"Hope I die before I get old"

[dot]

What has happened to them? What has happened to us? And why?

They grew old. We didn't die before we grew old? They and us didn't try hard enough?

I'm lost.

 

[Pannonius]

Rock has been commercial from the beginning-- do you think Universal Records was in the business of fighting the system? It's just that, now that rock and roll is the only musical establishment most people have ever known, there's no need to even pretend to say anything by it. Where Mick Jagger had to shrewdly manage his image as a rebel, today's stars can afford to be much more cool and postmodern about the whole thing.

If you want integrity, go back to the blues-- I think any authenticity rock achieves basically derives from its roots in the blues.

Best post on CFC today.

 

[Martacus]

you are scum

My wife would call me a dork, but what can I say? That pun was simply begging to be told. I couldn't help myself.

 

[Shadylookin]

There was a time when our rock stars lived by these sentiments, and we, the adoring public, quietly shared them. Well, more or less. Life was about getting as high as possible, breaking on through to the other side, throwing tvs out of hotel windows, getting laid - everywhere, burning guitars on stage, throwing up on your fans, sticking it to the man, f***ing the system and, if death came early, rock on! It could be a blast.

But today? Rock stars and other music idols typically have the rock credentials of your average mortgage advisor. Life is about endorsements, perfume and clothing lines, reunion cash-ins, tabloid dodging, retiring to a vineyard in the south of France and going to Wimbledon. The most rock and roll they get is...holding aging rock star gigs against trade injustice and going to the G8 summit.

Sure, there are some exceptions today. But their recklessness is generally on the blander side and we, the adoring public, generally come over a bit mummsy when we hear of a shop lifting episode, a binge on the marching powder, or a bit too much booze the night before a gig.

What has happened to them? What has happened to us? And why?

most people call it growing up or getting older. Every generation of young adults has had little concern for the distant future and focused more on having a good time.

 

[philippe]

I hope I Die before I get old

I hope I get old before I die.


This reminds me of this cartoon by kamagurka:
I want to see my life ends like this:
valiantly rushing forward, over the trench
rushing over, for my homeland and finnally after killing dozens of krauts,
when I'm bullet-ridden, with my last breath, i pull out of the pin out my last grenade and jump on them..

when I'm 80 years old.

 

[Verbose]

Well, at least Keith Richards sure isn't ageing gracefully, which is probably the best way of getting your fill out of life.

Otoh Keith Richards is also a poster boy for the fact that the only decent way of ageing is with money.

 

[Masquerouge]

I'm pretty certain I never wanted to die young. Seemed silly to me.

 

[amadeus]

They stopped being stupid... at least, most of the time.

 

[Mise]

Pete Doherty?

 

[Irish Caesar]

The quality of concerts decreased when the musicians died young.

Makes for a significantly less convincing argument.

 

[CaptainF]

While I wouldn't necessarily want to die young, I definitely agree that youth is the time to live it up.

 

[Gilder]

Only the Good Die Young.

 

[sourboy]

It's a cycle. Movements are followed by trends, and when trends are prolonged by those selling out, new movements are created. See 70's -> 80's -> 90's -> now. Next decade will rock again.

 

[GinandTonic]

Cobain died. Liam Gallagher became (more of) an arse. Jack White did a tune for Coke.

Them days is gone my friend. Shame in a way, but seeing as the closest things we have are Winehouse abd Doherty maybe its for the best.

Winehouse and Doherty are still lviing the dream. Or living in a dream.

Lots of people I knew rocked very hard and chilled out after a spait of OD's. Watching someones mother cry as they bury their son has a way of giving people a sence of perspective. There are still the Doherty's and the Winehouses, and perhaps they will die young or perhaps they will sort their lives out. Perhaps they will do an Ozzie or a Richards and make it in a scarred form.

Sorry for the Brit-centric list.

EDIT -

Kind of reminds me of The Levellers Riverflow.

 

[Jawz II]

Haven't you seen the tabloids? Britney and Lindsey Lohan and that other chick are partying themselves to death...

How goddamn sad is that? The wildest 'stars' of today are teen girl idols...

I think Ill go eat a shotgun blast right now, I won't see you guys later...
(Joke)

That walking dead guy from the stones (whatshisface?) is apparently still alive and alcoholic, if its any consolation.

 

[Birdjaguar]

Hope I die before I get old

Only the stupid, careless and addicted died young. The rest figured out how to be adults of one sort or another. Pete Townshend found god which probably saved him from Kieth Moon's fate.

 

[West 36]

I blame Britain. You guys gave us the best or molded them in some way, why the hell have you guys been slacking off as of late?
You shouldn't rest until you have created yet another awesome band and then kill it off with suicide, drug OD, or the less awesome downward spiral into obesity.

 

[amadeus]

What has happened to them?

They died.

 

[Lotus49]

There was a time when our rock stars lived by these sentiments, and we, the adoring public, quietly shared them. Well, more or less. Life was about getting as high as possible, breaking on through to the other side, throwing tvs out of hotel windows, getting laid - everywhere, burning guitars on stage, throwing up on your fans, sticking it to the man, f***ing the system and, if death came early, rock on! It could be a blast.

But today? Rock stars and other music idols typically have the rock credentials of your average mortgage advisor. Life is about endorsements, perfume and clothing lines, reunion cash-ins, tabloid dodging, retiring to a vineyard in the south of France and going to Wimbledon. The most rock and roll they get is...holding aging rock star gigs against trade injustice and going to the G8 summit.

Sure, there are some exceptions today. But their recklessness is generally on the blander side and we, the adoring public, generally come over a bit mummsy when we hear of a shop lifting episode, a binge on the marching powder, or a bit too much booze the night before a gig.

What has happened to them? What has happened to us? And why?

It's no coincidence the music was better back then. Nowadays, it's mostly a bunch of either A) whining, B) mindless screaming or C) soft, squishy 'booty' music. I've written about modern emasculinization & regression, no nobody wants to hear about it. -Probably because they've gotten to the point where they're not man enough to be able to take the truth.

Thank God for recording devices, eh? Otherwise we'd be stuck with this current crap.

 

[EdwardTking]

What has happened to them?

Well most of them got rich, established and ended up becoming what
they sang against. Their campaigns against poverty come across as phoney.

Although some had the good marketing sense to die:

Glen Miller - shot down by Nazis or kidnapped by UFOs
Jinmmy Hendix - heroin
Elvis Presley - hamburger victim or kidnapped by UFOs
James Dean - car crash
Marc Bolan - car crash
Lefty Lopez of TLC - car crash

Others had the good sense to retire gracefully:

Tina Turner

What has happened to us?

I got older and married. You started believing in a mythical India.

And why?

Third law of thermodynamics.


What does annoy me is when they won't retire but carry on when they
are clearly past it and merely embarass their supporters and tribute bands.

Or start campaigning (like Cliff Richards) for the 50 year old copyright
to be extended because it is about to run out on their songs.
Yes, one can just imagine a 75 year old showing up at your front door,
and asking for money, because he installed the plumbing 50 years ago.