A measured discussion between a half dozen friends was conducted via email.  We exchanged ideas pondering the causes which make the conservative minded and the liberal minded so different.  The difference in attitude, in perception is not minor.  There is a preference for a strong man father-figure, even for an abusive tyrant as long as he promises to save us from ourselves.  This contrasts with the progressive perception that a distribution of power is preferable, more likely to preserve the humanity of the most people,  even though this demands great discipline of our fears and desires and can never be achieved perfectly even with a lot of work.  Not only is the difference vast conceptually, the chasm between “left” and “right” easily voids empathy, the ability to imagine the world as your opponent sees it.

For me this exchange of ideas took place with the backdrop of the devastation wreaked by hurricane Dorian on the Bahamas.  How does a town or an island recover from such complete wreckage of what took generations of effort to build?  What is in store for our coastline cities?

Now I am asking myself how I am going to segue from the socio-political and the meteorological to a song by Freddie Mercury and Queen.  I am not sure but I shall try.

I love this song since hearing it for the first time.  Written in 1983 and released in 1984 I offer for your enjoyment a performance by Freddie Mercury at the 1985 Live Aid concert in Wembley Stadium.  The song is a sad requiem for the demise of top 40 radio.  I relate to the lyric because I lived in the days when the youth of our nation followed the top 40 most popular rock n roll, R&B and Motown hits on AM radio.  Many many things have changed in the intervening 60 years.  There are multiple channels for entertainment, mostly video.  There is nothing that I can think of that we all enjoy together that might offer a unifying experience.  The lyric is a lament about the crap that is now offered on the radio.  In our email exchange between friends we touched upon the sludge that passes for today’s AM talk radio.

Anyway enjoy Freddie Mercury at his best.  Don’t you love that drum machine back beat!

Radio Ga Ga

by Queen

I’d sit alone and watch your light
My only friend through teenage nights
And everything I had to know
I heard it on my radio

You gave them all those old-time stars
Through wars of worlds invaded by Mars
You made ’em laugh, you made ’em cry
You made us feel like we could fly

Radio

So, don’t become some background noise
A backdrop for the girls and boys
Who just don’t know or just don’t care
And just complain when you’re not there

You had your time, you had the power
You’ve yet to have your finest hour
Radio, radio

All we hear is “Radio ga ga
Radio goo goo
Radio ga ga”
All we hear is “Radio ga ga
“Radio blah blah”
Radio, what’s new?
Radio, someone still loves you

We watch the shows, we watch the stars
On videos for hours and hours
We hardly need to use our ears
How music changes through the years

Let’s hope you never leave, old friend
Like all good things on you we depend
So, stick around ’cause we might miss you
When we grow tired of all this visual

You had your time, you had the power
You’ve yet to have your finest hour
Radio, radio

All we hear is “Radio ga ga
Radio goo goo
Radio ga ga”
All we hear is “Radio ga ga
Radio goo goo
Radio ga ga”

All we hear is “Radio ga ga
Radio blah blah”
Radio, what’s new?
Someone still loves you

Radio ga ga
Radio ga ga
Radio ga ga

You had your time, you had the power
You’ve yet to have your finest hour
Radio, radio

If you enjoy viewing the MTV award nominated video for the song CLICK HERE.