Our futures, our freedom
86 was our beginning
CHORUS
86, 86
The year that we longed for so hard
86, 86
The year when our lives could finally start
86, 86
Etched with our fingers in the frost on the glass
Repeat chorus to end
“ALL THOSE ONES AND ZEROES”
VERSE 1
Remember when, we had to wait, for everything?
Parents taught, patience virtuous, as a good thing.
Six-week long deliveries, now two days with prime
Favorite shows, took months to watch, now kids binge all night
Delayed rewards, just dinosaurs; in the Smithsonian
The life we knew, to kids today, it’s alien
CHORUS
All the ones and zeroes
Travelling through time
Who’d have thought, that digital code, would reunite us down the line
With all those little bits
Across the cyberspace
All our prayers are answered, our childhood dreams are taking place
VERSE 2
The world once far and wide, now at our fingertips
Log on, plan a trip, find a new relationship
Navigate, renovate, communicate, or date
Seeya snail mail post, wait a moment at the most
Lost friends, make amends, reunited in a weekend
Everything you can dream, you can find in that screen
CHORUS
All the ones and zeroes
Travelling through time
Who’d have thought, that digital code, would reunite us down the line
Without those little bits
Across the cyberspace
All our prayers are answered, our childhood dreams are taking place
VERSE 3
The world now comes to us, in an instant, a blink
Be kind, rewind, sit back, chill, spend some quiet time
Listen to the ticking of a clock with hands
Play you vinyl records, the old familiar sound
Of that old world through music, and our favorite bands
They’re now obsolete, like an hourglass out of sand
CHORUS
All the ones and zeroes
Travelling through time
Who’d have thought, that digital code, would reunite us down the line
Without those little bits
Across the cyberspace
All our prayers are answered, our childhood dreams are taking place
BRIDGE
Thank the ones and zeroes for bringing us together
Life and times have changed forever
CHORUS
All the ones and zeroes
Travelling through time
Who’d have thought, that digital code, would reunite us down the line
Without those little bits
Across the cyberspace
All our prayers are answered, and our childhood dreams are taking place
“HAPPY EVER AFTER”
VERSE 1
Sitting in your chair
The old one that reclines
Your coffee mug, warms my cold hands
hands you once held so tight
this sweater holds the scent of you
I think of time gone by
I cry no tears, the river’s dry
CHORUS
You were meant to be
The one who held me eternally
Who made my sad all right
I don’t know how long I can fight
Without your joy your laughter
I‘ve lost my happy ever after
VERSE 2
Sunshine through the window
Cutting through my dark
this cold grey house is silent
no happy yelling daughters
playing hopscotch in the yard
They’ve both flown, too grown to be at home
I cry no tears, the river’s dry
CHORUS
You were meant to be
The one who held me eternally
Who made my sad all right
I don’t know how long I can fight
In this big world alone
Without your joy your laughter
I ‘ve lost my happy ever after
VERSE 3
They say you live forever
As an angel in my heart
What use is this when it’s you I miss
Please love, return, for one last kiss
I can’t breathe now we’re apart
No breath to say goodbye
I cry no tears, the river’s dry
BRIDGE
Somehow, I’m supposed to move on with my life
Everybody leaves you, but you have to survive
Wait for me darling, one day I’ll be back by your side
CHORUS
You were meant to be
The one who held me eternally
Who made my sad all right
I don’t know how long I can fight
Without your joy your laughter
Farewell, my happy ever after
“EVERYTHING CHANGED”
VERSE 1
Too apprehensive for my world to change
Naively thinking I could control my own fate
When she left, everything changed anyway
CHORUS
Can I turn the hourglass upside down?
Let me go back and be the man I am now
The sun and the moon will soar in rewind
back to that moment her hand was in mine
When we were so young, our whole lives ahead
Under the stars, no fears or regrets
telling her things that need to be said
VERSE 2
The last time we kissed she had tears in her eyes
I couldn’t be him, I just couldn’t be that guy
The one that she needed to be by her side
CHORUS
Can I turn the hourglass upside down?
Let me go back and be the man I am now
The sun and the moon will soar in rewind
back to that moment her hand was in mine
When we were so young, our whole lives ahead
Under the stars, no fears or regrets
telling her things that need to be said
BRIDGE
Shun trepidation
Live each day as your last
There’s no gain in time wasted
dwelling on the regrets of the past
VERSE 3
The joy in her eyes, as he spins her around
With his ring on her finger, she’s happier now
I could have been him, but I didn’t know how
CHORUS
Can I turn the hourglass upside down? (Upside down)
Let me go back, be the man I am now
(The man I am now)
Let the sun and the moon soar in rewind
Back to that moment her hand was in mine
(hand in mine)
When we were so young, our whole lives ahead (lives ahead)
telling her things that need to be said
Under the stars, no fears, no regrets
(no regrets)
Can I turn the hourglass back to the start?
(Back to the start)
Let me go back, be the man of her heart (her heart)
Let the sun and the moon soar in rewind
Kissing her lips, our young lives entwined (lives entwined)
We were so young, our whole lives ahead (lives ahead)
She’s hear the words that needed to be said
Under the stars, no fears, no regrets (no regrets)
“NO WAY BACK TODAY”
VERSE 1
Feeding the babies, ironing days
Picking up Legos, messy floor plays
Packing their lunches, a kiss on a graze
Toddlers, tears, tantrums, sweet yesterdays
All of a sudden, too big for Mom
Sneaking up late, midnight snack crumbs
Teenage defiance, cheap booze and bubblegum
And she raises them strong, so they won’t succumb
To the pressures of life; to know they are loved
But now they have flown
CHORUS
She’s lost and alone
In her own familiar home
Now it’s silent, empty and grey
She’s lost her way
There’s no finding her way back today (no way)
There’s no finding her way back today
La da, da da da, la la, da da da, la la,
(she can’t find her way)
La da, da da da, la la, da da da, la la,
(no way back today)
VERSE 2
Her babies have flown, she raised them well
She waits for the phone calls, picks up her cell
Hi Mom, I still love you, still need you as well
Look at how good I take care of myself?
Like a ragdoll abandoned, alone on the shelf
or wallflower yearning for her dancefloor fairytale
This is so new, no clue what to do
Who to be. This wife who lacks purpose
fulfils her husband’s needs. So why does her heart still bleed?
Inside she’s empty, she lost her joie de vivre
Searching for direction, a little meaningful intention
CHORUS
She’s lost and alone
In her own familiar home
Now it’s silent, empty and grey
She’s lost her way
There’s no finding her way back today (no way)
There’s no finding her way back today
La da, da da da, la la, da da da, la la,
(she can’t find her way)
La da, da da da, la la, da da da, la la,
(no way back today)
BRIDGE
An empty room
An empty house
An empty town
A lost angel on earth
Waiting to be found
DOUBLE CHORUS
She’s lost and alone
In her own familiar home
Now it’s silent, empty and grey
She’s lost her way
There’s no finding her way back today (no way)
There’s no finding her way back today
La da, da da da, la la, da da da, la la,
(she can’t find her way)
La da, da da da, la la, da da da, la la,
(no way back today)
She’s lost and alone
In her own familiar home
Now it’s silent, empty and grey
She’s lost her way
There’s no finding her way back today (no way)
There’s no finding her way back today
La da, da da da, la la, da da da, la la,
(she can’t find her way)
La da, da da da, la la, da da da, la la,
(no way back today)
La da, da da da, la la, da da da, la la,
(she can’t find her way)
La da, da da da, la la, da da da, la la,
(no way back today)
“IT’S OUR TIME NOW”
VERSE 1
We’re the first generation that nobody wanted
The ones that the Boomers, tried to abort
Latchkeys kids, all alone, unsupported
Those of us who made it, we were ignored
But now it’s our time to step up and shine bright
Be a beacon of hope for the future
You don’t have to sit back and shrug helplessly
You can make changes, you have all you need
CHORUS
It’s our time now
We’re gonna make it no matter what
We’re gonna give it all we’ve got
Join us you’ll see that we won’t give up
It’s our time now
Have faith you’ll be, who you wanna be
Be the change in the world that you wanna see
It’s our time now
VERSE 2
If you don’t choose your story, they will dictate
Step up and narrate your own future
Life it won’t be handed to you on a plate
These days it’s us taking care of our Boomers
Shaping a world for the future’s our promise
As we take care of those, that once took care of us
We won’t sit back, and trust in destiny
Let’s make some changes, we’ve got all we need
CHORUS
It’s our time now
We’re gonna make it no matter what
We’re gonna give it all we’ve got
Join us you’ll see that we won’t give up
It’s our time now
Together we’ll make all the change we need
Have faith you’ll be, who you wanna be
Be the change in the world that you wanna see
It’s our time now
BRIDGE
We have the power to make a better tomorrow.
No fear, no hate, no sorrow
Join with us, it’s out time now
It’s our time now
It’s our time now
CHORUS
It’s our time now
We’re gonna make it no matter what
We’re gonna give it all we’ve got
Join us you’ll see that we won’t give up
It’s our time now
Together we’ll make all the change we need
Have faith you’ll be, who you wanna be
Be the change in the world that you wanna see
It’s our time now
“INNOVATION GENERATION”
VERSE 1
Generation X, would never miss a show
With VHS recorders, they were in the know
On demand culture, they began to see
The rise of cable TV
Round the clock news, rocking out to MTV
CHORUS
A digital revolution, Gen-Xers with solutions
The babies of the boomers, and their modern age plans
With video games in the palms of their hands
And society expands, to the beat of a new sound
It’s the innovation generation. Our forgotten inspiration.
VERSE 2
Generation X, found the world outside
Confided in strangers, bared their souls online
Blogged and shopped and dated in a way they never knew
The online community grew
Finding long lost friends, catching up, making amends
CHORUS
A digital revolution, Gen-Xers with solutions
The babies of the boomers, and their modern age plans
With video games in the palms of their hands
And society expands, to the beat of a new sound
It’s the innovation generation.
Our forgotten inspiration.
BRIDGE
Innovation generation
Youth, experience, drive
Innovation generation
We’re so glad that you arrived
Innovation generation
With your help, we grew, and we thrive
CHORUS
A digital revolution, Gen-Xers with solutions
The babies of the boomers, and their modern age plans
With video games in the palms of their hands
And society expands, to the beat of a new sound
It’s the innovation generation. Our forgotten inspiration.
With your help, we grew and we thrive.
And now for the legal stuff...
This is a work of fiction. Although its form is that of an autobiography, it is not one. Space and time have been rearranged to suit the convenience of the book. The characters in this book are fictitious representations inspired by real people who are or have been family, friends, classmates, or professional colleagues of the author at one time or another during the author’s life. Other than the events described on October 18, 1977, and on January 18, 2018, all scenes, events, actions, and dialogue are a result of the author’s imagination.
The roles played by Ellen DeGeneres, Joan Jett, Sheila E., Jason Matheson, and Ian Read in this narrative are entirely fictional. My imagined interactions with them are based upon research from public interviews and comments. However, passages relating to their actions in this work have no factual basis. The appearances on The Ellen Show and The Jason Show are based upon watching their programs and writing a narrative about what the fictionalized account of the characters’ experiences would have been on those respective television shows.
Centrum Silver is a registered trademark of the Pfizer Corporation and is used without permission. The product’s use in this fictional work is merely a plot device to better ground the characters and make their fictional experience more real for you the reader. Centrum Silver and Pfizer Corporation are NOT endorsers of this book’s content in any way including financial.
Rockstar is owned by Russell Weiner and is distributed by Pepsico and is used without permission. The product’s use in this fictional work is merely a plot device to better ground the characters and make their account more real for you the reader. Rockstar and Pepsico are NOT endorsers of this book’s content in any way including financial.
Liquid Ice is a registered trademark of Liquid Management Partners and is used without permission. The product’s use in this fictional work is merely a plot device to better ground the characters and make their account more real for you the reader. Liquid Ice is NOT an endorser of this book’s content in any way including financial.
Depends is a registered trademark of Kimberly-Clark and is used without permission. The product’s use in this fictional work is merely a plot device to better ground the characters and make their account more real for you the reader. Depends is NOT an endorser of this book’s content in any way including financial.