A Cure for the Covid Grumps

I woke up in a very crabby mood today, in spite of a perfect Los Angeles day with deep blue skies and an actual cool breeze.

Maybe it was weeks of 100 degree temperatures, plus two political conventions back to back. Or maybe it’s living alone during five months of furlough with no discernible end in sight. Either way, my grumpiness wasn’t lifting. My usual ventees weren’t available to listen this morning, so I had to rely on my daughter’s Spotify account. She graciously lets me have my own playlists, even though I pay nothing, but even my meditation music with chirping birds failed. My favorite tunes weren’t shaking me out of my funk.

Until I played one from the ’80s by The Fixx, called “One Thing Leads to Another.” It has such a great beat, you can’t help but dance to it. Plus, it takes me back to a Christmas in 1983, when that song was at the top of the charts.

I was visiting my parents in Pennsylvania, so we made our usual holiday visit to my Uncle Richard and Aunt Blanche’s house for an evening of talk, wine, snacks and fun. I was driving my dad’s car up the winding hill to their house. We were in my parents’ Chrysler Le Baron. My mom sat in front because she was adamant she couldn’t breathe in the back seat, my dad was in back and I had the radio on.

“One Thing Leads to Another,” came on, flipping my inner switch of utter happiness, and I gushed “Oh my God, I love this song! I couldn’t help dancing in my seat. After my parents got out of the car, I had to turn it up, and was rocking out with the windows down, when I saw my mom grab my dad’s hand and say, “Come onna Robert, lettsa danze!”

And there they were, in their coats, dancing in the dark, on my aunt and Uncle’s concrete driveway, on a cold December night, while I sat laughing behind the wheel. My father, embarrassed and shy, as usual, humoring Mom with his stiff dance moves. And my mother, always game for fun, doing her 1930’s dance steps to the Fixx. It was such an incongruous, but joyful sight, I cannot possibly be in a bad mood when I hear that song because it always conjures that fantastic memory.

In all these years, I never paid attention to the lyrics, but when I looked them up today, I found them an interesting addendum to these times.

I made a mental note to turn to music more often, especially music attached to a joyful memory. It’s a recipe for bliss. Stay strong. Stay well. And crank up your favorite tunes. Please send me your fabulous song/memories, so I can live vicariously through you and avoid future grumpy mornings.

One Thing Leads to Another, The Fixx

The deception with tact, just what are you trying to say?
You’ve got a blank face, which irritates
Communicate, pull out your party piece
You see dimensions in two
State your case with black or white
But when one little cross leads to shots, grit your teeth
You run for cover so discreet, why don’t they

Do what they say, say what you mean, and baby
One thing leads to another
You told me something wrong, I know I listen too long but then
One thing leads to another

The impression that you sell
Passes in and out like a scent
But the long face that you see comes from living close to your fears
If this is up then I’m up but you’re running out of sight
You’ve seen your name on the walls
And when one little bump leads to shock miss a beat
You run for cover and there’s heat, why don’t they

Do what they say, say what they mean
One thing leads to another
You told me something wrong, I know I listen too long but then
One thing leads to another, yeah, yeah, yeah

One thing leads to another, then it’s easy to believe
Somebody’s been lying to me
But when the wrong word goes in the right ear
I know why you’ve been lying to me
It’s getting rough, off the cuff I’ve got to say enough’s enough bigger the harder he falls
But when the wrong antidote is like a bulge on the throat
You run for cover in the heat why don’t they

Do what they say, say what they mean
One thing leads to another
You told me something wrong, I know I listen too long but then
One thing leads to another, yeah, yeah
One thing (one thing) leads to another
One thing (one thing) leads to another
One thing (one thing) leads to another
One thing (one thing) leads to another
One thing (one thing) leads to another
One thing (one thing) leads to another