What Songs Do You Play for Your Children?

Awhile back, in the heyday of Napster, I grabbed a bunch of different music that I would never buy on albums. Among the many songs I grabbed were a bunch of stuff from The Big 80s. Eventually, I got around to putting it on a CD. Like any other CD, I listen to it every once in awhile, whenever I get the itch.

It's a nice little eclectic mix of stuff. From Duran Duran to The Ramones to Was (Not Was) to The Replacements there's probably at least one song on this disc that you would like.

One day I had the disc on in the car and one track caught my son's attention. He asked me to play it over and over again. This is now a daily ritual and I am not allowed to play any other CD when we're together. We are now at the point where I am as sick of this song as I was in 1983 when I first heard it.

We're gonna rock down to Electric Avenue; And then we'll take it higher!

Admittedly, the song has a great sound and a wonderful sing-along chorus. But it still strikes me as a bit odd that the five-year old picked out a song about inner-city problems as one to latch onto. Perhaps this is an indication that he has a heightened social awareness and will spend his life as a champion of those less fortunate. Either that or he's destined to spend an inordinate amount of time in fusion dance clubs.

Regardless, it's funny to hear a five-year old belt out not only the chorus but some of the other lyrics, too. He seems genuinely concerned when he reaches the "still can't feed everyone" part and the emphasis he puts on the "Good God" part takes me aback.

This whole scene has given me a flashback to when my nephew was young and started singing Rhinestone Cowboy because that was the song that played on virtually every radio station back in the day. All of the adults thought it was cute. I was only seven years older than my nephew, but even then I knew that song was cheesy. I remember taking him into my room and playing him Yellow Submarine figuring he could pick up on the chorus to that in no time. It didn't work. As far as he was concerned there was only one song in the world.

And while my nephew didn't take to Yellow Submarine, my two-year old daughter has. I'm proud that she's not content just to sing the chorus, either. So my life right now can be summed up in two songs - Electric Avenue and Yellow Submarine. My son parties through the strife while my daughter lives in a fantasy land. I think I'm up for parent of the year.

It may not be normal but at least it's better than listening to songs about heartbreak, rejection and disappointment.

We didn't listen to much music in my house when I was the age of my children. They tell me my favorite was Puff the Magic Dragon. And what lessons did I learn with that song, where Puff ends up "bent in sorrow" because his friend grew up and ditched him? The mighty dragon that once made kings bow ends up "sadly slipped into his cave". What kind of stuff is that to be playing to kids?

Give me the theme of perseverance in Electric Avenue or the idea of living with friends and having all you need in Yellow Submarine.

Now I'm left wondering how Rhinestone Cowboy has affected my nephew. Has he spent his life compromising on the road to his horizon? Does he hide the pain with his smile? Does he believe nice guys get washed away like the snow and the rain?

Well, I do know that he lives in Colorado now, so perhaps he's "riding out on a horse in a star-spangled rodeo".