Hey, gang! It’s time once again for another thrilling installment of our longstanding RTH fun-n-games activity called “Line, Please” – in which we seek to answer probing questions of the day through carefully selected rock and soul lyrics from years past.
In previous editions of this activity, we’ve looked for lyrical explanations for various issues – news trends, political/religious movements, sporting events, etc. — which have been top of mind for us as our collective human experience has unfolded. Today, though, I want you to search the annals of rock lyriciscm to find answers to personal struggles of the human condition. I want answers, mind you – not just references. So, for example, if I ask:
“I am tired of my boring, pointless nine-to-five existence — yet family obligations keep me shackled to my empty, unrewarding career. Is there a way I should approach at my professional life to give it purpose?”
You might answer:
“Everybody’s workin’ for the weekend!”
Get the idea? Good. Here are the perils of the general human condition I hope Rock can address:
I am growing old, and am deeply concerned that I have yet to accomplish anything of any substance. How can I accomplish something meaningful with my life – or be happy with my meager achievements to date? Line, please.
My children are growing up so fast, and as they develop into independent people, they see less and less relevance in the things I believe. How can I best avoid judging them as they grow? Line, please.
I love my wife/husband, but sometimes fear that the “spark” has gone out of our romance. How can we recapture it? Line, please.
There’s no denying it; my body is aging, and I have reached the point where growing older means working harder to simply stave off sickness and death. What can I do to stay truly healthy, in mind and body, as I grow older? Line, please.
My career has afforded me the luxury of buying many of the things I want most. Yet, this materialistic pursuit of things brings me no joy. How can I best turn my earnings into true satisfaction with my life? Line, please.
Feel free to add any life challenges I may have omitted. I look forward to your responses.
HVB
I am growing old, and am deeply concerned that I have yet to accomplish anything of any substance. How can I accomplish something meaningful with my life – or be happy with my meager achievements to date? Line, please.
–“Everybody’s workin’ for the weekend!”
My children are growing up so fast, and as they develop into independent people, they see less and less relevance in the things I believe. How can I best avoid judging them as they grow? Line, please.
–“Everybody’s workin’ for the weekend!”
I love my wife/husband, but sometimes fear that the “spark” has gone out of our romance. How can we recapture it? Line, please.
–“Everybody’s workin’ for the weekend!”
There’s no denying it; my body is aging, and I have reached the point where growing older means working harder to simply stave off sickness and death. What can I do to stay truly healthy, in mind and body, as I grow older? Line, please.
–“Everybody’s workin’ for the weekend!”
My career has afforded me the luxury of buying many of the things I want most. Yet, this materialistic pursuit of things brings me no joy. How can I best turn my earnings into true satisfaction with my life? Line, please.
–“Everybody’s workin’ for the weekend!”
Easiest contest ever.
We should do this with Pat Benetar’s “Hit Me With Your Best Shot.”
Of course this is an easy contest – you gotta stop and then start. See?
I am growing old, and am deeply concerned that I have yet to accomplish anything of any substance. How can I accomplish something meaningful with my life – or be happy with my meager achievements to date? Line, please.
Just be thankful for what you’ve got.
My children are growing up so fast, and as they develop into independent people, they see less and less relevance in the things I believe. How can I best avoid judging them as they grow? Line, please.
The kids are alright!
I love my wife/husband, but sometimes fear that the “spark” has gone out of our romance. How can we recapture it? Line, please.
I eat more chicken than you’ve ever seen!
There’s no denying it; my body is aging, and I have reached the point where growing older means working harder to simply stave off sickness and death. What can I do to stay truly healthy, in mind and body, as I grow older? Line, please.
Keep on truckin’, babe.
My career has afforded me the luxury of buying many of the things I want most. Yet, this materialistic pursuit of things brings me no joy. How can I best turn my earnings into true satisfaction with my life? Line, please.
What you give is what you get.
I generally find that the Godfather is always there when I need wisdom.
I am tired of my boring, pointless nine-to-five existence — yet family obligations keep me shackled to my empty, unrewarding career. Is there a way I should approach at my professional life to give it purpose? Line, please.
Get Up, Get Into It, Get Involved
I am growing old, and am deeply concerned that I have yet to accomplish anything of any substance. How can I accomplish something meaningful with my life – or be happy with my meager achievements to date? Line, please.
I Don’t Want Nobody to Give Me Nothing (Open Up the Door, I’ll Get It Myself)
My children are growing up so fast, and as they develop into independent people, they see less and less relevance in the things I believe. How can I best avoid judging them as they grow? Line, please.
Papa Don’t Take No Mess
I love my wife/husband, but sometimes fear that the “spark” has gone out of our romance. How can we recapture it? Line, please.
Hot Pants (She Got To Use What She Got To Get What She Wants)
There’s no denying it; my body is aging, and I have reached the point where growing older means working harder to simply stave off sickness and death. What can I do to stay truly healthy, in mind and body, as I grow older? Line, please.
Get up offa that thing,
and dance ’till you feel better,
Get up offa that thing,
and try to release that pressure!
My career has afforded me the luxury of buying many of the things I want most. Yet, this materialistic pursuit of things brings me no joy. How can I best turn my earnings into true satisfaction with my life? Line, please.
Money won’t change you.
I am growing old, and am deeply concerned that I have yet to accomplish anything of any substance. How can I accomplish something meaningful with my life – or be happy with my meager achievements to date? Line, please.
“It’s your thing, do whatcha wanna do.”
I’ve only come up with one so far – more thinking about this later…
Mr. Royale offers this one up:
I love my wife/husband, but sometimes fear that the “spark” has gone out of our romance. How can we recapture it? Line, please.
“What I got you gotta get it, put it in you.”
I am growing old, and am deeply concerned that I have yet to accomplish anything of any substance. How can I accomplish something meaningful with my life – or be happy with my meager achievements to date? Line, please.
“It’s Your Thing, Do What You Wanna Do”
I am growing old, and am deeply concerned that I have yet to accomplish anything of any substance. How can I accomplish something meaningful with my life – or be happy with my meager achievements to date? Line, please.
“You just haven’t earned it yet, baby.”
My children are growing up so fast, and as they develop into independent people, they see less and less relevance in the things I believe. How can I best avoid judging them as they grow? Line, please.
“Uptight, everything’s alright.”
I love my wife/husband, but sometimes fear that the “spark” has gone out of our romance. How can we recapture it? Line, please.
“Whip it, whip it real good.”
There’s no denying it; my body is aging, and I have reached the point where growing older means working harder to simply stave off sickness and death. What can I do to stay truly healthy, in mind and body, as I grow older? Line, please.
“Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll.”
My career has afforded me the luxury of buying many of the things I want most. Yet, this materialistic pursuit of things brings me no joy. How can I best turn my earnings into true satisfaction with my life? Line, please.
“Life’s What You Make It.”
I am growing old, and am deeply concerned that I have yet to accomplish anything of any substance. How can I accomplish something meaningful with my life – or be happy with my meager achievements to date?
“You better LIVE your life before you pass away
I love my wife/husband, but sometimes fear that the “spark” has gone out of our romance. How can we recapture it?
“Come on honey, let’s go make some noise”
There’s no denying it; my body is aging, and I have reached the point where growing older means working harder to simply stave off sickness and death. What can I do to stay truly healthy, in mind and body, as I grow older?
“Walk Like An Egyptian”
My career has afforded me the luxury of buying many of the things I want most. Yet, this materialistic pursuit of things brings me no joy. How can I best turn my earnings into true satisfaction with my life?
“I’m Going Down To Liverpool, to do nothing all the days of my life”.
I like the idea of accomplishing this task with only one band’s lyrics. I will take this a step further by restricting myself to one band and only one album by that band. I choose KISS’s “Rock and Roll Over.”
I am growing old, and am deeply concerned that I have yet to accomplish anything of any substance. How can I accomplish something meaningful with my life – or be happy with my meager achievements to date? Line, please.
“Well, you know, I got the kind of lovin’ that you need
The kind of lovin’ that you need
I’m so fast, that’s why the ladies call me Mr. Speed
They call me Mr. Speed”
I love my wife/husband, but sometimes fear that the “spark” has gone out of our romance. How can we recapture it? Line, please.
“Makin’ love, love, love, love, makin’ love, love, ALL NIGHT LONG!”
There’s no denying it; my body is aging, and I have reached the point where growing older means working harder to simply stave off sickness and death. What can I do to stay truly healthy, in mind and body, as I grow older? Line, please.
“Put your hand in my pocket, grab onto my rocket
Feels so good to see you Lucille
Baby got to know, do you want to go
How you gonna make me feel
I said, Oh baby, you make me feel ah, ah, ah, ah yeah
Oh, baby, you make me feel ah, ah, ah, ah yeah”
My career has afforded me the luxury of buying many of the things I want most. Yet, this materialistic pursuit of things brings me no joy. How can I best turn my earnings into true satisfaction with my life? Line, please.
“I’ve gotta stiff proposition, yeah
There’s nothing else I’d rather do
So you lift your dress
You wanna impress
There’s one thing I’ve got to confess
Love ’em, leave ’em, love ’em, leave ’em
Love ’em, leave ’em, love ’em, leave ’em, yeah
Yeah, yeah”