saw a piece on the internet that said, “If I am dreaming, please don’t wake me!”
I was on the edge of my seat for much of the game. There were a few times where the Vikings were in position to score, but our defense held them off. Three field goals. That was all that the Vikings got. That lead to one of the funniest memes I’ve seen –
The entire state of Michigan is Honolulu Blue! The excitement and support surrounding this team is electrifying! Sounds of “Another One Bites the Dust” and “Don’t Stop Believing” are all over the radio. Detroit Lions Flags are being flown at homes and on cars and trucks. Detroit Lions shirts, jackets, and hats are all over the place. When a person wearing a Lions hat passes a person wearing a Lions jersey or jacket, there are smiles exchanged between them. We’re all in this together and we’re rooting for our team!
One local bakery really outdid themselves with their Lions support. This weekend in the front window at Home Bakery in Rochester, Michigan, there was quite a site. They displayed a life-size cake made in the image of Detroit Lions’ wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown standing on his head. People were lined up along the sidewalk to take photos.
It is truly a work of art!! Kudos to the creators!
Just two more wins gets us to the Super Bowl. Three wins total to win it all! I’m not a betting man, but I liked to see this headline:
The Lions are off this week and will play the winner of the Vikings/Rams game this weekend. It is entirely possible that we will play the Vikings again. We’ll know soon enough. For now, let me say, “If I am dreaming, please don’t wake me!”
The majority of my reading has been done with the help of audiobooks. However, for Christmas I received an actual physical book. The book has been on my wishlist since I heard it was coming out.
One of my all-time favorite comedies is Airplane! It is guaranteed to make me laugh, no matter how many times I have seen it. It is full of fantastic actors and the jokes never stop.
In Surely You Can’t Be Serious, the film’s creators offer up the stories behind it.
Reading a physical copy of the book was nice for a few reasons. First, it was loaded with some great photos. Second, because I was already familiar with the movie, it was like hanging out with old friends. Lastly, I never felt as though it was dragging. It was a quick read loaded with great stories and things that I hadn’t heard before.
Here is the Goodreads Synopsis:
Surely You Can’t Be Serious is an in-depth and hysterical look at the making of 1980’s comedy classic Airplane! by the legendary writers and directors of the hit film.
Airplane! premiered on July 2nd, 1980. With a budget of $3.5 million it went on to make nearly $200 million in sales and has influenced a multitude of comedians on both sides of the camera.
Surely You Can’t Be Serious is the first-ever oral history of the making of Airplane! by the creators, and of the beginnings of the ZAZ trio (Zucker, Abrahams, Zucker) – charting the rise of their comedy troupe Kentucky Fried Theater in Madison, Wisconsin all the way to premiere night. The directors explain what drew them to filmmaking and in particular, comedy. With anecdotes, behind the scenes trivia, and never-before-revealed factoids – these titans of comedy filmmaking unpack everything from how they persuaded Peter Graves to be in the movie after he thought the script was a piece of garbage, how Lorna Patterson auditioned for the stewardess role in the back seat of Jerry’s Volvo, and how Leslie Nielsen’s pranks got the entire crew into trouble, to who really wrote the jive talk. The book also features testimonials and personal anecdotes from well-known faces in the film, television, and comedy sphere – proving how influential Airplane! has been from day one.
Four decades after its release, Airplane! continues to make new generations laugh. Its many one-liners and visual gags have worked their way into the mainstream culture. This fully organic expansion of the ZAZ trio’s fan-base, prompted solely by word-of-mouth, comes as no surprise to longtime fans. When all around us is in flux – laughter is priceless.
If you are a fan of the movie, you will love this book. If you are a fan of comedy films, you will be surprised at just how Airplane! changed how comedy films were done. You’ll also be surprised at the many people who were inspired and influenced by the movie.
I loved this book! Surf to Amazon or rush to your local book store or library to get a copy!
“A library?! What is it?”
“It’s a big building with books, but that’s not important right now….”
Welcome back to The Music of My Life, where I feature ten songs from each year of my life. In most cases, the ten songs I choose will be ones I like personally (unless I explain otherwise). The songs will be selected from Billboard’s Year-end Hot 100 Chart, Acclaimed Music, and will all be released in the featured year.
I turned 34 in 2004. By then, we had figured out that there was something not right with my son’s development. We went through a ton of testing with him. Blood work ruled out a lot. We began intensive therapies. They helped. As time progressed we moved from “developmentally delayed” to “autism” and finally to “Asperger’s.” He overcame so many obstacles and today has a job and is ready to move out on his own.
When you deal with something like this, it is difficult to remember all that was going on at the time. You are consumed with all the various therapies and appointments. As I tried to look back on 2004, I felt a disconnect to much of it. There were things I remembered, but most of the year was a blur.
How about we dig into the tunes?
I was on the phone one day catching up with my old country Program Director Brian. They had let him go and it didn’t take him long to land another job. It was at an Adult Contemporary station. He joked around about trying not to laugh whenever he had to say “Hoobastank.” This phone call would be recalled by me years later. I was working part time at an AC station and had to talk into or out of The Reason.
It was the first time I had really heard the song. I related to it so much now. Here is a guy who admits to his lover that he isn’t perfect. He is going to disappoint and hurt them, but he wants to change. The reason for it – is his lover.
“I’ve found a reason for me To change who I used to be A reason to start over new And the reason is you”
It is often a struggle to deal with our personal issues. Those things that you’ve carried around all your life. Things that are almost habitual. For the right person, you want to do whatever you can to move past those things and be a better person. I try this daily – and don’t always get it right.
The Reason
The next song is one that I wrote about for a round of Turntable Talk. In 2004, one of the hottest country songs introduced us to Gretchen Wilson. Her debut was like an M80 exploding. It was huge.
Rather than writing it all again here, you can click below to read the original blog.
My son loved Shrek. So naturally, he loved Shrek 2. The next song was written especially for the movie. It wasn’t an easy song to write.
Counting Crows lead singer, Adam Duritz, told the story of Accidentally in Love to Billboard magazine:
“I was really struggling with it. I generally don’t write songs on demand, and I almost got to the point where I thought I wasn’t going to do it. They just told me that the song had to be uplifting. They actually said, ‘Don’t write a song about Shrek. Write a song that’s about you.’ The funny thing is, the song ended up reflecting a lot of what was going on in my life at the time: falling in love with someone you’re not supposed to fall in love with because it’s inconvenient. My songs for Counting Crows are mature and generally don’t get a chance to reach kids. To be part of something like that is pretty cool.”
The song appears toward the beginning of the movie and barely broke the Top 40 (#39). It is an uplifting song that is fun to sing along with. It baffles me that it didn’t do better on the charts.
Accidentally in Love
The next song is one that not many have heard. It only went to #40 on the country chart, but it really connected with me. I have been accused of being a hoarder. I tend to save a lot of things that are special to me. Some of those things caused riff between my wife at the time and me.
I had old prom pictures, ticket stubs and mementos from past girlfriends. I had cards from my grandparents and many other things that really held a special meaning to me. I was told that those things meant more than she did and stuff like that. That wasn’t true, but I can see how it might be taken that way.
Chely Wright wrote the song with then-unknown songwriter named Liz Rose. (Liz would go on to co-write a lot of early stuff with Taylor Swift.) The lyrics of the song were written from Wright’s own experiences of saving mementos in small spaces. “I’m 33 years old, I’ve got a couple of champagne corks, and those are my stories, and I don’t have to tell about it.”
Again, it was a song I could totally relate to.
I don’t keep these things ’cause I’m longing to go back I keep them because I want to stay right where I’m at I’m reminded of my rights and wrongs I don’t want to mess this up But I wouldn’t know where I belong Without this box of stuff
I am who I am today because of my past. You cannot delete your past. The things from it helped to shape you. They helped you to grow. They helped you to think a bit more before you acted. It really is amazing how something like a ticket stub can bring change in your behavior based on what happened when you used it.
Back of the Bottom Drawer
The next song is here only because I played it at almost every party, dance, or wedding I DJ’d. Sometimes a line dance will come and go, but this one is still being played at events. What is funny to me is the story behind it.
When you do the Cha Cha Slide, does it count as a workout? Apparently it does. DJ Casper created this song for the American health club chain Bally’s Fitness, who developed a workout routine around it. The song caught on with gym members, which led to its release as a single. In 2001, the song gained traction in America at dance clubs, weddings and other celebrations.
It had been around a few years prior. According to DJ Casper: “I wrote Cha Cha Slide in 1996 as an aerobics workout program for a gym trainer friend of mine, David Wilson, and I recorded and released my own version in 1998.”
In 2003 the song resurfaced in clubs across Europe and All Around The World Records picked it up for a UK release. On March 20th 2004 this rose from #2 to #1 on the UK singles chart.
Cha Cha Slide
I laughed when I first heard the name Bowling For Soup. I had forgotten about them after this song. Then I realized that they were the band singing the theme song to the cartoon Phineas and Ferb.
1985 wasn’t a big hit, but I remembered hearing it on the radio. It only went to #23 on the charts. I liked it because of the nostalgia factor. This song is about a woman who is still living in the past. She is reliving her glory years when she was a teenager in 1985. She had big dreams, but now spends her time immersing herself in ’80s pop culture.
Jaret Reddick, the lead singer for Bowling For Soup told Songfacts:
“‘1985’ was interesting because we were coming off our biggest record, which was Drunk Enough To Dance. And we went in thinking that we had a complete album, and we recorded a complete album. We did Hangover You Don’t Deserve, and it was pretty much done. Butch Walker produced three songs on that album, and we recorded the whole record at his place. And his manager called and said, ‘Hey, a song came across my desk. You know Mitch Allan, right?’ I’m like, ‘Yeah.’ ‘Well, he wants you to call him.’ So I call Mitch Allan from SR-71, he’s like, ‘Dude, I’ve got this song. It’s a freakin’ hit for you guys. It sounds like you.’ And evidently that whole conversation happened because Mitch was pitching his band to Jonathan Daniel, who is Butch’s manager, trying to get this record that they had put out in Japan released here in the United States. And JD said, ‘Dude, that sounds like a Bowling for Soup song.’ And Mitch said, ‘You know what? You’re right.’
So anyway, he sends me the song. And I’m actually like, ‘Man, we’re done. We’re literally leaving tomorrow. This album is complete.’ We had a little studio apartment that we were staying in and I listened to the song a few times, and I’m like, ‘Yeah, it’s good.’ And the night goes on, had a few more beers, me and Gary (Wiseman – BFS drummer) sat in our kitchen and listened to it twice. And we’re just like, This is a great song. We don’t really know that it’s going to be a single, but it is great. We might as well just do it. So we went back in the next day and we cut it.
1985
I DJ’d a lot of Daddy/Daughter dances before having my daughter. I remember watching dads dancing with their little girls and tearing up. It made me understand why so many father’s cry when the dance with their daughter on her wedding day.
John Mayer’s Daughters was a song that was always requested at Daddy/Daughter dances. Sometimes, more than once. It took on a whole new meaning to me when I danced with Ella to it. The bond is a special one.
The song won Mayer Grammy Awards for Song Of The Year and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.
I wonder if people know his inspiration for the song. According to Songfacts:
Part of the inspiration for this song was a Chris Rock comedy bit. In the bit, he talks about how a father’s main responsibility is to keep his daughter “off the pole.” In other words, to make sure she doesn’t become a stripper.
Daughters
The next song was originally done by the group Supertramp in 1977. It was written by singer/guitarist Roger Hodgson. He told Songfacts in 2012:
“That song has really taken on a life of its own, and I think it’s even more relevant today than when I wrote it. Because we really are needing to value love in a much deeper way, and also we’re needing to care. The song is basically saying: just show you care. You know, reach out and show you care. So in concert it’s the perfect show closer, because what I try to do in my show over two hours is unify the audience and unify all of us. So that at the end, when everyone stands up for ‘Give A Little Bit,’ they’re open and ready to open their hearts and sing at the top of their lungs and go away with a smile on their face. And that song really does, it has a very pure energy. The moment I start, people just start smiling. It’s amazing.”
The Goo Goo Dolls released it on their 2004 album Live From Buffalo. Their version had a lot of success on Top 40 and light rock stations. It made #37 on the Hot 100. It is on my list because I love the song and I think this is a great cover!
Give a Little Bit
One of my favorite country bands was Montgomery Gentry. I’ve had the pleasure of hanging out with them when they were touring. They were so good! The next song is probably my favorite track from them.
Eddie Montgomery and the late Troy Gentry often swapped singing lead on their songs. Troy is doing the singing on Gone. It is a classic “break up” song.
Songfacts says:
Bob DiPiero and Jeffrey Steele wrote the song. DiPiero explained to the Tennessean that he and Steele had arranged a writing session at his place on the Florida Gulf Coast. After a fruitless morning, DiPiero wanted to come up with something simple and quick so they could go to lunch. He suggested they write a song with a one-word title and two chords that tip a hat to old time country tunes. They came up with “Gone.”
The song starts off by explaining his lover has walked out on him and isdefinitely not coming back.
This ain’t no temporary, typical, tearful goodbye his ain’t no breakin’ up, then wakin’ up and makin’ up one more time This is gone (gone), gone (gone), gone (gone), gone
For the rest of the song, a series of similes is used to illustrate how his baby has certainly departed forever.
She’s gone like a:
Freight train Yesterday A soldier in the Civil War A ’59 Cadillac And like all the good things, that ain’t never comin’ back
The writing on this one is just SO good.
Gone
My last pick is one that has brought me to tears on many occasions. It is a song that makes me think of my mom and those who have passed away. Homesick by MercyMe.
The song is an expression of grief and longing. It was written after the band experienced the deaths of nine people they were connected to in a short period of time.
Wikipedia states:
Lead singer Bart Millard initially wrote the chorus to “Homesick” following a funeral service for two infants that died in utero. He did not finish the song, as didn’t want to fake his way through writing the song. However, following the death of Millard’s brother-in-law, Chris, in a car accident, Millard finished the song so as to play it at Chris’s funeral. Millard and the rest of MercyMe intended the song only to be played once—at Chris’s funeral—but Millard’s mother-in-law encouraged them to record it.
It was a top 5 song on the Christian charts and a top 10 song on the Adult Contemporary charts.
When I hear this song, I remember that there is a reunion with my mom and others who have passed on. I cannot wait for that day.
Homesick
So there are my ten picks from 2004. I’m sure that I left a few of your favorites out. Let me know which ones you loved from 2004 in the comments.
Next week, we will head to 2005. My list includes an amazing duet, a band people love to hate, a song that is the subject of October first jokes, a song that mentions ME, and the song my mom used as her ringtone the last year of her life.
Thanks for reading and listening! See you next week.
It was on this day in 1982 that the TV adaptation of Fame first aired on NBC. The TV series was based on the 1980 hit movie, which started Irene Cara as Coco Hernandez.
The movie is about students at Fiorello LaGuardia High, also known as the New York City High School for the Performing Arts. It’s a real school whose alumni include Robert De Niro, Jennifer Aniston, Liza Minnelli and Nicki Minaj.
Irene Cara had a top five hit in the US with “Fame,” while it went to number one in the UK. Did you know another familiar voice is on the track? That familiar voice contributed quite a bit to the song.
From Song facts:
A very distinctive feature of this song is the background vocals that trail out the word “remember” after the line “baby, remember my name.” It was Luther Vandross who came up with that part and sang it with backup singers Vivian Cherry and Vicki Sue Robinson.Vandross was not yet a solo star, but was in demand as a backup vocalist. He was the contractor on this session, meaning he was in charge of the backup vocals.
Songwriter Dean Pitchford explained in his Songfacts interview: “He came in, listened down to the track. We got to the end of the chorus and he said, ‘Back it up, back it up! Check this out.’ And Irene Cara sang, ‘Baby remember my name,’ and he went, ‘Remember, remember, remember…’ and we all went, ‘Oh! That’s terrific!’ Luther Vandross is the one who not only came up with ‘remember, remember, remember…’ but he also stacked the voices on top of, ‘I’m going to learn how to fly high.’ He did that. He made a couple of other contributions around the edges, but the ‘remember’ was the major one.”
Here is the movie version:
The TV series starred many of the films stars, including Debbie Allen. For television Erica Gimple played Coco and also sang the theme song in the first four seasons.
In Seasons 5 and 6, Gimple left the show. The theme was then performed by Loretta Chandler, who played Dusty.
Usually, there is a big difference in cover versions, but honestly, to me there is very little difference between these versions. What do you think?
I thought about ways to tie this post into Movie Music Monday, but I really couldn’t find a way to do it. That being said, the feature will return next week. I decided to revisit one of the first topics I blogged about, as there are many new followers since 2018.
As a kid, we lived for Saturday mornings! We never slept in because we knew that all morning long we had our choice of back to back cartoons! There was Scooby-Doo, Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Hong Kong Phooey, Blue Falcon & Dynomutt, The Laff-O-Lympics, The Flilntstones, The Pink Panther and many more! It was great! We’d sit and watch these shows all morning long with a big ole bowl of cereal and laugh away!
Saturday mornings, while full of explosions, anvils, and slapstick silliness, was also educational at times. I know this for a fact because one of the things that helped me in school was School House Rock. These little three minute musical features helped me learn multiplication, history, and English. I cannot tell you how many times I found myself singing those songs in school!
Schoolhouse Rock made its debut on this day in 1973. It remained a Saturday morning staple through 1985. The story of how it came about is much like that of today’s Internet sensation Miss Rachel. A caring parent wanted to help their child.
The series was the idea of David McCall, an advertising executive of McCaffrey and McCall, who noticed his young son was struggling with learning multiplication tables. He noted that his son had no issues remembering lyrics to Rolling Stones songs and thought music might help. He hired musician Bob Dorough to write a song that would teach multiplication. The song would became “Three Is a Magic Number.”
Tom Yohe, an illustrator at McCaffrey and McCall, heard the song and created visuals to accompany it. That led to Radford Stone, producer and writer at the ABC network. He suggested they pitch it as a television series, which caught the attention of Michael Eisner, then the senior vice president in charge of programming and development at ABC, and cartoon director Chuck Jones.
The first season was Multiplication Rock. Learning the times table is one of those things that ALL kids absolutely hate! God, I hated those 60 second tests where you had to write the answers to as many problems as you could. The stress of that was awful for an elementary student. School House Rock helped!
“Three is a Magic Number” was the first to air. If it truly is a magic number, what better way to illustrate it than with a magician?
Counting by twos was illustrated by Noah and the ark. The biblical account talks of Noah bringing all the animals on the ark in pairs. So throughout this number, Noah answers his son’s question of how many animals were on the ark by counting the animals two by two as the exit the boat.
What child didn’t do a bit of daydreaming in school? To remember how to multiply 8, all we had to do is think about the little school girl who daydreamed she was a figure skater. She skates her figure 8 and the song told us how.
The most memorable one for me was counting by fives. I remember when I had to help my son learn his times tables, I sang the “ready or not, here I come” song which helped you count by 5. This little song centered around a game of hide and seek, and they had to count to 100 by fives while the rest of the kids hid. To this day, when I have to count by fives – I think of this song!
The next season was called Grammar Rock. It focused on the parts of speech. Before they taught me about nouns and verbs in school, I was ahead of the game because i’d already heard of them on Schoolhouse Rock.
English was one of my best subjects. I remember being in 5th or 6th grade and going to something called the Academic Olympics. Schools within the district had these little game show like contests with teams for Math, Science, English, and History. I was chosen to be on the English team. I certainly never had an issue with the parts of speech because of Schoolhouse Rock.
Yep! Thanks to SHR, the little girl and her dog – we knew a noun was “a person, place or thing”!
What’s happening? Verb! That’s what’s happening! The coolest “action” hero? Well, I don’t know about that, but a verb shows action….and I always remember him!
Why do I remember this? Because the music was cool. The character was cool. We didn’t even know they were trying to teach us something!!! We were learning and it was cool!
And what about describing a noun? Well all you had to do was unpack some adjectives…but watch out for the scary, hairy bear!
Adjectives and adverbs were so hard for some kids to get. I could not ever understand why. I got it pretty quickly … because of a little girl and her trip. You see, her friends ask her to describe her camping trip. She said that all she had to do was unpack some adjectives.
Schoolhouse Rock’s song about adverbs was memorable because it was just a fun little song that takes place in (where else?) an adverb store! Need an adverb – shop at Lolly’s! The brilliance of this song is it is like a commercial for the store…and they really sell it! If I really needed to go buy and adverb – I would shop at Lolly’s!! After all … they are family owned!
I still remember learning about interjections for the first time. I also learned about the punctuation that followed it. This song was full of characters – the kid with the flu who needed a shot, the gal getting asked out on a date, the fans at the football game, and others who were all full of interjections!
While all of these are memorable, probably the most memorable Grammar Rock song is about three small words and a small little train conductor. The bluesy swing song with the repetitive refrain and the amazing vocal talents of Jack Sheldon makes Conjunction Junction one of the all time BEST sing a longs. Jack is one of the most memorable voices from the series.
Ask any child of the 70’s to give you a conjunction and they will spout off “and”, “but”, and “or” immediately! That’s a sure bet!!
As America headed into the Bicentennial celebration in 1976, the series created a season called America Rock. This focused on aspects of the American government and important moments in American history. Some of the biggest events in US history were brought to life in 3 minutes of musical perfection!
Interest in American History is still abounding today. A few years ago, there was an AMC series called Turn! which was about the Revolutionary War and George Washington’s spies. Then there was an HBO series on John Adams and the role he played in the Independence of America. Let’s start around there …
No More Kings was a silly little song about the colonists coming to America and being taxed for everything. This leads to the Boston Tea Party and America wanting no part of King George (who can see what’s happening through his telescope).
What followed was the Revolutionary War. Which got it’s own song called The Shot Heard Round the World, which of course is then followed by the Declaration of Independence, which got it’s own little song … and Fireworks.
Thanks to Schoolhouse Rock, today I can still recite:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, That all men are created equal And that they are endowed by their creator With certain inalienable rights. That among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
Then, of course, after we declared our independence, we had to have a Constitution. Memorizing the Preamble of the Constitution was no problem for me in school … I had it set to music!
There have been many Amendments to the Constitution, and the 19th was a biggie! It allowed women to vote! It is hard to imagine that they didn’t have that right until 1920!! The right was referred to as Women’s Suffrage. School House Rock Tackled this historic occasion with the song “Sufferin’ Until Suffrage”.
Women were American’s too. They wanted the right to vote. The video for this song is part cartoon and part black and white pictures of women throughout history. It’s a rocking number that gets the point across and you can here the “victory” in her voice in this “gospel”-ish song.
Oh, we were suffering until suffrage, Not a woman here could vote, no matter what age, Then the 19th Amendment struck down that restrictive rule.
As I stated earlier, people are still interested in history. A couple years ago, there was a movie about the battle over AC/DC current between Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse as electricity was gaining use throughout the country. I am currently reading a book about that battle. This point ties in with the next song.
Throughout history, we’ve seen many inventions that have made our world a better place. “Mother Necessity” was the character who is in this song and the “mother” of the inventors of these wonderful things. We hear of the Wright Brothers and their airplane, Thomas Edison and the light bulb, Eli Whitney and the cotton gin, Samuel Morse and the telegraph, Alexander Graham Bell and the telephone and a few others.
“Mother Necessity where would we be indeed!”
Finally, the School House Rock showed me how the legislation process happens…with our friend, Bill. Bill is just that – a bill.
How does a bill become a law? I learned how with this song. Performed again by Jack Sheldon (Conjunction Junction) perfectly, you learn about the whole process and lengths a bill goes through to be a law. Naturally, we all feel great when he finally becomes a law at the end!
In 1985, Schoolhouse Rock left the air. It was a few years later that some new songs and new seasons came out. In 1993, two new songs were made for Grammar Rock. One was about prepositions.
Then, in 1995 an entire new series called Money Rock aired until 1996. In 2003, the creators began work on two more songs to include in the 30th anniversary collection. They were about the Electoral College and How the President is elected. Finally, in 2009, a direct to DVD collection called Schoolhouse Rock: Earth was released in response to climate change.
I hope you have enjoyed this look back at one of my fondest childhood memories. Thank you School House Rock for helping me and many other children learn so much about so many things! Now, to end with an interjection….
Once again, the good folks at Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan have published their annual list of Banished Words. Each new year they take time to “reflect on the words and phrases that may have worn out their welcome.” This tradition goes all the way back to 1976.
Here are some of them:
Cringe.While “cringe” once packed a punch, it has now overstayed its welcome. Overuse has dulled its impact, and ironically, using it might now cause the very reaction it describes. “Saying someone ‘caused you to cringe’ or stating that ‘you cringed at something’ is a pretty easy and proper way to use the word,” writes Ash from Newton, Alabama. “Hearing someone say ‘someone is so cringe’ makes me cringe!”
Game Changer. “How many times can a game change before it is no longer recognizable? This phrase, often used to describe anything remotely innovative, is as tired as a well-worn cliché. “Nothing is a game changer if everything is a game changer,” writes Patrick of Washington, DC.”
Era. Unless you are Taylor Swift, it might be time to leave “era” behind. The term’s overuse has made every fleeting moment feel like it demands a historical marker. Leah of Holland, Michigan submits, “Thanks to the name of Taylor Swift’s tour, now there is an ‘era’ for everyone and everything! ‘He’s in his fatherhood era’, ‘She’s in her pottery-making era,’ etc., etc.. It’s overused and tiring.”
IYKYK (If You Know, You Know). Internet slang and texting abbreviations are often fan-favorites of Banished Word submitters each year. Cryptic and exclusionary, this phrase offers little clarity or substance. If you know, you might agree it is time to let this one go. Amy from Redford, MI feels this phrase should go for being both irritating and nonsensical.
Skibidi. This viral word may have resonated with a younger crowd, but for many it is just noise. Agatha from Denmark explains, “Nobody cares about a Skibidi toilet, Skibidi fizz, or Skibidi Ohio fanum tax. At this point, nobody even knows what it means and it just annoys people.”
Period. Yes, we understand your point—no need to verbally punctuate it. Overuse has turned this into a period we are ready to end. Theresa from Detroit, MI, recommends that we banish this word by putting it in a bottle and sending it out to sea.
Personally, I completely agree with that Skibidi word. I have seen it everywhere and have no clue what the heck it means!! It is SO annoying!!
I have never used IYKYK. I agree with the Taylor Swift/Era connection. Urgh!
How about you? Do you agree? What word or phrase do you feel needs to be banished from the English language? What is overused?
According to my Goodreads “Year in Books,” I read 60 books last year. I was a bit overzealous when I said I wanted to read 100.
Among those 60 were The Kind Worth Killing and The Kind Worth Saving by Peter Swanson. They feature Lily Kintner and Henry Kimball. Two friends who become friends in a very odd way. No spoilers here. In June of 2024, he released A Talent For Murder. This is the third book to feature Henry and Lily.
It recently became available on the Libby or Hoopla app from my library. It is a book that you can easily read as a stand alone if you had to. Any reference as to what happened in the first two books, is brief and not rehashed. I have stopped many books in a series because the spend half the book retelling the previous book.
This book had plenty of suspense and I really enjoyed it. Here is the Goodreads synopsis:
A newlywed librarian begins to suspect the man she married might be a murderer—in this spectacularly twisty and deviously clever novel by Peter Swanson, New York Times bestselling author of The Kind Worth Killing and Eight Perfect Murders.
Martha Ratliff conceded long ago that she’d likely spend her life alone. She was fine with it, happy with her solo existence, stimulated by her job as an archival librarian, constantly surrounded by thought-provoking ideas and the books she loved. But then she met Alan, a charming and sweet-natured divorcee with a job that took him on the road for half the year. When he asked her to marry him, she said yes, even though he still felt a little bit like a stranger.
A year in and the marriage was good, except for that strange blood streak on the back of one of his shirts he’d worn to a conference in Denver. Her curiosity turning to suspicion, Martha investigates the cities Alan visited over the past year and uncovers a disturbing pattern—five unsolved cases of murdered women.
Is she married to a serial killer? Or could it merely be a coincidence? Unsure what to think, Martha contacts an old friend from graduate school for advice. Lily Kintner once helped Martha out of a jam with an abusive boyfriend and may have some insight. Intrigued, Lily offers to meet Alan to find out what kind of man he really is . . . but what Lily uncovers is more perplexing and wicked than they ever could have expected.
Swanson is one of those writers that is creative and throws many surprises at you. I am already excited to see his next offering.
Various Ramblings of a Nostalgic Italian 