Professor Elam

Monday August 31 2020

A comment from a student writing his reflection on Emerso

Living by good character may lead to disapproval by others, but pleasing others’ is not the main goal in life

That reminded me of a song by Ricky Nelson. Ricky was the real life son of Ozzie and Harriett Nelson. The family was featured ina  tv show from  1952 to  1966 The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriett. Like Father Knows Best and Leave it to Beaver and later The Brady Bunch, it told the seemingly impossible story of Anglo families living the perfect American life in the perfect American Sub

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Adventures_of_Ozzie_and_Harriet

Note this show was popular throughout the bull market of  1948-66 getting kicked off as the Korean conflict ended. It was popular as it reflected the social mood of the time.

Ricky became a musician and Ozzie a former big band leader, literally invented the music video. He  cut the half hour TV show sort and inserted a video like this of RIcky singing thereby boosting the show ratings and RIcky's career.

Here is Mary Lou referred to in Garden Party

But Ricky moved on as musical tastes did as well. Here is doing Honky Tonk Woman, a Rolling Stones hit, on the piano, I did not even know he played the piano!

Eventually he played Madison Square Garden. The group that showed up  no longer knew him. The result was the song Garden Party, his last mega hit.

But singing to across the decades, he is saying the same thing Emerson tells us across more than a Century, which is this

But it's all right now
I learned my lesson well
You see, ya can't please everyone
So ya got to please yourself

Postscript

Tragically Ricky died in the crash of a DC 3 he had bought from Jerry Lee Lewis.  And so he added to the list of musicians who passed from this world.

Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper, Richie Valens all died in the same crash, subject of the song Bye Bye American Pie.

Also Patsy Cline and Jim Croche would meet similar fates.  I suspect that is why today musicians travel by custom bus.

"Garden Party"