Songs, stuck in your head - updated

I sat down at my laptop tonight to write about the events of the day, my day not yours, how would I know what happened in your day anyway? But I found my mind was playing and endless loop of "Tiny Dancer" by Elton John. You may be thinking to yourself, Cowboy, what are you doing singing an Elton John song, I thought you were a manly man? I am that, however I have been known to enjoy sappy pop songs, and while I am bearing my cultural soul, I also enjoy Jane Austen books and love Le Mis'.

One of the things that makes up who I am is the ability to enjoy diverse and even odd things. I have, at one time or another, owned vinyl records of everyone from Black Sabbath to Jonny Cash to KC and the Sunshine Band. Living in the country, we had two radio stations, one country and I mean real country, Marty Robbins and Merle Haggard, the other station was pop. In the late 70s that meant disco. Thankfully my cousin came to spend a summer with our family when I was in seventh or eighth grade and introduced me to real rock n roll. Thanks John, I owe you one.

Entering high school I found out that just about anyone could look cool in an AC/DC T shirt and blue jeans, so the cowboy hat went back into the closet and the ball cap and 501s came out. Spent some time in a few bands, as high schoolers do, and tried my hand living the rock n roll lifestyle to the detriment of my grades and my liver. It took meeting my wife to bring me back to the ranch and country music. This was the late 80s and country had changed, Clint Black, Garth Brooks and Randy Travis were made for radio and I found myself listening to it more and more. I never lost my rocker roots and still enjoy blasting "Where ever I may roam" by Metallica when ever I see it on my playlist. But when I am sitting by a fire on a winter evening I also enjoy listening to Mahler's Symphony No. 9.
Strange huh?

But Cowboy,what about Elton John? I place the entire blame on my mother. As a kid, we bought and sold quite a few ranches across the West, my father was a Rancher and Real Estate broker. We never really took vacations, but some times we would travel the western US looking at ranches and cattle. My sister and I sat in the back of the family Cadillac and Mom would keep stuffing in those 8 track tapes as the miles flew by. I swear the back seat of that Cadillac was as big as a sofa. The leather was soft but somewhat slick and when turning corners we would slide from one side to the other, my sister punching me when I crossed the line to her side of the car. My mom would play Elton John, Jim Croce and Patsy Cline, or the soundtrack to 'The Big Country'. Ah the memories.

It is getting late so tonight's rant will have to be about my diverse musical proclivities and my diverse, if not somewhat odd taste in entertainment.

(I am not feeling well today so I am home. I though a bit of editing was needed on this post.)