Get Out of My Dreams

Ah, Billy Ocean, what on Earth did your song even mean?

I was listening to the radio as I do most every day I come to work. They've been playing this commercial. A deep-voiced African-American sounding fellow comes on, with music typical of Barry White, talking about the misery that was the gas lines of the 70s. During the time, gas prices were rising to a dollar a gallon compelling the government to control gas prices. Somehow, this also lead to gas shortages, which, in hindsight, didn't make much sense.

The commercial suggests the government may institute similar consequences and that common citizens should protest any such moves. Of course, car manufacturers are against the idea and this was the commercial produced.

There's almost a hint of racism, suggesting this music and this period was awful. Disco, bad hair, bad clothing, and high gas prices. Why, we wouldn't want to go back to those times, would we? It's not explained (of course) why such lines were there to begin with. Maybe, just maybe, the gas companies caused the shortages to protest the price controls? That would almost make sense. Get the public upset, and then the government would have to relent.

In any case, the music is soothing, it almost makes you think, were the 70s that bad?