A Typical Day On The Road To Utopia

Today is one of those days when I had planned to post one thing but then for various reasons at the last minute changed my mind. Then I planned to post something else and changed my mind again.

So today is going to be something special, kind of by default.

Ever since I started the blog, almost two years ago, in the back of my mind I’ve thought of the blog as having an unofficial theme song. I’ve always wanted to post the song, but I’ve never gotten around to doing it. Today, in the void of my indecision, I will post the song.

Also this gives me a chance to explain some behind-the-scenes blog history.

A long time ago, on another day when I didn’t have anything special to post, I improvised an affectionate pastiche of the song I regard as the blog’s unofficial theme song. [The Road To Magonia] However, in that pastiche I mentioned a real person but I didn’t know that the real person I mentioned apparently thinks I’m kind of creepy and had no desire to appear in the blog . . . So, that person had speaks with other people and other people had speaks with me and since then I’ve tried to be more sensitive about mentioning real people.

There was another time I mentioned someone and made an obscure reference that was wildly misinterpreted however I’m saving an explanation of that post for a special occassion.

A writer named Harlan Ellison constantly has gotten in so much trouble over his writing that he once described himself as the human equivalent of that strange bacteria scientists discovered around deep ocean vents. His natural environment, Ellison said, is hot water.

I don’t much like getting in trouble however generally I don’t let it stop me from doing something I really want to do. Hot water can be invigorating. (Plus I always remember what Maude said: If you don’t get in trouble now and then you will have nothing to talk about in the locker room . . .)

Okay, so that’s the behind-the-scenes stuff.

Here are the lyrics to my pick for this blog’s unofficial theme song, Todd Rundgren’s, “Road To Utopia:”

I blink my eyes and it happens again
I lose my way but I discover a friend
It’s a typical day
On the Road to Utopia

I walk along until my feet are sore
I rest a minute then I walk some more
There’s no time to delay
On the Road to Utopia

    And my destination is the unknown
    But I’m never far away from my home

    It shines like laser light
    It’s in my dreams at night
    Cause I’ve been all my life
    On the Road to Utopia

I will be there to share your tragedy
I know that you would do the same for me
It’s no trouble at all
On the Road to Utopia

When day is over and I’m trying to sleep
It comes so easy cause I’m not counting sheep
I am counting the smiles
On the Road to Utopia

    And I may lose my way again and again
    But I’ll cross that borderline in the end

    Trouble trouble trouble whirling all about
    But if we stick together we can stick it out
    Will we ever find the loves we lost again
    Does this crazy journey ever have an end

And will I find what I’m after
Do I know what I’m after
Guess I’ll join in the laughter
On the Road to Utopia

Todd Rundgren
“Road To Utopia”