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Introduction

Hello all your rockstars of words, today’s blog post is inspired by my love of music. I use music as a tool to keep my Chum quiet. Drowning out the noise that my Chum often provides when he’s knocking at the stage door, this particular memory is a good one. The Cars is my first musical love. The song All Mixed Up is my introduction to this great band. I had the pleasure of seeing them for the first time at eleven in 1982 at the US Festival. I enjoyed their live performance a total of seven times each appearance better than the last. I often blog about the impact Def Leppard and Franz Ferdinand music has had in my life but it all started with The Cars.

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Nineteen Seventy-Eight

In nineteen seventy-eight new home costs $54,000. The average income was $17,000. A gallon of gas was $0.63 and these movies Grease, Halloween, Superman and Animal House top the box office. Tiny little me was the big fat seven years old bratty kid who often snuck into her big brother room taking his albums. One LP I love to listen to The Cars self titled LP. This is a time before I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in fact I was diagnosed with a health illness asthma. During the seventies and into the eighties smog pollution was a big thing. Los Angeles was pretty bad. The term“smog alerts” was invented in LA. There were different colors that represented different levels of danger for people who suffers with respiratory illness. Green was good but Orange to Red meant very bad air conditions. You can forget about going outside. Trapped indoors all day during the summer with little to nothing to do, board with toys, coloring books and puzzles I turn to music to occupy my time spending hours listening to records on my little Holly Hobbie record player.

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All Mixed Up

My mother was a single mother with six kids. Me being the youngest and my big sister who is seven years older were still in school when Dad walks out. Leaving my mother to take care of his kids while he runs off taking care of his side-piece and her kids (not by him). I was angry and hurt wondering why he didn’t love us enough to stay. I blamed my asthma as the reason why Dad left. I was imperfect plagued with health issues. Nobody wants an imperfect kid. I felt responsible for seeing my mother sitting on the floor with divorce papers crying. She gave up a lot for Dad and us kids. These papers meant that her support is gone along with the home she built for us. Me and my messed up lungs didn’t help. The medical bills took its toll. My brother had a magic gift of knowing when I felt guilty. He use to say “You’re seven. You’re too young to have the weight of the world on your shoulders.” He turned me onto music. A different kind of music. He played Queen, Led Zeppelin, Styx, The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac and of course The Cars. Gone was my pop and soft rock side hello good ole rock n’ roll.

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All Mixed Up
The Cars LP 1978
Written by Ric Ocasek
She shadows me in the mirror
She never leaves on the light
And some things that I say to her
They just don’t seem to bite
It’s all mixed up
It’s all mixed up
It’s all mixed up

Benjamin Orr
September 8, 1947 – October 4, 2000

She tricks me into thinkin’
I can’t believe my eyes
I wait for her forever
But she never does arrive
It’s all mixed up
It’s all mixed up
It’s all mixed up
She says to leave it to me
(Leave it to me)
Everything’ll be alright
(Be alright)
She says to leave it to me
(Leave it to me)
Everything’ll be alright

Ric Ocasek
March 23, 1944 – September 15, 2019

She’s always out makin’ pictures
She’s always out makin’ scenes
She’s always out the window
When it comes to makin’ dreams
It’s all mixed up
It’s all mixed up
It’s all mixed up
She says to leave it to me
(Leave it to me)
Everything’ll be alright
(Be alright)
She says to leave it to me
(Leave it to me)
Everything’ll be alright
(Be alright)
Yeah, if you leave it to me
(Be alright)
(Be alright)

Surviving Members Of The Cars
David Robinson – Drums
Elliot Easton – Lead Guitar
Greg Hawkes – Keyboards

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Leave It To Me

I heard All Mixed Up with Benjamin singing lead, I was completely blown away. His raspy voice vibrating over the mic telling the story of “her” tricking him into thinking that what is all mixed up will be alright. His vocals couple by Ric’s writing was a marriage made in rock n’ heaven I was inspired to write and play music. My brother then shown me a photo of the group and wow again blown away. Not only they had a different sound then I was normally used to but they have a different look. There’s no cookie-cutter here. Up until that point I felt like an outcast first with having asthma and later with my mental disorder, seeing this group rocking out unapologetic gave me something strong to hold onto. My brother goes on and read me articles about the group. Overtime my brother would buy me their latest LP and we will read the liner notes and lyrics understanding the thought process behind the music.

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Everything’ll Be Alright

Fast forward to nineteen eighty-two I am now eleven entering Jr. High School and for the first time I am around people who aren’t related to me or Church folk. This is a awkward moment that is an opportunity for me. I went from being socially inept to a social butterfly. This year will be a lot of firsts. Our school district decided to remove school buses focusing us to use city busing. The free lunch program gone and requiring all students to get ASB cards as identification. My first day I was very nervous not knowing what to expect. I pack up my backpack, Star Wars lunch pail and stuff my sony walkman with my mixed cassette tapes and head out. Walking to the bus stop I start to really feel it. I was scared because I was traveling alone so out of my element. I stood there shaking, my brother walks behind me, he said you left your money. He hands me $5 for school then takes my walkman puts in The Cars rewinds to my favorite song. He sings “leave it to me, everything will be alright.” We both started singing. Suddenly the lonely trip to school isn’t as scary. I manage to get to school in one piece. In fact, I ended up having an amazing school year. Because of this, my brother took me to the Us Festival where The Cars was one of the headlining acts. Yes they performed all their hits.

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The Cars Setlist Us Festival 1982

Conclusion

As I got older and was diagnosed with type I bipolar, I learned how to use music as a tool for managing episodes. New acts will come into play, changing the dynamic. Musical acts such as Men At Work, Def Leppard, Tina Turner and later KT Tunstall and Franz Ferdinand will play their part in helping me overcome some traumatic situations but its The Cars who will forever be my first love in rock n’ roll.

Until next time….

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