R.O.C.K. in the USA

Ok while I sit here all frosty-paws in my new fingerless arm warmers...yes, it's a knitted sleeve that goes right up the arm...like something Helena Bonham Carter would wear in Howard's End...I remembered that I have done something interesting in the past two weeks!

I went out to see John Mellencamp. He played at the Lowell Memorial Auditorium, a relatively small place and we had great seats. He was in great voice and still had lots of rock and roll charm. It's just that he tended to play a lot of melancholy stuff that I admit I don't really know! Lots of songs about poverty, being buried in pine boxes and loss of faith. I mean, like, an hour's worth of the stuff. We had to wait until the end of the concert to rock out.

But still when he sang "Rain on the Scarecrow" it gave me chills and brought me right back to 1987 and the apartment in Somerville I shared with 3 girls. We had a rented TV set andput a sign on top that said "we're not here for a long time, we're here for a good time!". We played that album (yes album, big black plastic circle) over and over again and ran out to see him in concert whenever we could scrounge up free tickets or money to pay for one. So since I have actually been seeing him in concert for over 20 years it's like we've grown up together, it's just that he has no idea who I am ; )

"this land built a nation
this land made me so proud
son I'm just sorry
there's no legacy for you now
rain on the scarecrow
blood on the plow"