Local on the 8's

Forced listening. It is all around us. First, it was elevator music. I remember humming, Do You Know the Way to San Jose? for weeks after getting off of an elevator one time. I would rather listen to the grinding noise of the cables, pulling up the precariously hung ancient Otis elevator  than some of the music they make us listen to.

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And then there is the ever present telephone prompt waiting. I know why they put terrible music on the telephone while you wait to talk to someone about your new laptop’s green screen. They want you to get soo sick of listening to depressing, cobwebs- growing -on -you music , so that you just get mad and hang up. You’d rather live with the pukey green screen than listen to 45 minutes of Lawrence Welk music.

And then we come to the Weather Channel. First of all, you have to understand that I am the local self-proclaimed weather person on Facebook. I give the ~Weather Dork Report~ for my friends, as I always have the Weather Channel on in the background. I love the weather. But, I just have one bit of advice for the those wonderful predictors of the weather….

  If I worked for the Weather Channel, I would use  music to match the weather when it’s time for Local on the 8′s.  For those of you who do not live in the United States, the Local on the 8′s is the local weather that is shown several times each hour, such ast 9:08, 9:18, 9;28, etc. There is music in the background while some man reads the weather report. Now, to give them credit, they are getting better with their music choices. I think I just heard Coldplay on the last Local on the 8. But, I’m not talking about music in general. I’m talking about the THEME. Although The Weather Channel is getting pretty snazzy. They did release a Smooth Jazz CD in 2007, based on the music played on the Local on the 8′s segments. They are progressive. But, I like my idea. If not every day, then maybe on April Fool’s Day.

For example. I think that if it is going to be a beautiful, sunny day, they should play songs like, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” or  a Disney happy tune, like Zip E Dee Do Da or however you spell it.

When a horrible storm is nearing, play music from Jaws. Wouldn’t it be fun to hear this music when a straight line thunderstorm is approaching:

You could sit on your couch, turned around, with your knees on the cushions, and your elbows on the back of the couch, watching out your picture window, bowl of popcorn nearby.  You know the storm is getting closer, because the music is getting louder and faster. Wouldn’t that be a hoot?

And of course, who couldn’t resist a little Flight of The Bumblebee when a blizzard is knocking on your door?

I guess I could go on and on with musical selections that match the weather. There are different kinds of genre to choose from.  Or music with “weather” in the title:

You are The Sunshine of My Life- Stevie Wonder

Windy-The Association

Who’ll Stop the Rain-Creedence Clearwater Revival

Walking on Sunshine-Katrina and the Waves

Sunshine on My Shoulders-John Denver

Singin in the Rain- Gene Kelly

Riders on the Storm- The Doors

Please Don’t Stop the Rain- James Morrison

November Rain-Guns n Roses

I Love a Rainy Night- Eddie Rabbitt

Here Comes the Sun- The Beatles

Good Day Sunshine- The Beatles

Ain’t No Sunshine- Bill Withers

Against the Wind- Bob Seger

Ride Like the Wind-Christopher Cross

Buckets of Rain- Bob Dylan (Thanks Pat!)

You are My Sunshine (Thanks Pat!)

I guess I could go on and on. I don’t know. I just think I have something here.

In the end, we will have weather.

Rain will come.

It will be miserably hot.

We will carve pumpkins.

And then hit people in the head with snowballs.

Might as well set the mood with music.

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