One of the songs that they played a lot was Bob Seger's "Night Moves". For some reason, I could not get the song out of my head after I had stopped working at that one particular place.
Eventually the song started to resonate with me very recently, even though I did not have Bob Seger's lifestyle much at all, and for all of the years since it it had been released, it was just background music. (There was even one song of his, "Still the Same", which I have always liked a lot more than anything else of his) . According to this song facts page, it was autobiographical, "Night Moves" was originally inspired by George Lucas' film "American Graffiti".
Could've used a few pounds
Tight pants points hardly reknown
She was a black-haired beauty with big dark eyes
And points all her own sitting way up high
Way up firm and high
The points (the ones the male narrator had) were inspired by a pecular early 1960s Detroit fashion phenoemon in which men wore pointed shoes. Shortly after this time period, Detroit went to hell in a handbasket. Perhaps there is something about men choosing elf footwear that heralds the decline of civilization.
Out past the cornfields where the woods got heavy
Out in the back seat of my 60 chevy
Workin on mysteries without any clues
Workin on our night moves
Tryin to make some front page drive-in news
Workin on our night moves
In the summertime
In the sweet summertime
I did remember my girlfriend from at the end of and after high school. It was the summer of 1982, not 1962. It was some sort of Ford Torino two-door. Or was it an Olds Toronado? Brownish or purple whatever it was. One of those ugly late-70s giant coupes with two-doors the size of house-doors that always got stuck deep in snowbanks when you opened them in the winter. And yes there was a drive-in. This one, now itself an ancient ruin.
We weren't in love, oh no, far from it
We weren't searchin for some pie in the sky summit
We were just young and restless and bored
Livin' by the sword
And we'd steal away every chance we could
To the backroom, to the alley or the trusty woods
I used her, she used me
But neither one cared
We were gettin our share
Workin on our night moves
Tryin to lose the awkward teenage blues
Workin on our night moves
And it was summertime
Yes, it was summertime. But nowhere near as hot and heavy as in this song. But we were in love. And also present was my girlfriend's best friend, who was rather jealous. And who hated Bob Seger music. I think that contributed to our breaking up multiple times. The friend's jealousy, not the friend's hatred of Bob Seger music.
Instead of the back room and alley and trusty woods, we had the basement of The Church. Well, it wasn't a church, but everyone called it that. It sure seemed strange that someone would build a modern house with a high peaked symmetrical living room that loomed out over the neighborhood.
And oh the wonder
We felt the lightning
And we waited on the thunder
Waited on the thunder
I awoke last night to the sound of thunder
How far off I sat and wondered
Started humming a song from 1962
Aint it funny how the night moves
When you just dont seem to have as much to lose
Strange how the night moves
With autumn closing in.
And yes, autumn is closing in now, and at times I have woken to the sound of thunder earlier in the month. And the song I remember from 1982 not 1962 is "Night Moves".
Below is an old music video of the song, with Matt LeBlanc, long before he was famous.
10 comments:
I wasn't a big Seger fan but I do recall the song and its popularity. Interesting background on the song...Sorta weird to see Matt LeBlanc in a Seger music video...
Matt LeBlanc! Hahaha.
I don't consider myself a huge Bob Seger fan, but he does really write some good songs. My favorite is probably "Beautiful Loser."
I'm pretty sure the "rock" station in Pittsburgh is required to play at least one AC/DC, Lynryd Skynrd and Pink Floyd song every hour. But they only play the same three songs by each one. The funniest thing is that people will actually call in to request those bands. This is reason #995 that I rarely listen to the radio anymore. Even my beloved public radio station is starting to get a bit repetitive with their playlist.
For me, music often recalls particular places, times, and people.
Thanks for sharing this memory.
Very interesting.
Seger is a funny thing for me-I don't dislike him, but I don't really like him. Except "Turn The Page"-I love that song.
My wife's aunt (now deceased) was apparently a HUGE Seger fan. I always find that funny- no matter what group you think of, someone (or lots of someones) is a FANATICAL fan of that group.
Classic rock has been a favorite of mine for years, but I can go twelve hours without hearing a repeat, at least on the stations I listen to. They will repeat groups, certainly, but usually not songs.
That's a big grievance of mine at Christmas time-my workplace plays Christmas music from Thanksgiving until Christmas. I really wouldn't mind so much, except there are THOUSANDS of Christmas songs-and they play the same 60 or 70, again and again. I would be so much happier to hear "The Little Drummer Boy" again if it were Chrissie Hynde's version, or something like that, instead of playing the same old one they just played 2 hours ago.
I like "Turn the Page" best out of all the Bob Seger songs. But I get nostalgic about certain songs too.
Oh no...
I worked in an auto shop that played one classic rock station.
Constantly.
I feel your pain (and pleasure.)
On another note, the demise of a drive-in is a sad thing.
Music can easily carry me into memories. Its funny how I can like Bob Seger, but never owned an album.
But then, they do play him enough so you really don't have to.
I miss drive-ins! We had one up where I used to live until two years ago. I was sad when it went under, replaced by the much more expensive fourplex. We saw movies much less often. Before that, we went once a week in the summer time. Now only one remains in all of Oregon and it's way too far away to use. Sad.
ananda: I'd imagine some people might have fun with the name of a drive-in called the "Fourplex".
Leo: And the last thing one would expect a young Bob Seger to look like is Matt LeBlanc.
Beck: I will have to look for this song. I actually do not consider myself much of a Bob Seger fan at all, but over time some songs grow on me.
Laura: And thanks for your comment.
Michael and Churlita: "Turn the Page" is one of his best, too. One of the many songs rock stars do about the life of being a rock star.
I drove a '55 pontiac Star Cheif in high school. As roomy as the backseat was, there was even more space in the trunk. If you are wondering after watching this video whether people really do it in the trunk...well...yes, it has been done!
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