5/14/13

Cultural Relativism

In the 70's Led Zeppelin were rock gods complete with their own culture of debauchery. A well documented part of that culture was their escapades with teenage girls. An example of how they flaunted that culture was this song- check out the lyrics below. Although as a father, this song makes my skin crawl, this is a blistering performance. I am conflicted.

 "Sick Again"

 From the window of your rented limousine, I saw your pretty blue eyes
 One day soon you're gonna reach sixteen, Painted lady in the city of lies.
 Oh, do you know my name? Do I look the same
 You know I'm the one you want. I must be the one you need, yeah
 Clutching pages from your teenage dream In the lobby of the Hotel Paradise
 Through the circus of the L.A. queens. How fast your learn the downhill side
 Oh, do you know my name? Do I look the same
 You know I'm the one you want. I must be the one you need,.
 Lips like cherries and the brow of a queen, come on, flashin' across your eyes
 Said you dug me since you were thirteen,then you giggle as you heave and sigh.
 Oh, do you know my name? Do I look the same
 You know I'm the one you want. I must be the one you need.
 Hours, hours, and the moments in between,
 Oh, baby, I couldn't count the times
 The fun of comin', oh the pain in leavin',
Baby, dry those silver eyes
 Oh, do you know my name? Do I look the same
 You know I'm the one you want. I must be the one you need,
 Ooh, that's right.

1 comment:

gg said...

One of the weirder things about groupie culture in rock on the 70s was that a lot of these kids were chasing the rock stars with the full approval of their parents.

One of the best things about the movie Almost Famous was how honestly it looked at what was happening in this time period.

"I want rustlers, cut throats, murderers, bounty hunters, desperados, mugs, pugs, thugs, nitwits, halfwits, dimwits, vipers, snipers, con men, Indian agents, Mexican bandits, muggers, buggerers, bushwhackers, hornswogglers, horse thieves, bull dykes, train robbers, bank robbers, ass-kickers, shit-kickers and Methodists. " -Hedley Lamarr