Too Young to Know. . .

To begin, let me say that I look younger than I actually am. I'm 33, but I look more like 23 (at least that's what many people tell me). And I understand that it is generally held that the younger you are, the less you tend to be concerned with anything other than what is within your particular sphere of influence, which tends to narrow as one's age declines. This, however true it may be for a large percentage, is a gross generalization and clearly does not apply to all people all the time. Case in point: musical knowledge and taste (specifically mine). I grew up listening to a large amount of Gospel music mixed with a bit of what my older sisters were into (think Duran Duran, Pet Shop Boys, Morrissey and other 80s and early 90s bands). I was, however, somewhat sheltered in my musical lexicon and for what I now consider to be good reason. I recall having my Cypress Hill - Temples of Boom CD requisitioned by my parents for reasons I just didn't get at the time. I don't pay attention to the lyrics, Mom, I just like the music! Yeah, right. But I digress. . .

Later, upon establishing myself in a freshman dormitory at college I was introduced to a range of musical tastes I could only have dreamed of previously, had I thought to do so. My roommate was enamored by all things psychedelic. My neighbor across the hall was hip to any Rap coming "straight from ATL." My friend down the hall touted the glory of Bluegrass and a large dosage of Led Zepplin and their contemporaries. I, myself, must also point out that as a child I would steal my mom's Simon & Garfunkel and The Doors records and play them on my Fisher Price record player and later my dad's phono (once he finally allowed me to touch it). I guess I wasn't as sheltered as I thought.

*For the kids out there, yes, I did just say record player. As in LPs. Vinyl. Not to be confused with 8 tracks, cassette tapes, CDs, or even MP3s -- which had yet to be invented, but would be soon. If you still don't know what I'm talking about Google it.*

What this brings me to is this: I have listened to and appreciated a wide range of music spanning decades and even centuries. "Great," you may be saying, "you've listened to some music. So what?" The "so what?" in this is that for years now I have noticed that people of a certain age seem to relish in saying, "you're too young to know this song." First of all, I am (as I mentioned before) older than I look. Secondly, this statement is simply ignorant and just plain rude. And while many may not mean it with the self-satisfied and smug glint in their eyes that I, more often than not, tend to perceive within this comment, many do. Let's discuss why this is wrong.

First, though, let me say that perhaps I am being overly sensitive and I will readily admit this could be a distinct possibility. But after mentioning the idea for this blog topic to a person who's opinion I respect and who is also quite a bit younger than myself expressed a strong interest in it I felt compelled to make it a reality. Either way, I am not the only person who has experienced this. And that makes this relevant, in my opinion, overly sensitive or not. Whatever. Now it's on the internet and that makes it true, right? Just a little joke. Let's continue.

I can look at my contemporaries who have children and recognize that I have NO idea what having a child is all about. I can see a fighter pilot drop bombs during a time of war in a video on YouTube and have no idea how he may feel (much less the people he is bombing). And I can even make sense of the fact that I never went to a Jimi Hendrix concert and passed joints across the aisle, relishing in an amazing show of drug-fueled, free-love-embracing, tuning-in-and-turning-off, hippie love-fests. None of this applies to basic music, though (Hendrix reference notwithstanding). And I may not know what it was like to watch Pink Floyd play live at Pompeii, but I love that set in ways I can't describe because I heard it. I have a recording of it. And it was before my time. Quite a bit so.

Wait. Hold on. You're telling me that there are these things called "recordings" that are made and that despite the fact that the band is not physically there, plugged in and in front of the mic with the PA blasting and fans cheering I can actually hear what they are playing and singing anytime I want to? Yes. You can. And you all know this and this is exactly why saying. "You're too young to know this song," is belittling to me and yourself. (Not that you have ever said this. This is for those who do. Not you, right?)

Folks, I've listened to Motzart and Bethoveen and I don't know anyone alive who held up a lighter at one of their shows. So what is it about The Eagles, The Beatles, Led Zepplin and even The Partridge Family that elicit such reactions? Could it be that we think we are super cool when we live through and experience something that a younger generation hasn't? "I was there when the Magna Carta was signed. You only oversaw the signing of the Constitution of the United States of America. I'm cooler than you. . ." We all are born, have a childhood, an adulthood, latter years and then succumb to the dust from which we came. The fact that I was born later than one and earlier than another has no bearing on anything other than fate or God's will.

I didn't choose when I was born. Did you? On the other hand I do choose what music I listen to, and that happens to be the category entitled "eclectic." I don't weigh my hand too heavily in any particular camp. To tell you the truth, I like a little bit from here and a little bit from there. I like some Rap (not gangsta!), I like some Gospel, I like a bit from Rock, Jazz, Blues, Soul, Psychedelic, Electronica, Classic Rock, a smidgen of Pop and yes, even some *gasp* Country, and this is not even an exhaustive list. Clearly "eclectic" is a good place to start when it comes to my tastes. And I get this from having come into contact with a lot of people who have turned me on to good music new and old.

I like music and I have sought out music that I would like and it has taken many forms. I guess some people will only ever listen to what they grew up with, but I have never wanted to limit myself in this way (other than staying away from what I personally find offensive and lyrics that are a bit, shall we say, salty?). I guess this is why it bugs me when I'm singing a song at work (a decidedly unconventional grocery store) and someone says to me, "You're too young to know this song." NO, I'm not! I like music of all types from all times. I like a lot of music you will never hear on the radio or Muzak, but we are listening to (and singing along to) Muzak at my store here, people. This is not some obscure DJ spinning LPs of bygone eras. This is music that is and for the foreseeable future will continue to be in constant rotation. So beside the fact that I seek out music both legitimately new as well as new to me, when I am singing a song that is playing on the PA at work it is clearly a song that I have heard before because, and let me make this perfectly clear, THEY ARE STILL PLAYING IT!

Sorry. Didn't mean to yell. But seriously, whatever music is playing when you walk into a store or restaurant, unless you are in an independent record store, cafe or something of that nature, it is safe to say that the personnel there to assist you in whatever fashion have heard it over and over ad nauseum for however long they have worked there. Long enough to learn a few lyrics and if they're crazy like me, to sing along (even perhaps with a bit of falsetto thrown in, à la Bee Gees).

So I guess what my rant really boils down to is this. If I pull an obscurity out of my rear end and begin singing something that one could only have heard if he was actually there at a show (that didn't include live recording) more than thirty some years ago, and you are one of the lucky ones to have attended, I guess the whole, "You're too young to know this," might apply. But if I'm heartily singing along to something anyone can hear on the local classic rock station, over the PA at work, or even through the love of music and diligent personal searches and recommendations from like-minded friends, and you tell me I'm "too young to know this". . .

I just might have to hand you my iPod.