BLOW UP THE TV

 

I’m not ashamed to admit that I don’t watch much television.

I never have.

*

I missed the final episodes of Breaking Bad.

I know.

Unbelievable.

I have never watched Dancing with the Stars.

I confess to watching the late night talk shows (the next day).

I used to watch 60 Minutes occasionally.

I sometimes watch Jeopardy now, but this show makes me see how little I know, especially in the areas of history and geography.

*

While serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Afghanistan, teaching English at Kabul University, I’d go “home” to my cozy abode, a big house where I used only two rooms, one for my bedroom and one for my kitchen.

NO TV.

I had an old cassette player with a few beat-up cassettes that I rarely listened to.

But NO iPod.  No iPad.  No Mp3.  No cell phone.

NO TV.

I had the sweetest and clearest dreams I’ve ever had.

I would wake up at all times during the night, reach over to my portable typewriter and type my dreams.

I misspelled a lot of words not only because I was half-asleep, but because I couldn’t edit my spelling in the darkness!

I did that the next day.

I was often shocked at what I had written.

*

I attended a university for five years.

NO TV.

*

Lately, I just read.

I’ve read many novels by Dean Koontz the past few months.

This guy has an imagination that doesn’t quit, and he’s such a good writer!

*

I watch the NBA Playoffs.

I watch the Super Bowl.

I watch the Academy Awards.

But that’s about it.

I’m probably hurting the economy since I don’t watch all of those commercials.

 

IT’S ABOUT RENEWABLE RESOURCES!


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Spanish Pipedream (AKA Blow Up Your TV) Lyrics

She was a level-headed dancer on the road to alcohol
And I was just a soldier on my way to Montreal
Well, she pressed her chest against me
About the time the juke box broke
Yeah, she gave me a peck on the back of the neck
And these are the words she spoke

Blow up your TV, throw away your paper
Go to the country, build you a home
Plant a little garden, eat a lot of peaches
Try an' find Jesus on your own

Well, I sat there at the table and I acted real naive
For I knew that topless lady had something up her sleeve
Well, she danced around the bar room
And she did the hoochy-coo
Yeah, she sang her song all night long
Tellin' me what to do

Blow up your TV, throw away your paper
Go to the country, build you a home
Plant a little garden, eat a lot of peaches
Try an' find Jesus on your own

Well, I was young and hungry
And about to leave that place
When just as I was leavin'
Well she looked me in the face

I said, "You must know the answer"
She said, "No but I'll give it a try"
And to this very day we've been livin' our way
Here is the reason why

We blew up our TV, threw away our paper
Went to the country, built us a home
Had a lot of children, fed 'em on peaches
They all found Jesus on their own

 

 John Prine

Published by

 SOUR GRAPES MUSIC;WALDEN MUSIC, INC.