Best Song Lyrics (Part I)

Like most people my age, I miss the good old days when song lyrics meant something. There are still plenty of good songwriters out there, but they are mostly being drowned out by the commercialization of today's music industry.

I didn't always feel that way. When I was in my teens and 20s, all I cared about was the beat and popularity of a song. Not much has changed for today's youth, except that now it's hip-hop and rap music with empty (or stolen) lyrics, instead of disco.

But eventually you mature, and realize that music without meaning is pointless. So I've decided to begin a recurring blog entry about what I consider to be great song lyrics. Note that I am the sole arbiter of what's considered great, but I welcome your comments and suggestions.

Let's start with these lyrics from the Eagles and their song about addiction, Hotel California.

Mirrors on the ceiling
The pink champagne on ice
And she said,
"We are all just prisoners here, of our own device."
And in the master's chambers,
They gathered for the feast
They stab it with their steely knives,
But they just can't kill the beast
Last thing I remember, I was
Running for the door
I had to find the passage back
To the place I was before
"Relax," said the night man,
"We are programmed to receive.
You can checkout any time you like,
but you can never leave!"

Watching Golf In Person

One of the reasons I did not write in the blog last week was that I spent time watching one of my kids play in the Iowa Girls' State High School Golf Tournament. After being at much of that 2-day tournament, plus other meets duing the year, here are some observations about high school girls' golf:

1) Girls golfers have a much better temperment than boys. Case closed.

2) Girls golfers are not nearly as good at putting as boys. Why is this? I compared it to driving a car, meaning young females are not as good as males at that either. Yes, boys are more reckless, but they are innately more competent at driving at a younger age.

3) Girls golfers play faster than boys in regards to addressing the ball and hitting the shot. This is not always a good thing, but it is good more often than not.

4) Girls golfers' moms are very much helicopter parents when watching golf. Most of them know absolutely nothing about the game, other than their husbands play it, yet they are deeply concerned about every stroke their daughter takes. It's actually a bit annoying to us dads, to have a spouse encroaching in our territory!

And speaking of women encroaching on mens' golf territory, I felt the same way while attending a day of the PGA Senior Tour event in Des Moines last week. The place was crawling with girlfriends and wives (and perhaps mistresses) who were only there to look good, and eat and drink at the corporate tents. These fakers are much worse than the helicopter moms, because at least the moms are genuinely passionate about what they're watching.

In the end, watching golf in person is significantly less satisfying than playing golf.