I shoulda been born in Detroit…….

You broke my heart,
'Cause I couldn't dance.
You didn't even want me around,
And now I'm back, to let you know,
I can really shake 'em down.

Slow. Spoken. Silently. Then all hell breaks lose:

Do you love me?
(I can really move)
Do you love me?
(I'm in the groove)
Ah,Do you love me?
(Do you love me?)
Now that I can dance,
(Dance).

In a heartbeat, Motown turns one from “down” to “up”, at least me.. Mickey’s Monkey, How Sweet It Is To Be Loved (By You)… Heard It Through The Grapevine…

Watch me now,
Oh,(work, work).
Oh, work it all baby,
(Work, work).
Well, you're drivin' me crazy,
(Work, work).
With a little bit of soul now,
(Work).

See? Just visualizing, hearing that in your brain, you’ve forgotten all that’s gone wrong in the day… I see it often.. The cruddy little wonderful “ain’t changed since 1940” joint I go to, fits mebbe 60 people (wall to wall standing).. Whenever someone walks to juke, plumps quarters in.. plays Chantilly Lace.. Kansas City.. I Can’t Get Next To You… people, you OUGHTA see ‘m… old, a given, young, tapping without realizing..

I can mash-potato,
(I can mash-potato).
And I can do the twist,
(I can do the twist).
Now tell me baby,
(Tell me baby).
Do you like it like this?
(Do you like it like this?)
Tell me,
(Tell me),
Tell me.

Ohhh yes, I love it like this! Pardon me, we (old farts my age… or…. As Misty so lovingly referred to after she chastised a date (20-something) for getting into a fight with an “elderly man”.. Misty? How old is elderly? “Fifty”. I hate her guts, but you get the point.. We, the elderly, biasedly grew up in the greatest era of music that will probably ever be. Motown, followed by, and interspersed with, rock.

Do you love me?
(Do you love me?)
Now, do you love me?
(Do you love me?)
Now, do you love me?
(Do you love me?)
Now that I can dance,
(Dance).

STOP In The Name Of Love… R E S P E C T Find out what it means to me R E S P E C T… Papa Was A Rolling Stone.. My Girl…

Watch me now,
Hey,(work, work).
Oh, shake it up, shake it.
(Work, work),
Oh, shake 'em, shake 'em down.
(Work, work),
Oh, little bit of soul now.
(Work).

A little bit of soul… I loved the day.. And amazingly, it was an era where equality was WAY different than our attempts at it today, YET, the basta’s (said with GENUINE love) produced upbeat, happy, get wit’ it record after record…

(Work, work),
Oh, shake it, shake it baby.
(Work, work),
Oh, you're driving me crazy.
(Work, work),
Oh, don't get lazy.
(Work).

Fingertips (part 2).. Play it Stevie, then take the wheel… What I Say.. You GOT it Ray!… Why Motown even snuck into the 80’s… All Night Long (All Night)… I Just Called to Say I Love You.. Say You, Say Me…

I can mash-potato,
(I can mash-potato).
I can do the twist,
(I can do the twist).
Well now tell me baby,
(Tell me baby).
Do you like it like this?
(Do you like it like this?)
Tell me,
(Tell me),
Tell me.

It wasn’t called Dirty Dancin’ back then… I ain’t exactly what it was called, but it was happy.. Today, you might drive down the road and hear one in seven songs that evoke “yeah, THAT’s what I’m talkin about!”… Huh uh, back then, damn near everyone. It was a happy time, a fun time, a fast (yet laid back) time… Serious shit going on (Viet Nam, race riots, Bay of Pigs) - we chose happy!

Do you love me?
(Do you love me?)
Now, do you love me?
(Do you love me?)
Now, do you love me?
(Do you love me?)
(Now, now, now).

Baby I Need Your Loving… Bernadette.. Midnight Train to Georgia.. Three Times a Lady.. Ain’t No Mountain High Enough..

(Work, work),
Oh, I'm working hard baby.
(Work, work),
Well, you're driving me crazy.
(Work, work),
And don't you get lazy.
(Work).

(Work, work),
Oh, hey hey baby.
(Work, work),
Well, you're driving me crazy.
(Work, work),
Don't you get lazy
(Work).

Ok, so you may not be a “Motown-head” like me. Tis cool. I am soooooo friggin’ white, that when Motown comes on the radio, the juke, the DVD player, my computer at work, I actually demonstrate a pretty good little knee bouncing’ rhythm during.. FOR SURE I forget my woes during…

Yeah, we all have downs… Doc can give ya meds for ‘em.. Shrinks can lend advice for ‘em… Friends are good listeners, apathetic.. MOTOWN is a guaranteed over-the-counter pick me up.

Watch me now……. Love, Victurd