"Nowhere Man, 'Isn't he a bit like you and me?'"

A song on Goldie's radio triggered memories of a troubled time. The year was 1966, and a wet-behind-the-ears kid watched Vietnam play out on the news every night... wondering if the "Death Machine" of our Industrial Military Complex would still be consuming high school graduates when he became "eligible" in a couple of years. Indeed, "Flower Power" was no match for the "Machine."  An unlucky draft lottery number put life and plans on hold, and brought the age of innocence to a screeching halt. Man-child had to become a man, practically overnight. It's hard to make a Life-plan when an "Invitation to War" stares you in the face from your dresser top.


I turned sixteen in the fall '66. Missouri's hardwoods glowed with unusual intensity that year. John Lennon's "Nowhere Man" was working it's way up the charts... a Beatles song that intimately expressed the dubious nature of the times, and how it felt to be coming of age in the notorious '60's. Police, "To serve and protect," were taking aim at protesting students... tired of The Machine. "War! What is it good for? More dead in O-hi-o."  

Mom and Dad surprised me that lovely Autumn, with my older sister, Sally Jo's, 1960 VW bug. "Jo" met with an untimely passing in her mid-twenties. Dad had the "Bug" repainted a brilliant Competition Orange. It was my first car... understandably sentimental. I kept in impeccably maintained... as if it was a shrine...  always immaculate. Dad would say with pride, "You could eat off that motor; it's so clean." 

The measure of any "classic" is in its timelessness. After hearing "Nowhere Man" on the radio today, I realized that even at this advanced age, I still identified. I still don't have Life figured out.  Lennon suffered self-doubt from time to time, too. Who wouldn't... going overnight from a "Nowhere Man," to being, in his own words, "more popular than Jesus." That off-the-cuff remark set the evangelicals into an accusational, finger-pointing frenzy. But then, what doesn't? 

Can you imagine? The instant rock-stardom likely scared him shitless when he was all alone at night. Lennon is said to have written "Nowhere Man" after a brief and scary bout with songwriter's block... a humbling experience when you have been anointed "The Gifted One" of the Fab Four. 

Here are "Nowhere Man's" lyrics, set to the "music" of Valley of Fire. I bet you know every word...

He's a real nowhere man

Sitting in his Nowhere Land,

Making all his nowhere plans

for nobody.

Doesn't have a point of view,

Knows not where he's going to,

Isn't he a bit like you and me?

Nowhere Man please listen,

you don't know what you're missing,

Nowhere Man, the world is at your command!

He's as blind as he can be,

Just sees what he wants to see,

Nowhere Man can you see me at all?

Nowhere Man, don't worry,

Take your time, don't hurry,

Leave it all till somebody else

lends you a hand!

Doesn't have a point of view,

Knows not where he's going to,

Isn't he a bit like you and me?

Nowhere Man please listen,

you don't know what you're missing

Nowhere Man, the world is at your command

He's a real Nowhere Man,

Sitting in his Nowhere Land,

Making all his nowhere plans

for nobody.

Making all his nowhere plans

for nobody!

Making all his nowhere plans

for nobody.

And from "Strawberry Fields Forever,"

Living is easy with eyes closed

Misunderstanding all you see

It's getting hard to be someone

But it all works out

It doesn't matter much to me

That sounds a little like me today, "... a real Nowhere Man, making all his Nowhere Plans for Nobody... Misunderstanding all he sees..." 

I guess some peak short of fame, fortune and glory; what the hell, you can't take it with you. I'll slowly fade to black, answering the call of eyes, heart and soul... exploring the Third Rock's Freaks of Nature. I always did fit in with the Freaks. That might explain the occasional nostalgic "litter" found on the pages of this purposely atypical RV blog... a desperate attempt to stand apart and take a road less rutted. If at time the BCB makes no sense to you... then I am succeeding.

I think Bayfield Al summed it up pretty good. "I’m not as good a listener anymore... There was a time when I might have been interested in somebody’s blow by blow RV travelogue of their trip from Moosewater Saskatchewan to EL Burrito Mexico back in the late 80’s sometime.  But, unless I’m planning on specifically going to EL Burrito next week I could really care less about how many food vendors & restaurants they have there, how wide the beach is, how tall the waves are, or the color of somebody’s first cousin’s wife’s Uncle’s socks.  And, if I was interested, I would ask…….with interest of course:))"

Indeed.