Prompt by: Stories from the Jukebox
Prompt: Turn the Page: #6 Written by Bob Seger: A story in less than 1500 words.
“Good gig man,” reflected Rene as he plopped two beers down on the table. “The crowd was really with us tonight. I could feel it man. I. Could. Feel. It,” he said with a huge grin. “God I love Des Moines.”
Curt’s smile faded a bit at this. “Cedar Rapids,” he replied.
“What?” asked Rene. His hearing still hadn’t returned to normal and wouldn’t for a few hours.
“Nothing. Nothing,” said Curt with a smile as he tipped his beer towards his drummer.
The music in the hotel bar quieted a bit. “Have you given any thought towards what I said during rehearsal?” Rene was not giving up on this idea.
“I don’t see it man. One is a rock'n'roll legendary song and the other is one of the greatest songs ever written. They are not the same.”
“Aw man. You don’t see it.” Rene tipped back his beer and reached for the second. “All you need to do is take one set of lyrics and sing it over the other song,” he paused for a breath of air, “and it will work. Play each song and sing the other lyrics. You’ll see it man. You’ll see it.” Rene gulped the rest of his beer and eyed a cute blonde by the door. “Gotta go man,” he said as he stood up. “Just give it a try man. You will see what I mean.” and with that he was off.
Curt smiled and made a mental note to have Rene’s room as far away from his room as possible at the next stop. The headboard slamming last night, well every night, was getting on his nerves. Between the lack of sleep and missing his wife he couldn’t wait for this tour to be over.
Curt sat back and smiled a deep smile as Seger’s Turn The Page came on over the PA system. It was a seriously good tune which is why he always included it in his set. It reminded him of his responsibilities on the home front and kept him in line. He could identify with what was happening. He had lived it early in his career. Now, elements were still there but mostly he had moved on. He had to. Curt pulled out his phone and texted his wife. She would be asleep but it would be nice for her to find his message in the morning.
Mission completed, Curt turned his thoughts back to Seger’s song. He sang along quietly with Bob but couldn’t get Rene’s revelation out of his mind. “No way,” he uttered to himself. “No way were the lyrics to Turn The Page and Hotel California able to fit the same rhythms.” He had looked them up. Scanning them together he saw that if you adjusted them slightly there was a loose fit but that was pushing it. The truth was that you could take any set of lyrics and find a song similarly defined within its structure and swap them. He’s So Fine and My Sweet Lord had proven that point. There were others.
Curt called for another beer as he mulled over Rene’s thoughts. He knew Rene would never give up once he had an idea like this. There would only be one way to settle it. He sat back contemplating what life would be like when he got home. He couldn’t wait.
At the sound check the next morning Curt called for a meeting. He looked around at his band. “Where’s Rene?”
The bass player indicated with his thumb. “He’s asleep behind his kit.”
Curt grinned. “Here is what we are going to do. Let’s play the Seger song. No matter what happens, keep playing.” Everyone picked up their instruments. Curt counted them in and the song started. Rene raised his head and yelled as he climbed to his feet and staggered to the microphone. He started singing Hotel California in place of the original lyrics. Everyone stared and then broke out into huge grins as he turned verbal gymnastics to make it fit. Once Rene reached the point of no return Curt signalled the end.
“Does it work?” Curt asked, holding back his laughter.
“It works, man!” Rene yelled loudly. “I dare you to sing it that way tonight.”
Curt laughed. “Not a chance. I don’t need to be sued.”
The keyboard player started playing All Day and All of the Night
“Now that I could do,” said Curt as he picked up the lyrics and sang it before switching to "Hello, I Love You" by the Doors and then switching back to "You Really Got Me.”
Rene sat pounding his drums with great satisfaction as the blonde from the night before sat on the floor below him.
I love mash-ups. Very clever, Bill.