Music Monday! A Request Music Monday with Sympathy

Sometimes, songs are in my head all day, all different ones, and I am humming happily from morning 'till night. Other times, there is nothing but silence, or only to-do lists, or worries about unfinished projects.

Today, that is what my head is filled with - worries about unfinished projects and the promise I made on Facebook of new items this week. So I am taking a request made by my friend, Laci at Zig-Zags Handmade This N' Thats. She LOVEs the Goo Goo Dolls, and wanted me to play Sympathy. It seems fitting today, as I complain about too much to do and so little time, I know most of you can sympathize with that.

It is also interesting to me because every time I hear the Goos (as they are affectionately called these days) I am reminded of the first time I heard of them, and heard them. They are natives to Buffalo area, as am I. So, back in the mid 1980's, when my friend asked me to go to her school's dance where there was live music, I said "Sure, sounds fun!" I had never heard of this band, The Goo Goo Dolls, who were playing that night. So with an open mind, I gave them a chance, and they were, well, not a very good dance band!! They were a new punk band at the time, and had very little experience with live shows. It was a bunch of garbled noise to me, and I left that night saying "That band was awful!".

Fast forward a decade or so, and I hear The Goo Goo Dolls on the radio, and said,"WHAT? WHO? That's not the same band, can't be!" They came a long way from punk rock garage/high school dance playing band.  They had decent music.  There was talk here of  them 'selling out', mainly coming from their hard-core punk fans, but in my humble opinion, it was the best move they could have made.  And they keep going, writing music for movies, playing larger and larger concerts, getting plenty of radio play. They have a new album coming out soon, and are touring right now. 

I think of the funny story my brother-in-law told me of when he met Johnny Rzeznik.  They were both staying at a boarding house somewhere in Buffalo, both going through a rough time.  My brother-in-law, older than the young Johnny, was talking to John, and thought he was giving good advice by suggesting he go back to school and get a good job. "Give up that music thing," he said, "you'd be better off getting a stable job." 

Thank goodness he didn't listen to that piece of sound advice, right? 

Then we wouldn't have Sympathy. In fact, they are playing right now on the radio.

Thank you Laci, for the request, and for bringing back some good memories and stories.  Enjoy!

And if anyone else would like to request a song for a future Request Music Monday, please do!