Circus Valentine

Stuffing Valentine’s bag on a sunny Tuesday afternoon waiting for my ten year old to return home from school I sit here listening to Britney’s (she who needs no last name) newest album – Circus. I must admit it is great for completing a mindless task of making sure each bag gets the same allotment of kiddy crack in the form of fruit roll ups and gum drops and lollipops…

I find myself dropping dollops of golden dew into each bag in tune to the mesmerizing beat of the drums and the background vocals of Britney. The lyrics make me stop and sit up - like a mother meerkat- thinking to myself this is the music of my Dear Son’s generation? Aye aye aye. And here I sit, half lotus, listening to the lyrics while my head nods and my hand keeps time with the beat.

And then I remind myself my generation spawned Madonna – truly the world’s greatest marketer and chameleon- she too who needs only one name and is recalled for writhing across the floor at the Grammys many years aback- in a wedding no less.

I suppose the more things change the more they stay the same. With the exception of Madonna who truly was flaunting a brand new generation of sex appeal and feminine might, the likes of Cyndi Lauper and the B-52’s and others of that generation were more of the’ let’s dance and have fun’ – or those at least are my naïve memories of the ‘80’s – a great time for music and laughter.

Wham! , Bow Wow Wow, Dead or Alive, Kajagoo, Bronski Beat, Split Enz, Kajagoogoo, John Mellencamp, the Go-Gos, a-ha, Duran Duran, Thomas Dolby, Elvis Costello, Talking Heads, Blondie, Bobby Brown, The Innocence Mission, The Cure, Prefab Sprout, ABC, The Church, Echo and the Bunnyman, Oingo Boingo, Ministry, Michael Sembello, The Smiths, Romeo Void…the list goes on and on.

I find myself straying from the task at hand of stuffing Valentine’s Day bags and instead going on a hunt for some of my favorite music from the ‘80s. All thanks to Britney.
I listen to the lyrics:

“All eyes on me in the center of the ring just like a circus….”

“Don’t stand there watching me follow me…show me what you can do…Everybody’s let’s go we can make a dance floor…”

“I’m a performer the dance floor is my stage…”

“There’s only two types of people in the world- those who entertain and those who serve.”

“There’s only two types of guys out there those who can hang with me and those who can’t…”

“When I put in a show...I can feel the adrenaline funneling through my veins….better be ready…”

“When I crack that whip everybody don’t trip…”

I have a feeling that Britney read a good deal of Dr. Seuss when she was young.

Maybe that explains a lot.

Now, where did I put that Devo CD…..?