If God Is A Bullet… (Music for Mondays)

I was just checking the archives and realized it’s been a long time since I shared a music post. Ever since the HHS Mandate naked power grab reared it’s ugly head, my muse has been under a cloaking device. But today, I’m going to break out and share a few tunes that I haven’t heard for a long, long time. I’m curious how many of you remember them too, so sound-off in the combox. They’re all from the Big Eighties, and share a similar theme.

I’m sharing these selections for several reasons. First, because they jam. Second, because with all the mayhem going on around the planet, both here (Colorado last month, Oak Creek last week, near Texas A&M today) and abroad (hello, non-stop War /Air Support for the World/ Puppetmasters in Syria/ Not-so-scary drone wars), these songs speak to me now. Maybe you’ll agree, maybe you won’t. It’s getting late so I better start firing for effect.

Golden Earring, Twilight Zone. Starting with the oldest of this trifecta of turmoil, this is where it feels like I’ve been living for a long time. Heck, almost as long as I can remember. By the time this song hit the airwaves, and the bigtime (1982), this band had been in business for 20 years. This is one of the first videos I ever remember from the early days of MTV. Dig that card trick, eh?

U2, Bullet the Blue Sky. From one of my most favorite albums of all time by Bono and the boys, (The Joshua Tree), the year is 1987, and I was probably playing Spades on a deployment in Okinawa. You know, when I wasn’t loading 12,000 lbs of high explosive bombs on A-4M Skyhawks, seven on seven, helping to keep the world safe for democracy. Ever gone Nil, or Blind 10 with a partner for stakes like a twelve pack of Old Milwaukee? Then you haven’t lived yet. “And I see those fighter planes…”

Concrete Blonde, God is a Bullet. The year? 1989. The radio station? KROQ in Los Angeles. The lead singer? Johnette Napolitano. And she ain’t no Brittany Spears type as you will notice. If a modern rock n roll song can be a prayer, this is an example.

Have mercy, indeed. Lord forgives us, for we know not what we do.