Lawyers in Love

Last night I watched the news from Washington, the capitol
The Russians escaped while we weren’t watching them, like Russians will

Well, it sure seems we are right back there, doesn’t it?

Nearly 25 years after the fall of the Berlin wall and the symbolic end of the Cold War, things have gotten downright chilly here in the Summer of ’14.  Just when it seemed a few years ago, that we might never have to worry about the things that troubled us during the childhoods of people in my generation, it seems our world has moved closer and closer to that place again.

The downing of MH 17 last week over Ukraine, the sight of the battle between pro-Russian rebels and the Ukrainian government, has punctuated this fact. No matter which version of the story you believe as to why a plane filled with 298 innocent people was shot down - and even as the administration said late today that there is no evidence of direct Russian involvement  - you know in your heart of hearts that it is somehow related to the ongoing crisis there.

Somehow

Jackson Browne released his album, “Lawyers in Love” in August 1983. The title track was the first released single.

I remember it was all over the radio late that summer. Even though it wasn’t his most critically acclaimed or commercially successful song, it was catchy.

At the height of the Cold War, there were many pop and rock songs that reflected the angst of the times. Holly often asks what was going on in the world in 1982 and ‘83 when we had those songs on the radio.

• Eye in the Sky
• Who Can it Be
• Somebody’s Watching Me

I think those tunes reflected an underlying unease of the times. It was the 80s version of duck and cover. That was the reality for those of us who were in college at the times.

The line about ‘the Russians’ was particularly poignant to me when I heard the news from Washington about the downing of Korean Airlines 007 on September 1, 1983. The plane strayed into Soviet territory and was shot down by a Soviet fighter jet, killing all 269 on board.

Fast forward to a couple weeks ago when I heard the song playing on one of the SiriusXM satellite radio channels – maybe 80s on 8. I hadn’t thought of that song in years but I thought of it again when the eery details emerged about the downing of MH 17. 

Sometimes when you hear the news from Washington, it is devastating.

We are still eating tv dinners from trays; but these are not happy days.

JG

Originally posted 7/22/2014