Hood Slidin' Like Bo Duke

Over at Murder She Writes last week, I posted about my favorite one liners from movies. Not necessarily my favorite movies, but memorable lines from movies. The great thing about the responses, was everyone had a different line that resonated with them, lots of lines I'd never heard of, or lines I'd forgotten, or lines that hadn't jumped out at me when I'd seen the movie.

I admit my entertainment taste is pretty low brow. I like movies that blow shit up, I love vamp and werewolf books, I prefer chicken wings and beer to haute cuisine and wine. I do enjoy some classical music and I've been exposed to plenty of it since my daughters are string players. But my first love is rock. And yeah yeah yeah, I know there is argument about what rock music is these days and it's like the argument about porn -- I know it when I see it, or in the case of music, when I hear it. And yeah, yeah, yeah, skip the bullshit responses about slick record executives and music being written by committee for commercial appeal, and how "real" musicians suffer for their fucking music in some goddamn backwater dive in some obscure town. I. Don't. Buy. It.

Growing up, my parents were a little bit county/a little bit rock 'n roll. My dad listed to country music, my mom always had Top 40 on, you know, back in the day when Top 40 played everything and didn't cater to a specific type of music like alternative, rap, pop, hardcore, or oldies. So I listened to both Conway Twitty and the Eagles.

For the last two years, I've pretty much listened exclusively to country. Mostly because the ability to tell a story in three minutes fascinates me, because it takes me, a different kind of story teller, between 70,000 and 100,000 words to tell my tales of sex and murder. I also find that the themes in country music fit who I am now, regardless if I hear a song that was popular last year or last decade. And I am a sucker for a catchy jingle -- Honky Tonk Badonkadonk anyone?

But I cannot listen to music while I write, so I only listen in my car. Yesterday, as my boy Dierks Bentley blasted "What Was I Thinkin'?" from the speakers, I realized I could write an entire book out of this snippet from the song:

When a mountain of a man
With a Born to Kill tattoo
Tried to cut in
I knocked out his front tooth
We ran outside, hood sliding like Bo Duke
What was I thinkin'?

So FOFOs, share some snippets from favorite songs that resonate with you for some reason. And yes, I'll even consider Springsteen lyrics music this morning.

Comments

[Charlene Teglia]

I've been listening to Powerman 5000 lately for my book in progress. "We're going to need some action, we're going to need some action soon" Because it works so well for fight scenes. *g*

I love working with a book playlist. I can't listen while I write, either, but in between writing sessions it's a great way to keep the book in my head.

[Gerard]

From Lake Geneva to the Finland Station.

[Gerard]

This is a public service announcement. With guitar.

[Jake Nantz]

Oh wow. I could go on and on here, but I have to give credit for the first one--which fits one of my characters SO well--to the woman who suggested it without ever having read any of my stuff, Zoe Sharp.

I can see through you, see your true colors, and inside you're ugly, you're ugly like me, I can see through you, see to the real you.
--"Outside" by Stain'd

Also, there's:

You told everybody in the neighborhood, what a dirty mistreater...that I was no good. But someday baby, you ain't worry my life anymore.
--"Electric Worry" by Clutch

and:

Red thong, party on, love this song, sing along. Come together, leave alone. See you later back at home.
--"Bad Girlfriend" by Theory of a Deadman

and just because I had to throw in some old blues:

If you make it to your house, knock on the front door. Run around to the back, you'll catch him, just before he go. That's evil! Evil is goin' on. I am warnin' ya brother, you better watch your happy home.
--"Evil" by Howlin' Wolf

[janet]

I figured you were on a roll with Dierks Bentley. For me, his words resonate. Like:

Rollin on the fast lane, on the leavin side of town
Just me and the dreams I've left undone
There's a lot of roads I could point this chevy down
But I can only think of one

"I Can Only Think of One"

Love this song.

[AlisonGaylin]

Me and Joey set a fire in the road
To watch it glow
His father didn't like it though.
He gave Joey a black eye.
Me and you we done the same damn thing
We fell in love, knowing the pain it would bring.
Now all I do is sing
Sad songs with red eyes.
- Wonderful Life by the Felice Bros.