The Writer's Basket

Farm Aid 2008

Despite interest on my part, this is the first year I've watched the Farm Aid Concert over Directv. The line up rocked with good ole timers like Willie, John Mellencamp, and an unbelievably mezmorizing set by Neil Young. I turned it up loud. Better that way..

I didn't realize how near in age I am to Mellencamp. He's always felt like a cousin to me--like part of my chosen family--or the part of the family that really does live in a small town. Van Alstyne, Texas, is a small town for sure--but Dallas is growing north into it

Such rebels we were in the day...and this is one of my fav Mellencamp songs.

He smokes 5 packs of cigarettes a day, and it's tellin' in his voice. I read that he did heavy cigarette smoking, and since he acidentally lit up on camera, guess he still is. His decision, but not good for one';s health, and I thought John looked "not right" some how--not exactly pudgey, but aged in a way I wasn't physically expecting.

<pre><font size='+2'>John Mellencamp - Authority Song lyrics</font>

Written by: John Mellencamp

Oh, they like to get you in a compromising position
They like to get you there and smile in your face
Well, they think they're so cute when they got you in that condition
Well I think it's a total disgrace
And I said:

CHORUS:
I fight authority, Authority always wins
Well, I fight authority, Authority always wins
Well, I've been doing it since I was a young kid
I come out grinnin'
Well, I fight authority, Authority always wins

So I call up my preacher
I say, "Give me strength for Round 5."
He said , "You don't need no strength, you need to grow up son."
I said, "Growing up leads to growing old and then to dying"
"OO and dying to me don't sound like all that much fun."
So I said:
CHORUS

I said Oh no no no (3X)
I fight authority Authority always wins
CHORUS (Repeat several times)




He smokes 5 packs of cigarettes a day, and it's tellin' in his voice. I read that he did really heavy cigarette smoking many years ago, and since he acidentally lit up on camera, guess he still is. His decision, but not good for one''s health. I thought John looked "not right" some how--not exactly pudgey, but aged in a way I wasn't physically expecting. He aged less cool than Springstein, but I guess that's to be expected.

Neil Young did:

Old Man -

Old man look at my life,
I'm a lot like you were.
Old man look at my life,
I'm a lot like you were.

Old man look at my life,
Twenty four
and there's so much more
Live alone in a paradise
That makes me think of two.

Love lost, such a cost,
Give me things
that don't get lost.
Like a coin that won't get tossed
Rolling home to you.

Old man take a look at my life
I'm a lot like you
I need someone to love me
the whole day through
Ah, one look in my eyes
and you can tell that's true.

Lullabies, look in your eyes,
Run around the same old town.
Doesn't mean that much to me
To mean that much to you.

I've been first and last
Look at how the time goes past.
But I'm all alone at last.
Rolling home to you.

Old man take a look at my life
I'm a lot like you
I need someone to love me
the whole day through
Ah, one look in my eyes
and you can tell that's true.

Old man look at my life,
I'm a lot like you were.
Old man look at my life,
I'm a lot like you were.

There was something Neil Young got wrong in his discussion.

He said, ". . . we all have children . . . " in reference as a reason to keep the world "green", but more to be aware of where your food comes from. . . and buy local because it's healthier, better, and less costly.