"Don't join the book burners. Don't think you're going to conceal faults by concealing evidence that they ever existed. Don't be afraid to go in your library and read every book...." President Dwight D. Eishenhower
In the 1980’s, January nights in Auburn, Alabama were a nice hybrid of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Panama City, Florida. Each January night had the “advantage” of the chill of Minneapolis with the bonus “advantage” of the humidity of Panama City. One way to stay warm, was to go to a bar that managed to crowd about half the normal attendees of The Bonnarroo Festival into a space as big as a convenience store. It was on one of these January evenings that my friend Wes and I decided to go see a band called The Cartoons rip through a set of covers by U2, The Cure, and The Vapors.
Seven hours of drinking beer and staying warm were all we could handle, so we decided to walk back to the home that Wes was sharing with 20 other people. (The home was as big as two convenience stores.) We immediately began missing the tropical air and cacophonous sounds of the bar, so we put a scratched copy of Led Zeppelin IV on the turntable, turned the volume to ten, and then used gasoline to get some wet logs burning in the fireplace. By now, we were also thirsty, so we popped open a couple of beers. During, Misty Mountain Hop, I yelled at Wes, “WASN’T THIS SONG INFLUENCED BY J.R.R. TOLKIEN ?” Wes turned down the music, walked over to the group bookshelf, grabbed a paperback book with a sky blue cover, and said, “Bill I want you to read this book, the author of this book was great friends with J.R.R. Tolkien.”
For those of you in sales, who don’t know the close Wes just used, it’s called- The Rock and Roll Zeppelin to Tolkien to Lewis, non-devout literary Christian friend close, and it works 99% of the time! I read C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, and several of Lewis other books. Wes, I’m sure you are still a great salesperson!
Since that night in Auburn, there have been a plethora of other occasions that my love of Rock and Roll has made me a more literate person. I think, listening to Rock and Roll is like a party in a rustic stately old home with hardwood floors. Inside this cool house, there is a branch of the main party in each room. The entire home is filled with bookcases, and each mini party has books on the shelves that are appropriate for that mini party. Below, I’ve listed a minute sample of some of the books I’ve learned about through the time I’ve spent in the various rooms of rock and roll.
A Brief Overview of My Rock and Roll Inspired Literacy
The Secret Sharer, by Joseph Conrad- The Who (I read in a magazine article that Pete Townshend was a fan of Conrad’s.)
Anthem, by Ayn Rand - Rush
The Complete Poems Of William Blake - The Doors
The Lord Of The Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkien- Led Zeppelin
Memories, Dreams, and Reflections, by Carl Jung- The Police
The Power Of Myth, by Joseph Campbell- The Doors
The Pilgrim’s Regress, by C.S. Lewis- Led Zeppelin to Tolkien to Lewis :)
Some Books I am Going to Read Soon Because of a Rock and Roll Influence
The Sacred and The Profane: The Nature of Religion, by Mircae Eliade- The Doors
Alice In Wonderland , by Lewis Carroll- The Beatles (John Lennon)
A Collection Of Scriptures, Prayers, & Poems, by Thomas Dekker- The Beatles (I can’t find this book, if anyone knows where to get it, please let me know. Thanks!)
Consider the Lobster: And Other Essays, by David Foster Wallace- Ambulance Ltd.
Some Rock and Roll Literature Links
Rock 'n' Roll Finds Its Place in Literature
"Listen, real poetry doesn't say anything; it just ticks off the possibilities. Opens all doors. You can walk through anyone that suits you." Jim Morrison
It’s too bad the Doors, Jim Morrison, never knew President Eisenhower. Both were men who were not afraid of books. They would have had a great conversation!
What books have you read because of a Rock and Roll influence? Please leave your comments below, or contact me directly. My contact info is in the sidebar.
Thanks for stopping by! Bill
