Harmonious Happiness

"Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea, joy to you and me"

- Three Dog Night

If you hadn't noticed, I have a tendency to get a bit 'deep' in my blog posts. One second I'm writing an innocuous description of film in the 1970s, and the next I'm contemplating the very purpose of life itself.  It's just part of my personality I suppose. But for this post, I'm determined to keep things light-hearted, because the truth is, not everything needs to have some mysterious and profound meaning to be special.  And as much as I may like to believe it, not everything in the seventies can be linked to the tragedies and triumphs of the human spirit.

Some things just were, and that was enough.  So in this installment of "oh no she's about to talk about music again" I'll be providing my curated list of feel good 70s hits, no analysis or deep thoughts required (but always encouraged).  Enjoy!

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For when you want to be transported to another world...

"Mexico" by James Taylor-- A song with a sunny disposition and the glorious harmonizing of James Taylor is all I need to take a three-minute beach vacation.  After listening to this, you'll be asking your bewildered classmate to pass the sunscreen.

"September" by Earth, Wind & Fire-- It's impossible to sit still while listening to this song.  I've never thought of September as my favorite month, but those "ba-dee-dahs" make me wish I were 'dancing in September.'

"December, 1963" by The Four Seasons-- I've never mentioned it on this blog because the majority of their music was produced before the 1970s, but Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons are my favorite guilty pleasure band.  And listening to the disco-tinted "December, 1963" is like consuming copious amounts of your favorite artificially-hued candy, with none of the regret.

For when you want to kick back and bask in your idealism...

"Peace Train" by Cat Stevens-- The style of this song is so cool (the alternating rhythm, the gospelesque backup, the fact that it's sung by a guy named Cat Stevens), and that's before you even start to listen to the lyrics.  Where can I get tickets to the peace train?

"Joy to the World" by Three Dog Night-- This song is the embodiment of the carefree and harmonious world we all long to live in, and best of all it knows not to take itself too seriously.

"I'd to Teach the World to Sing" by the New Seekers-- Yes, this is the song of Coke commercial fame, and I actually enjoy the Coke version better than the one untainted by American capitalism (I am only slightly ashamed).

For when you just want to listen to an awesome song...

"Rosalita" by Bruce Springsteen-- Honestly, there isn't much I'd rather do than listen to the sprawling, rasping voice of The Boss convince the forbidden Rosie to "come out tonight" in this sequence of jubilant pleas.

"Bennie and the Jets" by Elton John-- I first heard this song featured in what I consider the defining scene in the rom-com classic 27 Dresses, so I couldn't care less that I have absolutely no idea what Elton John is singing about.  If it's good enough for Katherine Heigl and James Marsden, it's good enough for me.

"Beast of Burden" by the Rolling Stones and "The Weight" by The Band-- In my humble opinion, you really need to watch Jimmy Fallon (and Billy Joel! and the Muppets!) perform these songs before you can claim to have lived.

Tricky Dick and the Peanut Farmer

Okay, first of all I just want to say that the title of this post definitely sounds like the name of Broadway's next offbeat but critically-acclaimed musical.  But I digress...

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I've always loved learning about the presidents.  In general,  I find it the most rewarding to study history through the eyes of the people who lived it, but there is something about the presidents in particular that truly fascinate me.  How their roles and ideologies have evolved over centuries, how a single person can shape so much of our world, and how these men who are supposed to be the embodiment of "presidential" are flawed people, just like the rest of us.  The standards, the scandals, the style- I love it all.

 However, I cannot say that my love is spread equally: there are two presidents in particular that most often peak my interest-- and coincidentally, they both served in the 1970s (I know you must be shocked).  They are our 37th and 39th presidents: Richard M. Nixon and Jimmy Carter (respectively).

So you may be wondering,  what is so interesting about these two people? And why do I love comparing things so much?  The latter question I'm afraid I cannot answer, but the first I most certainly can. Keep reading and prepare to meet your new favorite presidents.

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Richard Nixon served as president from 1969-1974, before resigning in the middle of his second term (he is the only president to ever resign from office).  You probably know him best from the Watergate Scandal- the direct cause of his resignation to avoid impeachment.  You probably think he's a crook.  But did you know that before his presidency went down in flames, he had impressively high ratings and won his second term by the largest margins in history? Indeed, it was Nixon who improved relations with the USSR and China, Nixon who passed legislation to limit the production of nuclear arms, Nixon who brought an end to American involvement in the Vietnam War, Nixon who created the EPA.  I'm not saying that Nixon's presidency was flawless (his economic policies brought trouble for the latter half of the decade) but it's difficult to deny that as far as presidents go, he was downright successful.

But for most Americans, his legacy doesn't extend far past his scandal.  For some, he will always be a disgraced criminal, for others, a foolish figure whose legacy resurfaces every few months when the newest scandal embeds itself in the pop psyche: Deflategate, Bridgegate, Donutgate.  In the weeks leading to Nixon's resignation, his Secretary of State Henry Kissinger pondered that Watergate would be a "minor footnote" in history and that in due time people would come to respect Nixon for his successes.  He was wrong.

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Before I say anything about Jimmy Carter, I want you to know that our 39th president of the United States, now 91, won A GRAMMY this year.  Which is amazing, but probably wasn't that exciting for Carter, considering that he ALREADY HAD A GRAMMY.  That's right, Jimmy Carter has TWO Grammys, and although he's no Taylor Swift (his awards are for the audio recording of his memoirs), he's still a lot closer than me.

But onto the Jimmy Carter that history cares about.  In terms of his presidency, Jimmy Carter is pretty much the mirror opposite of Nixon.  He was an unpopular one-term president who in many ways simply didn't fit the decade.  He was an idealist, and at a time when the United States was becoming increasingly on edge with international affairs, Carter's main goal was to make government "competent and compassionate" and make humanity the driving force in diplomacy.

His disastrous "Crisis of Confidence" speech alienated most of the American public (he essentially placed the burden for America's problems on the back of the nation's "poor spirit"), and the Iran Hostage Crisis sealed the deal for his 1980 defeat by Ronald Reagan.

But after his presidency ended, Carter went on to work heavily with Habitat for Humanity and vigorously advocated for basic human rights in Africa, Central America, and Asia.  In 2002, he won the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts with his organization, the Carter Center.  He is considered to be one of the most successful ex-presidents in history.

A successful president whose own paranoia destroyed his legacy.  An idealist whose values tarnished his presidency but validated his work in the twilight of his life.  I love the 70s, but I would find these two fascinating in any decade.

"God gives us the capacity for choice.  

We can choose to alleviate suffering.  

We can choose to work together for peace.  

We can make these changes-- and we must."

- Jimmy Carter, accepting his Nobel Peace Prize

One-Hit Wonders of the 70s

There's just something special about a one-hit wonder.  There are millions of aspiring singers and bands who never make it out of the garage or the local bar, and there are thousands more who produce hits that consistently climb to the top of the charts.  But there are only so many of that rare breed of performer who are seemingly blessed by the music gods only once in their career.  For them, fame may be fleeting, but their work lives on in quirky and nostalgia-inducing ways, often encapsulating both the five weeks spent at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 and years to come.

So without further ado, my three favorite one-hit wonders of the 1970s:
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Harry Chapin: "Cat's in the Cradle"

This folksy classic from 1974 tells the poignant story of the strained relationship between a son and his dad, and features a final verse that really packs a punch.  Despite being Chapin's only number one hit, this song is considered a staple of the folk-rock genre.  And what did Chapin do after his music career?  He went on to become a humanitarian and vocal advocate in the fight against world hunger, and has event won a Congressional Gold Medal- not too shabby.

Don McLean: "American Pie"

I know, I know- Don McLean isn't technically a one-hit wonder (he has a second #1 hit: "Vincent") but I'm willing to bet that the vast majority of Americans know McLean only for his epic masterpiece "American Pie," which cryptically recounts the deaths of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. Richarson in 1959.  Despite being composed of mostly nonsensical (yet iconic) lyrics, the song is still easily recognizable on both an emotional level and an "I just want to dance and sing along" level.  It's also one of the most musically diverse songs I've ever heard, featuring a tone that shifts from somber to jubilant and back to somber again over the course of its eight-minute runtime. "American Pie" spent four weeks at number one in 1972, and has since been named the #5 song of the century by RIAA.

Norman Greenbaum: "Spirit in the Sky"

Norman Greenbaum is my favorite one-hit wonder of all time.  Of course, I love "Spirit in the Sky," but I love the story behind it so much more.  For anyone unfamiliar with the perennial hit, the song is basically this folksy singer/songwriter gospel mashup.  Many find the lyrics odd, especially one in particular ("I'm not a sinner // I've never sinned // I've got a friend in Jesus").  Anyone familiar with Christianity knows that one of the religion's basic pillars is that all humans sin.  So why would Greenbaum include a line like this in his song?  Because he's Jewish!  His inspiration for "Spirit in the Sky" came from watching Dolly Parton sing a gospel on TV- Greenbaum got out his pencil and wrote the lyrics to his most famous hit in less than 15 minutes.
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Thanks for reading- see you back next time!