I love the gas station by my house. Well, I love the music it plays, anyway. The morning crew pretty much consists of a bunch of disgruntled ladies who have obviously smoked too many cigarettes in their time and are obviously not very happy about refilling the donut tray and selling lottery tickets. Still, I love the place because there's seemingly always an unexpected treasure waiting for me the second I step out of my car.
I'm not entirely sure why, but whenever I pop in, the music piping out the speakers inside and out is always set to really cool, semi-obscure stuff that the average guy stopping in to pump $10 worth of gas probably doesn't have a clue about and doesn't even notice. In my mind's eye, I picture there's an overnight clerk who's a slacker type with great taste but not much gumption working the register. The minute the day crew hits the bricks, he switches the satellite radio station to whatever he's in the mood for, kicks he feet up, and lets the night come to him.
I've heard everything from Link Wray to Hank Williams to The Pixies to Elvis' "Pork Salad Annie" to General Public's "Tenderness" on this very morning. Some days, like today, it's all I can do but break into my ole' one-leg bob-and-swing move from high school and show all the soccer moms, truckers, and bleary-eyed high school kids filling up their coffee mugs and stocking up on energy drinks the kind of moves that got me voted "Best Dancer" back in my glory days.
It's stuff like hearing a great song in an unexpected place or unexpected time that brightens my days. It's as if someone is looking after me, throwing me a bone, saying, "Hey, kid, here's one I know you're going to like. Enjoy." It's even more rewarding and appreciated when the song is one that reminds me of something or someone specific, which "Tenderness" does.
There are so many fantastic things about this track, including Rankin Roger's hair, the cool-ass hand claps, and the song's general message, but the greatest aspect is that it instantly transports me decades back in time to a simpler time when I was sitting in a certain girl's room and we'd pop this tape in her cassette player and press Play, Rewind, Play, Rewind, and Play over and over.
I try not to live in the past, but it's sure great to visit now and again. Thanks, gas station slacker guy.
No comments:
Post a Comment