She Ain't You

“Back in my day, we used to walk to school six miles uphill both ways, rain, shine or even in snow…as a matter of fact even in blizzards because we didn’t have snow days… You kids these days have it so easy…”

Everyone reading this I’m certain can recall a time when their parent(s) made an equally ridiculous statement to emphasize how easy the younger generation currently has it.  As there’s usually no choice but to listen, you stand there, nod your head and think at least one, if not all, of the following:

1.       That made no sense whatsoever (i.e. how the hell can you walk uphill both ways?!?);

2.       Life really did suck back in the day;

3.       I refuse to make statements like these to my children when I get older.

I thought the latter countless times as I sat through endless speeches about not having computers back in the day, typing on typewriters that didn’t have spell check, and so on and so forth, and promised myself when I got older, I wouldn’t be so miserable and jealous of the advances the younger generation enjoys to the point I berate them with similar sentiments.

Yet as I embrace my age and reflect on days gone by, I can’t help but contrast what is seen/heard/done nowadays against my 'ideal' or historic experience as it's all I know and just the way things are supposed to be <done>.

I found myself, earlier today, repeating word for word an exact statement I heard in my youth: “They don’t make music like they used to…this foolishness on the radio nowadays…”

Well ain’t this about a June jocular?!?

I vowed I wouldn’t make any of these absurd and asinine assessments and yet as I sat in my car listening to the radio, I had the same response while the following song played:

Now don’t get me wrong, I think young breezy is artistically gifted and one of few younger artists that has actual raw talent (meaning he’s not a product of marketing a gimmick) but I couldn’t help but shake my head at this song.  Although the song clearly has the MJ ‘Human Nature’ groove (a CLASSIC!), the words have no real weight and I swear the chorus sounds like an old Sisters With Voices track and makes me want to say, “S double U V…S S double double U V…”

There’s just something missing in the music. 

The underlying theme is one that I can relate to and will be the first to admit is inherent or inevitable after any break-up; the comparing of the next to the ex.  Heck, I’ve sat in front of my computer masquerading some of these very blog entries as positive uplifting messages when they’ve actually started out as love letters never to be delivered (and likely never read) by a particular person from my very recent past, I now compare every female I date to, because as Chris Brown sings, “She ain’t you”…or better said to her (if she were listening), “you have my heart and no one else compares.”

**Sucks that “Sorry” sometimes doesn’t solve the stupid things said in a spat and you and that special someone still separate…**

As emotionally engaged as I should be with the song, there’s a disconnect as I’m unmoved by the words CB sings.  And it’s for this reason I, in my old(er) age argue “They don’t make music like they used to…”

What happened to the days when music wasn’t about sampling an ol’ school hit or the appeal of a song wasn’t its production but just the raw emotional outpouring of a singer you swore stole pages out of your life’s diary…when the rhythm and blues recorded represented your relationship with your baby or boo?

Then I find myself relistening to a song with a lovely lady which gives me hope that although of this generation, “cat daddy has an ol’ soul and is saaanging…”

They don’t <always> make music like they used to, but, it can still be music to my/your ears.

Merci!

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