Monday, June 30, 2008

OLD SCHOOL

by Stan C. Countz

VERSE 1
The day is draggin’ by with it’s tail between it’s legs
I take a breath and sigh and drink my glass of lemonade
I think of days gone by when I had it made in the shade
All I had to do was slide and try to keep up my grade

Tink and Peter Pan made us try to fly
We still believed in fairies and Santa
I Spy with my little eye
Peach cobbler and apple pie

And who would deny we thought highly of Santana
Way before Miley was Hannah Montana
And we all cried when Ol' Yeller died
and at the burnin' of Atlanta

If I was bad, Mom and dad would spank me
If I was good they would never thank me
They just expected me to do what’s right
They put up with no “hanky panky”

Never heard of “gigahertz” or “gigabytes”
Sent me off to church with a hanky
The Birds and Psycho gave us all a fright
But we all loved Annette and Frankie

Beach parties and Spin and Marty
Laughin' hard at Laurel and Hardy
Edger Bergin and Charlie McCarthy
Andy, Opie, Aunt Bea and Barney
Jackie Gleason and Art Carney
John, George, Ringo and Paul McCartney

Rode our Schwinn bike to the corner store
And we liked Ike and Dick Van Dyke
We all wanted more Mary Tyler Moore
It was all in a Hard Days Night

Bought “hardware” at the hardware store
A “chip” was a little piece of wood
“Software” was what the ladies wore
And cowboys were always good

They wore white hats and red bandanas
They played a sad guitar and piana
And we all cried when Ol’ Yeller died
And at the burnin’ of Atlanta

Way before Miley was Hannah Montana
We prayed daily and believed in Santa
Hillbillies were livin’ in Beverly Hills
and Haley Mills was Pollyanna

We loved Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young
Paid our bills in cash and still had fun
Had time to kill; we were still so young
Didn’t hand out purple pills or hand guns

Times were tough, things were hard
No swimmin’ pools in our back yard
We paid in cash, not credit card
But at least we didn’t need a guard

CHORUS/OUTRO
Guess you could say we’re just…old school
But just ‘cuz we’re old don’t mean we’re fools
We still believe in the golden rule
And that a man's only as good as his tools

Don’t be mean and don't be cruel
So what if I’m “old school”
That ain’t the same as “I ain’t cool”
I can still play a mean game of pool

OUTRO
So what if I’m old school
The chicks really dig it
“Old School” really kicks it
So if it ain’t broke why fix it?
Guess you could say I’m old school; (3 x)

Saturday, June 28, 2008

Good Ol' Daze

She’s IM’ing with her Sidekick
Downloading a new ringtone
Her room looks like it was hit
By a tornado or a cyclone

I’m tired of screaming at her
Telling her to clean her room
I’m tired of drama and chatter
Tired of acting like a buffoon

Can’t wait ‘til she’s all grown up
Moved out and up and on her own
Got her own truck, car and phone
Her own credit card and home loan

‘Til then we gotta go for broke
Gotta try to guide and teach her
Not to lie, steal, drink or smoke
And do all we can to reach her

Like lemmings jumping off a cliff
They follow the lead of their peers
I was just the same when I was a kid
Must’ve driven mom and dad to tears

Before Julia Roberts and Richard Gere
Paris Hilton and Britney Spears
When Snow White and Sleeping Beauty
Were just beginning their careers

We were all proud to do our duty
We knew we had to face our fears
We didn’t wanna catch no cooties
We shopped at JC Penny and Sears

We cruised in our cars
Not on a ship once a year
We played in the park
Without any fear

Coke and beer came in little bottles
And it was OK to pray in school
Kids were kids, not supermodels
And we taught the golden rule

These days they’re spoiled and coddled
It’s how they’ve been taught and raised
Today they’re so fat that they waddle
Dr. Spock should not be praised
He should be shot or throttled

Today it’s sad that we’re not fazed
By deadbeat dads or bad role models
Our lasses and lads would be amazed
If those days could just be bottled

If my memory suffices, we could've
Solved our gas and energy crisis
If we could have put those laughs
and good vibes to some practical use

But we’ve all but forgotten the price
that was paid and the sacrifices made
By those who picked cotton and laid
the foundation for freedom and truth

Whatever happened to the good ol’ days?
Doggy Daddy, Babe Ruth and Willy Mays
To Dear Abby, Sammy and Gabby Hayes
Jethro Bodie, Jed, Granny and Ellie May?

Were they only a passing faze
or a momentary craze
Our kids would be amazed
that's for sure
My memory’s a haze and a blur
But it seems to me they were
Amazing Days

What have we lost?
And what have we gained?
Was it worth the cost?
Was it worth the pain?

What have we got?
What have we learned?
Can we possibly return
To those good ol' days?

Amazing Days