Don’t tell me it’s not worth tryin’ for
Remember that time in 4th grade when my class had a contest to see who could best sing Bryan Adams’ “(Everything I Do) I Do It For You”?
I suppose I haven’t mentioned it yet.
Any willing participant had a chance to stand in front of the class with the Walkman headphones on and sing along with Bryan, to the cheers or jeers of her peers.
This was obviously very awkward. First of all, whoever was singing was the only one who could hear the track; to the 30 other people in the room, all they were hearing was an unaccompanied, nervous, pre-adolescent warble. Secondly, we were 10-years old. The most passionate thing I could think of was footsy. However, as I remember vividly, this didn’t stop one girl from closing her eyes and feigning Whitney Houston.
Yeaaaah, I’d fight for you… [fist pump]
To me, Bryan Adams remained frozen in memory, frozen in time, in that Pomona Elementary classroom – that is, until last year when my friend Duane reintroduced me.
Oh, friends. What I had been MISSING OUT ON all those years.
Duane knows me well enough to know that he would need to be sneaky, so he started by sending me a few songs that our guy Bry had written with Gretchen Peters – one of my favorite writers in the history of the universe (remember, I wrote about her here). From the first tentative listen to those tracks, all doubt was blown away:
Bryan Adams is where it’s at. His songs are fantastic.
I have a short list of people that I have to see in concert someday – and in addition to Patty Griffin (which will FINALLY happen at the end of this month), Shania Twain, and Phil Collins, Bryan Adams has earned his place.
And I just felt like declaring it to the world.
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tags: Annie Parsons | Bryan Adams | Childhood | Discoveries | Gretchen Peters | Music | Pure Goodness | Songs
Add it to the list, Parsons. We’re soulmates. Bryan Adams, as introduced to me by my brother somewhere in the mid 90s, has been and will forever remain a favorite. And it actually all started with a fist pump and “Everything I Do.” Btw in case you’re wondering, he’d walk the wire for you.
Oh, I totally LOVE Bryan Adams, too! …as my husband rolls his eyes. again.
Annie P…I hate to say it, but I have found our one difference. Just read this opening line from the itunes review of his newest album, “Like a veteran matinee idol, Bryan Adams projects the sort of romantic masculinity that’s appealing, even if the roles are familiar.” See, even they have a hard time trying to sell his music!
Let’s just enjoy our chicken curry, and all will be whole again.
annie – converting you into a BA fan may perhaps be my greatest triumph in life. “we wander around in the darkness, but every now and then a little light shines through.” see you tomorrow!
rod – im not giving up on you yet. a little love can change it all.
Hey, I Googled “Bryan Adams has earned his place”. You’ve got the only result. I’m sure it’s just an oversight by the legion of Bryan Adams fans that definitely still exist and didn’t stop listening to him after the brief wave of goodwill he earned through Prince of Thieves.
I’ve been a fan of Bryan for 31 years now, and since 1997 have been to 13 concerts (a pittance since I know others who have seen him close to 100 times). You have to go…a full band show is great, but since he’s rarely doing them these days, you must see his Bare Bones Acoustic Tour!