Every time I hear this song I am transported back in time to the Orland city pool.
Hot dry summer day, ride our bikes five miles into town to the pool.
Lock the bike, pay the bored teenager at the window and go inside.
Changing area and bathrooms doused in puddles of unknown origin. Feel
the eyes of the Town Kids upon us; as Country Kids we were strangers in
our own town. Change in silence and get to the water as fast as
possible.
Round the concrete block wall to the blinding brilliance of the sunlit pool, crammed with kids. Tan teenagers with gooey white noses and whistles on lanyards stroll the decks barking warnings at rough-housers. Dive in -- did the water just sizzle on my hot skin, or did I imagine it?
Come up for air and notice the music playing over the P.A. system: AM radio. Still sounds like I'm under water. But the song -- it's always playing, every time we come here. "Rock the Boat" by The Hues Corporation. Rock on witchya bad self.
Round the concrete block wall to the blinding brilliance of the sunlit pool, crammed with kids. Tan teenagers with gooey white noses and whistles on lanyards stroll the decks barking warnings at rough-housers. Dive in -- did the water just sizzle on my hot skin, or did I imagine it?
Come up for air and notice the music playing over the P.A. system: AM radio. Still sounds like I'm under water. But the song -- it's always playing, every time we come here. "Rock the Boat" by The Hues Corporation. Rock on witchya bad self.
Funny thing is, several years ago we had a reunion of sorts, three of
the Country Kids, over lunch. Talked about this and talked about that.
"Remember the pool?"
"Remember swim team?"
"The lifeguards!"
"The high dive, shudder."
"And whenever we went there, there was one song that always played, no matter what --"
"ROCK THE BOAT!"
"You noticed that too?"
"Of course! It played all summer long, every day, every year we went."
"Huh. So I'm not crazy, then."
"Well, I don't know about THAT . . ."
Hurry up, summer. Rock on witchya bad self.
(Photo stolen from this guy)
You just don't see enough patchwork denim on the blogosphere these days.
Thanks for bringing it back Foolery.
Posted by: The Glamorous Life | March 07, 2009 at 08:06 PM
Funny, I really figured you more for an Air Supply girl.
Posted by: bejewell | March 07, 2009 at 06:38 PM
Oh, one more thing about this song, it was one that had a lot of debate in my house about the lryics.
Was it "I'd like to know where you got the OCEAN (which makes perfect sense) or "I'd like to know where you got the Notion (which is just stupid?"
Just like, "I like dreamin. Cause dreamin can wake your mind." Right. That's how it goes, right?
Posted by: Suz broughton | March 07, 2009 at 07:43 AM
Oh, yeah. This song takes me back. It's a good summertime song.
Posted by: Suz broughton | March 07, 2009 at 07:34 AM
Yep, thanks for that. Singing it here in Virginia too.
Posted by: Chesapeake Bay Woman | March 07, 2009 at 07:18 AM
And now, that will be in my head all day. Thank you so very much.
Posted by: Mental P Mama | March 07, 2009 at 06:53 AM