Kingston Trio Ballad of ‘A Worried Man’ Reminds Us
Many Celebrities Could Sing a Worried Song
LeBron James, Lindsay Lohan, Mel Gibson, etal - Don’t now how many are singing a ‘worried song’ but
perhaps these should
By Bill Kalmar, Retiree
Very early
color TV performance of the classic "A Worried Man." For more
YouTube videos of Kingston Trio, starting with "They Call the
Wind Maria,"
Click Here
July 14, 2010 - Perhaps there are some of you
readers who recall, or some who may be too embarrassed to admit, that
they remember The Kingston Trio. Back in the 50’s this American folk
and pop music group was one of the most listened to singing ensembles in
the nation. Their LP albums (yes, albums – not CDs) sold millions of
copies. I am not too proud to admit that I was and still am an ardent
fan.
We saw them perform at the now defunct Punch and
Judy Theater in Grosse Pointe many years ago and it was an energetic
sing-a-long. Who can ever forget the tuneful “Tom Dooley”, “They Call
the Wind Maria”, “Scotch and Soda”, and of course “A Worried Man”. That
song had the words – “It takes a worried man to sing a worried song”.
Now I don’t now how many of the following individuals are singing a
“worried song” but I think perhaps they should!
▪ Al Gore’s separation from his wife,
Tipper, and subsequent tabloid allegations about a late night massage
that has turned into a media circus perhaps has him worried a bit – you
think? Maybe he was spending too much time on global warming while a
slight chill was developing in his own household!
▪ Lindsay Lohan evidently wasn’t worrying
while she was partying overseas and then supposedly couldn’t return for
a court hearing because her passport had been misplaced. To top things
off, her alcohol monitoring anklet was somehow activated (she indicated
that someone had spilled a drink near her) and thus the judge decided it
was time for her to worry about some jail time.
▪ All along I thought Elvis was the King.
Now I discover that high school hoopster LeBron James has that
title. The only element missing from his recent ESPN spectacle was the
customary F-16 fly over but maybe I was out of the room when it
occurred. In any event, wonder if he and the other two b-ball
participants are worried what the impact will be if the Miami Heat fail
to win a title.
▪ Back in July 2006 Mel Gibson was
arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol. That
incident revealed his anti-Semitic leanings, which he later apologized
for. Now there is an allegation that he abused his spouse and a tape
has been released, supposedly with his voice, that contains some
racist comments.
Reports are that his talent agency has dropped
him. Maybe it’s time for Mel to revisit the theme of his movie “What
Women Want” because his current antics seem to run contrary to what was
on that list, namely, respect and courtesy. You would think with the
seven children from his first marriage he would have enough worries for
a lifetime and not have to create more problems for himself.
▪ Kwame Kilpatrick, the convicted
perjurer, currently serving a jail sentence in Michigan recently had
additional corruption charges levied against him. Evidently what some
have characterized as an exorbitant Texas lifestyle did not come with
any worries based on how he conducted himself in court with his usual
swagger.
Wonder if he worries while in jail what is
happening to all those French cuffed dress shirts with the words, “The
Mayor” inscribed thereon. Not to worry though, Kwame. Maybe the warden
can have your orange jumpsuit inscribed with the words, “The Convict”.
▪ If you were Tiger Woods would you be
worried at a divorce settlement thought to be around $750 million?
Actually after he canoodled with multiple women over the years you would
think that his worries would not be about money but perhaps about a
transmitted disease.
▪ Wonder if British Petroleum (BP)
management is worried about running out of money before they run out of
oil? My solution to the problem would be to just lower a couple of
executives in a diving bell to the oil well and provide them with some
duct tape and super glue. How about this for a new name for BP? Can
you say “Bad People”!
When the Kingston Trio sang “Worried Man”, they
probably weren’t thinking about all the tribulations these scoundrels
had gotten themselves into. One of the lines from this classic is –
“I’ll be home tonight so I won’t be worried long”. When you examine the
above list, I doubt if any of my candidates have the ability to go home
(Kwame of course, and Lindsay shortly) or would want to because of what
might be facing them.
Include in that scenario LeBron James attempting to
return to Cleveland. Don’t think there would be a jubilant parade
awaiting him. And unlike the iconic fictional mascot of MAD magazine,
Alfred E. Neuman, who always uttered, “What? Me Worry?”, our pack of
ponderous people would seem to be developing a lot of worry lines on
their palms.
But on the other hand, maybe they have purchased
worry beads as insurance against all these problems. For Lohan it might
just compliment her alcohol monitoring ankle bracelet!
L Bill Kalmar is retired in Lake Orion, Michigan,
and is the former Director of the Michigan Quality Council. He is a
frequent contributor to SeniorJournal.com. His opinions are his own.
The flag has become the symbol for a people who are
kind, generous and hard-working
A sign of
the times that makes a columnist rethink his attitude on retirement
