We Did Not Start That Fire
So.... in 1989, I was a high school Freshman.
And my very favorite song that year was "We Didn't Start the Fire" off the album "Stormfront".
Sung by one of the greatest male singer-songwriters of all-time, Billy Joel.
Have you heard it? If not, head over to Youtube and watch the music video.
The song (I'm going to refer to it from here on out as WDSTF) is a 4 minute and 49 second history lesson. The lyrics are comprised of over 100 historical and cultural events that took place in Billy's first 40 years..... 1949 to 1989.
everything from Harry Truman to the H-bomb.
from the Cola Wars to Liberace.
Reagan to Marilyn Monroe to Peter Pan to Edsel.
It truly is an amazingly cool song.
So why do I bring all this up?
Well, guess what song I heard on Pandora this morning as I was brushing my teeth?
yup..... WDSTF !!
Hearing it again brought back great memories.
and it got me thinking.
If Billy were to write a couple new verses for what's taken place in our crazy little world since 1989, what would he have to consider including?
Here's a list that I came up with quickly:
creation of TSA
border security
hurricanes (especially New Orleans)
Japanese typhoon
Iraq and Sadaam H
internet (Microsoft, Google, Amazon, eBay)
Berlin Wall down and Germany reunited
Waco compound raid
Unabomber
Oklahoma City bombing
Y2K worries
Euro currency created
spaceship Columbia falls apart
Pluto loses planet status
Harry Potter
Princess Di
disfunction and distrust in Washington
Blackberries (not the fruit!)
Apple (iPods, iPads, iPhones)
Enron & other financial scandals
General Motors
financial bailouts of countries (like Greece)
Gun Violence (Sandy Hook, Columbine, Virginia Tech, others)
Gay Marriage
Obama
Beanie Babies
I know I missed a bunch of stuff. As I was typing these in, thoughts just kept coming and coming at me.... my little fingers could not keep up!
It's amazing to look back at this list.... the craziness of all that has taken place since I was a goofy little 9th grader.
What craziness will the next 20 years bring?
Yeesh!
Out for now.....
Matt
