Five Years Old and Punk as F***

Just like her dad, Madeline loves music. When we went to go see the Doo Dads at Park Place over the summer, she wanted to be right up front, close to the band. It’s never too early to start developing the key rock show skill of fighting your way to the front of the crowd.

We listen to a lot of 1st Wave on Sirius in my car. Classic alternative and new wave is to me, Madeline and James, as listening to Motown on the radio was to me and my mom.

Madeline asks some pretty good questions about the songs on 1st Wave when we’re driving ‘round (up and down, through the streets of your town). Here are a few of my favorites.

The Ramones: "Rock 'n' Roll High School"
"Daddy, am I going to go to a rock and roll high school?"

The Cure: "Boys Don't Cry"
"Does that mean they think only girls cry? Because boys do cry. I've seen them."

Siouxsie and the Banshees: "Christine"
For this song, Madeline wanted to know why Siouxsie Sioux calls Christine “the strawberry girl” in the chorus* — but my co-worker Leisha had a much better question.

I was proudly telling Leisha how Madeline was expressing interest in what I'd consider some fairly advanced post-punk for a kindergartner. Leisha then asked me, “So at what point did you decide to raise Madeline to be a tiny goth?”

    Think this...                                             ...plus this.
 
Cool, yes. But I can't imagine the look would fly at Catholic school.
 
*I didn’t know why Christine is “the strawberry girl,” so I looked it up. “Christine” is based on Chris Costner Sizemore, who had dissociative identity disorder, and “the strawberry girl” was one of her identities. If Madeline’s question comes up again, I’m going to stick with, “I guess she’s just super excited about eating healthy foods."