Rain on My Parade

/ Jeff Cann

Take it easy, take it easy
Don’t let the sound of your own wheels drive you crazy
Lighten up while you still can
Don’t even try to understand
Just find a place to make your stand
And take it easy

That’s the 1972 hit song Take It Easy written by Jackson Browne and recorded by the Eagles. I loathe both Jackson Browne and the Eagles. As my brothers and I hit puberty in the early to mid-seventies, we each became interested in rock music. David, the oldest, gravitated to the Grateful Dead and the Allman Brothers. Dana, one-year younger than David, liked mellow singer/songwriter types like Jackson Browne and Neil Young. Me, one year younger still, I listened to the Beatles. Only the Beatles.

So what’s my beef with Jackson Browne? Well beside playing the dull, bland rock songs like Running on Empty and The Pretender that I heard 24/7 around my house for the duration of middle and high school, Browne’s an abuser… maybe. Actually, he was never charged and never directly accused, but well, he’s a wealthy and well-known man, and we’ve seen an endless string of those absolved from some pretty obvious abuse charges. Plus, the woman he allegedly abused was Daryl Hannah.

Daryl Hannah was my first serious movie star crush. The year I graduated college, one of the blockbuster movies was Splash, a romantic comedy with Hannah playing a mermaid. I found her hypnotically cuddly, like a kitten. I wanted to pick her up and smoosh my nose into her neck. In fact, when I got an actual kitten a couple of years later, I named her Madison after Hannah’s mermaid character. I could devote the rest of this blog post to what may or may not have happened between Hannah and Browne, but I’m really not interested. I already hated his music; the rumors just gave me license to hate the musician as well.

What’s my problem with the Eagles? They plagued the world with the song Hotel California.

But Take it Easy is on my mind. It’s Susan’s fault. She kept saying “Let’s take it easy.” “I’m going to take it easy.” “I never get to take it easy.” So now I’m taking it easy, writing this nonsense. Susan stopped taking it easy a half hour ago and began making dinner and roasting a chicken for various weekend meals. Oh, and she just went down into the basement to do laundry.

It’s the start of a three-day weekend in the United States. Monday is Memorial Day, originally created as an annual holiday to honor and mourn Americans who died in war. Now, it’s a good day to buy a car or a couch because all the stores have “Blow-out Memorial Day Sales.” Or drink beer. Or go to the pool.

There won’t be any pool-going in Gettysburg. We’re currently in the opening downpour of sixty hours of rain. The forecast for the weekend is soggy through Sunday. Lots of time to take it easy, to write, binge Bob’s Burgers with my family, and read. I won’t be outdoors running, hiking or biking in my beloved woods—my favorite place to be—but I’m facing a long, unencumbered weekend with few responsibilities and most of my favorite activities.

Early last week, my childhood friend Scott Facebook-messaged me a link to Jackson Browne playing a pandemic concert in his living room. Like my brother Dana, as a teenager Scott loved Jackson Browne, I guess he somehow mistakenly associated his love of the music as something I had too. I rarely hear from Scott, maybe once every eighteen months, so in his honor, I sucked up my dislike and watched the video. I tried to look for secret signs that Jackson Browne is a monster, but I couldn’t see any. He looked like any other aged rocker selflessly playing his piano to a nonpaying crowd.

For those reading from America, enjoy your three-day weekend regardless of the weather, dry or wet. For the rest of you, well, a normal weekend isn’t so bad either.

19 thoughts on “Rain on My Parade”

  1. For the record, I like Jackson Brown, and The Eagles. I also like James Taylor (another guy who people love to hate)
    I vaguely remember rumors but not what they were.
    One of my favorite Daryl Hannah movies is Wildflowers.

    Not that you care about any of my SOC blather😆

    We’re going to have nice weather, which means I will be hiding in my house cuz people are idjits. I predict a LOT of maskless gatherings involving alcohol and bad choices.

    Will the rain affect the 17year cicadas??

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  2. yes, the weather does look terrible in PA for the weekend. but it soundsl ike you’ve got some good things planned. I’ve never heard that about Jackson Browne; I’ve always liked his music. I’m just hoping nothing like that comes out about Bruce Springsteen – my world would be crushed…

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    • Well, you probably shouldn’t pin the label abuser on Browne. The details seem pretty sketchy and convoluted. When I heard about it decades ago, I only read that he abused Hannah. Researching for this post put enough doubt in my mind that I don’t know what to think. Bruce had a close call with that DUI charge a couple of months ago… which miraculously disappeared.

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  4. We share this loathing as well. Did you ever see The Big Lebowski? It’s a cult favorite and I really enjoyed it. I could so easily relate to Lebowski who would be plagued by entering a situation where the Eagles were on in the background and would just mutter or shout, “I hate the F***ing Eagles, man!” Now, every time I hear the Eagles being played I just repeat this refrain in my head.
    Splash was one of my favorite movies when I was a kid. I saw that movie and I wanted to be Madison so badly. My friends and I would go to the pool and pretend to be mermaids. I am so jealous of kids these days because they actually market mermaid tails for the little girls to swim with where I just had to pretend.
    This certainly wasn’t what I was thinking for this weekend, but if it means we get to sit around and relax instead of driving everywhere, then I will take it. Hope you have a nice long weekend with your crew!

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    • I can always count on you for good music sensibilities. I don’t remember much about the big Lebowski. I haven’t seen it since it first came out. Those kids today have it all. Seriously, entertainment on demand. When I was a kid we were stuck with Wonderama on Sunday morning.

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  5. I can see that about Darryl and the kitten, the smooshing part. And it’s funny, this animosity for The Eagles came up with my book club earlier this year too. I find it funny they draw such vitriol! But it’s a cool riff you did there off Susan’s plans to take it easy…and then launch into a series of tasks. I’m like that too. Sorry for the sogginess but hope you enjoy your time just the same Jeff. Thanks for this. Oh and remember, you can check out any time you like…

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  6. I hate Hotel California, so I guess I don’t like the Eagles, either. Didn’t really pay much attention to them.

    Does it count against me that I’m pretty good at taking it easy?

    I thought Daryl Hannah was adorable, including in Roxanne.

    As for the holiday? I wish it would rain here so the tourists would disappear! As I search for a new home, top of my list of “won’t tolerate” items, just below “being near a gun range” is “near a tourist town.” This sunny weekend (in Idaho) I’m staying close to home and counting the hours until they’re gone.

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    • Oh yeah, I loved Roxanne too. I couldn’t live near a gun range. One of our favorite hiking areas borders a gun range and it drives me nuts hearing the gunfire. Tourist season hasn’t really heated up here yet. Really the only time that bothers me is when I’m road biking. Otherwise, they’re mostly out of my way.

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  7. I’m with you on Hotel California. I detest that song. I also appreciate YOUR appreciation of the Beatles. I loved them. I even went to a Beatles’ concert in Philly once. It must have been one of their last in the US.

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