saturday 9

Cadillac Ranch

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) In this song, Bruce Springsteen sings about taking his father and his aunt to see The Cadillac Ranch. Have you recently taken a road trip? If yes, where did you go? yesterday, we went to Mountain Lake, which is where the movie Dirty Dancing was filmed--we didn't realize there's a massive 40th anniversary party going on.  We were able to snag a table and have dinner.

2) The Cadillac Ranch is real. It's an outdoor art installation in Amarillo, TX. Tell us about a statue, mural, or other piece of outdoor art in your community.  driving in downtown Blacksburg, I noticed a few murals on the sides of buildings that are colorful and cool

3) Not only is Bruce singing about a real place, he mentions three real people. The first is "James Dean in his Mercury 49." That refers to the 1949 Mercury driven by James Dean in his first starring role, Rebel Without a Cause. Though he remains a legendary star, Dean made only three movies before his death at age 24. Have you seen any of his films? yes, all three

4) The second is "Junior Johnson runnin' through the woods of Caroline." Junior Johnson was a folk hero, famous as a NASCAR driver and notorious for running moonshine through North Carolina. He was the inspiration for "Midnite Moon," an animated old Ford in the 2017 Disney movie Cars 3. What Disney movie did you enjoy when you were growing up? Mary Poppins is my favorite

5) The third man Bruce sings about is "Burt Reynolds and his black Trans Am." This is a reference to Burt's biggest hit, 1977's Smokey and the Bandit. Burt also had success as a restaurateur. He co-owned Burt and Jack's, a popular steakhouse at Port Everglades, right on the water. Tell us about a restaurant that offered both good food and a memorable view.  I'll go with Mountain Lake, since that was so recent--it's really a beautiful compound.  It's been built up since the first time I visited it.

6) For decades, Cadillac was the gold standard of luxury. For example, an eatery referred to as "the Cadillac of restaurants" would be best or most prestigious. Think about your neighborhood. Tell us about a restaurant, hotel or business that is "the Cadillac" of your community.   hmmm, I really can't think of one in my hometown

7) Since he's been singing about America and cars for decades, it should come as no surprise that Bruce Springsteen has a collection of classic American cars. For the cover of his autobiography he chose a photo of himself leaning on his favorite, a 1960 Corvette convertible. Think about your favorite photo of yourself. What are you doing? I am getting ready for my 40th class reunion and took a selfie to check my hair

8) In 1981, when Bruce released this recording, Dolly Parton had a hit with "9 to 5." What's your favorite Dolly Parton song? I'm partial to Jolene, Two Doors Down, and Here You Come Again

9) Random question: When did you last DIY and fix something around your home or yard? I need to DIY a fix for my suitcase which was broken on my last flight--the double zippers somehow got ripped off the front pocket making it gape open and it's driving me mad!