Song Three

As I mentioned in my profile, I just received my first speeding ticket--ever--and I've been driving quite a while. My husband, no stranger to the radar gun himself, keeps reminding me that I more than earned this ticket, and he is astonished that, given my propensity for setting my own personalized speed limits, this is my first. Anyway, this initial brush with the law has engendered in me a deep desire to go on a three state crime spree (one with the lovely cinematography of Badlands coupled with many McGriddle stops). It's kind of the feeling you get when you're on a diet and give in to one Oreo: the "screw-it, I'm eating this whole freaking bag" feeling. So, given my sudden urge to crime, I chose as song three something that would straighten me out a bit: Kanye West, "Jesus Walks."

This is not a new song, nor is Mr. West new to me. For a middle-aged, white as Wonder mom, I have a surprising knowledge of rap music. I even own Late Registration, which has some outrageously great moments and some just plain silly ones but is still definitely a purchase worth making. (And, to anyone whose year end list criticized Mr. West for his increasingly self-centric lyrics . . . hello, this is rap, right??) Still, I do not own College Dropout, but because of the near constant Jarhead ads, I have been hypnotized by "Jesus Walks." So, I coughed up my 99 cents, and now it's mine!

When I think of Kanye West, I think of all the aggressively sullen and immensely intelligent African-American students I've ever taught . . . if they were given room in our culture to express not just their justifiable rage but also their remarkable wit. Wouldn't this be a much better place? "I need Jesus / Like Kathie Lee needed Regis"--that says it all.

We all listened to this song on the way to school this morning (unedited version, 'cause I'm keeping it real). At the end, my daughter said "Jesus?"--much in the way she might say "Verisimilitude?" or "Predictive Metrics?" This comment alone should tell you much about our family.

Before I close, I also have to re-emphasize the incredible joy that "Chicken Payback" has brought to my son. He listened to it on song-repeat all last night and again this morning. Band of Bees, I salute you!

362 to go.