Good morning, Krusty Krew… 😁
I’ve got a couple more nights alone, as Bill flew off to Prague this morning, and will be spending the next two nights out the outskirts of Brno. Bill and I visited Brno a few years ago. It’s a really nice city. But he won’t have time to explore, because he’s got business to attend. So, while he’s gone, I’ll be sitting here in Germany, thinking about our upcoming vacation, which commences on October 1st.
I’ve been trying to think of something to write about, as we continue to be bombarded by news, rage bait, and utterly ridiculous commentary by the masses. Sometimes, I really just want to go back to 1986. That wasn’t a terrible year for me. I was a freshman in high school, and deep into my horse career. I miss those days, even if I do remember quite a few adolescent meltdowns and unpleasant fights with my family of origin.
As I was about to watch yet another political video attempting to sway my vote in the upcoming elections, I had a memory flash. I don’t remember if it was last night or the night before last. I was sitting at our table, listening to music on my HomePod. I heard the familiar strains of an old song by Restless Heart, an 80s era country-rock band that had some radio friendly hits when I was a teenager.
Now… I actually like Restless Heart. I liked them back in the day, too. They were talented musicians who had tight harmonies and a non-offensive country-pop sound that really appealed to me, given my southern Virginia upbringing. I loved their big hit, “I’ll Still Be Loving You”, which was a number one song in 1987. A few years later, I bought their Greatest Hits CD from BMG Music Club, and listened to it all the time when I was a student at Longwood College (now University).
During my younger years, I just focused on the band’s music, which I legitimately enjoyed… even though it was very commercial and “country pop”, and didn’t have lyrics that conveyed the most earth shattering or profound messages. In those days, I didn’t care about politics, feminism, sexism, human rights, or even racism… I’m not proud of it, but that’s the honest truth. It took some dramatic life twists to get me to the obnoxious liberal “feminazi” I’ve been accused of being today. 🤭
In the 90s, I just wanted to get a good job and find a husband. 😳 I never did find the job… but I did end up with a nice husband… a southern one, no less. Thankfully, he’s got substance, and respect for me as a human being. I wish I could say the same thing about more of today’s men. They seem less respectful today, than they were when I was young.
But I do remember, back in the 90s– when I was young, and supposedly at my most physically attractive and malleable– I wasn’t considered all that desirable by men. I would have never been the woman described in the Restless Heart song, “That Rock Won’t Roll.” I’m ashamed to say, I might have been considered more of a “pick me”, although I’ve never had the type of personality to tolerate being treated like a doormat. Maybe I wanted to be picked, but I didn’t put up with disrespect. I never have. That’s why I’ve only been intimate with Bill. 🤷♀️
LYRICS (this song kind of reminds me of a beer commercial)
Every little move she makes
Is gonna catch somebody’s eye
You ought to see all the double-takes
When she goes walkin’ by
But she’s so distant
She seems so cold
Everybody says that rock won’t roll
They say the girl’s got a heart of stone
That rock won’t roll
Oh, but she’s too pretty to be alone
I’ve got all this love inside me
And I’ve just got to see
If that rock won’t roll
I’ll give her everything I’ve got
I’m gonna change her point of view
I’ll keep tryin’ and I won’t stop
Until the love in her eyes shines through
When I show her
This heart of gold
Then we’ll see if that rock won’t roll
They say the girl’s got a heart of stone
That rock won’t roll
Oh, but she’s too pretty to be alone
I’ve got all this love inside me
And I’ve just got to see
If that rock won’t roll
I’ve got all this love inside me
And I’ve just got to see
If that rock won’t roll
Oh, she’s so pretty
But that rock won’t roll
Ooh, and I’ve just got to see
If that rock won’t roll
That rock won’t roll
I just can’t believe that rock won’t roll
So, I was sitting at the table, and “That Rock Won’t Roll” came on… I was kind of enjoying it, because it was a familiar old song. And then I listened to the chorus:
They say the girl’s got a heart of stone
That rock won’t roll
Oh, but she’s too pretty to be alone
I’ve got all this love inside me
And I’ve just got to see
If that rock won’t roll
Songwriters: Bob Dipiero / John Scott Sherrill
All of a sudden, I blurted out “So… let me get this straight. Guy sees beautiful woman alone in a public place. She is giving off signals that she doesn’t want company. He decides he’s going to pursue her anyway. He’s going to keep bugging her, trying to get her to see his ‘heart of gold’. Why? Because ‘she’s too pretty to be alone.’ And ‘he’s got all this love inside’… that clearly, he thinks she wants or needs.”
Bill was listening intently as I rattled all of this off… realizing that it’s “just a song.” And then I said, “Have I got this right?”
Bill chuckled and said, “I think so.”
“That Rock Won’t Roll” is an old song. It was eventually a number one hit after it came out in August 1986. Forty years later, the mindset is still pretty much the same as it was in the 80s, only men are even more obnoxious and rude about it.
Every day, I see comments from countless men who think that women have an obligation to be desirable to them… willing to be approached by them, less they be dismissed as “bitches”. And yet, the women aren’t allowed to be “too willing” or have a “high body count”.
Women are expected to be pretty and sweet, and not too offensive to a man’s ego. They are also expected to be smart and capable of paying their own bills. They shouldn’t make more money than men do… and if a man gets a woman pregnant and he doesn’t want to be a father, he shouldn’t have to pay child support. But she also shouldn’t be allowed to make the decision terminate a pregnancy on her own.
Above all, if a man sees a beautiful and obviously single woman sitting alone, he should be encouraged to approach her. And if she’s not interested, he’s allowed to keep pursuing her, all in the name of “romance”, neatly packaged in a country pop song. 😏
Meanwhile, a woman who isn’t so “pretty”, but might actually be interested, gets ignored. The guy isn’t immediately attracted to her. She might have a warm heart, a generous spirit, strong work ethic, a keen wit, and talent. But she’s not “too pretty to be alone.” Maybe she’s just “cute”… or perhaps she’s even “homely”. He’ll overlook her for the pretty woman who’s “cold”, “distant”, and not remotely interested. Then, if the pretty one won’t yield, maybe the guy will settle for the “fat chick.” She can still have sex with him, and will be expected to put out, even if she’s not “too pretty to be alone.” The guy can always turn out the lights, right? 🙄 And if he bought her dinner, she “owes” him. 🤨
I know it’s just a song… and an old song, at that. And I know that maybe some people will think I’m reading too much into it. On the other hand, music matters to a lot of people. Look at how much pop stars can make, if they get famous. People hear these songs and their messages, and those messages resonate. They do help shape attitudes and opinions.
Restless Heart went defunct a few years ago, but I still listen to their music sometimes. I know I’m not the only one. I even still enjoy their music. But I also feel like people should stop and think about the messages imparted by lyrics in songs like “That Rock Won’t Roll”. I’m not saying they should necessarily be changed. That song is 40 years old, after all.
I just think that maybe people should stop and think about messages like the one imparted in this song… especially as so many people insist that all lives are “sacred”. Not everyone is going to be “pretty”, but everyone has needs. Everyone has strengths. Looks aren’t everything. And sometimes people do want to be left alone, and shouldn’t be shamed for it. It doesn’t mean she “has a heart of stone.” Why would you want to be with someone with a “heart of stone”, anyway? Especially just because she’s “pretty”! Beauty fades, but narcissistic sociopathy is FOREVER!
I used to be sad that I wasn’t “prettier”, back when I was younger. I saw a lot of my friends dating, and thought I wanted that, too. Now that I’m older, I’m actually kind of grateful that men didn’t see me as someone worth pursuing. It seems like it would be exhausting to be attractive to men… especially those with “so much love inside them”… which I assume was actually probably cum. 🤔
Because, when it comes down to it, the guy sees the pretty woman alone, and his ultimate goal is, most likely, just to fuck her. Or maybe to use her as a trophy of some sort. He’ll try to sweet talk her into giving him what he wants. And then, when the prettiness fades, he might move on to another “too pretty to be alone” woman… if he manages to convince her that he’s full of “love”, rather than just feeling horny. Either scenario is pretty gross.
Every day, I am so grateful for Bill. He’s not just my husband. He’s my best friend. He loves and respects me… and would never dare approach someone who clearly wants to be left alone. I’m not just a pretty package to him, and he’s not just a wallet to me. Neither of us has a “heart of stone”. Physical attractiveness is no substitute for actual substance, decency, and humanity.
Restless Heart does have other songs that are good… and they don’t all impart this problematic message that sounds a little “date rapey”. Maybe later, I’ll listen to some of those songs. Or maybe I’ll just take a nice, long nap. Or practice guitar… which I’m going to do now, since I’ve shared this very important message.
Have a nice Wednesday, y’all.

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