I don’t feel tardy: A back-to-school mixtape By Dennis Hartley

I don’t feel tardy: A back-to-school mixtape

By Dennis Hartley 
















Pfft. Wow. That was a quick friggin’ summer.

As great poets have said…autumn is over the long leaves that love us, yesterday is dead (but not in my memory), and it’s late September and I really should be back at school

Well, not literally (I’m a little old for home room)…but my school days of yesteryear are not necessarily dead in my memory. Some habits die hard. As I prefaced in a 2010 post:

It’s a funny thing. I know that this is supremely silly (I’m over 50, fergawdsake)-but as soon as September rolls around and retailers start touting their “back to school” sales, I still get that familiar twinge of dread. How do I best describe it? It’s a vague sensation of social anxiety, coupled with a melancholy resignation to the fact that from now until next June, I have to go to bed early. BTW, now that I’m allowed to stay up with the grownups, why do I drift off in my chair at 8pm every night? It’s another one of life’s cruel ironies.

So here’s a back-to-school playlist that doesn’t include “The Wall” or “School’s Out” (don’t worry, you’ll get over it). Pencils down, pass your papers forward, and listen up…

“Alma Mater” – Alice Cooper


“At 17” – Janis Ian



“Cinnamon Street” – Roxette



“ELO Kiddies” – Cheap Trick




“Me &Julio Down by the Schoolyard” – Paul Simon



“My Old School” – Steely Dan

=
“Rock ‘n’ Roll High School” – The Ramones





“School” – Roger Hodgson



“School Days” – Chuck Berry




“Smokin’ in the Boy’s Room” – Brownsville Station




“Status Back Baby” – Frank Zappa & the Mothers of Invention




“Teacher Teacher” – Rockpile




“Thirteen” – Big Star


“To Sir, With Love” – Lulu




“Wind-up” – Jethro Tull




Previous posts with related themes:


Ocean Waves
The Student
Palo Alto and We Are the Best!
The Hunt 
Fat Kid Rules the World
Cracks
A Serious Man
Happy Go Lucky



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--Dennis Hartley