ROCK N ROLL FRIDAYS meme: John "Cougar" Mellencamp

Today we picked John Cougar Mellencamp. The song's lyrics are in bold.

1. HURTS SO GOOD “When I was a young boy, Said put away those young boy ways Now that I'm gettin' older, so much older, I long for those young boy days"
What was the first “grown up” thing you did and when?
Probably involved drinking alcohol...

2. JACK AND DIANE “Suckin' on chili dog outside the Tastee Freeze
Diane's sittin' on Jacky's lap, He's got his hand between her knees”
What do YOU order at a Tastee Freeze/Dairy Queen kind of place?
I like vanilla-chocolate combo twistee cones, Dilly Bars, and vanilla twist dunked in green lime flavored wax stuff that hardens on it. What IS that stuff anyway?!

3. PINK HOUSES “There's a black man with a black cat livin' in a black neighborhood He's got an interstate runnin' through his front yard, You know he thinks that he's got it so good And there's a woman in the kitchen cleanin' up the evenin' slop, And he looks at her and says, "Hey darlin', I can remember when you could stop a clock."
What is YOUR favorite “evenin’ slop”?
I call it "Beefie Stuff", but it was once known as "American Chop Suey"...is that even politically correct now?

4. I NEED A LOVER “I need a lover that won't drive me crazy, Some girl that knows the meaning of a Hey hit the highway”…
What was the last thing a lover did that drove YOU crazy?
Probably waiting for him to post Memes...

5. AIN’T EVEN DONE WITH THE NIGHT “Well I don't know no good come-ons, And I don't know no cool lines, I feel the heat of your frustration, I know it's burnin you up deep down inside”
What is your best “pick up” line?
"You're the kind of guy I'd like to make lasagna for" (batting eyes, pouting lips here)...it worked well for me throughout the mid 1980s. Have not used it since.

6. CRUMBLIN DOWN “Saw my picture in the paper, Read the news around my face, And now some people don't want to treat me the same”
Were you ever in the newspaper, on TV or the radio?
Radio: I was a radio DJ for 12 years. Newspaper: In ecology club meeting Ralph Nader, my Ballet class, getting my diploma, working at a package store during layoffs at EB, with ex auditioning for "Read to the Blind" services, my radio show during a money raising event, and sitting at a table with Marlborough bigwigs a few years ago. TV: In the 1980s I was in the front row of a show taping for a Bloopers comedy show. It never really took off, but my family all saw me laughing (at something that was not funny). More recently, I was on Berkshire TV marching in the Fall Foliage parade holding a banner. Livin the life ehh?

7. PAPER IN FIRE “Paper in fire, Stinkin' up the ashtrays, Paper in fire, Smokin' up the alleyways”
Have you ever smoked? What is your favorite smoking product. Cigar? Cigarette?
Yuk..I tried my first and only cigarette at age 7. Camel non filter. Took a huge drag and coughed myself blue. My father thought it was quite amusing. I have not had one since and regard smoking as pretty gross.

8. AUTHORITY SONG “Well, I fight authority, Authority always wins
Well, I've been doing it since I was a young kid, I come out grinnin'”
What is your favorite rule to disobey?
Cannot say. ;-}

9. R.O.C.K. IN THE USA “Voices from nowhere, And voices from the larger towns, Filled our head full of dreams, Turned the world upside down”
Who was your first favorite rock n roll group or singer?
The Beatles...Paul in particular.

10. SMALLTOWN “Well I was born in a small town, And I can breathe in a small town, Gonna die in a small town, Ah, that's prob'ly where they'll bury me”
What is the best part about living in a small town?
Leaving it.

11. CHERRY BOMB “That's when a smoke was a smoke,
And groovin' was groovin', And dancin' meant everything, We were young and we were improvin', Laughin', laughin' with our friends”
When and where was the last dance you attended?
Bud's sister got married at a swank place in SImsbury, CT. We danced there.

12. NO EXPRESSION “Yes, There's a man that I know, With no expression, He's got none at all”
What’s your favorite expression?
Glee.

13. CHECK IT OUT “A million young poets, Screamin' out their words, Maybe someday, Those words will be heard, By future generations, Ridin' on the highways that we built”
Do you have a favorite poem or at least a favorite poet?
I think of music lyrics as poetry.