When COVID and politics get to be too much, I turn to a Facebook Group “I Love the 60’s and 70’s Music.” It’s filled with lots of music videos that I don’t vid, and queries as to who was the third drummer on the fourth album by Purple Fudge, but browsing through the postings is a good escape and an excellent time-waster while waiting to take the dog out one last time in the evening.

Just for the fun of it, I posted twice to the page yesterday, offering two different questions

1. Who is a better story-teller, Springsteen or Mellencamp?
2. Saddest holiday song? For me it’s Dan Fogelberg’s “Another Auld Lang Syne”.

The results have been voluminous, rapid, and non-stop. Lots of thumbs up and hearts and LOTS of opinions.

In response to my first question, it appears evenly split whether the responders prefer Bruce’s Jersey stories to JCM’s Indiana ones. As many people want to drive down Thunder Road as live in little pink houses. What I was not expecting was the vitriol of the many responders who hate both. Posers! phony singers! yuck, inspiring! Then again this is Facebook; haters are part of the scene.

But there were also lots of constructive suggestions for better story-tellers. James Taylor, Warren Zevon, Johny Cash, Tom Waits, and Harry Chapin were all put forward. I can’t complain about any of those, though Taylor puts me to sleep, and it’s sad that Zevon and Chapin died too young.

Lots of good responses to my second posting also. I struck a chord with the Fogelberg song. It seems I am not the only one who can’t hear that song without tearing up, as the snow turns into rain… As a matter of fact, there are teardrops on my keyboard now.

That wasn’t the only sad seasonal song getting named. Elvis’s “Blue Christmas” has a lot of weeping fans, as does the John Lennon tune “So this is Christmas (War is Over.)” “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer,” a song with special memories for my family was named a few times, probably in jest. A more serious frequently named contender for the saddest song was the charity donation appeal song “Do They Know It’s Christmas” with its closing chant feed the world.

So, ChicagoNow readers. What’ll it be? The Boss, The Cougar, or someone else. And what is YOUR favorite sad holiday tune?

Keep the music and opinions coming.

All photos courtesy of Chicago Tribune

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