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The Great Ones Remember Lyrics
Imagine yourself on the verge of committing
An act that you've always found silly or strange
Imagine yourself on the edge of discovering
Lately things have not been going your way
Communication is hard to establish
When things like a state of mind get in the way
People don't eat they just think what you feed them now
The horse with the blinders eating the hay
Silently watching yourself in the mirror
Wondering if somebody else is to blame
Could it be somebody's in on your destiny
Lately things have trouble looking the same
Could it be somebody else has the answer
Could it be somebody's pulling my strings
Say, that is quite a nice dress that you're wearing now
Jump into another ring
Can you imagine what we put up with now
Generals and morons say we are still as proud
We coin the phrases like we must win or die
It's all so confusing to me, hello goodbye
Don't forget that the great ones remember and
Please, don't forget that we're nearing December and
Isn't it funny, the way it's connected
The print on your shirt and the one on the wall
Imagine if everyone had the same haircut
Wouldn't it be funny running it all?
Communication is hard to maintain
When the clothes that you're wearing are hurting my eyes
Things like improvement don't come overnight, boy
But, at least you could try
Can you imagine what we put up with now
Generals and morons say we are still as proud
We coin the phrases like we must win or die
It's all too confusing for me, hello goodbye
Don't forget that the great ones remember and
Please, don't forget that we're nearing December and
Please, don't forget that the great ones remember and
Please, don't forget where you were toward December
Please, don't forget that the great ones remember and
Please, don't forget that we're nearing December and
Please, don't forget where you were toward December
An act that you've always found silly or strange
Imagine yourself on the edge of discovering
Lately things have not been going your way
When things like a state of mind get in the way
People don't eat they just think what you feed them now
The horse with the blinders eating the hay
Wondering if somebody else is to blame
Could it be somebody's in on your destiny
Lately things have trouble looking the same
Could it be somebody's pulling my strings
Say, that is quite a nice dress that you're wearing now
Jump into another ring
Generals and morons say we are still as proud
We coin the phrases like we must win or die
It's all so confusing to me, hello goodbye
Please, don't forget that we're nearing December and
The print on your shirt and the one on the wall
Imagine if everyone had the same haircut
Wouldn't it be funny running it all?
When the clothes that you're wearing are hurting my eyes
Things like improvement don't come overnight, boy
But, at least you could try
Generals and morons say we are still as proud
We coin the phrases like we must win or die
It's all too confusing for me, hello goodbye
Please, don't forget that we're nearing December and
Please, don't forget that the great ones remember and
Please, don't forget where you were toward December
Please, don't forget that the great ones remember and
Please, don't forget that we're nearing December and
Please, don't forget where you were toward December
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In 1983, I was all of 17 years old and music was EVERYTHING that year.
I must have listened to this album hundreds of times over the next several years. This song gave me a bit of pause, as I always tried to understand the lyrics behind every song I heard.
Now, in 2023, (40 years!), my interpretation is more complete.
"Can you imagine what we've put up with now?" Yeah, yeah I can. Back in '83, I didn't understand what older people went through in their lives and how modern times clash with their values and even their understanding of the world around them. I'm certainly no 'great one', but people from that generation were more respected at the time - usually due to their service during WWII or Korea.
Today, I look at my wife's aging parents and have only recently realized that I may soon be as disconnected from 'real life' as they are. They don't have the Internet, they watch little TV, and live a simple rural life by themselves.
Recently, her mom had a terrible fall and ended up in the hospital for a few days. During that time she watched the TV with a mixture of horror and non-comprehension. "Can you believe they let that on TV? Shameful!", she said. Most of us have seen or heard worse on the Internet, and so don't think about it.
But in spite of my 'connectedness', there are glimpses of the future that I will not understand - no matter how I try. With AI's coming, I suspect fewer and fewer will at younger and younger ages.
And in spite of the younger generations being exposed to more information than ever before, my interpretation of 'the horse with the blinder eating the hay', is as apt as it ever was.
The repetition of history and the shortness of memory leads to the same circular patterns again and again. I realize youth rarely understand that while circumstances and technology might change, human beings and their motivations DO NOT. The people in Biblical times are no different than people today.
Character does not come without work and discipline - and that's something my own father tried to tell me - something I didn't get for a long, long time. Have I, as a consequence become more wise? Perhaps, but I'd never admit it. Hubris is to be avoided at all costs.
As I near to my own 'December' I have started to question some of the most basic things I thought I knew. My brain is finding patterns in things I'd never noticed before, and I think that line about 'committing an act that you've always found silly or strange' or '...the way it's connected, the print on your shirt and the one on the wall'.
It's not yet 'all too confusing for me' yet, but I can imagine a time where it will be.
I'm thinking Ivan Doroschuk knew old people. Maybe his grandparents. In today's fast-paced world, how many of the youth today truly know any?