Parental Worries

A big part of being a parent is worrying.  From the moment you find out that you're pregnant (and by you're I'm referring jointly to both mom and dad) until, presumably, you die, you worry about your kids.  It's just that over time, what you worry about changes.  I was reminded of this again last week when my son got his learner's permit and this past weekend, when I took him for his first driving lesson.

When you're pregnant, you worry about having a healthy baby.  That you won't have a miscarriage.  That your baby will have ten fingers and toes, etc.  Pregnant women spend large amounts of money on prenatal vitamins and healthy eating and forego some of the other things they enjoy (caffeine, alcohol, etc.) to, in part, ensure that they have a healthy baby.  Once the baby is here and he or she is healthy and they do, in fact, have the requisite number of fingers and toes, you worry about them hitting all of the milestones they are supposed to hit as infants and then toddlers.  Reaching for things.  Rolling over on their own.  Pulling themselves up.  Walking. Crawling.  All of those things that show up in books like "What to Expect During the First Year."

Once you get past those hurdles, you start to be more concerned with their cognitive abilities and social skills.  Are they learning their colors and letter and numbers?  Are they able to get along with other kids and make friends?  Will they be ready for kindergarten when they are 5?  Parents worry about all of these things often.  Meanwhile, their little ones are oblivious to mom and dad's concerns and are instead focused on playing and exploring.

As their kids move on through elementary school and into middle school and high school, parents start to worry about their kids making friends with "good kids" and not fall in with the "wrong crowd."  Parents worry about their kids getting into booze or drugs.  As kids sometimes get sullen in their teenage years and less willing to communicate with their parents, parents thus worry about what is going on in their kids' heads.  Are they happy? Struggling with depression?

As things move on in their high school years, kids (and their friends) start driving and parents start worrying about car accidents and just hoping that their kids make it back home alive every night.  And they worry about their kids graduating from high school and then moving on to college or the military or a trade school.  Often, those options involve the kid being far from home.  For those first 18 years, parents worry about their kids even when they are all under the same roof.  So how much worse is it when the kid goes away to college or joins the military?  Out of sight certainly doesn't mean out of mind.

Even as the kids move on into adulthood, parents still worry about their kids.  Will they graduate from college?  Will they be able to get and keep a job?  Will they find that special someone and start a family of their own?

So, from conception until death (or dementia), parents worry about their kids.  What they worry about changes over time, but the worry is always there.

Having said that, you may wonder why anyone would even WANT to be a parent?  Why put yourself through all of those worries if you don't have to?  Because with those worries come so much joy and so many rewards.  Few things are better than seeing your kids happy and successful.  When they get an A on that test they've studied so hard for.  When they get that big hit to win the game. When they get asked to that dance at school.  When they make good decisions on their own and display the morals and beliefs you have worked so hard to instill in them. When they put on that cap and gown and walk across that stage or when they walk down that aisle.  Invariably, every parent sees some of themselves in their child and when they see that child happy or successful, it makes them feel happy and successful.  And, believe it or not, those moments make all those years of worry worth it.

Thanks for reading.

Same Title, Different Song

As I was scrolling through my playlist the other day, I noticed that I had several songs that had the same title but were completely different songs by completely different artists.  I then started thinking how those songs compared to one another - their similarities, differences and musical styles.  Of course, as I'm apt to do, I decided to make a blog post about this.

Here are the rules:
1.) The songs must have the same title but not the same lyrics.  No remakes or covers allowed!
2.) The songs must have been recorded and included on a album that was released by a record label. No unrecorded songs allowed.
3.) The songs are listed in rough chronological order based on the release date of the album on which the song was initially included.

Most of these songs - but not all of them - are on my playlist.

Here we go...

Song Title: "Dreams"

Artist #1: Fleetwood Mac (1977) - This song was the second single from Fleetwood Mac's monster album, Rumours, an album that has sold more than 20 million copies in the U.S. and more than 40 million copies worldwide.  Interestingly, this song is the only Fleetwood Mac song to top the
Billboard 100 charts and it is, without a doubt, one of their most famous songs.  The "thunder only happens when it's raining" line in the chorus is iconic and I remember by parents listening to it when I was a kid.  Stevie Nicks wrote and sang the song and, like most of the songs on Rumours, it deals with the end of a relationship.  It's really a kiss off to a former lover who the singer opines will regret their decision to end the relationship.  A steady drum beat and bass line propel the song, which is why it's on the playlist I use when going for a run.  The song also includes the great line "players only love you when they're playing." Stevie has a way with words, doesn't she?  TGR Grade: A

Artist #2: Van Halen (1986) - This song was the second single from Van Halen's album 5150, which was their first album after replacing lead singer David Lee Roth with Sammy Hagar.  This song is decidedly more upbeat than the aforementioned song, both musically and lyrically.  Where Fleetwood Mac's "Dreams" is downcast and subdued (fitting its lyrical contact), Van Halen's "Dreams" is a big,
loud arena rocker in which the narrator encourages his significant other to spread her wings, climb higher and chase her dreams.  The song prominently features Eddie Van Halen's synthesizers throughout, as well as his typical searing guitar solo in the middle.  We don't hear Sammy Hagar's vocals until nearly a full minute into the song.  This song is, in my opinion, a perfect snapshot of the so called "Van Hagar" years.  Catchy, anthemic, synth-laden.  It was a Top 40 hit for the band and helped catapult 5150 to more than 6 million in sales. TGR Grade: B+

Artist #3: The Cranberries (1992) - Whereas the previous two songs were hit songs by well established American bands, this one was the debut single of a band from Ireland.  This song is an ethereal tune prominently featuring the recently departed Dolores O'Riordan's distinctive vocals.

Like the Fleetwood Mac song, the lyrics deal with a relationship.  Unlike the Fleetwood Mac song, this one has a more positive outlook at the beginning of a relationship.  I think most people can relate to the sentiment of falling for someone, dreaming of a future together, while also pleading that he or she doesn't break your heart.  While the song didn't manage to crack the Top 40 on the Billboard 100, it did hit the Top 15 on the Alternative Songs Chart in the U.S. and charted in a half dozen countries around the world.  While it wasn't the band's biggest hit (both "Linger" and "Zombie" would exceed this song's popularity), it was their first hit and the song that put them on the map in the world of 1990s alternative music. TGR Grade: B+

Song Title: "Jump"

Artist #1: Van Halen (1984) - This song was the lead single from Van Halen's massive hit album 1984.  Released in the waning days of 1983, it became Van Halen's first and only #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in February 1984.  It held the top spot for 5 weeks, succeeding Culture Club's "Karma Chameleon", before eventually being knocked out of the top spot by "Footloose" by Kenny Loggins.  In addition to being their biggest hit, the song marked a transition for the band.  Whereas early Van Halen songs were focused on and built around Eddie Van Halen's guitar licks, "Jump" is propelled instead by a rolling synthesizer line, also played by Eddie.  This synth-laden version of Van Halen would foreshadow the band's sound on their next two albums (see the aforementioned "Dreams") and lead, in part, to the departure of David Lee Roth from the band.  Lyrically, the song doesn't have much depth or many lyrics, but it is upbeat and catchy.  The music video, with Roth dancing, jumping and doing slow motion karate kicks, was a huge hit on MTV.  The song and video helped make 1984 the band's biggest hit with more than 10 million copies sold in the U.S. alone.  The album peaked at number 2 for five weeks but was held out of the top spot by Michael Jackson's Thriller. TGR Grade: A-

Artist #2: The Pointer Sisters (1984) - OK, officially this song is known as "Jump (For My Love),"
but it was originally called "Jump" when the album Break Out was released in 1983.  The parenthetical was only added prior to its release as a single in 1984 to distinguish it from the aforementioned Van Halen song of the same name.  This song was released a few months after Van Halen's and it peaked at #3.  Whereas Van Halen's "Jump" is an arena rocker, The Pointer Sisters' is an electro-dance tune typical of their sound and much of the R&B and pop music of the early to mid 1980s.  "Jump" is the second in a string of four Top 10 hits for the group during 1984 and those songs helped make Break Out their biggest album, going triple platinum.  Whereas Van Halen's song still receives plenty of airplay on '80s and classic rock stations, this song is one of those hits that didn't age quite as well and has faded away over the past three decades.  TGR Grade: C

Artist #3: Kriss Kross (1992) - Ahhh.....the early 1990s.  That period when hair bands were fading into oblivion and being replaced by grunge and alternative rock and when fun (and funny) rap songs

were being replaced by gangster rap.  Into this time of transition came this song, which was the debut single for Kriss Kross.  Kriss Kross was the moniker of two pre-pubescent rappers whose claim to fame (besides this song) were wearing their clothes backwards and calling themselves "Mac Daddy" and "Daddy Mac," which seems woefully inappropriate considering that these guys didn't even have hair on their junk when this song came out.  For some inexplicable reason, this song was a massive hit, topping the charts for 8 weeks.  In fact, I'm ashamed to admit that this was the #1 song in the country when I graduated from high school in early June 1992.  It's even harder to believe that it was a hit when it's two tweens rapping about how "fly," "lovable, huggable" they are and that virtually every line in the song contains the words "kriss," "kross," "daddy," "mac," and "jump." Seriously, those five words appear a combined total of 132 times. 132 times in a 3 minute, 17 second long song!  This was the duo's only #1 hit song, which I'm sure isn't a surprise to anyone when you consider everything I just said about it. TGR Grade: D


Song Title: "Heaven"

Artist #1: Bryan Adams (1985) - This song was actually recorded in 1983 and almost wasn't included on Adams's giant 1984 album Reckless.  Both Adams and his producer thought the sound was "too light" and not a good fit amongst rockers like "Summer of '69", "Somebody" and "Run to

You." However, Adams changed his mind at the last minute and included it.  It was a smart move, as the song got all the way to #11 on the charts, one of six Top 20 hits from the album, which went on to sell more than 5 million copies in the U.S. and 12 million copies worldwide.  Adams had been touring with and opening for Journey and, as such, the song is heavily inspired by that band's power ballads like "Faithfully." The song's lyrics are about finding that special someone and how, when you are with that person, it's akin to being in heaven.  It's not the most unique sentiment, but with Adams's raspy, heartfelt vocals, it works.  These days, this song doesn't receive the airplay of "Summer of '69," the single released right after this song, but it's still a good song and a precursor to the many ballads that Adams struck big with in the early 1990s. TGR Grade: B+

Artist #2: Warrant (1989) - If you were a so called "hair band" in the late '80s, it was almost a requirement that you record a power ballad.  Often, those power ballads became the band's biggest hit.  Such is the case with this song.  This song, the second single from the band's debut album, was

Warrant's biggest hit, peaking at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.  It stayed at #2 for two weeks, held out of the top spot by, of all songs, "Girl I'm Gonna Miss You" by Milli Vanilli.  The general theme of the song is similar to the aforementioned Bryan Adams song: equating heaven with being with the person you love.  However, this song is a little more melancholy, looking back at faded photographs and walking alone down a boulevard late at night, making seem as if the singer has lost his love but is still hanging on and hoping that she will come back ("I don't know what to do but I'm never giving up on you.") Musically, this is a perfect example of the hair band power ballad: acoustic guitar and softer verses with electric guitars and a harder rocking chorus.  Fortunately, this power ballad isn't quite as saccharine as some of the power ballads released by the band's contemporaries and, as such, it has aged better some of the other songs.  TGR Grade: B

Artist #3: Better Than Ezra (1995) - Many of you may have never even heard of this song.  It's an album track from the band's major label debut album, Deluxe, which produced hit songs like "Good"

and "In The Blood."  I love this album - it's one of my favorites of all time.  Every song on it is good and, 20+ years later, I know every lyric of every song.  Having said that, I have no idea what this song is about.  Unlike the previous two songs, this one is not about being with the one you love.  Much of it is, quite frankly, sentence fragments that really have little to no meaning.  It does, however, feature this lyric which I really like: "heretics and hypocrites/wear the same face through the years/of telling lies and laying blame/damn the fire to feed the flame"  The song has a slower tempo than most of the songs on the album and features a nice bass line from Tom Drummond who co-wrote the song with the band's guitarist, lead singer and primary songwriter Kevin Griffin.  This isn't one of the band's best songs, but I still like it. TGR Grade: B


Song Title: "Alive"

Artist #1: Pearl Jam (1991) - This is the debut single from one of the most beloved American rock bands of the last 50 years. It helped launch the so-called grunge movement and "Seattle sound"
that came to define the musical landscape of the 1990s.  The album on which this song appeared, Ten, has sold more than 10 million copies in the U.S.  While fellow Seattle rock legends Nirvana are typically credited with ushering in the era of grunge, Ten was actually released a month before that band's iconic Nevermind.  Closing in on 30 years after its initial release, this song remains one of the most popular songs in Pearl Jam's impressive canon.  It's not hard to understand why.  It's a rocker with a big, arena-ready chorus that features one of the great guitar solos of all time in the coda.  In fact, the solo, played by Mike McCready, was ranked among the 50 greatest guitar solos of all time by Guitar World and Total Guitar. While the music and melody are big, loud and, at first listen, uplifting or inspirational, the lyrics are in fact decidedly dark.  They tell the story of a young man whose mother has just informed him that the man he thought was his father isn't, in fact, his father and that his real father is dead.  In a sense, those serious lyrics help explain, in a nutshell, the shift in rock from the late 1980s to rock in the early 1990s.  While the party hard, hair bands of the late '80s talked about just having "a good time" and staying "up all night," the grunge bands of the early '90s had lyrics dealing with depression and broken families and other dark subjects.  Pearl Jam has recorded a lot of great music over the past 30 years, but this song remains one of their best and it's one of my all time favorites. TGR Grade: A

  

Artist #2: Edwin McCain (1995) - While Pearl Jam's "Alive" was a big hit, this song - which was the first song on McCain's major label debut album, Honor Among Thieves, was never released as a single.  While McCain would go on to have some success in the latter '90s with ballads like "I'll Be," this song is a great example of the funky, acoustic, singer-songwriter vibe that dominated his first few

albums.  It's both a love letter to New Orleans and the power that music can have on the human spirit.  The first verse, for example, deals with a record store owner on St. Charles Street whose father and wife recently passed away but who is still finding the strength to go on, partly because of music.  The bridge also contains the great line "you know life's a roller coaster, it ain't got no safety bar."  So while the music in this song is completely different from Pearl Jam's song of the same name (Edwin's has acoustic guitar and a wind controller rather than Pearl Jam's big guitars), there are some lyrical similarities.  In both songs, people have faced difficult circumstances and are finding a way to persevere and keep going. 
TGR Grade: A-


Song Title: "True"

Artist #1: Spandau Ballet (1983) - This song is a great example of the New Wave music that dominated the radio airwaves in the early to mid 1980s. While Spandau Ballet had a lot of success in the UK during the '80s, this song was their only hit US hit, where it hit #4 in 1983.  Typical of the

New Wave music of the time, it features prominent synthesizers and electronic drums.  Unlike much of the music at the time, it shows some literary and cultural awareness, with lyrics mentioning Marvin Gaye and adapting lines from Nabokov's  Lolita.  The song ins supposedly about a platonic relationship but who knows because the song is primarily just known for its music and the oft repeated "Uh huh huh HUH huh. I know this much is true" line.  While the song was enormously popular worldwide, it has also frequently appeared on "Worst Songs of All Time" lists.  This likely largely to do the repetitive nature of the song, which is particularly noticeable on the album version, which drags on for 6 and a half minutes.  The song gained a second wind, of sorts, in the 1990s when it was sampled by PM Dawn for their hit song "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss" in 1991 and when Steve Buscemi famously covered it in an uncredited cameo as a cheesy wedding singer in Adam Sandler's hit 1998 film "The Wedding Singer." It was also featured prominently in an ad for the Chevy Malibu in 2012. TGR Grade: B-

Artist #2: George Strait (1998) - The first country entry on the list has to come from none other than King George.  While he is arguably the most successful country music artist of all time with more than 50 #1 hits under his belt, this isn't one of those #1s.  This song peaked at #2 in 1998 in the U.S., though it did top the charts in Canada.  While the Spandau Ballet song is kinda sorta maybe about love, this song (written by Marv Green and Jeff Stevens) is unambiguously about love.  But whereas

most country love songs are slow ballads, this song is an upbeat, up-tempo number.  While Strait has always stuck to his country roots and avoided the pop crossover crap that has plagued country music over the past decade (God bless him for that), this song is about as close to be big arena rocker as he gets.  While it features steel guitar and fiddle, it is primarily driven by an electric guitar hook.  The lyrics profess his love and compare it to the sun coming up in the morning, a baby's smile, a mountain river and rain. From that standpoint, using outdoor metaphors to convey the power of his love, it bears some similarities to Randy Travis's smash hit "Deeper Than The Holler" from a decade before.  In the hands of a lesser singer, this song might be a little too treacle, but Strait's voice and delivery turn it into something special.  While this isn't one of my favorite George Strait songs, it's still a lot better than most of the garbage you can find on country radio these days.  TGR Grade: B+


Song Title: "Shout"

Artist #1: The Isley Brothers (1959) - Of all of the hit songs that came out of the first two decades of rock 'n roll, this is one of the most enduring.  How many other nearly 60 year old songs still get played regularly at sporting events, dances and wedding receptions?  Interestingly, the song never even cracked the Top 40.  However, in spite of its lack of chart success, it is unquestionably an
enormous hit, as evidenced by the aforementioned frequency at which it is still played and the fact that it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999 and listed as #118 on Rolling Stone's list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time."  Though it was originally written and recorded by The Isley Brothers in 1959, it has been covered countless times by other music legends such as The Beatles, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, and - most famously - by Otis Day and the Knights.  Their version was featured in the 1978 comedy classic National Lampoon's Animal House, which re-introduced the song to a whole new generation of music lovers and party animals.  The song is incredibly simple but also incredibly catchy.  It's a call and response with the lead singer saying different phrases, to which the rest of the band or backing singers reply "Shout".  However, it's the dance and the "little bit softer now" that really gave the song its longevity, some of which can invariably be linked to Bluto and the gang dancing to it at the toga party in Animal House.  The song is still a favorite nearly 60 years after it's initial release and there's no reason to believe that will change in the next 60 years. TGR Grade: A

Artist #2: Tears for Fears (1985) - Tears for Fears' sophomore album Songs From The Big Chair was one of the biggest hit albums of 1985.  It sold more than 5 million copies in the U.S. and more than 7 million copies worldwide.  The album produced 3 top 5 hits, including this song, which was the band's first #1 single.  Whereas The Isley Brothers' "Shout" is a fun party song, Tears for Fears' 

"Shout" is a protest anthem of sorts, encouraging people to raise their voices against things they don't agree with.  Musically, the song is another good example of pop music in the mid 1980s, with synthesizers, shimmering guitars and a drum machine.  The song, however, has an interesting structure.  Instead the typical verse-chorus-verse-chorus set up, the song starts with the chorus twice followed be a few verses, another chorus, another verse, and then the chorus several more times.  It gets a little repetitive after a while.  Overall, it's a good song and it's often considered their signature song, though I'd put several of their later songs, namely "Everybody Wants to Rule the World," "Head Over Heels" and "Sowing the Seeds of Love," above this song.  TGR Grade: B

There you have it - a unique look at some different songs that have the same name but completely different styles and stories.  I hope you enjoyed it. There are some other song titles for which I could do this, but I'll save those for a future blog post. 

As always, thanks for reading!