Today is a red-letter day! As you’ve probably guessed, this means that I heard “Rock Me Amadeus” not once, but twice this afternoon.
This song takes me back to the days when I religiously listened to Casey Kasem every Sunday. Suddenly, in fifth grade, it became very important to know what songs were popular – you know, just in case there was a quiz on the playground Monday morning.
So, it was vitally important that I listen to Falco’s song and whatever interesting trivia Casey introduced with it. Nevermind that my parents hated the song – they said it was “disrespectful” to Mozart. It seems quaint that that was the big argument against a pop song.
I was never one to disobey my parents, and they certainly didn’t restrict what we could watch or listen to or read. But I turned the radio waaaay down low so that I could keep the peace but also do my best to memorize “Rock Me Amadeus.” It was another bit of information that just might hold the key to success in the strange tween years that I was entering with such clumsiness.
I was sure I would be called upon to discuss the finer points of the St. Elmo’s Fire soundtrack, or recite Wham! lyrics on command. I actually transcribed Madonna lyrics just in case I needed them – like hoarding for my own personal nuclear fallout.
It was a stressful time. And how amazing was my fifth-grade brain to think that my social life would depend on Top 40 radio?
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