Paradise Road

"Paradise Road" is a song I wrote about the struggle to stay on top. Of course, one has to be at the top of something to truly understand this concept. Most of us never quite make it to the top of anything, so we can only try to understand this dynamic from the outside looking in. Whether it's the New York Yankees of the 1940s-50s, The Beatles in the 1960s, the CBS sitcom M*A*S*H in the 1970s, Mike Tyson in the 1980s, or any other long-lasting number-one entity you can imagine, they all stay at the top by defeating all comers during their reign. It's a grind to stay great and remain on top, however, so much so that the number-one slot is inevitably lost to some young newcomer -- or the champion, in time, grows weary and simply vacates the crown. Growing up, I saw this concept told many times in movies, TV shows, books, and comics depicting gunfighters of the old West. How long could the fastest draw in town continue to gun down the endless stream of young gunfighters before the old champ's reign ended with him being laid in a rough-cut pine casket? George Lucas gave the old gunfighter trope a brilliant reworking through the character of John Milner in the classic 1973 film "American Graffiti." Milner is a few years removed from high school ... still cruising the strip where all the high schoolers cruise ... and still regularly defending his reputation as the fastest guy in the Valley when called upon to race his 1932 Ford coupe against cocky new hot-rodders who blow into town with designs on dethroning him. Sure, John Milner's just a character in a film, but it's a character that's still revered by millions of fans of "American Graffiti." I think the character of John Milner is beloved because most of us would die to be in his crepe-soled garage shoes … handsome … cool … talented … righteous … and number-one. When the guy on top is likable, like Milner, we don't want to see him toppled. So "Paradise Road" is my homage to all the guys out there, like Milner, who continue to do the hard work required to stay on top despite knowing that one day they will taste defeat. My advise to them -- enjoy your view from the top while it lasts and don't dwell on the inevitable defeat. As the old saying goes, only the Grim Reaper remains undefeated! Postscript: I must admit that what made this song the most fun to write was knowing that my old friend Paul Carson, guitar player in the fantabulous surf band Atomic Mosquitos, was going to lay down a hot spaghetti-western/surf/hot-rod/rockabilly-styled guitar track. He DID NOT fail to deliver!