18 Mayıs 2004 Salı

The Boys of Strummer



Just biking home and saw a fellow who couldn't have been more than 19 wearing a t-stirt of the Clash's first album cover. I hollered over "nice shirt" but he either didn't hear me or ignored me.



Back about the time he was born, when I was roughly his age, Don Henley was roughly the age I am now. He watched his generation age and sell out or buy in however you want to call it, and summed it up in the indelible image of a Deadhead sticker on a Caddilac.



I have become my generation's version of that guy, driving my van with this on the back:







Last year Joe Strummer died in his sleep after walking his dog, two months after my other political hero crashed in the forests of Minnesota. And some nu-metal band covered "The Boys of Summer."



I never will forget those nights

I wonder if it was a dream

Remember how you made me crazy

Remember how I made you scream




More wattage but less impact than the original. A wistful, slowed down version of "Working for the Clampdown" would have been better. You might say I'm a wistful, slowed down version. I sure hope I'm not.



At least they could have changes the Deadhead line to "I saw a bald old man/with a punk rock sticker on a mini-van." That would have been more generationally apropos AND they could have sent me royalties.








Half a dozen beanlets pokin' through the Iowa soil today. The thunderstorm last night didn't do any damage.

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