My Gen X Playlist: Life in a Northern Town – Dream Academy

There were many years that I never got sick, or sick enough to take the day off from work. Yes, the good thing is obvious – not being sick. The bad part is that I was continuously connected and working nonstop. As a counterbalance, I tried to squeeze in a mental health day once a year. It was never really planned. I just knew when one was needed. I could feel the build up. I figure the amount of time I spent working after hours and on weekends more than covered this one day a year. I needed a lazy day.

I was usually transparent about taking a mental health day off, but still tried to keep a low profile. I was up at 6 am because I wanted this day to last as long as possible. Sometimes I’d go for a hike, take in a movie or just enjoy the sunshine and lack of chaos. There is an indescribable feeling of not working during the work week. Even if I was catching up on errands, it feels better. Maybe it’s the thought of everyone on the treadmill at that very moment, and knowing I should be there, but not. I wish I could bottle that feeling. It would sell like hotcakes.

I don’t know why I limited these mental health days to just once a year. God knows, I put in the hours to justify more. Maybe it was a touch of guilt. I wonder if I took them more frequently if some of the shine would wear off. Once a year truly made it a guilty pleasure. And to answer the prompt, I felt rested to fight another day.

This prompt reminds me of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Great 80’s movie. Here are a few words of wisdom from Ferris.

“How could I possible handle school on a day like this?”

“The question isn’t ‘What are we going to do?’ The question is, ‘What aren’t we going to do’”

“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop to look around once in awhile, you could miss it.”

– Ferris Bueller

When I think of this movie, my mind goes to The Dream Academy. On the soundtrack, they do an decent job covering a Smith’s song. But it’s not that cover song I think about. When I think about the Dream Academy, I then think of Life in a Northern Town. This is not the first time my thought progression has gone in this direction. It’s actually happened quite a few times because I really like this song. It may be all the harmonizing of the “hey ma ma mas”. I never get tired of it.

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For a complete playlist, please click here.

For the Spotify playlist, please click here.

The Salvation Army band played
And the children drunk lemonade
And the morning lasted all day, all day
And through an open window came
Like Sinatra in a younger day
Pushing the town away, oh

Ah hey ma ma mommy doo-din-nie-ya
Ah hey ma ma ma hey-y-yah
Life in a northern town
Ah hey ma ma ma ma

They sat on the stoney ground
And he took a cigarette out
And everyone else came down to listen
He said in winter 1963
It felt like the world would freeze
With John F. Kennedy
And The Beatles

Yeah, yeah
Ah hey ma ma mommy doo-din-nie-ya
Ah hey ma ma ma hey-y-yah
Life in a northern town
Hey ma ma ma ma
Ah hey ma ma ma
Ah hey ma ma ma hey-y-yah
All the work shut down

The evening turned to rain
Watched the water roll down the drain
As we followed him down to the station
And though he never would wave goodbye
You could see it written in his eyes
As the train rolled out of sight...bye-bye

Ah hey ma ma mommy doo-din-nie-ya
Ah hey ma ma ma hey-y-yah
Life in a northern town
Ah hey ma ma ma ma
Ah hey ma ma mommy doo-din-nie-ya
Ah hey ma ma ma hey-y-yah
Life in a northern town

Ah hey ma ma ma ma
Ah hey ma ma mommy doo-din-nie-ya
Ah hey ma ma ma hey-y-yah
Ah hey ma ma ma ma
Take it easy on yourself
Ah hey ma ma mommy doo-din-nie-ya
Ah hey ma ma ma hey-y-yah