WAYBACK MACHINE

VOL.3

ANOTHER PLACE - ANOTHER TIME

Between the years 1959-1963, there were a rash of what I call "Dead Girlfriend Songs".  I'm not sure what this says about us since we were the perfect age to be most affected and influenced by these songs.  But, they were all very big and popular songs.  One of the things I find interesting about these rather morbid albeit wildly popular songs - they were all performed by one hit wonders.  Apparently, we loved the macabre subject matter and sappy lyrics - but not the artists.

Remember these?

"Teen Angel" - She died while running back to the car to retrieve his school ring and was hit by a train.

"Tell Laura I Love Her" - He died while competing in a stock car race to win money to buy her a ring.

"Endless Sleep" - She drown and kept calling to him to join her.

"Patches" - A couple is separated by socio-economic differences and she drowns herself.

"Running Bear" - A couple of dumb Indians both tried to swim the raging river and drown.

I got my 13-year-old granddaughter to listen to these to get her 2006 opinion on them.  After dutifully listening to each of them she said, "Pops, those songs are sick.  They are about dead people."

Out of the mouths of babes.

Anyone remember any more?