Friday, October 2, 2009

The 1994 Time Machine: Interstate Love Song

Quick apology here for not having the Fifteen Years Ago: New Hampshire post up on Thursday. I went to Boston for a day trip Wednesday, which just reminded me how awesome it would be to write a Hofstra blog while living in Boston, and got back to the Island much later than planned Thursday.

Also a quick note here to mention that I’ll be at the Hofstra-James Madison game Saturday afternoon and will try live Twittering. Yes. It turns out there is a level below rock bottom. Seriously, it may—like the series today’s post is part of—suck at an epic level, but I figure it’s worth a shot and could be fun. I’m not a fan of live blogs/live Twitters that are just play-by-play, so hopefully I can give you more than that. Follow me at http://twitter.com/defiantlydutch and find out!

No idea, honestly, on what to expect from the game, but Shuart Stadium’s reputation as a ghost town is beginning to gain legs, if the tease in this Daily News-Record article is any indication. Apparently, you have to pay to read the whole thing. What a concept. Had newspapers tried this 13 years ago, maybe most of them wouldn’t be in the crapper.

Where was I? Oh yes. The Dutchmen at least provided themselves something to build upon in last week’s 24-10 loss to Western Michigan, a marked change from the unmitigated disaster of the 47-0 loss to Richmond. Any shred of playoff hopes rest on not getting embarrassed today. Hunger and motivation for the Dutchmen shouldn’t be a problem, not after last year’s 56-0 rout at the hands of the Dukes.

So let’s see what happens…on Twitter as well as the gridiron!

As for the time machine: Like last week’s selection, the exuberant tone of “Interstate Love Song” symbolized the unlimited promise of the semester in particular and of being a 21-year-old in general. Underneath the exuberance, though, was a bit of a wistful tone, one that seemed to hint that none of this could last forever. Pretty soon we’d all have to worry about graduation and getting real jobs and paying our bills. In the meantime, though, life was grand and perfect and the song is an absolutely perfect summation of that time.

Turns out that’s not at all what troubled Stone Temple Pilots lead singer Scott Weiland was writing about at all. Apparently, he wrote the song about his dishonest relationships with his girlfriend and heroin. Yeah, I’ll continue to associate the song with late-night trips to Dunkin’ Donuts, thanks.

“Interstate Love Song” also sounded like the road, and like most 21-year-old writers, the idea of hitting the road, becoming one with it and absorbing all that America has to offer sounded awesome. Alas, the reality is that I’m a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad traveler, as I found out during a cross-country car trip the following March with Loyal Readers Sully Ray and Rob as well as fellow Chronicle staffer Adam. I like my routines and my rituals and, in unfamiliar situations at least, I don’t handle hiccups well…at all. How my three friends didn’t drop me off in the Gulf of Mexico remains one of the great mysteries of life.

Fun facts: “Interstate Love Song” was the second song off the chart-topping Purple album. It reached number one on the mainstream rock charts (otherwise known as the album rock chart) Sept. 17 and spent a record 15 weeks there. It replaced Purple’s first single, “Vasoline,” atop the chart.  This, by the way, was back when album rock stations played new music, and not the same six Led Zeppelin songs all the damn time. Oh boy! "Stairway to Heaven" again!

Email Jerry at defiantlydutch@yahoo.com or follow Defiantly Dutch at http://twitter.com/defiantlydutch.

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