Why Do People Hate ‘We Built This City’?

by Kevin Burton    I missed it, completely. It was totally over my head. I guess it’s just somebody’s else’s fight.    “We Built This City” by Starship was number one on the US Hot 100 40 years ago this month. It’s catchy. I liked it then, still do.    I loved the era when …

The Characters Behind 12 Famous Songs

by Dictionary Scoop    There’s a mixture of fiction and real life behind the people made famous by the hit songs on our list today.  From classic rock ballads to catchy pop tunes, here are 12 famous songs that feature people’s names—and the stories behind them. 1-Johnny B. Goode – Chuck Berry    We’ll start …

What’s Playing At The Movies This Weekend?

by Kevin Burton    “Do you want to see a movie?” my wife Jeannette will ask me, thinking of  a fun diversion. “What’s playing?” I will ask.    “I don’t know,” she will say, exasperated.    “If I don’t know what’s playing, how do I know if I want to go?” I will say, as …

My Ohio Roots And “Hang On Sloopy”

by Kevin Burton    The shirt I had just bought said “Sweet Home Kansas’ or “Down Home in Kansas,” something like that, and it was supposed to make a statement.    With decidedly mixed emotions I had just taken a job in Kansas and left my homeland, Ohio, behind. The shirt was one way of …

The Grooviest Band You’ve Never Heard Of

by Kevin Burton    When you bite the hand that feeds you, chances are you won’t get fed anymore.     Or you could say it this way: “no more fun and games.”    That’s the story of the Houston-based, late 60s sunshine pop band The Fun And Games, according to published accounts.     Not very …

Dave Barry Saves Sanity of Kansas Man

by Kevin Burton    When there is a Dave Barry book on your front porch, you’re having a good day.    Every writerly thing in me, now wants to write, “nothing else matters.”  But we both know that isn’t entirely true. Nothing else?    Tell you what though Sugarbear, nothing else matters for the next …

Power Slanguage Of A Groovy Generation

by Dictionary Scoop    The 60s were truly a magical time, weren’t they?    If there’s one word that truly defined this decade, it would be the word “freedom”: After all, the 60s were defined by their revolutionary new takes on music, art, and society in general.     In fact, this era was so groundbreaking that …

Happy Birthday To The Great Art Garfunkel

by Kevin Burton    OK, so this is what I get for digging into my favorite songs.    First, Happy birthday to singer-songwriter Art Garfunkel, born on this day in 1941. I do not have a present for him today, but I have been pondering within his great gift to us.    It was the …

Billy Preston Almost Joined The Beatles

by Kevin Burton    In the late 60s and 70s when DJs would spin “Get Back” by The Beatles, they didn’t say anything about Billy Preston, not that I ever heard anyway.    But Preston was working closely with the Beatles on the album “Let It Be.” He was a big part of what they …

American Slang Phrases Through The Decades

by Dictionary Scoop     Have you listened to teenagers talk lately? Their vocabulary is full of words we don’t quite understand. But come on, we did it too: every decade has had its own set of slang words and expressions.    Today, we look back at ten slang words and expressions that have defined each decade from …