SHOULD WE HONOR J.J. CALE?

[JEFF9K]

Singer, Songwriter J.J. Cale died Friday of a heart attack at the age of 74.

“... he was always best known as a songwriter for other musicians. His songs "After Midnight" and "Cocaine" became hits for Clapton in 70s and 80s and Lynyrd Skynyrd made "Call Me The Breeze" famous. Johnny Cash, Santana and the Allman Brothers were also among those who covered his songs.”

Kind of ironic that he lived to a ripe old age for a musician while his song “Cocaine,” which was essentially a commercial for the substance, contributed to the deaths of so many at an early age.

Responsible radio stations refused to play the song, while other stations played it proudly and criticized the stations that wouldn't play it.

Should there be laws banning the broadcasting of songs that encourage illegal behavior?
Should we honor the memory of J.J. Cale?

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/07/27/206080217/singer-songwriter-j-j-cale-dead-from-heart-attack-at-74

[yesphan]

1. In short,

no on banning, yes on honoring.

Let's start a list of banned artists.

Beatles
Bob Marley

[zappaman]

13. I love Bob Marley!

Wearing his shirt today!
?v020413

[rug]

37. I'll trade you.

[JohnnyRingo]

91. I have that shirt too

...only one person has commented on it so far. It was an older African American gentleman at a Farm Market in Solon. He laughed and asked where I got such a shirt.

Absolutely no white people have noticed during the three times I wore it so far. At one point I even pointed out that it was a joke to a couple friends. They looked at it for a few seconds and shrugged their shoulders. Does this mean my friends are racists?

I suspect they are too, but I'd feel I got my money's worth if someone would at least chuckle.

I got my oldest son the Led Zeppelin / Kiss design.

[zappaman]

103. Ha!

Oddly enough, the only person to comment on mine was a homeless young African American who couldn't stop laughing!
I think it just fools the eye and you really have to pay attention to get it.
And I love that Zeppelin one!

[think4yourself]

181. That's Jimi!

That's Jimi Hendrix.

[Scuba]

14. Yup...

[bigtree]

2. more to the man than that

. . . suggest you at least take the time to read what his peers have to say about him and his influence on them and on the music they play.

Not sure 'Cocaine' is actually glorifying the drug.

[JEFF9K]

15. it's

" ... it's alright, it's alright, it's alright, it's alright ... COCAINE!!"

That's all people hear.

[SalviaBlue]

30. What will we tell the children?

[JEFF9K]

31. ACTUALLY

The words are actually ..."she don't lie, she don't lie, she don't lie, she don't lie ... COCAINE!"

But most people hear it as "it's alright ... " or "she's alright ... "

That doesn't change anything as far as the song's effectiveness in promoting the drug.

[SalviaBlue]

43. The final verse is not promoting cocaine.

If your thing is gone
And you want to ride on, cocaine
Don't forget this fact,
You can't get it back, cocaine
She don't lie,
She don't lie,
She don't lie, cocaine.

[Atman]

44. You're out of your mind!

Can you please show me ANY proof that "most people" hear It's alright, it's alright... instead of the actual lyrics? You're just making shit up! More people would be likely to hear she don't LIKE, she don't LIKE... than "it's alright."

[Erose999]

92. I always thought it was either "she don't like" or "she don't buy".

[JEFF9K]

122. ask them

I asked 7 people, and I followed my own ears.

Your logic error: "beside the point"

[opiate69]

143. Courts have already addressed this in cases like McCollum v CBS/Osbourne

"[M]usical lyrics and poetry," said the court, "cannot be construed to contain the requisite 'call to action' for the elementary reason they simply are not intended to be and should not be read literally.... Reasonable persons understand musical lyrics and poetic conventions as the figurative expressions which they are." The court went on to state that even if the lyrics were expressing the view that suicide is an acceptable alternative to life, Osbourne has the constitutional right to express that view.

http://www.tjcenter.org/ArtOnTrial/ozzy.html
Bottom line: Artists are not responsible for actions resulting from misinterpretations of their art.

[JEFF9K]

154. good point

Good point to bring up.

[Atman]

159. Jeff, did you forget your sarcasm tag?

Or did I actually just see you post something intelligent, albeit brief and still open to interpretation?

[dipsydoodle]

3. Yes

'nuff said.

[warrprayer]

4. Honor the man

"she don't lie"....

[adirondacker]

9. She don't "like" either. JJ was a man ahead of his time. Legend. nt

[cali]

5. what the absolute fuck? got any evidence whatsofuckingever that

"Cocaine" "contributed to the deaths of so many..."?

What a pile.

Yes, damned straight we should honor him.

And I think laws banning the broadcasting of songs that encourage illegal behavior is the single silliest suggestion I've ever seen here- and that's aside for such a suggestion being about as blatantly unconstitutional as you could get.

for the love of fucking reason.

[JEFF9K]

16. you

You can honestly say you don't think a song with the hook "it's alright, it's alright, it's alright, it's alright ... COCAINE!, heard repeatedly by millions of impressionable youngsters, had no influence on them?

[JEFF9K]

123. lag

Ever hear of lag times?

[Atman]

47. But those aren't the lyrics!

Stop lying! If you have anything to back up your absurd statements, please post them, but stop lying!

[JEFF9K]

156. don't

Don't take that type of reasoning to an IQ test.

[Atman]

157. How

would you know anything about an IQ test?

[RainDog]

59. Artists are not in charge of morals

...beyond understanding the actual lyrics, the person who wrote the song, "Cocaine," wrote many other songs, as well. That's one song out of many that are considered much better songs.

The cultural context matters, in terms of an artist's work.

Should we hate on Louis Armstrong for singing a song about smoking pot in the 1930s? At the time, that was considered morally reprehensible. But Armstrong wasn't performing to make a moral statement. He was performing to make an artistic statement - and the reality of the world of the arts includes experimentation with various mind and body altering experiences.

Emotions alter our consciousness, too. Should musicians never sing about broken hearts because someone might go get his or her heart broken?

Or maybe artists talk about the world around them - what they observe, their own problems, sometimes, or often, too. Artists also change and grow and a song that may have had a certain resonance at one point no longer does.

Anyone who thinks artists have to uphold the moral code of society doesn't know much about art.

[cali]

63. + a lot.

thanks

[JEFF9K]

155. a class

This song is in a class of its own as far as potential damage.

[cali]

62. I doubt it, but honestly I don't give a shit one way or another

we don't ban creative expression in this country, dear.

[JEFF9K]

158. depending

There are many acts of "creative expression" that are banned.

[DirkGently]

68. Jose Cuervo, you are a friend of mine!

I like to drink you with a little salt and lime.

[Le Taz Hot]

85. The lyrics are

"she's no lie, she's no lie, she's no lie" but why let accuracy get in the way of a good character assassination of a dead songwriter.

Anyone else smell pizza?

[JEFF9K]

160. might

Ever hear of the "big picture?"

[Atman]

169. It was a Lawrence Casden movie about a dead guy, right?

Oh, no, that was "The Big Chill." And ironically enough, cocaine was a big part of the plot. Hmm. We should ban that movie, too.

[hatrack]

112. Hell, let's ban Jackson Browne, Taj Mahal, Buckcherry, Stones, Johnny Cash, Cole Porter . . .

. . . Fleetwood Mac, Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan and Reverend Horton Heat while we're at it.

Anybody else?

[JEFF9K]

128. let's

Let's look up the word "blatant."

[hatrack]

149. Let's add you to my "ignore" list, shall we? Super!

Stupidest fucking OP I've seen in years.

[JEFF9K]

163. non

Your logic is non-existent. I think you would be happier at a Republican site.

[Atman]

167. Maybe you can recommend one.

[Mopar151]

136. If you ban "Cocaine", then you gotta ban "Beer Barrel Polka"

How about we listen to JJ's own Top 40 hit, some spare, elegant blues, and give the faux outrage a rest.

I'm sure this is a cover- but it's a point better taken than banning a word, or staining a fine legacy.

[JEFF9K]

164. what's

Logic fail: APPLES AND ORANGES

[opiate69]

182. Also, pretty much the entirety of Alice in Chains' "Dirt" CD.

Since it's pretty much a journal of Layne Staley's heroin addiction...
http://m.

[Atman]

6. Absolute crap.

If you've ever heard his interviews about the song "Cocaine," you'd have some insight. It was a 'certain time' in American culture. Cocaine was very popular. People did it openly at clubs and bars. Is that good? Of course not. Was it JJ's Cale's fault? OF COURSE NOT! I notice you don't call for the banishment of Eric Clapton or others who covered the song.

Art doesn't just imitate life, it comments on life. JJ's singing about what was 'life' back then is no reason to diminish the greatness of his artistic talents. Shame on the writer of this blog for being such a lame-ass stuffed shirt. He probably prefers to listen to any one of the current crop of Disney petri-dish "stars."

[JEFF9K]

17. he

Anyone who thinks this immensely popular "commercial" for cocaine had no negative influence needs to think harder.

Of course it WAS Cale's fault. Also Clapton's fault. And the fault of radio stations that played the song.

CALE is the one who died. Get logic!

[Atman]

24. He died at 74!

I know (knew) people who died from heart attacks in their fifties who lived "clean" lives. How old are you? Honestly, you sound like a teenaged church-goer, judging everyone else for not living up to your standards.

You clearly know nothing about Cale's incredible volume of work, and the people, now major rock stars, who considered JJ the lead to their backup.

I must admit, I'm kind of shocked at the ignorance of your comments, on so many levels. Yeah...everyone did coke because JJ Cale "advertised" it. Damn...I hope you never let your kids watch ABC Family Channel, or Disney!

[Atman]

32. It's Benny Goodman's fault! And Reagan's!

Last edited Tue Jul 30, 2013, 10:00 AM - Edit history (2)

(Edited for record label...)

Jebus. I have and old Stash Records re-issue called "Reefer Songs." Benny Goodman, all the old big band leaders and crooners singing about weed, coke and pills. "Who Put The Benzedrine in Mrs. Murphy's Ovaltine? Who put the Nembutals in Mr. Murphy's overalls?" Yeah...so by OP's logic, drug abuse can be directly attributed to Big Band music.

[JEFF9K]

171. you are

You are now on my ignore list for your incredible stupidity.

[Atman]

173. Thank goodness!

What took you so long? Good riddance.

[JEFF9K]

125. pathetic

Your reasoning is pathetic. Look up the word "blatant."

[Atman]

140. +100

Abso-freakin'-lutely.

[JEFF9K]

33. your logic

Your logic is pathetic. It's like I'm at the other site, arguing with a Republican.

[Atman]

39. Really?

I don't think you know the meaning of the word "logic." Cale wrote many famous songs about all sorts of subjects, from sex to traveling light. He's obviously responsible for everything bad in the world. Apparently, he didn't write about what he saw, he wrote about what he wanted to see, and those songs made it happen.

Seriously? I mean...SERIOUSLY? Are you high?

[JEFF9K]

168. you

You seem devoid of thinking abilities. You want to dumb things down to black and white, like conservatives do.

Should we take John Wilkes Booth's acting record into account before condemning him for killing Lincoln.

[Atman]

170. WTF are you talking about?

At least when I was doing cocaine, conversations SEEMED intelligent. Your posts are some of the dumbest shit I've read on DU in ages...and that's saying a lot!

[snooper2]

104. I think you need a key bump, or seven

[delrem]

152. If you're so vulnerable, how did you survive the 20th century?

Did you run out and get addicted to heroin because Lou Reed sang "Heroin"?

IMO you don't have a very high regard for humanity, that you'd think people are so shallow.

[JEFF9K]

175. apples to

oranges

[Zorra]

48. Yes. *sigh* The song is a WARNING about cocaine. It is an ANTI-DRUG SONG.

The song ends with the line,

"Don't forgot this fact, you can't get it back, cocaine.

She don't lie, she don't lie, she don't lie, cocaine."

I did more than enough blow in the 80's to know exactly what that means.

I've played this tune ad nauseum in bars, still play it occasonally. I change the words in the very last line. Instead of "she don't lie she don't lie, she don't lie," I sing

"I lost my wife, I lost my job, I lost my car...cocaine"

Eric Clapton describes "Cocaine" as an anti-drug song. He has called the song "quite cleverly anti-cocaine", noting:[11]

It's no good to write a deliberate anti-drug song and hope that it will catch. Because the general thing is that people will be upset by that. It would disturb them to have someone else shoving something down their throat. So the best thing to do is offer something that seems ambiguous—that on study or on reflection actually can be seen to be "anti"—which the song "Cocaine" is actually an anti-cocaine song. If you study it or look at it with a little bit of thought ... from a distance ... or as it goes by ... it just sounds like a song about cocaine. But actually, it is quite cleverly anti-cocaine.
—Eric Clapton

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cocaine_%28song%29

[bemildred]

7. I do. nt

[TeamPooka]

8. This is a liberal website that supports free spech and I miss JJ already. He was a

great artist.
Your question is very Republican.

[JEFF9K]

19. Democrat

Democrats are free thinkers, and their opinions are all over the board.

They don't march in lockstep like Republicans do.

I'm a proud supporter of the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party.

[TeamPooka]

38. No part of the Democratic party wants to "ban" certain artists or popular music from the airwaves

That is what Republicans did to The Dixie Chicks
to talk about JJ Cale and his music the way you are is absurd.

[JEFF9K]

184. the dixie

The Dixie Chicks didn't make a "commercial" that resulted in the deaths of impressionable teens. Their work more likely prevented deaths.

[tkmorris]

42. Which is EXACTLY why we should honor Cale

In addition, the "free-thinking" bit is apparently where you are failing in your inability to see the song Cocaine as something other than an advertisement for cocaine usage.

[billh58]

51. Since when did real

Democrats want to ban ANYTHING? Can you point to even one Democratic politician that would disparage J. J. Cale for one fucking song? You sound like a fundamentalist right-winger to me. Are you peeking out from under a bridge somewhere?

[cali]

64. generally, they're smart enough to know that 1st amendment

guarantees speech like Cale's against insane authoritarian fuckwads.

[JEFF9K]

126. but

Sounds like you would be happy to suppress MY rights to bring this up.

[cali]

131. Nope. Wrong again. Blather happily on as much as you wish

just don't expect me to have any fucking patience with the nonsense you're tossing out.

[Change has come]

56. I agree. n/t

[DevonRex]

10. I don't think he "encouraged illegal behavior." He wrote a great song

about what was going on at the time. If you listen to the lyrics they actually point to the addictive aspect. The song goes from using it for fun to just using it to be normal. Subtle but important. That's what geniuses do. People who banned the song didn't get it.

Honor the man, the singer-songwriter. Of course.

[JEFF9K]

20. if

Be honest. What percentage of people hear only the tag line?

[Atman]

72. You simply don't know what you're talking about!

You'd certainly never make it as a music critic. You're not doing too well as a pop-culture critic, either.

What the hell is a "tag line" as it relates to music? There are no "tag lines" in music. Tag lines are slogans added to brand names. And even then, you don't have the "tag line" correct. The lyrics are NOT "it's alright, it's alright, it's alright." Period. You're just wrong, and on a misguided crusade.

[dionysus]

97. better watch your speed Casey Jones...

[JEFF9K]

129. it's

It's a great song musically, but no smart person can deny that it BLATANTLY promoted the use of cocaine.

[DevonRex]

144. You do know that the song itself cannot "do" anything with intent, right?

The song is what is is - poetry and music and motion and emotion, forming art.

Your contention has been that nobody really listened to the lyrics. Just the "taglines" (lol) as you out it. So they thought it was cheering cocaine use. First, that cannot be the standard audience to which every artist must beer his expression. If it were, then every song would say "Don't do cocaine you fucking idiots" for 2:45.

Second, you have a bit of history wrong as well. A hell of a lot of Blues and Rock fans back then bought tapes for their cars but still bought vinyl for home. They'd put an album on, bring the arm back and listen to side one 5 times in a row. Then they'd flip it and do the same thing with side 2. Half the time the lyrics were printed right on the album or on the liner notes. That's one reason people hated to switch to tapes alone (other than that they sucked).

People back then actually knew the lyrics. At least the people who were into music did. The others? Well, maybe they were too far gone anyway. Not the artists' fault. They aren't paid to sing public service announcements for fucking idiots who already crossed the line a long time ago.

[JEFF9K]

22. Dems

Many studies show that Democrats are smarter than Republicans. One can't tell that by your comment.

[JEFF9K]

34. thanks

You keep proving what I said.

[JEFF9K]

130. what

What idiocy! Do you have any studies that up is up. There's a new thing out - it's called COMMON SENSE!!

[Atman]

134. "There's a new thing out - it's called COMMON SENSE!!"

Apparently your order hasn't arrived yet.

[SwampG8r]

189. i have no evidence to the contrary and yet

when zappa said this it resonated
"There are more love songs than anything else. If songs could make you do something we'd all love one another."

[Atman]

74. Exactly the opposite.

You keep proving what she said.

[PufPuf23]

12. Yes JJ Cale was a great artist. nt

[IDemo]

21. There is some disagreement on whether the song glorified the drug

http://scholarsandrogues.com/2013/07/27/rip-jj-cale-a-brief-remembrance/

[JEFF9K]

23. the effect

Whatever the intent, the effect was a huge, free, highly-effective commercial for cocaine.

[IDemo]

25. Likely, yes.

When the word "cocaine" is repeated as often as it was in that song, the ear could tend to drown out most or all of the remaining words. Not saying the author of the linked article was entirely correct, but it does bear noting that Cale didn't exactly paint a glamorous portrait of the cocaine experience in any case.

[JEFF9K]

162. when

In concert, when the audience gleefully shouts out "COCAINE" it's hard to imagine that its use isn't being promoted.

[DirkGently]

26. I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die, so I'm probably biased. n/t

[JEFF9K]

35. not

Not a good comparison.

[DirkGently]

61. "Let's take some drugs and drive around," then.

[Atman]

81. The SILOS!

Walter Salas-Humara was brilliant. I have a very disc, only a few hundred printed, of a show he did at a Texas club. Some original stuff, but mostly Silos stuff, accoustic. A six pack for me and a twelve pack for you!

Phenomenal! I think I'll go take some drugs and drive around!

[DirkGently]

89. Yes indeed. He founded the Vulgar Boatmen, too.

They continued with a totally different lineup (actually two), but they're totally worth checking out if you like Salas-Humara.

[Atman]

117. Let's go get some drugs...

I didn't know they were still touring. Apparently they have a new album out, too. Silos.net.

[DirkGently]

120. Such a great song. Love Evangeline, too.

Probably something illicit in there somewhere too.

[Arkansas Granny]

118. "Why Don't We Get Drunk and Screw" while we're at it.

[DirkGently]

119. Classic!

[dionysus]

100. i do say, my good man, are you holding?

[Atman]

46. Hey Joe, I shot the sheriff...

OP is off his rocker.

[Blue_In_AK]

49. Not only that, but

down by the river, I shot my baby.

[DevonRex]

121. Did she drag you over the rainbow

send you away?

No wonder you shot her. Nobody can tolerate that kind of treatment!

[DirkGently]

90. And need we discuss the frightening events of

Ode to Billie Joe?

[Atman]

98. Oh, come on...

Who hasn't tossed a body off the Tallahatchie bridge?

[DirkGently]

113. And possibly an infant body at that. n/t

[Atman]

172. Last IQ test I had...

...I scored "somewhere above" 135. They would tell me the exact score. You need your license revoked.

[madrchsod]

28. my head hurts......

[leftstreet]

36. Sears Catalogue used to sell cocaine

opium heroin

[The Straight Story]

40. Hell, could be worse, he could have been Steve Irwin

And that did not end well here

[Little_Wing]

45. If you want to get down

Down on the ground, cocaine."

Never heard the endorsement or recommendation in this song. In fact it was downright painful to hear any version of this vivisection of addiction.

JJ Cale was part of a great incarnation of American music. RIP.

[opiate69]

50. I say, my good man. If you would be so kind...

Please do provide us with documentation detailing precisely where the boundaries of your lawn might be, so that we may earnestly endeavor to avoid encroaching upon it in future.

[Scootaloo]

52. Should we only honor musicians who tell you to eat your broccoli and look both ways before crossing?

[DirkGently]

67. Yes! And no more songs about The Drinking or The Sex.

[Scootaloo]

71. So the Wiggles are going to sweep the grammys, huh? n/t

[DirkGently]

87. Not to mention the Country Music Awards.

Don't know where'd they'd be without tequila, whiskey, et al.

[NealK]

147. Lol!

The OP sure would love to live in this kind of dystopia.

[Vinnie From Indy]

53. Thank you for this post!

J.J. deserved it!


Cheers!

[JEFF9K]

127. Thank you.

My point is valid and worth considering.

I've gotten more flack at this supposedly liberal site than anywhere else.

Liberals are supposed to be smarter than conservatives and all-over-the-board with their thoughts. But 90% of the commenters here would apparently be happy to suppress my right to post this.

[cali]

133. Your point isn't even a little tiny eeeny bit valid. Not a scrap of it.

You deserve this flak. No one wants to suppress your right to post this, er, stuff. We just feel free to point out that it's bullshit. And stop making crap up. Not one person in this thread has said you don't have the right to post it.

You advocate UNCONSTITUTIONAL laws and seem to think that art should be all rainbows and painter of light banality. It's not. It never has been. Art is often uncomfortable and gritty and challenging. Don't like that? Fine, but don't fucking try to tell other people what they should listen to or see when it comes to art.

[JEFF9K]

174. you

You are NOT smart.

[Atman]

141. "I've gotten more flack at this supposedly liberal site than anywhere else."

"I've gotten more flack at this supposedly liberal site than anywhere else."

Most curious. So, you admit that you've trolled this bullshit at other sites. Judging by the wording, they've been "conservative" sites. Hmm. Hmm. And what you've found is that the authoritarian, conservative mindset seems to agree with you, while free-thinking liberals call you out for your utter nonsense. Hmm. Very curious indeed.

You might want to go think about this. Maybe we can order up some Troll pizza.

[treestar]

54. No one was forced to use cocaine due to that song!

[markiv]

187. that poster is remarkable, in their ability

to defend anything

[treestar]

190. Explain how a song forces someone to do cocaine

I've heard that song many times and have not done cocaine.

[Atman]

55. Ozzy forced Jeff9K off the rails on the crazy train.

[SalviaBlue]

57. Ha Ha!!!!

[olddots]

58. I believe the song Cocaine was written in the 1930s

it was never written such as becoming sheet music but it was passed around and played by many artists.
I am not saying J.J.Cale stole the song .

[cali]

66. no. the song the op is referencing was written by Cale

Perhaps you are thinking of this song:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cocaine_Blues

[spanone]

60. yes. wtf?

[WinkyDink]

65. "Should we honor the memory of J.J. Cale?" WhyTH not? Obama just praised Poppy "Iran-Contra" Bush.

[madokie]

69. JJ Cale was one of the best songwriters ever

He could put a bigger message in fewer words than anyone I know.
Yes we honor JJ Cale at my home.
I've been a JJ Cale fan since way back when he was but a blip on the music writing radar.
Again. Yes. Honor. JJ Cale.

[yesphan]

132. Just another Okie

trying to destroy Merica.

JJ, Bradly Manning, Elizabeth Warren.

[JEFF9K]

176. polite

I think that's the most polite disagreement I've had here.

[kentauros]

70. Who was he again?

Well, at least John Cale is still alive

[LTX]

95. He was a remarkable innovator on the guitar, and a Muscle Shoals blues legend -

A great deal is being said here about his songwriting, but that was secondary to his guitar work. He was an enormous influence on contemporary guitarists from Eric Clapton to Duane Allman to Mark Knopfler to Bonnie Raitt. His slide work and selective emphasis had its roots in the be-bop work of Charlie Christian. If you want to hear a fine example, pick up a copy of the album "Really," and listen to the track "Mojo." It's a blend of blues and Lionel Hampton, and it'll give you chills.

He played a number of modified guitars, the majority of which looked like they'd been cobbled together from a garage sale. When I saw him in Knoxville in 1974, he was playing a Martin that was painted white, had the back cut out, an electric bridge taped in just above the saddle, and about a quarter mile of unruly, uncut string at the tuning heads. It was a sight. But he made that hybrid sing.

[kentauros]

101. Thank you for the information :)

I knew of him, but that was never really my kind of music. Yes, what I listened to back then (other than the German and French electronic music) probably had some of his lyrics and influence. However, I never was one for commercial radio and corporate rock, of which it seems, he had a huge influence upon.

I guess I'll look to see if Bill Nelson has said anything on his page about him...

[LTX]

105. I wouldn't classify him as corporate rock or commercial radio.

He was never much of a presence in either, principally showing up in both as a behind the scenes songwriter (sort of a John Hiatt career path in that regard). He made enough money at that to keep him flush, but he was pretty much a contrarian, and his influence was principally in the (comparatively negligible) blues market.

Also, I found out that you can pop up the track "Mojo" off the "Really" album on youtube. The sound is crappy, but it will give you a feel for him.

[kentauros]

109. I didn't mean that he was corporate/commercial,

only that the songs being quoted as his I would classify as such. It's the bands that come under that heading, and not necessarily those that contribute to the bands' success

(I can't get YT at work; streaming radio is okay, tho, for some reason...)

[LTX]

111. Don't get me wrong, I have no objection to corporate/commercial as a classification or music source,

and if Cale had had more business savy, I'm rather sure he would have liked tapping in to that revenue stream. But he seemed to be highly introverted (and was, the times I saw him, distinctly uncomfortable in front of a crowd). He just never made much of a dent in the pop-rock scene as an individual artist, but he had his own way of making his presence known to other musicians. He's an interesting story.

[LTX]

106. Oh, and by the way, one of the greatest, pure rock & roll tunes of all time

is "Devil in Disguise" off of his "Grasshopper" album (which, if you had to pick only two albums, I would include with "Really.)

Also, you may find this article interesting:

http://music.yahoo.com/blogs/stop-the-presses/jj-cale-why-neil-young-called-him-best-183038172.html

[RandiFan1290]

75. I prefer Bananas and Blow

by Ween...from New Hope, PA

[Atman]

76. Here is one of the most popular songs in America (sad, but true)...

(Yeah, Ah-Ah-Ah-Ah-Ah-Ark)
Oo-ooh-ooh, hoo yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah
Yeah-ah-ah
Yeah-ah-ah
Yeah-ah-ah
Yeah-ah-ah
Yeah, yeah, yeah

[Rebecca Black - Verse 1]

7am, waking up in the morning
Gotta be fresh, gotta go downstairs
Gotta have my bowl, gotta have cereal
Seein’ everything, the time is goin’
Tickin’ on and on, everybody’s rushin’
Gotta get down to the bus stop
Gotta catch my bus, I see my friends (My friends)

Kickin’ in the front seat
Sittin’ in the back seat
Gotta make my mind up
Which seat can I take?

It’s Friday, Friday
Gotta get down on Friday
Everybody’s lookin’ forward to the weekend, weekend
Friday, Friday
Gettin’ down on Friday
Everybody’s lookin’ forward to the weekend

Partyin’, partyin’ (Yeah)
Partyin’, partyin’ (Yeah)
Fun, fun, fun, fun
Lookin’ forward to the weekend

[Rebecca Black - Verse 2]

7:45, we’re drivin’ on the highway
Cruisin’ so fast, I want time to fly
Fun, fun, think about fun
You know what it is
I got this, you got this
My friend is by my right
I got this, you got this
Now you know it

Kickin’ in the front seat
Sittin’ in the back seat
Gotta make my mind up
Which seat can I take?

[Chorus]

It’s Friday, Friday
Gotta get down on Friday
Everybody’s lookin’ forward to the weekend, weekend
Friday, Friday
Gettin’ down on Friday
Everybody’s lookin’ forward to the weekend

Partyin’, partyin’ (Yeah)
Partyin’, partyin’ (Yeah)
Fun, fun, fun, fun
Lookin’ forward to the weekend

[Bridge]

Yesterday was Thursday, Thursday
Today i-is Friday, Friday (Partyin’)
We-we-we so excited
We so excited
We gonna have a ball today

Tomorrow is Saturday
And Sunday comes after...wards
I don’t want this weekend to end

[Rap Verse]

R-B, Rebecca Black
So chillin’ in the front seat (In the front seat)
In the back seat (In the back seat)
I’m drivin’, cruisin’ (Yeah, yeah)
Fast lanes, switchin’ lanes
Wit’ a car up on my side (Woo!)
(C’mon) Passin’ by is a school bus in front of me
Makes tick tock, tick tock, wanna scream
Check my time, it’s Friday, it’s a weekend
We gonna have fun, c’mon, c’mon, y’all

[Chorus]

It’s Friday, Friday
Gotta get down on Friday
Everybody’s lookin’ forward to the weekend, weekend
Friday, Friday
Gettin’ down on Friday
Everybody’s lookin’ forward to the weekend

Partyin’, partyin’ (Yeah)
Partyin’, partyin’ (Yeah)
Fun, fun, fun, fun
Lookin’ forward to the weekend

It’s Friday, Friday
Gotta get down on Friday
Everybody’s lookin’ forward to the weekend, weekend
Friday, Friday
Gettin’ down on Friday
Everybody’s lookin’ forward to the weekend

Partyin’, partyin’ (Yeah)
Partyin’, partyin’ (Yeah)
Fun, fun, fun, fun
Lookin’ forward to the weekend

--------

It's a brain-dead version of "Cocaine," by a stupid dumb-ass teenager. It makes me want to go out drunk driving with a bunch of children...with a calendar. Sorry, Jeff...I'll take JJ Cale any day of the week, Thursday, which comes before Friday, then Saturday and Sunday...

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

77. "Cocaine" is an anti-drug song.

Eric Clapton describes "Cocaine" as an anti-drug song. He has called the song "quite cleverly anti-cocaine", noting:

It's no good to write a deliberate anti-drug song and hope that it will catch. Because the general thing is that people will be upset by that. It would disturb them to have someone else shoving something down their throat. So the best thing to do is offer something that seems ambiguous—that on study or on reflection actually can be seen to be "anti"—which the song "Cocaine" is actually an anti-cocaine song. If you study it or look at it with a little bit of thought ... from a distance ... or as it goes by ... it just sounds like a song about cocaine. But actually, it is quite cleverly anti-cocaine.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cocaine_%28song%29

[cali]

83. but that is irrelevant. who cares if it was a song saying cocaine is the greatest thing

ever?

Artistic expression is a CONSTITUTIONALLY guaranteed right.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

86. That is true - you'll get no argument from me.

I was simply responding to the OP's ridiculous statement that the song glorifies cocaine, which it doesn't, and which was pretty obvious to just about anybody who ever heard it.

But - as you said - even if it did, the songwriter would have had every right to produce a song that praised drugs to the skies without having the song banned or made illegal, which is a terrible, wrong, stupid, totalitarian and totally unconstitutional idea.

[JEFF9K]

177. almost

Almost anything can be called "artistic expression."

[cali]

179. right. so? pornography of all kinds is legal under the constitution and you

think that laws against playing this song and others deemed by the oh so great JEFF would be constitutional? Not a chance in the world, jack.

[JEFF9K]

183. recommended

Recommend areas of study for you: History, Psychology, Statistics, Logic, Constitutional Law ...

[Atman]

78. These duded in the 30's made Cale look like a Disney star...

http://www.discogs.com/Various-Reefer-Songs-16-Original-Jazz-Classics/master/417686

Harlan Lattimore And His Connie's Inn Orchestra – Reefer Man
Cab Calloway Orch.* – The Man From Harlem
Stuff Smith And His Onyx Club Boys – Here Comes The Man With The Jive
Bob Howard And His Boys – If You're A Viper
Benny Goodman And His Orchestra – Texas Tea Party
Buster Bailey's Rhythm Busters – Light Up
Trixie Smith – Jack I'm Mellow
Barney Bigard Sextet – Sweet Marijuana Brown
Sidney Bechet With Noble Sissles Swingers* – Viper Mad
Harlem Hamfats, The – Weed Smoker's Dream
C.P. Johnson And Band – The "G" Man Got The "T" Man
A. Kirk And His Twelve Clouds Of Joy* – All The Jive Is Gone
Georgia White – The Stuff Is Here
Chick Webb And His Orch.* – Wackey Dust
Harry "The Hipster" Gibson – Who Put The Benzedrine In Mrs. Murphy's Ovaltine
Clarence Williams And His Orch.* – Jerry The Junker

[Warpy]

79. Hey, it was a good song

I lost friends to coke addiction. Most of them were cokeheads long before that song came out. Fortunately, I could never see the point, 20 minutes of feeling like you were a kid just before Xmas but there were no presents to open and sinuses were stuffed full of steel wool the next day. Not. Worth. It. and even that "advertisement" didn't convince me it was.

A lot of great songs were (and probably are) drug songs. I don't think any of them persuaded someone who had never tried drugs to go out and buy some, sounds like fun.

Curmudgeons are always overestimating the effect popular music lyrics have on young, impressionable minds, grumbling about everyone from Rudy Vallee through rap and always wanting censorship laws.

Fortunately we have a First Amendment in this country to protect the rest of us from them.

[Atman]

82. I dropped acid because of Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds.

Not.

[aikoaiko]

80. If your thing is gone and you wanna ride on; cocaine. Don't forget this fact, you can't get it back

Cocaine, the song, was not a commercial for cocaine use.

[JEFF9K]

178. effect

It had the EFFECT of a commercial for cocaine.

[WilliamPitt]

84. This is a tremendously stupid OP.

[Atman]

88. +100

[JEFF9K]

185. stupid

Stupid people are agreeing with you.

[Fumesucker]

93. I bet you think Hendrix was singing a gay anthem..

'Scuse me while I kiss this guy.



Negative DUZY!

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

96. There should be a special category

for industrial-strength stupid posts. They could be called UNDUZYs.

[DirkGently]

114. If you're gay does not bother me ...

and there's a bathroom on the right.

[NealK]

148. Lol!

[Dr. Strange]

142. A negative DUzy?

We should call it a DUfus.

[HappyMe]

94. What the......

This has to go down in DU history as one of the goofiest OPs ever.


Parodying a Stones song...

Hey, MIRT, take a look at this clown!
I said, hey, MIRT, take a look at this clown.

[Atman]

99. Hmmm...we haven't heard from Mr. J9K in quite a while...

Me thinks the doth smell a smack-down.

[SomethingFishy]

107. Your ignorance of the meaning of song lyrics is astounding.

Try a new hobby...

[JEFF9K]

124. ignorance

Your ignorance of logical thinking is astounding. The ACTUAL lyrics aren't relevant. It's effectively a cocaine commercial!!

[Atman]

135. Jeff, how many people here are defending your position on this?

"Common sense" should tell you you're just wrong. This is "DEMOCRATIC Underground," and it would appear most people think your interpretation of JJ Cale's lyrics are simply wrong. Just because YOU didn't know the actual lyrics or the meaning of the song, and ran off to snort up your trust fund after hearing it played on the radio, doesn't mean everyone did.

[SomethingFishy]

138. "The actual lyrics aren't relevant"

And you say I am ignorant of logical thinking.

Good luck with your crusade.

[NealK]

150. "Everyone is stupid except me" -Homer Simpson

[Bluenorthwest]

108. Don't forget this fact, you can't get it back....cocaine, she dont mind...

Anti cocaine song.
If you want to get down, down on the ground, cocaine, she don't mind.

[Hissyspit]

146. Of course it is. OP knows that.

[Nye Bevan]

110. I only like nice, wholesome songs like "Puff the Magic Dragon".

[DirkGently]

115. I actually had a children's album with that song on it.

Complete with a cute picture of an adorable baby dragon.

Possibly the hidden subversion affected me somehow.

[Atman]

116. It was on Peter, Paul & Mommy.

I grew up on it...and so did my kids.

It also featured such gems as "I'm Being Swallowed by a Boa Constrictor." Nice, wholesome kids songs!

[The Midway Rebel]

137. Hey OP! Let's get fucked up!

[cliffordu]

151. Absolutely.

If whoever wrote that piece of shit question EVER wrote anything nearly as good as the songs JJ wrote, they'd have a leg to stand on.

As it is, not so much.

[hobbit709]

153. Oh JEFF9K, here's another song to have a cow about.

[librechik]

161. anyone who can't understand the brutal irony of that song

should have their record collection taken away.

NPR blows.

[Atman]

165. More than 160 posts later, and facing universal ridicule, Jeff9K trudges on...

"All the smart people know it was a commercial for cocaine."

Oddly enough, Jeff9K appears to be the only "smart people" in this thread. And he still doesn't get it. He fights on...it's kind of like a senseless addiction. Hmmm. The irony.

[markiv]

186. nothing honorable about glamorizing dangerous drugs

in a way, that song was the flip side of the 'war on drugs', and in a strange way, an enabler of it

there were very few sensible public messages about drugs in the late 70s. it was either glorification of drug culture as 'cool' (as this song did, with people in the audience shouting 'COCAINE! even if it is claimed as an anti-cocaine song, it most definately was not received as such at the time), or hysterical and poorly produced/unbelievable anti-drug PSAs

what was desparately needed, was an accurate neither overplayed or underplayed message about the slippery slope and erosion of opportunity that they represented for young people

about the best message i ever saw, was some teen/college pre-beverly hills 90210 sitcom with one of the group getting into cocaine (and accurately protraying the problems it would create for him), and a sensiblle girl in the group asking him 'ever think where that money goes - what it does to the place it comes from?" A real breath of fresh air, but too little, too late

The song 'Cocaine' was not a breath of fresh air, it was a snort of poisen, and any claims that it was really an anti-cocaine song are pure BS - the song was continued to be performed long after it was plain that the song was seen as glorifying it to the audience, and that's all that really matters. 'they should have gotten the true message' is deeply cynical, and anyone who really meant that message would have killed the song when they saw how it was being interpreted

pausing for the audience to shout back COCAINE!!!! when playing it, when it's really anti-drug? puh-lease