The Musical Memoirs Move to Cougar Country
It’s sort of ironic that the only movie my dad and I saw at the theater together was “Breaking Away.”
Because a couple of years after seeing that film, my mom and I would break away to Bloomington, IN – where ”Breaking Away“ was shot – leaving my dad and the Chicago suburbs in the rearview mirror.
While Bloomington offered an escape from the life we knew, it was also a culture shock. Kids in junior high chewed tobacco. Some of them spoke with southern drawls. And there wasn’t a single African-American in my school.
Never would be, in fact. At least not while I was there.
All those things you hear about basketball in Indiana? Absolutely true. I couldn’t tell you how many times I heard people talk about Isiah Thomas and Bob Knight. And, yes, barns everywhere had basketball hoops on them.
Every day, on the ride home from school, a girl on the back of the bus unveiled a boom box and blasted three songs: “Total Eclipse of the Heart” by Bonnie Tyler, “I Love Rock and Roll” by Joan Jett and “Hurts So Good” by John Cougar, who would eventually become John Cougar Mellencamp and then just John Mellencamp.
While “Hurts So Good” was a huge hit everywhere, Johnny Cougar was especially popular in my new hometown because he lived in Bloomington. In fact, several people I knew would eventually encounter him in public.
He was a frequent visitor to Waffle House, where some of my friends worked. They say he tipped less than generously. You know — for a millionaire. But my sister-in-law – who cut his hair at the College Mall – never complained.
Like the bus ride, there was also a lot of music repetition in the school lunch room. Every day the same kids would comandeer the juke box and play the same two songs: “Another One Bites the Dust” by Queen and – for some insane reason – “Convoy,” a crappy novelty song by an advertising guy who called himself C.W. McCall.
What was wrong with these kids?
I took a lot of sick days when I first moved to Indiana, but it had nothing to do with being sick; I just didn’t want to be in school. I wasn’t connecting with my classmates. The teachers thought I was dumb. And that “Convoy” song was driving me nuts.
What had once seemed like a good idea – getting out of a bad environment – suddenly seemed like a really bad one.
For the life of me, I couldn’t see why Mellencamp stuck around.
Posted on June 27th, 2008 by Pat
Filed under: Music, Songs in the Key of Life: My Musical Memoirs
Why stay in Indiana?
In the words of John Cougar himself, “I was born in a small town/ And I live in a small town/ Probably die in a small town/ Oh, those small communities.”
“Yeah,” he might add, “I can be myself here in this small town/ And people let me be just what I want to be.”
You know what? The lyrics of that song are total bull. That’s from another small town Indiana girl. And Mellencamp’s politics are completely at odds with those people who are letting him be what he wants to be. Because he’s rich! They don’t let you be what you want to be. That’s why we ran away to California. (Pat and me)
No reason to romanticize a place full of racist, misogynistic, knee-jerk conservatives. I didn’t say they were all like that. I said the place is full of them.
But I love me some Johnny Cougar.