Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Welcome to the Jungle!

Thank God for clock radio alarms! Nothing is worse than waking up to "BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!" ... Anyways, you get the idea.

Now I suppose that another irritating sound to wake up to is loud grating music. Unfortunately, if you don't have a CD player-clock radio, you are at the mercy of your favorite radio station to provide you with soothing morning music. Now, if your favorite station is something like SCREAM 105.9 I think you are going to be right outta luck!

Recently, every morning at 7:02, my radio clicks on to the local oldies station. Now, when I was in high school, I wouldn't be caught alive listening to this "oldies" stuff. However, since my high school days, I have found myself "accidentally" listening to it. I would be driving down the road listening to my favorite song when out of the blue, the radio announcer would surprise me by announcing the station I had been listening to.

"You are now listening to the oldies show on BORE YOU TO DEATH 102.5" ... Sheesh! I would then find myself looking around to make sure that nobody who knows me is witnessing my transgression to "older-hood."

So... Now I guess I am an "oldie!" Just do me a favour and don't tell anybody!

So a few weeks ago, because of the quiet music that they play on their morning shows, I dialed my clock radio to the local radio station so that I am not blasted out of bed by screaming banshees from those punk rock bands. Ahhhhhhh! Now don't get me wrong... I do love classic rock music where the lead singers bounce around, yell and scream but not at 7:02 in the morning!

So... Go figure! Just as I decide to dial to that station, they decide to change up their routines and shows! This is what I was compelled to wake up to the other day!

Now don't get me wrong, I do enjoy a few of Axl Rose's songs and I actually do enjoy the above song but when I am still in slumber land? Uh! Uh! Besides, can you really wake up to the following words??

Welcome to the jungle
We got fun 'n' games
We got everything you want
Honey we know the names
We are the people that can find
Whatever you may need
If you got the money honey
We got your disease

Chorus:

In the jungle
Welcome to the jungle
Watch it bring you to your shun n,n,n,n,,n,n,,n,n,n,,n,n,,n knees, knees
I wanna watch you bleed

... and so on

I DON'T THINK SO!!

Now this morning... What woke me up was the sweetest music that anyone could hear!

"This is Bob Smith from WKRP in Cincinnati (Fake call letters as if you already didn't know!) ... This just in... All schools and school busses cancelled due to high winds and icy road conditions." Now, being a teacher, that was definitely music to my ears!

God, I love that music! Gimme more of it!

18 comments:

Portia said...

How funny! My favorite radio station (alternative) just went web only out of the blue for some unknown reason, so I'm always searching now. When I'm driving my sons around I especially like to have some happy, light hearted music on, but am often sick of the top 40 pop songs that are played to death, so what do you think I caught myself listening to just this morning? (For my boys' sake of course!) The Oldies! :) I had the same reaction you did when I realized it.
I remember being in school and living for the snow days - I should have known the teachers felt the same way! I hope you have a great day off. Oh, and stay safe and warm in those icy conditions.

Bobbie said...

Thanks for the visit to my blog, Dave. The kids are having a snow day where I live too.

My alarm is set to the beep!beep!beep! I'm afraid I wouldn't wake up if music came on. I'd probably think it was part of a dream I was having.

Enjoy your day and drive safely.

Mother of Invention said...

Having taught for 26 years, I loved that wake-up call too and today, I did an automatic when our buses were cancelled even though I no longer teach!

AND...I listen to CBC a lot of the time and I swore I'd never do that either!

sandy said...

Funny post today. I never liked having a clock radio set because it would always be something obnoxious.

One day, (I hope I can remember the song)...Okay I just went and did a search. One morning I woke up to this new song I had never heard before, it had to be as far back as 1983 or 1984, and here were the lyrics

Toto - "Africa"
Lyrics

I hear the drums echoing tonight
But she hears only whispers of some quiet conversation
She's coming in twelve-thirty flight
Her moonlit wings reflect the stars that guide me towards salvation
I stopped an old man along the way
Hoping to find some old forgotten words or ancient melodies
He turned to me as if to say: "Hurry boy, it's waiting there for you"

[Chorus:]
It's gonna take a lot to drag me away from you
There's nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do
I bless the rains down in Africa
Gonna take some time to do the things we never had

The wild dogs cry out in the night
As they grow restless longing for some solitary company
I know that I must do what's right
Sure as Kilimanjaro rises like Olympus above the Serengeti
I seek to cure what's deep inside, frightened of this thing that I've become

[Repeat chorus]

[Instrumental break]

Hurry boy, she's waiting there for you

[Repeat chorus]
****

I remember thinking that I had to find out who was singing it. Those first moments of wakefulness is when you can really become aware of the nuances of the songs and this one really got to me back then.

snyways, that's my story about clock radios....

Cycling Goddess said...

Great post dave. Hope you're enjoying your day off!

I'm an alarm clock type of person, I hit the snooze button a few times before the cat and I have our morning conversation, mainly her purring and rubbing her face against the night table while showing me her bum but whatdayaknow, it's bonding! lol

I rarely, if ever listen to radio anymore. I have my iPod loaded with mostly Buddha Bar music (THE most divine mix of techno, lounge, world music ever put together) with the odd "retro" (music from the 70s and 80s as I've been told) tunes here and there.

What has always fascinated me though is that I can sing along probably any 50s or 60s song but I'll be darned if I know who sings it or the title... when I was a teenager I used to adore David Cassidy but couldn't understand a word! lol

Lori said...

Hi Dave, thanks for stopping by my blog the other day. You've got a great blog here. It's very creative!

HelenMWalters said...

Yes, at that time in the morning, sweet soothing music is definitely called for!

Greeneyes said...

This post touched base , I laughed so hard , it rings true for me about the alarm and music , (OLDIES) giggles!!!!
And I thought it was just the kids that held their breath and wished a wish for a SNOWDAY!!!!!!CUTE.

Jazz said...

when I was in high school, I wouldn't be caught alive listening to this "oldies" stuff

Thing is, what we were listening to in high school is now the oldies stuff...

*sigh*

BBC said...

In all my years I've seldom used an alarm clock, I seem to have an internal one. And I seldom turn on a radio, or turn on music on purpose.

My mind is always so busy that I don't want the background noise. When I'm working on an invention I need my mind entirely on it. And I should get back to my inventing.

I like music, and listen to it at times, when I can tune other things and just enjoy it.

I guess I'm just different, but someone has to be me, no one else wants the job.

BBC said...

I didn't say 'out', tune out.

Happyone said...

Our radio alarm is set to a local talk radio station and I have it set to hear the traffic and weather report. I usually wake up 5 minutes before it goes off though.

Akelamalu said...

I couldn't hack taking the chance of being woken by Black Sabbath so MWM bought me a lumini alarm clock. Now I wake up to gradual dawn over a half hour period. If I'm not awake by then a buzzer goes off. I've had it for three years now and in all that time the buzzer has only gone off three times.

Karen said...

I don't need an alarm clock because the dogs wake me up religiously at 6.30am. Unless of course it is important for me to get up, then they sleep in....lol.

If I woke up to that Guns'n'Roses song I would be in a bad mood for the rest of the day I think.

heiresschild said...

i am so NOT a morning person. i wake up to the beep beep beep, hit the snooze button several times, and sometimes i'm so sleepy, i have to think about what day is it, etc.

jAMiE said...

I rarely listen to the radio any more..i am so out of touch with music these days...but i agree with you...its hard to find some good music to wake up to...though Guns and Roses would certainly get my blood pumping. Also like you i never did like waking up to the beep...now when i have to get up for treatment, etc..i use my Blackberry alarm.

Did you enjoy your day off?

Anonymous said...

Nice music!
You are feeling young again. Good.

Alexander
Alex's World! - http://www.kakinan.com/alex

David Kim said...

Welcome to the jungle! Cool song!

My alarm clock is set to a loud buzz which my wife describes at the most horrible sound she has ever heard.

For some strange reason, my wife wakes up to sports talk radio. I'm not sure why, because she doesn't even watch sports at all.