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Tolosa Press • September 4 - 10, 2014 • 9OPINIONSwingin’ SchoolGood to be KingBy King HarrisBack toschool timeis here,although I findit hard to believethose big yellowbusses thatlumber downZaca Lane whereKVEC is locatednow arrive inAugust insteadof September.That would havebeen considereda conspiracyway back in theday long beforesmart phonesand backpackswhen the kidstoted their books,their binders, orbriefcases which I preferred because itwas easy to hide a transistor radio, anearly communication device developedin the late fifties but forbidden in theclassroom. Actually almost anywhereif you liked to listen to or dance toTop 40 rock ‘n’roll music. Rhythmand blues showmen like Chuck Berry,whose “Roll Over Beethoven and TellTchaikovsky the News” heralded thefinal chord in classical compositionand touted a new form of dance musicwith a big beat that drove all parents,politicians, and educators absolutelynuts. There were a lot of songs writtenabout schools and school days: coolschools (be true to your school); schoolis out (can’t wait for summer), schoolis in (summer is over); school life (justgetting through it). If you want to knowwhat high school was like in the 50’s,other than watching the flick “TheBlackboard Jungle,” you could tune into Chuck Berry’s “School Days:”“Up in the mornin’ and out to school,the teacher is teachin’ the golden rule;American history and practical math,you studyin’ hard and hopin’ to pass;workin’ your fingers right down to thebone, and the guy behind you won’tleave you alone.Ring, ring goes the bell, the cook inthe lunch room’s ready to sell; you’relucky if you can find a seat, you’refortunate if you have time to eat; backin the classroom, open your books, peepup the teacher don’t know how meanshe looks. Soon as three o’clock rollsaround, you finally lay your burdendown; close up your books, get out ofyour seat, down the halls and into thestreet; up to the corner and ‘round thebend, right to the juke joint, you go in.Drop the coin right into the slot, yougotta hear somethin’ that’s really hot;with the one you love, you’re makin’romance, all daylong you beenwantin’ to dance,feeling the musicfrom head totoe, round andround and roundyou go. Hail, hailrock and roll,deliver me fromthe days of old,long live rockand roll, the beatof the drums,loud and bold,rock, rock, rockand roll, the feelin’is there, bodyand soul.” Wellexpressed, Chuck.There is onlyone artist I couldfind that wrote andproduced a song about school is out,and school is in three months later.Same intro, same beat, practically thesame tune. Gary U.S. Bonds in Juneof ’62: “A-one, a-two, a-one two threefour, no more books and studies, and Ican stay out late with my buddies, I cando the things that I want to do, ‘causeall my exams are through; I can rootfor the Yankees from the bleachers,and don’t have to worry ‘bout teachers,I’m so glad that school is out, I couldsing and shout! (School is out)Everybody’s gonna have some fun,(School is out) Everybody’s gonnajump and run, (School is out) Come onpeople don’t you be late, (School is out)I just got time to take my girl out ona date; school is out at last and I’m soglad I passed, so everybody come andgo with me! We’re gonna have a nightwith Daddy G! Go Daddy! That’s great!Let’s celebrate! With a little bit of soulnow! Oh yeah! The party’s here!”September ’62: “A-one, a-two,A-one, two, three, four, nowI’m so glad that school is innow I can see my old classmates again; Iworked and slaved the summer through,doing the things my mother told me todo; I washed the dishes and scrubbedthe floor, and taught the baby how tocount to four, I made the beds and cutthe grass, I’m glad that school is in at last(School is in) Don’t you know it, (Schoolis in) yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, (Schoolis in) don’t forget it, I’m a witness(School is in) Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah;Now vacation time has come to an endnow I got to get back to my studies again,and make the grades so I can pass, I’mglad that school s in at last; now youmay think I’m nutty and telling you lies,but I’m going out now to buy my schoolsupplies; this semester’s gonna be a gas‘cause school is in at last.”80 5 sound