My dad is the biggest L.S. fan you'll ever meet in your life, so this song took me back a little bit. You know how a song catches you off guard? Whether it's a song you remember from a good relationship, or a bad break-up, or it reminded you of someone who isn't with you anymore - all of a sudden, you can smell things that you haven't thought of in years, remembering hurt or longing, or just happiness.
I have this love/hate relationship with my dad right now - I haven't spoken to him in over a year. I just don't have anything good to say to him right now, so I'm not saying anything. He's one of those stubborn sons-of-bitches who will NEVER change, no matter how many people tell him he needs to.
Sound like anyone you know?
We've clashed over random things - EVERYTHING - for as long as I can remember.. the only thing we ever agreed on, or got along about, was music.
He taught me about Janis Joplin, and he played "Me & Bobby McGee" on his guitar while I sang. He told me about the time Johnny Cash had dinner at house. He made me listen - really listen - to the guitar chords that Jimi Hendrix invented ("Sara, did you know that people still - to this day - can't duplicate the chords he played?").
Everytime I sat down in the passenger seat of his 1971 Grenada (yes, it had an 8-track player in it), he turned the radio on and started his favorite game: "Do you know who sings this song? What's the name of the song?"
He delighted in my correct answers each time ("Led Zeppelin, Immigrant Song!" or "Creedence Clearwater Revival, Born on the Bayou!"), and told me over and over about the day the plane went down that left Lynyrd Skynrd three members short of their original band.
He begged me to make sure that three songs were played at his funeral: "Turn the Page," by Bob Seger, "Freebird," by Lynyrd Skynyrd, and "Stairway to Heaven," by Led Zeppelin.
Can I just tell you how many times I've seen that man play air guitar?
He used to take me fishing when I was little, and when I was seven he informed me that I was no longer allowed to fish unless I baited my own hook. Oh, that poor little worm.. I was heartbroken.
He taught me to fire a gun. He taught me to build a campfire. He taught me to drive a stick shift. He did all of this while we listened to "Purple Haze" or "Truckin'" or "Angie."
Sometimes I think it's a shame that Zion won't get to know him. I wonder who will teach him these things - who's going to tell him that Janis Joplin beats the hell out of Gwen Stefani? Who will explain to him that everything he needs to know about life can be learned from the song "Woodstock," by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young?
Guess that's going to be my job, now.
1 comment:
Your Dad has awesome taste in music. You'll be Z-man's DJ. Just get the playlist ready. ;-)
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