rock and roll musings by Tim Byrnes

Guess When I Wasn't Looking the Times They Have A-Changed

     I was stunned to see on tv about a year ago (and I'm hoping someone can verify this for me, drugs in the '60's and all) a commercial, for Nissan, I think that showed a couple rock climbing, lit up by the headlights of their SUV. Not particularly interesting visually, but the soundtrack thrummed and throbbed in an all too familiar cadence of drums and guitars. My reptile mind recognized it immediatly. It was the intro to the Velvet Underground's classic 'Heroin'. Me and Buster both said 'WHAT!!!??' and I dropped my magazine. Does anyone out there in cyberspace remember seeing this commercial? I've since seen it again, this time with new music, but I swear some MadAve muckity muck screwed up and let 'Heroin' be used as a jingle.

    Less halluciatory, but no less disturbing, is the use of Dylan's 'The Times They Are A-Changing' in the new Kaiser-Permanente ads. I know that I have a tendency to rail on against the commercialization of 'rock' (albeit 30 years too lare) and also to fold back on myself in regards to what it all means. ie: 'Times...' is herest, while 'Blitzkreieg Bop' for gophones and Pepsi is a hoot and a half, signifying a 'we have overcome' type thing that makes me smile rather than sneer. Maybe it's cause Dylan's always seemed a little 'weightier' to me than the Ramones, I don't know. I do know that the Dylan/KP commercial just made me sad. Cause I think I can relate/understand WHY this particular tune was used for this particular 'product'.

     We, and by 'we' I mean the generation to which I was born, ye old baby boomers are now becoming the almost really old baby boomers and, as such, many of us are more concerned with the state of our health than the state of the world. It's hard to get a head of steam up for social change when yr starting to hurt in places you didn't know you had. It's hard to worry about the plight of the poor and disenfranchised when you wake up making noises like yr father did in the '60's.

     I've personally been beginning to recognize much of my grandfather's mannerisms in the way I suddenly walk stooped over. Just a little mind you and mainly because I've been doing a lot of physical work lately and yes, that is a novelty for me the laziest man alive. More to the point, I've noticed that lately I just can't get too riled up about much of anything anymore. Why, just 2 short years ago, this post would have been a lot more virulent and I'm sure that I'd a-been casting aspersions at Kaiser-Permenente, Bob Dylan, the tv networks and even the show that aired the commercial. But what am I doing now? UNDERSTANDING that time marches on and that, after all, it's just a song. No wonder I'm letting Buster take the wheel so much lately.

     Anyway as long as I'm feeling so tolerant (which is different than capitulative. Exactly how so I'm not sure, but letting the small stuff slide doesn't necessarily mean a shift to the enemy camp.. If there even IS an enemy anymore) might I suggest using Bob Marley's 'Get Up, Stand Up' for the next Cialis campaign?

Posted by: timbyrnes at 21:08 | link | comments (3)

Comments:

#1  19 August 2005 - 21:12

 

and it's a hard, and it's a hard, and it's a hard rain gonna fall...

howard

#2  19 August 2005 - 21:16

 

ooooh!!!! even better! hody howard, hope all's well!
tb

timbyrnes

#3  19 August 2005 - 21:56

 

After "Lovesick" became the Victoria's Secret themesong, NOTHING surprises me. Sigh.

carl

Anonymous

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