Next Stop Neverland

Evening, people.

Tonight, I thought we’d take a few minutes out to have some fun with music.

As I know we’ve discussed in the past, music almost always give you a story, a message, lesson or maybe just something that fosters a certain memory or feeling.

Some years ago, my daughters introduced me to a Los Angeles-based band called Grouplove and their song “Tongue Tied,” a tale of high school kids out looking for a good time.

It’s just my personal take on it, of course, but it seems to be the story of a car ride, featuring three people, two guys and a girl. (I’m thinking a boyfriend and girlfriend and their mutual buddy, out on the road and up to no good.)

For those of you who remember driving around your hometown, looking for that raging party you just knew was somewhere close by, this is surely familiar.

Anyway, the simple refrain of “Take me to your best friend’s house” always painted a very clear picture for me. Though, sadly, it was never my personal story. (Yeah, I had to explain to my daughters that I was just never that guy – the guy who was out after hours, tooling around in my dad’s car, looking for trouble and hoping to God that I wouldn’t get caught.)

To me, the whole idea of “Take me to your best friend’s house” was not-so-subtle code for (and I’m paraphrasing here) “Take me and my girlfriend to your best friend’s house, so we can fool around. Hey, you were the one who said his parents aren’t around this weekend.)

And as much as I wanted to be that opportunistic, smooth-talking lady killer, I had to confess to my daughters that I was more likely the faithful sidekick, trying to find a safe haven where my friend could score.

Another of the song’s lyrics that always struck me – one that reminded me of my youth – referenced Peter Pan. Yep, he was that spritely guy in the green felt hat with the white feather (sometimes a yellow feather, depending on the version of the story) who convinced a few sheltered kids they could fly, eventually whisking them all the way to Neverland.

Peter Pan, the kid who never grew up, reminded us all that hanging onto memories was a very good thing. If you have to be a grown-up, there’s certainly no rules that say you can’t be a grown-up kid. Close your eyes and think about it. “My eyes on your eyes. Like Peter Pan up in the sky.”

Even though that song was released some thirty years after I graduated from high school, it has stayed with me. And while I would have liked to have been that guy with the healthy libido, on his way to a few hours of bliss, maybe being his chauffer for a night – his Uber driver in modern speak – wasn’t such a bad deal.

As for Grouplove, if you haven’t heard their work, try dialing them up on YouTube. And if you want to catch them live, their upcoming tour kicks off with a gig at the Showbox SoDo in Seattle on February 28, 2024.

So, good night my fellow youth seekers.

Catch you tomorrow for Day 27.

JFish

@Copyright 2023 by John L. Fischer

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