Saturday, September 10, 2016

Related imageGreat songs are created much from the lyric. The words to some are more important and memorable than the melody or the tune. Simon and Garfunkel wrote about Joe DiMaggio in their 1968 song called Mrs. Robinson. If you are a millennium you have no idea who the hell I am talking about. Some of you are singing it to yourself right now. Words to a song can be more emotional than love or hate or breakups. Taylor Swift and Adele has a good career just making up songs about their in and out of love lives. When you make historical references in your songs it shows at least you know history. Who the hell is Joe DiMaggio?
Ironically, it was on July 17,1941 that 75 years ago day when the legend Joe DiMaggio a Yankee baseball play ended his hitting streak of 56 consecutive game hits. As the games passed and the hits came, the baseball began to take notice of the player and gave him instant fame within 56 days.  At 44 hits he smashed the old record of consecutive hits. So how else celebrate? Let a big band orchestra like the Les Brown Orchestra write a song about your success. It was called Jumpin’ Joe DiMaggio.  In 75 years no one has even come close to DiMaggio’s record. Even after retirement after the 1951 season Joe remained in the public eye.
He married the iconic gorgeous Marilyn Monroe to every ma’s jealousy. Even as he got older he became very rich telling people to buy the then famous Mr. Coffee machines. The prizefighter boxer George Forman took the idea and at one time was making $* million dollars per year just suggesting in his commercials that we all buy his George Forman grill that was simply an endorsement. He knows nothing about making a machine just eating the food cooked on the machine.  In the song lyric of Mrs. Robinson they sing, “Where have you gone Joe DiMaggio, Our nation turns its lonely eyes to you”
Yes even in the late 60’s we were craving a kind of national hero again even if he existed from some overrated game. Joe died in 1999 at 84 years old. His hitting record survives along with his songs.  

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