Back to the 80’s (If I Dare)

August 7th, 2007 • Click to view Related Articles
Filed Under: Music, Poetry and Me • Random Ramblings • The Lighter Side

Remember those carefree and wonderful 80’s? In a culture which promotes nostalgia seemingly nonstop and where “oldies radio” is usually the highest rated fare, I had a remarkable run of “blankness” about that period of time.Sure, I’d get a bit of a twinge when Duran Duran came on my iPod, or better still, Flock of Seagulls (yes, I have “I Ran” on my iPod…….), but I hadn’t taken a full fledged dive into that decade for many months……..that is, until I recently watched the movie “Music and Lyrics”.

“Music and Lyrics” was a light and frothy comedy starring Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore. Grant played a music “has been” who used to be in a “Wham-like” (I bet I never use that adjective again) group in the 80’s, and was in the present day trying to revive his career as a songwriter. I won’t give away too much more of the plot, because it wasn’t the story itself that pushed my 80’s memory button. It was a “mock video” they did which tripped the switch. Take a look and you’ll see what I mean:

I keep cracking up every time I see the brilliant overacting, the split screens, the cut aways, the bad dancing - and I see my 80’s flashback as clear as a bell………

It’s 1984, and I’ve just bought the brand new “cool” car, the Pontiac Fiero - in red. I’m one cool dude as I drive my 80’s self around San Antonio to the sounds of (among many others) Depeche Mode, Hall and Oates, Prince (”Purple Rain”, of course!), Duran Duran and yes, Wham! This was before CD players so I had to make my own cassette mix tapes. I spend a lot of my free TV time watching those cool new videos on MTV, marveling at the excellent production values (!). I also admire those cool dudes on “Miami Vice“, cruising in that Ferrari in their pastels. One of my favorite movies at the time was “Flashdance”, another feel-good story of overcoming the odds to a pre-programmed soundtrack of synthesizers (an 80’s staple). My fashion look was typical of its time, with a moustache and a very questionable wardrobe.

Yipes.

Although I just went with the flow of the times, it almost seems like we were on a different planet compared to the lives we lead now. Could that much change in 23 years? I guess so. Maybe that’s why the specific memories are so easy to bury - too big of a disconnect.

I will say this too- I’m better at picking cars now. That Fiero I had - it was a big fat lemon. The engine block cracked in less than 12 months (it was a rear engine car, so you should have heard the “whooshing” noise it used to make as the radiator water labored its way around the vehicle), so by 1985 I acquired a nice, safe and reliable Toyota Cressida.

So I’ve spent a few days looking back, and now I can’t get that “fake” 80’s song from Music and Lyrics out of my head, called “POP! Goes My Heart“:

“I said I wasn’t gonna lose my head, but then

POP! Goes my heart.

I wasn’t gonna fall in love again, but then

POP! Goes my heart.

And I just can’t let you go,

I can’t lose this feeling.”

Thanks Hugh and Drew for the nostalgia trip - even if it was in a Fiero, it still was a fun ride to go back in time. Now I can’t wait for the inevitable 90’s parody……..

There Are 9 Responses So Far. »

  1. Comment by ann michael on 7 August 2007:

    Wow - I couldn’t stop laughing when I was watching that (and I saw the movie on a plane).

    In the early 80’s I had 1976 Black Camaro with a T-top. I bought it with my student loan. I loved that car.

  2. Comment by liv on 7 August 2007:

    Well, I was never a domestic sports car kinda girl, but you better believe I had a poster of a BMW M1 on my wall. And if a man had shown up in front of the house with a 308GTB, I would have packed up my Strawberry Shortcake backpack and run away.

  3. Comment by Terry Starbucker on 8 August 2007:

    Hi Ann and Liv! Thanks for stopping by.

    Ann, I used to see SO many Camaros back then in Wisconsin - that, and TransAms. SO cool……

    Liv, so it really is true about how sometimes ladies will really date the car and not the man? I thought that was a myth….. :-)

    All the best to you both!

  4. Comment by jUnEbUg on 8 August 2007:

    Oh man. Most days, I feel like I am pretty much still stuck in the 80’s…so I guess I should watch that movie.

    Also, I’m singing that stupid song right along with you! Thanks for sharing! :-)

  5. Comment by liv on 10 August 2007:

    Maybe I should have specified that I would have stolen his 308… I was lucky to drive my first Ferrari at age 15! (Dad raced cars, and his love turned out to be genetic) As far as the rest, see Dave Chappelle on cars as “chick bait.”

  6. Comment by Terry Starbucker on 12 August 2007:

    Hi Junebug, thanks for stopping by (sorry for the delay in responding). I’m STILL singing that song a week later……

    Liv, how cool that you’ve had a chance to drive a Ferrari! I’ve yet to do that,but I’m still young (at heart). I’m going to check out that Chappelle bit.

    All the best to you both.

  7. Comment by Elizabeth Krecker on 14 August 2007:

    Hi Terry, I wandered over from Angie’s blog and really enjoyed this post. Especially the video!

    This past weekend, I cleaned out my photo closet and found…well, a closetful of photos from the ’80s. My favorite movie was Flashdance, my favorite song was Purple Rain (of course!), my hair was long and artfully untamed, and I drove a forest green MG. What a great era–filled with this sweet, naive, sexy, longing and a whole lot of really bad hair days!

    Thanks for the journey!

  8. Comment by Elizabeth Krecker on 14 August 2007:

    Oh yeah…to answer your question about whether ladies date the car or the man…well, that depends entirely on both the car and the man! ;-)

  9. Comment by Terry Starbucker on 15 August 2007:

    Hi Elizabeth! Thanks for stopping by. I guess it was a pretty sweet and innocent era, and I’m glad I wasn’t the only one with a dual Flashdance/Purple Rain thing going on.

    As for the “car and the man”, I think I know what you mean there - sometimes riding in that Porsche 911 isn’t worth what you have to put up with. That’s why I gave up and just bought a Toyota… :-)

    All the best (PS: I LOVE your pastels, expecially “New Mexico Autumn”. I’ll be back for more)

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