As long as I'm citing verse these days (see previous post), I want to remind you all of a particular song and its lyric line. I was "runnin' to the oldies" the other day, listening to 105.7 FM while I trudged down 70th Street in Richfield, when up came that classic tune, "Muskrat Love." I'm thinking, the Captain and Toni Tennille got pretty lucky with this one--it's not exactly Art for the Ages. But after the song plays, what does the DJ add? That this tune was first recorded by the guy in Texas who wrote it--he called it "Muskrat Candlelight," but it didn't catch on, and then the band "America" released it as "Muskrat Love," and it didn't catch on for them either. How in the world could such failure be possible, given the profound lyrics of this piece? I include them herewith:
Muskrat, muskrat candlelight
Doin the town and doin it right
In the evenin
Its pretty pleasin
Muskrat susie, muskrat sam
Do the jitterbug out in muskrat land
And they shimmy
And sammys so skinny
And they whirled and they twirled and they tangoed
Singin and jingin the jango
Floatin like the heavens above
It looks like muskrat love
Nibbling on bacon, chewin on cheese
Sammy says to susie honey, would be please by my missus?
And she says yes
With her kisses
And now he's ticklin her fancy
Rubbin her toes
Muzzle to muzzle, now anything goes
As they wriggle, and sue starts to giggle
And they whirled and they twirled and they tangoed
Singin and jingin the jango
Floatin like the heavens above
It looks like muskrat love
La da da da da ....
Meanwhile, yours truly, the Contentious Introvert (who wanted to be the Howling Wolf, only that name was taken) writes his share of stuff, including a textbook that's within weeks of being published. Yet, HE SOMEHOW WONDERS IF HIS WRITING WILL EVER BE GOOD ENOUGH! Hey--if "nibbling on bacon, chewin on cheese" is sufficiently profound for three different artists to record it, and to make money off of it, then dammit, I'm good enough, too. (Aren't I? Maybe?) Anyway, here's another shake of the head along with a little muttering and eye-rolling; the world is certifiably bizarre. But I will keep jingin the jango! (if I ever figure out what in the hell that means!)
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