A Working Class Hero Is Something To Be… From Ming Cheng

Posted by gina on Jan 18, 2010 in Chi Stories, Featured | 7 comments

One Love For Chi!

I had never heard the song before about 6months ago. I had read in Guitar World that Billie Joe Armstrong had done a cover of the John Lennon song. He said it was as good a songwriting gets. After hearing it I see what he means. It does rock. With just an acoustic guitar no less. That’s when you know it rocks. When u take away the image and amps. Is there still a song there? Does it have anything to say, really? But I’m a song guy anyway. To me it all ultimately boils down to the lowest common denominator.

Anyway.

In life it seems you meet so many people. Some good, bad, ugly…You name it, I’ve probably seen it. But when you look back at the days you’ve spent here, how many people can you look back and say, “Oh, I remember this conversation we had about: The state of the music industry,” or “Everyone wants to be a star these days.” These two conversations are set about a decade apart. They were between Dai and myself.

The former first.

Let me set the stage. It’s somewhere between 97 or 99. The around the fur tour. Not very good with dates, it all became a blur at some point. Tones second record is out and doing “okay,” but I think I personally was thinking it should have been pushing more units. Without naming any other bands, let’s just say there were a lot of other bands, seemingly, coming out of nowhere-and going platinum, if not soon, multiplatinum “Overnite.”

“The general public, demands it. They thrive on it. They want their mediocrity” Dai said.

“I don’t know about that,” is what I said. But in later years, I’ve come to accept that he may have been very right. If we count in numbers (sold or otherwise), units moved and tickets sold. Sure some of these guys are lucky to get a speeding ticket as far as publicity goes these days, but a lot of these bands were household names. Their faces plastered on your MTV so much, all you little GENX babies wish you didn’t know their names or remember their songs. Being a rockhistorian, neither do I. I got the Rolling Stone Decade in Music Issue (matter of fact, I just pulled it from next to my shitter. God forbid I should spread any false information, via the internet.) and in the back they had the list of Top40 album sales for the last decade. No big suprises really. Linkin Park, Creed, Nickelback. You got it, cream of the crop mediocrity. Served up nice and warm the way ya like it. The publics demand for mediocrity transcends even generes: Dre., Eminem and Snoop. Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys… Josh fucking Groban! Where does it end? And then, BAM! Smack in the middle at number twenty (drumroll please): Limp Bizkit/Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water.

As time passes, it seems like this is more likely the list of bands/performers you wouldn’t want your name associated with. Of course you’d like the money. But it comes at a price. Good thing I didn’t see Queens of the Stone Age on there. Or the Foo Fighters, or even the tones. He who give can taketh away tho. What you get in money and fame, seemingly, usually may be subtracted in substance and credibility. At a basic level anyway. Are the songs there? Or is it a lot of frosting with a few cheap hooks to reel the kids’ parents’ monies in.

I guess the best gig would be to be a ghost writer. What’s that you say? A ghost writer: someone who writes songs that are generally sold to bigger artists, who in turn record and/or perform them as their own. How many songs has Ozzy personally written? Don’t really know. I know he buys songs. When you hear him on the radio (You know you’re old when you hear Ozzy on the classic rock station) singing “Mama I’m coming ho-o-ome,” you feel Ozzy. But what you’re hearing I believe is Ozzy singing a song written by (and god I hope I’m right on this) Lemmy from Motorhead. Yes, the Ace of Spades. But it seems so Ozzy? I know my little pretties. Now come along now, it’s time we should be moving on.

“What are you doing?” Dai asked me a couple years back as I was driving to work. Construction … drywall to be precise.

“Heading to work. Never thought I’d be one of these 9 to 5 guys, but I’m really starting to dig on a normal schedule and a regular paycheck,” coming out from the underpass and getting on the freeway. Strange how I can only remember about one percent of things that happen, but then it’s almost photographic.

“Man, I wish more people were like you.”

“Why’s that?”

“Everyone wants to be a star these days.”

“What do ya mean?”

“It’s like everyone I meet wants to be somebody there not. They want the fame, the money…everybody wants to be a star these days. Everyone I meet. It’s never good enough for somebody to be “Just a hairdresser” or “a waiter,” No, everyones got a secret agenda to be someone their not. And if you can get them their that much quicker, they’re your best friend.”

Of course I was paraphrasing the last line, but you get the point. Dai’s point was “Why can’t people just be happy? For what they Are? Or Are Not,” I suppose.

I am one of those that used to want to be a star.

More and more, as I saw what came with the price of “fame and fortune,” was, I became leary of quote, unquote: becoming a star. Sure, to this day, I would like the money. But you can keep the fame. I guess that’s the price. One of them anyway.

I probably didn’t have what it took to make it anyway. I am sure I would have been dead now if I was a “STAR.” I would have gone crazy for sure.

But I’m not a star. I think I’m probably a better person because of it. Now a days I’m happy to get off work, have dinner with the wife and kids, maybe pass around some purple haze and get a jam on. And I still struggle with the art of finishing songs. But I do these things because I love them. Not for the dreams of fame or fortune I dreamt of as a kid/young adult.

When I was younger I all my heroes were of stage and screen, but more and more I find myself with blue collar heroes. Everyday people that do the best that they can with what they’ve got. Lota parents. Sometimes single parents, like myself. Younger I was so lost in alcohol and my own little world to be a real parent to my first two daughters. So at 35 I found myself caring everyday for youngest girl. I was forced to choose between my rockstar partying and being a parent, for real. So, I packed up me and the kid and moved to Idaho. Dried out, have tried to stay gainfully employed and the rest, is as they say; history. I found myself having a newfound respect for Single parents, working stiffs and honest, everyday Joe’s.

As a kid my idols were Bruce Lee and Angus Young. But yeah, as I get my older I find myself with heroes more like:

A kid in the army, bout to move his wife and 2kids to Germany. He was in Iraq. Afghanistan next. These Wars fueled by evil greed. I am so at my core diametrically opposed to these things in general. But he knows what he signed on for. And he does his job like a man. The same way he changes and bathes his kids when he is home. Godspeed kid. I’m always a couple fingertips away. At least dude is gonna see the world.

Mi Chicka. divorced. We’re at bout 19months 2gether. Great mom. Simple superwoman.

some of the usual suspects.

My Mother. Who has held this family 2gether for over 40 years. Like I said, maybe if there is some sort of all loving god, he’s probably got a strange sense of humour, or at the very least: He tries the strongest ones. U son loves u.

A woman in Texas I’ve never met, but know as my sister/most reliable Cheng ever. Ever.

I said I wouldn’t name any name. and so I tried to. All and all, as much as I say I hate people; I do at heart have onelove. We are all one at the core. If we all ever figure that out quick, maybe we can turn this ship around.

word to the wise though: It ain’t gonna be easy. The only hero that’s gonna save the world (again, begin fade in quiet drumroll…): You guessed it…

You.

and me.

So, fucking let’s get it together already people. This ain’t a dress rehearsal. Start with love and weed out the rest. Try not to let it get bloody. Love yo,

-M.

p.s. I noticed thankfully later that Nirvana wasn’t even on that list. It can’t be all bad.