Bob Luman Thinks About Living
One Hit Wonder Rockabilly Audio Beef Today. Bob Luman wonders why everyone is so negative all the time.
'Let's Think About Living' by Bob Luman, collected on Classic Country
Here's another one from the "The More Things Change" file: Bob Luman playing one of the Oldies you never hear on 'Oldies' radio. With his tongue firmly planted in his cheek, Bob takes a swing at songs like 'The Leader of The Pack' and other tragedy-chic hits of the late 1950s. The current popularity of gangsters and thugs on mainstream radio reminds us that not much has changed in the intervening 40 years. For every song about "lovey lovey dovin'" there will always be five songs about "the feller with the switchblade knives." Same as it ever was.
This song broke the top 10 in 1960, and was number 92 of the top 100 of the year. Unfortunately, Luman never had another mainstream hit. He was apparently a pioneer in the hybridization of Country and Rock N' Roll and upset a number of Country music traditionalists in the process. Luman died relatively young from pneumonia, which (based on this song) is a darn shame. I'll have to remember to look for some of his CDs on my next visit Amoeba Records, but most of them which are in print unfortunately seem to be inexplicably expensive.
So won't you please join me and Mr. Bob Luman in thinking happy thoughts, if only for a moment? Let's think about living.
Choice Beef Quote:In every other song that I've heard lately
Some fellow gets shot
And his baby and his best friend both die with him
As likely as not
In half of the other songs
Some cat's crying... or ready to die
We've lost most of our happy people
And I'm wondering why