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What was this thing? This "Muskrat Love"?



How did it come about? How did the Captain and Tennille manage a hit with it? Why was it all about the sex?

Muskrat, Muskrat, candle light
Doin' the town and doin' it right in the evenin'
It's pretty pleasin'

It was an innocent enough beginning. I say innocent because the stanza was typical of what you found in a country song - the reference to candles and muskrats, of course. It certainly had all the earmarks of a hit. This was evident in the lines about line dancing.

"Doin' the town (aka dancing) and doin' it right in the evenin' (The time of day when line dancers dance in their lines.)"

But something was amiss...

Muskrat Suzie, Muskrat Sam
Do the jitterbug at a Muskrat Land
And they shimmy, Sam is so skinny

This is where the cracks began to show. The writer started out with country and talked about line dancing, but changed in mid stanza to the sinful dances of the 1930s. Dances influenced by excessive alcohol consumption and reefer madness! Besides, the Jitterbug was long out of style as was the Shimmy. No one Shimmyed or Jitterbugged in the 1970s. Or did they mean that someone was simply shaking? Drug or alcohol induced shaking perhaps?

Next we got,

And they whirl and they twirl and they tango
Singin' and jinglin' a jangle
Float like the heavens above
Looks like Muskrat Love

Well sir, if I had read that in an essay from one of my students, I would have contacted his parents about drugs in the hayloft. "Singin' and jinglin' a jangle" Okay, I understand singing, but what the heck is "jinglin' a jangle"?

Nibblin' on bacon
Chewin' on cheese
Sam says to Suzie

Supporting my suspicion of drug use, there's evidence of "getting the munchies", so very prevalent among marijuana users...and musicians! But we must not ignore the earlier pointer. Don't forget that Sam was skinny (emaciated because of drugs?)

Then, we have this.

Honey, would you please be my Mrs
Suzie says, yes, with her kisses
Now, he's ticklin' her fancy
Rubbin' her toes
Muzzle to muzzle
Now anything goes as they wriggle
Sue starts to giggle

I was very disturbed by this stanza. First, the drugs. Next, the munchies. Finally, we see sexual nature of the song as Sam makes idle promises, tickles her and says "anything goes!" And what about the wriggling?!?

He kisses, tickles and rubs her fancy AND her toes. This excites her as she begins to giggle. Parts are engorged. Sweat begins to form. Someone, quick, get a bucket of cold water!

And they whirled and they twirled and they tango
Singin' and jinglin' a jangle
Floatin' like the heavens above
Looks like muskrat love

Finally, just before the nekkididdity and touching kicks in, we hear of their wild dancing again. Obviously because of the sex and drugs. Then, the final bomb drops. It's not country music at all! It's that curs-ed rock and roll! We were tricked!

In this crazy, loud and lust filled teen hormone fest, where body parts are bouncing willy nilly around the room (likely the backroom of a McDonald's restaurant, suggested by the references to bacon and cheese) and reckless, unprotected sex is about to occur, we reach the denouement. The essence of the song is stated clearly at the end,

"Floatin' like the heavens above. Looks like muskrat love."

The veiled meaning is finally revealed - the shameless, crazed rutting of two teenagers. We know the trigger! It's that raunchy, Mick Jagger influenced, electrified bugaloo. What other kind can there be?

The 1970s was truly a lost time in music.

I always figured Muskrat = Small Beaver. so the rest is just self explanatory.

I tend to suffer from Muskrat Love myself

Steve I know hunting season is over, but you need to go load some ammo and go shooting, either that or go and turn over the compost pile, you have way too much time on your hands.

HAIL THE SIXTIES!

Steve that fact you have pictures of the album makes me worry, perhaps you even have the album

how about some .303 Epps pictures than rather horrid 70s pop music. GRF

Oh gentlemen, do you not see? This wild, over the top teen lifestyle ruined the planet, not automobile exhaust! Think of the world's leaders and captains of industry. Many were teens then. What have they done since?

There's that delusional group who declared global warming was ruining the weather, air and water. Bill Gates. Tom Cruise. How old was Al Gore in 1976 during the US bicentennial?

And how old were the creators of all these short, ultra, compact, extreme and mega magnum cartridges back then? Hmmm?

Wanna know what they were listening to? Muskrat Love and Disco!! That raunchy, pounding music bent their brains and influenced a generation. These poor souls entered the working world, their minds full of Jell-O and pea soup. They squandered millions of dollars looking for the perfect cartridge and rifle, when all they needed was a Nosler Partition and a 30-06!



Oh the humanity!

So Steve; because I grew up in the 70's is the reason I have never owned any 30 calibre? It was the music that to blame for the fact I have / had .17, .22, .25, .26, .27, .28, .31, .32, .338, .45 calibres and never a .30.

The damage must have been permanent because now in my 50s and listening the C&W I still can not find it in my heart to buy a .30. Worse yet I am bullet hopper always trying something new.

At least I do not have access to albums and posters so I am not totally lost. GRF

Sadly, it would appear so. 'Tis a curse! Which puts me in mind of something equally gelastic.

excerpt from MacDeath!
by Stephen Redgwell

Act 1 Scene 1



Three pasty faced, anemic (probably vegan) witches cast a curse upon MacDeath. It's confusing, messed up verse that witches speak when they're hanging with their homeys or when they are asked to speak at environmental events.

One particularly homely witch warns MacDeath that the King is doomed to die and it will be his fault. "His blood will be upon your hands!" she cries.



"How will my father die?" MacDeath asks. "And by whose hand? Who are his executioners?"

The witches tell him the upcoming bloodbath will be carried out in the castle by several of the King's wild and crazy chartered accountants.

(Yes,'twould seem the plot sickens!)



"Kill all the accountants!" proclaims MacDeath.



Coal's Notes: After this play debuted, university professors (another group of sad sacks) would confuse his soliloquy with one spoken by a similarly different character from another Redgwell play, Henry the Eighth (I am, I am), written in glorious Technicolor!

Won Which is Kurse

Arab. Scarab.
OPEC forming.
Convince the world,
'Bout global warming!

British. Skittish.
Euros swarming.
Convince the world
The end time's storming

Crisco. Disco.
The fear is fed.
Tomorrow morning,
You'll wake up dead!

Steve; you are one very creative mad man, have a great weekend. GRF

Steve, your compost needs attention, do it.

Death before disco: Long the Two Step!

It's the legend that stuff is made of!

yer a kook. luv it.

Safe bet no one will ever accuse you of being "normal," Steve. Good job!

It's lonely out in space.

In honour of the board members that live in NW Ontario, I'd like to share one of my ideas from the 1970s that didn't go over. You should be very cross with your old MPP. I suspect there was too much ganja and disco music in the air back then. A lack of foresight destroyed a guaranteed money maker for the area. It would have made NW Ontario a boatload of green.

My guess is jealousy and fear torpedoed my idea. For those that do not know, in the mid 1970s, Thunder Bay was still a "new" city. I think bringing in the mature crowd (50+ yrs young) scared local politicians.

Potential visitors will find the Lakehead area's history fascinating. Come for the hunting; stay for the arts!



I could have put McCluskey's Corners, Moose Hill and Paipoonge on the map! Tragic! Remember Fort William Gardens? It was once the hub of NW Ontario culture. I wanted to raise money and expand the arts base there. No dice! The Thunder Bay city fathers fought me tooth and nail. They didn't like the idea of Mackinaws and bow ties or building a Holiday Inn in Moose Hill! Cretins!



Anyway, without further ado, here was my pitch.

The 1st Annual Lakehead Old Folks "Show and Shine"

Proceeds to area emergency services and expanding the arts!

Grab your chamois and wax for the 1st annual "Old Folks Show and Shine" happening this weekend at Fort William Gardens!

It is destined to become the most popular event at Lakehead Days. Come celebrate summer and seniors!

This year's festivities feature three BIG events.

Buff the Baldy - The original! Polish his dome and race your rub in a wheelchair to the judge's table in the best time. The winner is judged on a combination of mirror shine and record time! WARNING! No magnifying glasses permitted in the buff pits because of the danger of fire.

New! Gummin' the Grapes - This is sure to please everyone in the family. Retirees attempt to snag grapes, suspended by a rope. The oldsters that is, not the fruit! Competitors swing back and forth over tupperware bowls full of seedless grapes. He who eats the most, wins!

Senior's Swimsuit Competition - Oh Yeah! Strutting their stuff in the moonlight on the beach! Wild nights in thongs, speedos and string bikinis. Just try to control yourself. The big bang finish. No minors allowed.

Concession stands, St John's Ambulance, babysitting areas, midway.

---------------

Tickets available through the LRV volunteer ambulance and Lakehead Fire Department. Don't forget to bring your camera!

We're turning up the heat on summer!

I started out policing in Thunder Bay 41 years ago. The kids used to block off a quarter mile at Maley's Jct on Hwy 61 at Hwy 130 and have their Friday night drag races. Cool times for them until I showed up.

I live in the aftermath of the Redgewell attemp at social manipulation. McKluskey's corners is alive and well but there has blossomed a flourishing Yuppy concentrations in two separate gated communities and some individual monster homes built throughout the area.

Marks, Gillies, Pearson and a few not so easily defined areas have escaped the ravages of disco. There is still hope in the Lakehead area.

Randy
Hank Snow forever

Me and my friends are moving in! Oh yeah!

Steve, I know you don't want to turn the compost in this weather. It is too cold.

Go and swage a few thousand .314 bullets; the ones with lots of lead exposed that you sold for half price and probably lost your shirt on. They will be gone in a week!

Ted

IT was an Acid trip song, you can't understand them things.