Through the Prism of Race
It doesn't matter what we say, you'll call us 'racists' anyway

I'm really angry. In fact, since I began writing this little blog, I don't think anything (aside from an attack on Israel) has made me this mad. Look, I've made no doubt where my political leanings are. With that said, there is more to being a conservative than voting for the Republican nominee. Half the time, conservatives care little for their nominee but only vote for the candidate because the alternative is much, much worse. Three years of Obama have proven that once again.

But back to topic; my anger.

It has widely been reported, by members of our beloved mainstream media, that anyone who dares disagree with President Obama is a racist. It doesn't matter if the criticism against him is due to his poor record on economic issues, his dangerous naivete on foreign policy or even his seemingly endless campaigning, while the country lurches towards another civil war.

Simply stated, anything said about the President in a bad light deems the attacker a racist.

And why is that? Well, obviously the first thought that comes to mind is the fact that President Obama is the first black man to hold the office. That alone is a tremendous accomplishment for a nation that was dealing with serious racial inequality (at the very least) just 40 years ago. That there is no question as to how miserably black Americans were treated in this country during many of our generation's lives, gives excellent reason many - not just blacks - tremendous pride for eschewing the prejudices of old and attempting to create the society that Martin Luther King, Jr. prayed and spoke about.

And yet, as far as we have come, there are so many of us who still demand to see everything in life through the prism of race. It these people's world, blacks voting over 90% for Obama in 2008 was perfectly fine. But should a white candidate receive that amount, he is more than likely to be considered a member of the KKK, who wants white supremacy to rule the land.

When George W. Bush was President, he was mercilessly mocked as a buffoon, an ape, a terrorist and the ultimate evil (all by the Left). There was even a movie that was released showing his assassination, for crying out loud. The vitriol placed against the President was so vicious he is still being threatened by leftists the world over.

Yet, when anyone on the right says ANYTHING even remotely derogatory (and yes, I admit some things aren't just derogatory), the media immediately claims the GOP candidate is using "code words" from Jim Crow days. The point, of course, is a tactic that is used by leftists throughout history. And that is when you have no argument to make about the policy, demean to neutralize your opponent. I've seen this tactic every time I've sat through each and every commentary on MSNBC, ABC, NBC, CNN and CBS.

And it isn't just on the news shows. Pick up a newspaper and read the New York Times or Washington Post. Often times, it's much more subtle that a flat out "Republicans are racists" meme. However, almost every time someone writes about the political race for president, the author always finds reason to attack the GOP candidate for not caring about Black people.

For example, Newt Gingrich and his calling Obama the "Food Stamp President." Even when Gingrich clearly states that there are more white folks receiving food stamps than black folks, network hosts (too many to mention here) still claim he is slamming black folks. How, exactly? Do the hosts at MSNBC, CBS or any of the other non-Fox networks feel only blacks are on food stamps?

How about Maureen Dowd of the New York Times? When Joe Wilson shouted the words "you lie" when Obama was lying during a joint session of Congress (September 2009), Dowd wrote the following day, "But, fair or not, what I heard was an unspoken word in the air: You lie, boy!" Perhaps Wilson should have shown more respect for the office of the president. But after watching the Supreme Court justices berated openly during the State of the Union address, and also being told that he and other Republicans should shut up "because I won," Wilson was clearly frustrated that no one dare question Obama.

Look, there is no doubt anymore that the main stream press is the only reason Barack Obama is President today. He had no experience running even the smallest business, he openly called for wealth distribution, he openly called for the fundamental transformation of the greatest country the world has ever known, he criticized those who "cling to religion and guns," and he sat in the pew for 20 years listening to ravings of vicious, anti-American, anti-Semitic preacher, who by the way inspired the President to write his first autobiography. In addition, LA Times is sitting on a video of Obama praising "his good friend" and known anti-Jewish bigot Rashid Khalidi. Khalidi is a harsh critic of Israel, has made statements supportive of Palestinian terror and has worked on behalf of the Palestine Liberation Organization while it was involved in anti-Western terrorism and was labeled by the State Department as a terror group.

And yet, when the Democrat primaries were underway, the press destroyed former favorite-daughter Hillary Clinton - often portraying her unfavorably in photographs, while constantly publishing pictures of Obama with a halo behind his head. But the press' man agenda was the removal of President Bush at all costs. For proof, go back to 2004, when Dan Rather ran a story with forged military records of the President. Of course, Bush won re-election while Rather was finally outed as a left-wing partisan hack.

So what is it today that angered me so and brought up all these emotions?

Jesse Jackson.

Yes, the good old Reverend who was so ticked off by Obama's stealing his thunder that he once threatened to "cut his nuts out." during a break in an interview (live mike caught his comment). Well, Jesse seems to have gotten over himself and has joined the ranks of those who see everything through the prism of race. In defense of Jackson (not that he deserves it), He's ALWAYS seen the world through the prism of race and he's also ALWAYS been dishonest about it. After all, one of Saul Alinsky's "Rules for Radicals" is that the ends always justify the means." Ok, that was Karl Marx's ideology as well. But we are comparing two sides of the same coin. On Saturday morning, at Rev. Jesse Jackson's Rainbow PUSH forum, broadcast nationally on the Word Network, the bad Reverend got worked up over the photograph of Arizona Governor Jan Brewer pointing at the chest of President Obama. Here's what Jackson said:

"She knew what she was doing. She was telling him off. She was cutting him down to his size. She must never get away with that. Even George Wallace did not put his finger in Dr. King’s face. Say, enough is enough."

Wow. I love the "enough is enough" comment, as if Democrats are so civil themselves. But what gets me is the sheer hypocrisy. First of all, Jackson immediately compares Governor Brewer and President Obama to George Wallace and Martin Luther King. Seriously? Aside from Wallace being a Democrat and King being a Republican (bet you didn't know that, huh?), Jackson is clearly race baiting here. Wallace was famous for sending Bull Connor to stop the "uppity Negroes" in Selma. Wallace was a terrible bigot who split the Democrat votes in 1968 and 1972. Jackson isn't calling Obama "Wallace" here. He's calling Brewer that (and likewise comparing Obama to King - which is an ENORMOUS stretch of the imagination).

So, according to Jesse Jackson, it's absolutely racist to point your finger at someone without them being racists. Okay, let's assume this to be true. Then how do you explain these pictures:



Is President Obama a racist? Is Jesse Jackson? Well, we know the answer to question #2.

The truth of the matter is, Governor Brewer is not a racist for pointing her finger at Obama anymore than President Obama is a racist for pointing his finger at Prime Minister Netanyahu. But the agenda of Jesse Jackson, just like the agenda of the liberal press, is to make ALL conservatives look like racists. The ironic part of this is it was the Democrats who fought for slavery and the Democrats who tried to destroy Lyndon Johnson for the Civil Rights Amendment. It was Democrats who created, funded and supported the Ku Klux Klan.

When you look at the damage that has been done to the black community over the past 4 decades, you can see much of it stemmed from Johnson's "Great Society." I do not begrudge the Democrats for wanting to help those less fortunate then themselves. It's a very noble act. But when your actions cause so much damage, it matters not how good the intentions are. The fact that conservatives, like myself, believe there is a better way to help less fortunate folks (white or black or purple or green), does not mean we hate Blacks. Quite the contrary. We simply do not care what the color is of your skin. Unlike the left, we believe all people should have the opportunity to raise themselves up to as successful as they can. We do not believe in pushing someone down to make them like everyone else. We believe in raising everyone up who wishes to be raised up.

Unfortunately, people like Jackson need racial strife to continue in order for him to be relevant (and financially rewarded). This is why he was so in favor of castrating the President. He saw him as a threat to his standing and felt the need to knock Obama down, in order to raise himself up. Of course, he was soundly derided for it and thus needed to do something to rebuild his image. How better to do that than by reaching into the Democrat playbook of the politics of personal destruction? And with Obama being black, it's an easy sell to others who see the world through the prism of race. Of course, Jackson has tried this before, especially after his "Hymietown" comments and after his affair with Karin Stanford, a 39-year-old worker at his Rainbow/PUSH Coalition office in Washington (while counseling President Clinton after his relationship with Monica Lewinsky became public.

Obama was supposed to bring in a new era of a post-racial America. At least, that was the hope and expectation of many who voted for him. Instead, he surrounds himself with extreme race-baiters whose agenda is not to move America forward, but to punish those who they feel oppressed them. Sadly, not only are they trying to punish the wrong people, they are seriously hurting the fabric of this country.

Jesse Jackson says "enough is enough." Too bad he doesn't really mean it.

Ten Great Songs From One Great Year

1973

(for an earlier version of 1973, click here)

What was a harbinger of history to come, January 1st brought the nations of Great Britain, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark into the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union. Later that month, the U.S. Supreme Court gives its' final verdict in the matter of Roe v. Wade, which overturns states abortion bans.

In March, as the Watergate scandal begins to target President Nixon, the White House announces that the last American soldier has left Vietnam. The first week of April brought three "firsts." The first handheld cell phone, the opening of the World Trade Center's Twin Towers (the Sears Tower in Chicago opens a month later) and the first designated hitter in Major League Baseball (Ron Bloomberg of the New York Yankees). A couple of weeks later, Federal Express begins operations in Memphis, Tennessee.

NASA launches the Skylab program in May. Also that month, Secretariat becomes the first Triple Crown winner in 25 years. The Middle East is once again at the center of world events, as Black September members open fire at the Athens airport; 3 are killed, 55 injured. This was the same Palestinian group that murdered 11 Israeli athletes the year before, during the Olympics. Just over a month later, Egyptian and Syrian forces coordinate a sneak attack on Israel on Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar. While the Arabs score a first strike win, Israel eventually regroups and defeats the Arab armies.

The end of the year brought in a change in the U.S. Vice Presidency, as Spiro Agnew resigns following his no contest plea to charges of income tax evasion. Gerald R. Ford is sworn in to replace him.

Midnight Train to Georgia -- Gladys Knight and the Pips (lyrics)

This was written and originally recorded by Jim Weatherly, who had a solo hit in 1974 with "The Need To Be." Weatherly explained the origin of this song in an interview with Gary James: "the song actually came about after a phone call I had with Farrah Fawcett. Lee Majors was a friend of mine. We'd played in the Flag Football League together in L.A. He had just started dating Farrah. One day I called Lee and Farrah answered the phone. We were just talking and she said she was packing. She was gonna take the midnight plane to Houston to visit her folks. So, it just stayed with me. After I got off the phone, I sat down and wrote the song probably in about 30 to 45 minutes."



Time in a Bottle -- Jim Croce (lyrics)

This hit #1 14 weeks after Croce was killed in a plane crash. Croce started touring after he completed I Got A Name. On September 30, 1973 a plane carrying Croce and 5 other people crashed upon takeoff as he was leaving one college venue to another 70 miles away. No one survived the accident, and among those killed was Maury Muehleisen, who played guitar on Croce's albums. This song entered the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the week ending December 1, 1973 and finally reached #1 for the week ending December 29, a little over 3 months after he died.



The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia -- Vicki Lawrence (lyrics)

This song tells the tale of a man who finds out from his friend Andy that his wife had cheated on him with both Andy and a guy named Seth. This being Georgia, he gets a gun and sets out to kill Andy, but when he gets there Andy is already dead. The police show up, arrest him for killing Andy and he is hanged. The singer then reveals that she is the man's sister and that she shot Andy and also killed her brother's wife. This was the only hit for Lawrence. She was an actress on The Carol Burnett Show and starred in Mama's Family.

Money -- Pink Floyd (lyrics)

This song is about the bad things money can bring. Ironically, it made Pink Floyd lots of cash, as the album sold over 34 million copies. Many studio effects were used on this song. They were using a new 16-track recorder, which allowed them to layer sounds much easier, but complex studio techniques like this still took a long time to do in 1973, as there weren't digital recorders and samplers available like we have today.

Crocodile Rock -- Elton John (lyrics)

This tells the story of a guy in the '50s and '60s who frequented a restaurant where the patrons loved an obscure dance called the Crocodile Rock. Because of all the events that happened in the '60s, however, this unknown little dance forever vanished into history and no one cared anymore. Even his girlfriend, who also enjoyed "burning up to the Crocodile Rock," left him. It's a catchy little song with really sad lyrics.

Killing Me Softly With His Song -- Roberta Flack (lyrics)

This was written by the songwriting team of Charles Fox and Norman Gimbel, and first recorded by Lori Lieberman in 1972. The story goes that the song was inspired by Don McLean, a singer/songwriter famous for his hit "American Pie." After being mesmerized by one of his concerts at the Troubadour theater in Los Angeles - and in particular McLean's song "Empty Chairs" - Lieberman described what she saw of McLean's performance to Norman Gimbel and Charles Fox, who were writing songs for her new album, and they wrote the song for her.



The Morning After -- Maureen McGovern (lyrics)

This was written by Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn for the Oscar-winning movie The Poseidon Adventure, starring Gene Hackman. The original title of the song was "Why Must There Be a Morning After?" During the spring of 1972, Russ Regan (the head of 20th Century Records at the time) began looking for someone to record "The Morning After" for the singles market. He originally offered the song to Barbra Streisand, but she turned it down in favor of other projects. He then remembered hearing (months before) a demo tape from a secretary who was a part-time Folk singer (and who had never made a record before) named Maureen McGovern. Regan liked her voice so much, that he immediately hired her sight unseen to record the song.

Feelin' Stronger Every Day - Chicago (lyrics)

In a 1991 interview, Peter Cetera said that while the song is about "both healing and moving on after the end of a relationship," it could just as well apply to the dynamic wave of success that Chicago was riding at this time. This was their second #1 album on the US album charts, their third two-time platinum album, and they would yet have two more consecutive #1's on the US album charts. This song comes right at what many could argue was the peak of their career, although even the lowest of Chicago's career could pass for moderate success for other bands.

Could It Be I'm Falling In Love - The Spinners (lyrics)

"Could it be I'm Falling in Love" was written by Melvin Steals and Mervin Steals, who according to Chancellor of Soul, were two songwriter brothers working for The Spinners' label, Atlantic Records, who were sometimes credited as "Mystro and Lyric." If The Spinners sound a little more like Motown than New York, that's because they used to be signed with Motown Records. The self-titled Spinners album was their first produced on their shiny new Atlantic contract. They were even known as "The Motown Spinners" before, but changed their name to "The Detroit Spinners" after moving to Atlantic. Both of these names are more commonly heard in the UK, to avoid confusion with a British group also called The Spinners. In the US, they're usually just called "Spinners." As a side note, I think I was the only white Jewish kid in Dallas who loved "Soul Train."



You're So Vain -- Carly Simon (lyrics)

The person Simon is singing about in this song remains a mystery, as she has never made it clear who she wrote it about; rumors include Warren Beatty, Kris Kristofferson, Cat Stevens, and Mick Jagger, all of whom she had affairs with. The media and the general public seemed to want this to be about a specific person, however, and Simon was happy to indulge. In a 2008 interview to promote her album This Kind of Love, she said: "When I had the line 'You're so vain, you probably think this song is about you,' that was definitely about one person. The rest of the descriptions basically came from my relationship with that person."



BONUS TRACK

Playground In My Mind -- Clint Holmes (lyrics)
(by request/Elizabeth Rand)

The nursery rhyme-styled song features Holmes performing a duet with producer Paul Vance's son Philip (he passed away 12/13/09) on the chorus. This song was written by Vance and Lee Pockriss, released in the U.S. in July 1972 but did not reach the Hot 100 until March 1973, where it stayed for 23 weeks. Holmes as been a Las Vegas attraction for many years and was the announcer on The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers, which ran from 1986-1988.

Ten Great Songs From One Great Year

2000

While most people looked at 2000 as the beginning of a new millennium, the next year (2001) actually has this designation. However, this did not stop the enormous celebration and festivities that occurred at it's onset. Soon after the parties died down, the new decade introduced the marriage of giants AOL and Time-Warner, the largest corporate merger in history. Also in tech news, software leader Microsoft was sued by the US government for violating anti-trust laws. In January, the Dow Jones Industrial Average peaked at 11,722.9. This became the peak of the dot.com bubble.

In an April predawn raid, federal agents seize 6-year old Elián González from his relatives' home in Miami, Florida and flew him to his Cuban father in Washington, DC, ending one of the most publicized custody battles in U.S. history. Politically, the year brought in the elections of Vladamir Putin in Russia, Vicente Fox in Mexico and of course, George W. Bush in the United States.

In the Middle East, "Palestinians" use Ariel Sharon's Temple Mount visit as a pretext to rioting in Jerusalem. This came just a few short months after Israel completely withdrew her troops from Lebanon. Two weeks later, members of Al-Qaeda, a militant Islamic organization, headed by Osama Bin-Laden, badly damaged the USS Cole in a suicide bombing mission. the terrorist act killed 17 crew members and wounded at least 39.

Lastly, this was the year Charles Schultz died and Dora the Explorer was born.

Kyptonite -- 3 Doors Down

Commonly thought to contain a shout out to the movie Superman ("Kryptonite" is the substance that rendered Superman powerless - it could only be found on his home planet of Krypton), and to Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon, Brad Arnold says this song has neither. He explains how it all came together: "That line is just like a happenstance line. That song is so little about Superman. It's just really about that question. That's just something that everybody can identify with." He says that it was either Part I or II of the Superman movies that had Superman fighting an enemy in space, where they floated around to the dark side of the moon. He says, however, that he wrote this song before the movie came out. "And I was like, 'What?!' he laughs. "And it was after I wrote that song. That was weird."



Smooth -- Santana ft. Rob Thomas

Clive Davis is a legendary record executive who was the mastermind behind this album. Santana had not had a hit since "Hold On" in 1982, so Davis teamed him up with contemporary musicians like Wyclef Jean, Everlast and Lauryn Hill to make sure the younger generation took notice. The result was a wildly successful album that went over well with Santana's old fans and created a legion of new ones. This was the first single, and it spent 12 weeks at #1 in the US.

Oops!...I Did It Again -- Britney Spears

Written by Max Martin, a Swedish producer who wrote Britney's first hit, "Baby One More Time." The songs sound very similar. Spears took on a racier image when she released this as the video played up her sexuality, and the line "I'm not that innocent" made people question her claim that she was a virgin. The first single from her second album, this CD has sold over 9 million copies in the US. Her first album sold 13 million. A record 155 radio stations added this to their playlists the first week it was released. This reflects the hype surrounding the single.



Stan -- Eminem ft. Dido

This tells the story of a fan obsessed with Eminem. When his letters are not answered, he puts his pregnant girlfriend in his trunk and drives off a bridge. The song ends with Eminem answering his letter and realizing Stan was the man in the news who drove off the bridge.

Eminem performed this at the 2001 Grammys with Elton John playing piano and singing the Dido part. The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) protested the performance, claiming Eminem promoted hatred. The part of this song that was deemed anti-gay was the line where Stan writes, "We could have been together" and Eminem replies, "That's the kind of thing that makes me think we shouldn't meet each other." Elton John didn't have a problem with it.

Absolutely (Story Of A Girl) -- Nine Days

With bands like Vertical Horizon and Lifehouse all over the airwaves, Nine Days was a welcome addition to playlists with "Absolutely (Story of a Girl)." The song was written by their lead singer John Hampson, and the girl who "Cried a river and drown the whole world" was his girlfriend, Teresa Savino, who later became his wife. The song was a huge success, but Nine Days was not able to follow it up; Epic Records dropped the band and wouldn't release their second album because they didn't hear a hit. Hampson became a high school English teacher. It wasn't until 2007 before they had finally released a followup EP Slow Motion Life (Part One), with 6 new songs.



Breathless -- The Coors

The Corrs are a family group formed in Dundalk, Ireland in 1990 by Andrea (lead vocals), Sharon (violin), Caroline (drums) and Jim Corr (guitar/keyboards). They blend the music of their Irish background with contemporary Pop/Rock. Their popularity was restricted to Ireland until 1994, when the American ambassador to the country invited The Corrs to perform at the 1994 World Cup in Boston. This led to a support slot on Celine Dion's 1996 tour, which the group joined just after an appearance at that year's Olympic Games in Atlanta. Their album Talk On Corners became the biggest-selling Irish album in the UK and was the top selling album in 1998 in Britain.

Californication -- Red Hot Chili Peppers

A song about the deterioration of society, this reflects how the world is becoming very superficial and plastic, much like California. Amazingly it appeared that writers for the Showtime comedy drama Californication did not negotiate with the Red Hot Chili Peppers before borrowing this song's title for their show. Consequently the rock group filed a lawsuit against Showtime on November 19, 2007 seeking damages and restitution and asking the court to issue a permanent injunction barring further use of the title. In addition, one of the characters in the program played by Rachel Miner was given the nickname Dani California, the title of a 2006 Chili Peppers song, and one episode featured a character describing California as "the edge of the world and all of western civilization," a line from "Californication."

Sailin' to Philadelphia -- Marc Knopfler with James Taylor

The title track of Knopfler's second solo release is drawn from Thomas Pynchon's novel about Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon, the two English surveyors who established the border between Pennsylvania and Maryland, Delaware and Virginia in the 1760s. The border later became known as the Mason-Dixon Line and has been used since the 1820s to denote the border between the Southern United States and the Northern United States. The album contains featured vocal appearances by James Taylor, Van Morrison, and Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford. AMERICA recorded this song on their most recent release My Back Pages (2011).



She's So High -– Tal Bachman

Bachman is the son of Canadian rocker Randy Bachman, who is famous for his work in The Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive. This is Tal's first single - his sound is much more mellow and mainstream than his father's. In 2003, Kurt Nilsen's cover version became Norway's best selling single ever. Nilsen is the answer to a great trivia question: who won the only "World Idol" competition? He won the one-off show in 2004 competing for Norway against the Idol winners from other countries, including Kelly Clarkson, who came in second.

There She Goes -– Sixpence None the Richer

This was originally recorded by the The La's, a promising band from England who developed a cult following in America. They released it as a single in 1988, but it didn't chart. In 1990, when The La's finally released their first album, they re-released this as a single - this time it charted at #13 in the UK and #49 in the US. Critics loved the album, but the La's disappeared soon after it was released. Sixpence None The Richer's version became a hit when it was used in the movie Snow Day. Many people believe the song is about shooting up heroin, with "she" being the drug.

BONUS TRACK

Thong Song -- SisqO

Seven years after "Baby Got Back" and "Rump Shaker," the world was ready for another Booty song; something that can play in the clubs and unapologetically celebrate women who show off their fine posteriors, in this case by wearing a thong.Sisqó (real name: Mark Andrews) was a member of the '90s R&B group Dru Hill, known more for their smooth sounds than their club beats. Working with the songwriting/production duo The Funktwons (Tim Kelley and Bob Robinson), Sisqó created this jam that combined his soulful vocals and distinctive look with a pumping beat. With lots of airplay on MTV, the song picked up speed as the network promoted it on their spring break coverage, and it remained popular through the summer of 2000. Sisqó was on the A-list for a few months, showing up in a Pepsi commercial and parties at the Playboy mansion. His follow-up single "Incomplete" charted at #25, but he faded fast, releasing another solo album that tanked in 2001 and falling into obscurity and depression. In 2003, he faced gun charges for shooting at a car, but he emerged a few years later as a reality TV star, showing up on Gone Country and the UK version of Celebrity Big Brother.




Disclaimer: Some of the "facts" listed are from songfacts.com or Wikipedia.

Ten Great Songs From One Great Year

1980

A new decade to replace the old. The end of the 70s had become filled with overindulgence, drugs and bad music. It felt as if, overnight, the world woke up to a new "Morning in a America." Of course, the biggest change was due to the election on Ronald Reagan, in November. In truth, 1980 was just as bad as the year before. The hostages were still in Iran, Jimmy Carter was failing and filled with malaise and the world was becoming a much more dangerous place.

Politically, the year started with the ABSCAM scandal, which targeted numerous politicians in a bribery sting. Only one, Senator John Murtha (D-PA) was able to overcome the scandal and continue a lifetime political career. March was the month when President Carter announced the American boycott of the Summer Olympics (The USSR boycotted the 1984 games in retaliation). Rosie Ruiz won the Boston Marathon, only to be discovered later exposed as a fraud and stripped of her award. In music, the Mi Amigo, the boat that housed pirate radio Radio Caroline, sank in March. It was the ship that influenced the movie "Pirate Radio."

On the same day in May, Mt. St. Helens, in Washington, erupts, killing 57 and causing $3 billion in damage and race riots break out after a Tampa, Florida court acquits 4 white police officers of killing Arthur McDuffie, a black insurance executive. Miami was also the scene of the Marial boatlift, when over 125,000 made their way from Cuba, trying to escape Castro's regime.

December was particularly tragic. American missionary Jean Donovan and three Roman Catholic nuns are murdered by a military death squad in El Salvador while volunteering to do charity work during the country's civil war. Four people were murdered at Bob's Big Boy on La Cienga Blvd. in Los Angeles and four others were injured by two armed robbers, in what was one of the city's brutalest crimes ever. And of course, the assassination of John Lennon, by Mark David Chapman.

Brass In Pocket (I'm Special) -- The Pretenders 

The song's title came about after The Pretenders first ever UK gig, when they were in the communal dressing room with The Strangeways, who they were supporting. Chrissie Hynde wanted to know whose trousers were sprawled over the back of a chair. One of The Strangeways, Ada Wilson, said: "I'll have them if there's any brass in the pockets." When Chrissie inquired what he meant by brass, it was explained to her that brass is a northern slang term for money. Chrissie fell in love with the expression and was inspired to write the song. (Songfacts)

All Out Of Love -- Air Supply 

Air Supply formed in 1975 when Graham Russell and Russell Hitchcock met as cast members on the stage musical Jesus Christ Superstar. In 1978 they toured their home country of Australia with Rod Stewart. They were then invited to tour North America with Stewart, enabling them to break into the American market. The following year, Clive Davis signed them to Arista Records and released "Lost in Love" internationally. "All Out Of Love" was their next single on Arista. (Songfacts)

Drivin' My Life Away -- Eddie Rabbitt 

With the exception of "I Love A Rainy Night," This was Eddie Rabbit's most successful song, reaching #1 on the Country charts and selling over a million copies. The song was inspired by the hectic lives of his roadies, whose constant traveling made them virtual strangers to their wives, families, and friends. This was featured in the motion picture Roadie, which starred Art Carney and Meat Loaf. (Songfacts)

Ride Like the Wind -- Christopher Cross 

This song the story of a condemned man on the run to Mexico. The story line is one not often heard on Adult Contemporary radio, but the precise instrumentation and soaring background vocals, which were provided by Michael McDonald, helped make the song a hit. The eponymous album spurned 3 top #20 hits, including the #1 hit "Sailing." Cross scored 5 Grammy awards in 1981 for the LP.

Take Your Time (Do It Right) -- The S.O.S. Band 

This was the only top 40 hit for this Atlanta, Georgia based band. Originally called "Santa Monica', they changed their name to the SOS band because "the letters stand for "sounds of success." They recorded 8 albums over the next decade, with their last being, One of Many Nights.



Misunderstanding -- Genesis 

This was one of the first songs written by Phil Collins. The lyrics deal with the problems Collins was having with his marriage. After taking over as the group's lead singer, he spent less and less time with his wife. They eventually divorced. While "Follow You, Follow Me" was their first single, "Misunderstanding" was a bigger hit and made a much bigger impact on American radio.

We Live For Love -- Pat Benatar 

This was Pat Benatar's 3rd straight top 30 song from her debut album In the Heat of the Night. But it was something of a departure from her typical sound. She sang in a high key, and some radio listeners mistook her for Deborah Harry from Blondie. Benatar and Harry both appeared in the 1980 movie Union City, although neither sang a note.



Jojo -- Boz Scaggs 

Between 1976-1980, Scaggs had a number of top 40 hits, including the #3 hit "Lowdown." But his biggest success was in 1980, when he hit the Top 17 four times, with "Breakdown Dead Ahead" and "Jojo", from his Middle Man LP, "Look What You've Done to Me" from the Urban Cowboy Soundtrack and "Miss Sun" from his Greatest Hits album. He took an 8 year hiatus and returned to the charts in 1988, with "Heart of Mine" which only peaked at #35.
In the summer of 2010, Scaggs began a tour with Donald Fagen and Michael McDonald. They are performing together as one band billed as The Dukes of September Rhythm Revue. The show includes classic rock, soul/R&B songs by various artists and personal repertoire songs from all three headliners.



Seven Bridges Road -- The Eagles 

The "Seven Bridges Road" is Woodley Road in Montgomery, Alabama. This song describes the emotions the singers feel as they travel the road, which does have 7 bridges and moss covered trees. This was written and originally recorded by the Country singer Steve Young in 1969 on his debut album Rock Salt & Nails. It is Young's most famous song. This song was the only "new" song on the Eagles Live album, which turned out to be their final album until 1994's Hell Freezes Over.

Hurts So Bad -- Linda Ronstadt

Throughout her career, Linda Ronstadt wore many different hats. Her start was in country and western and moved into soft rock. In 1980, she took a different path and released a harder edged record which featured two top 10 hits, "How Do I Make you" and this track - newer, harder version of the old Little Anthony and the Imperials ballad. Her new style did not last long, as she was soon moving on to old standards and Disney-style pop tunes.

Bonus Track  

In America -- Charlie Daniels Band 

The events that became known as The Iranian Hostage Crisis caused Charlie Daniels' patriot spirit to come alive in a big way, along with those of many other US citizens. This song is his tribute to that spirit. Daniels says, "It was a reawakening of patriotism. That was something that our enemies did that they had no idea what they were doing, because it galvanized America. The line, "Just go and lay your hand on a Pittsburgh Steelers fan" stems from Daniels' feeling that the people in Pittsburgh are "The salt of the earth, the finest, just the greatest people. The strength of America." He says, "I've gone to ball games at different places, but I've always felt the Pittsburgh Steelers fans, especially in the old stadium - I mean, they're steel workers and they're good old guys with blisters, or calluses on their hands. The strength of America is not in Washington D.C., It's in our people, it's on the farms, in the factories. It's the people out here that make this country work. The truck drivers, the farmers. And these people, that's what they were, and I just felt like if you want to go to war, let me take some of these guys with me. Go lay your hand on a Pittsburgh Steelers fan, and you're gonna find out what American anger is, because it's the kind of people they are."

Ten Great Songs From One Great Year

1968

This was one of the most tumultuous years in American history. As television brings the Vietnam War into America's living rooms, the battle of Khe Sanh: One of the most publicized and controversial battles of the war begins in January. A couple of weeks later, the Tet offensive begins. What should have been the decisive moment for an Allied victory, turns into a nightmare due to President Johnson's inability to present the victory to the people. The war has become increasingly unpopular and the images from television drive that home. In May, the My Lai massacre, which takes place in March, does not become known until the next year. That becomes the defining moment for the anti-War movement.

On the same day, Robert F. Kennedy decides to enter the Presidential race. Later that month, President Johnson, realizing the his re-election chances have dwindled, announces he will not run in the '68 election. Two weeks later, at 6:01 p.m., April 4, a shot rang out as the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. stood on the second floor balcony of the Lorraine Motel, in Memphis, Tennessee. Walter Cronkite announced the news shortly after on CBS Evening News. King died an hour later. A week later, President Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1968. On June 8th, James Earl Ray, longtime petty criminal and supporter of segregationist George Wallace was arrested and charged with King's murder. Although initially confessing, Ray later recanted and claimed until his death in 2008, that he did not pull the trigger.

Three days prior to Ray's arrest, Presidential candidate Robert Kennedy is assassinated following a campaign speech at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, California. He dies the next day. The asssassin, Sirah-Sirhan was a Christian-Arab from Jordan. He told Robert Frost, in a 1969 interview, that he wanted to kill Kennedy because of the candidates long-time support for the State of Israel.

Because of the upheaval within the Democrat Party, which culminated in riots during the Chicago convention, Richard Nixon, the GOP candidate and former Vice-President, defeats the Democrat's compromise pick, Hubert Humphrey. Wallace also siphons many democrat votes in the south, to insure Nixon's victory.

In the lighter side of news, The Beatles released "The White Album," the White house was the scene of the marriage between Julie Nixon (the President's daughter) and David Eisenhower (the grandson of the former President). The year ends with a look to the future, as Apollo 8 enters orbit around the Moon. Astronauts Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and William A. Anders become the first humans to see the far side of the Moon and planet Earth as a whole.

I've Gotta Get a Message to You -- The Bee Gees

Robin Gibb told The Mail On Sunday November 1, 2009 about this slice of pop melodrama sung from the perspective of a condemned prisoner: "This is about a prisoner on Death Row who only has a few hours to live. He wants the prison chaplain to pass on a final message to his wife. There's a certain urgency about it." This song went #8 in August. 

 

Young Girl -- Gary Puckett and The Union Gap

The song's author, Jerry Fuller explained the inspiration for "Young Girl." "I was on the road a lot as an artist, fronting various groups for many years. I guess every entertainer goes through a time when 14-year-olds look like 20-year-olds. That's somewhat of an inspiration not from my own experience, just knowing that it happens." The song peaked at #2 in March.

(I'm a) Girl Watcher -- The O’Kaysions

The O'Kaysions didn't have many hits, but the North Carolina sextet's energetic "Girl Watcher" remains a staple on the Carolina/Georgia/Florida beach circuit. It became popular again 1987, when Kool and the Gang remade into "Wheel Watcher" for the ABC game show, "Wheel of Fortune." This song peaked at #6.



Angel of the Morning -- Merrilee Rush and The Turnabouts

This tender ballad is surprisingly virtually the same song as the primitive rocker "Wild Thing." Chip Taylor, who wrote both songs explained to Mojo magazine September 2008: "I heard some guy playing 'Wild Thing' real slow on a guitar. It sounded nice. So I did the same, lifting one of my fingers off a chord to create a suspension. Then the words 'There'll be no strings to bind your hands, not if my love can't bind your heart' came out. It was as beautiful a love connection as I could ever feel." Taylor added that it was the producer who added the sweeping strings. This song went to #7 in June. Juice Newton also took this song to the top 10 in the spring of 1981.

  

Little Green Apples - O.C. Smith

Smith began recording in 1955, but finally hit it the top 40 in 1968, with his hit "The Son of Hickory Holler's Tramp." Two songs later, he hit it big with this ballad. Smith continued to record R&B songs for 20 more years. His last entry was in 1986, with "Brenda."This song peaked at #2 and earned its composer Bobby Russell the 1969 Grammy for Song of the Year. Smith died in 2001, at the age of 69.



Classical Gas -- Mason Williams

This song appeared as a video on the Smothers Brothers' television show, for which Williams was a writer. The song was played behind a video which consisted of nothing more than photographs of great works of classical art flashed at near cinematic speed on the screen. You saw each picture just long enough to recognize it but nowhere nearly long enough to remember the name. The fact that the paintings were classics originated the name. This is one of the first music videos ever produced. This song peaked at #2 in August.



What a Wonderful World -- Louis Armstrong

The 66-year-old Armstrong became the oldest act to top the UK charts when this reached #1. Four years previously Satchmo had become the oldest artist to record a US #1 when "Hello, Dolly!" hit the top spot. While this song only reached the "bubbling under" the top 100 in America, it was a number one hit in Britain and became Armstrong's signature song.

Like To Get To Know You -- Spanky and Our Gang

This song was the follow-up to Spanky and Our Gang's hits "Sunday Will Never Be The Same" and "Lazy Day," and it scored quite well, peaking at #17. This was their last Top 30 hit, though they continued to score a number of minor hits until October 1968, when lead guitarist Malcolm Hale died of accidental carbon monoxide poisoning at the age of 27. Front woman Elaine "Spanky" McFarlane achieved some success as a solo artist, sometimes fronting for The Mamas & The Papas after the tragic death of the late Cass Elliot.



(Sittin'on) On the Dock of the Bay -- Otis Redding

Redding died in a plane crash on December 10, 1967, 6 weeks before this was released and 3 days after he recorded it. It was by far his biggest hit and was also the first ever posthumous #1 single in the US. Redding was a rising star moving toward mainstream success at the time of his death. There is a good chance he would have recorded many more hits if he had lived. The song peaked at #1 on March 16th and stayed there for 6 weeks.

Do You Know the Way to San Jose -- Dionne Warwick

Burt Bacharach and Hal David wrote this. They discovered Dionne Warwick and wrote many of her hits. Burt Bacharach (from Record Collector magazine): "Dionne did not want to record that song. She didn't like it. But we talked her into it and she did it. Her mind changed once it was a hit (laughs). I knew it was a pretty special song and I knew it was a different kind of song, too."This song peaked at #10.



Bonus Track

Mrs. Robinson -- Simon and Garfunkel

Simon began writing this as "Mrs. Roosevelt." He changed it to "Mrs. Robinson" for the movie  "The Graduate". He may have written this about Eleanor Roosevelt. Some of the lyrics support this such as "We'd like to help you learn to help yourself. Look around you, all you see are sympathetic eyes" and "Going to the candidates debate. Laugh about it, shout about it. When you've got to choose. Every way you look at it, you lose." Roosevelt was a female rights and black rights activist, always helping everyone but herself during the Great Depression. A lot of the time she seemed to have been running the country as much as FDR, but never would have actually won the presidency because she was female. On the strength of the film, this song rose to #1 in June. The video is taken from the movie.

Ten Great Songs From One Great Year

1998

The first few months of 1998 were mostly taken up with the scandal of President Clinton, and Monica Lewinsky, a White House intern. By the end of the year, Clinton will have been Impeached by the House of Representatives. Because the House had a Democrat majority, and the votes were tallied along party lines (although an additional 10 Republicans voting against impeachment). Clinton survived the impeachment. However, he was disbarred from practicing law.Another one of the main stories at the time was that Suspected "Unabomber" Theodore Kaczynski pled guilty, and accepted a sentence of life without the possibility of parole. Another major story was the final development of Pakistan's nuclear abilities. This caused tremendous tensions between Pakistan and her neighbor, India.

In July, the International Criminal Court was created to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression. In August, however, the United States' embassies of both Kenya and Tanzania are bombed, killing 224 people and injuring over 4,500; they are linked to terrorist Osama Bin Laden, an exile of Saudi Arabia. While Bin Ladin has been on the map of worldwide terror, this is his most audacious move yet.

In sports, this was the year John Elway finally won a Super Bowl (after losing 3 times in landslide loses) and also the Tennessee Volunteers won their first NCAA football championship since 1951. Mark McGuire and Sammy Sosa set baseball ablaze with their race to see who would break Roger Maris' home run record. Although both men break the record, McGuire holds the record of 70 (since topped by Barry Bonds). And in Basketball, Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls win their third straight NBA title. This was the 2nd three-peat for the Bulls this decade.

Torn -- Natalie Imbruglia



Iris -- Goo Goo Dolls



Out of my Head -- Fastball



Thank U -- Alanis Morissette



Truly, Madly, Deeply -- Savage Garden



Sex And Candy -- Marcy Playground



Jumper -- Third Eye Blind



Brick -- Ben Folds Five



Sunny Came Home -- Shawn Colvin



As Long As You Love Me -- Backstreet Boys



BONUS TRACK

My dad died in October of this year. During his final weeks, I listened to the Gerry Beckley (of the band AMERICA) album "Van Go Gan" a lot. The song that makes me miss my dad the most is this one:

Kiss of Live -- Gerry Beckley