Sacrifice
You can play basketball your whole life and never play for the Lakers. And you aren't even gonna make the college team unless you're tall enough and work hard enough.
Why does everybody believe you can be a music star instantly? Why does everybody believe if you do the work, you'll succeed?
Maybe it's reality TV. Maybe it's Perez and TMZ. If other no-talents make it, you think you should too.
Or maybe it's Clive Davis. Saying don't bother to write. Or the prevalence of auto-tune.
I just don't get it.
In the sixties we all wanted to BE the Beatles, but we never truly dreamed this could be a reality. We weren't talented enough. We weren't good-looking enough. Our voices weren't good enough. Hell, we'd rather go out and play baseball and talk to girls than stay home every night and practice our instrument...with no guarantee of success!
Even the Beatles slugged it out. For years in Hamburg. If the Beatles had to pay their dues, if Capitol initially passed on selling their music in the States, what in hell makes you think YOU should make it??
You've got to be talented. If certain athletes are genetically built to climb mountains, to accomplish the almost unimaginable, what makes you think Jimi Hendrix or Eddie Van Halen don't have something you'll NEVER have. And Bob Dylan made it with a unique voice, but he's the best lyricist of all time. Do you have a voice as good as Paul McCartney's? As rich as John Lennon's? That melts hearts when you're singing the phone book? If not, chances are YOU CAN'T MAKE IT!
Can you write "Walk Away Renee"? Or "Satisfaction"? Or "Smells Like Teen Spirit"? Do people hear your music once and become fans, or do you have to pester them, foist demos upon them, beg them to be your MySpace friend?
Sure, you've got to be Net-savvy... But you've also got to be good. No, great. And sometimes even THAT ain't enough.
So there's a Guitar Center in your neighborhood. You learned to play your instrument via the tabs online. Your college or city has an open mic night. SO F*CKING WHAT! Just because I can sail a boat doesn't mean I can be an America's Cup skipper.
Just because I read the New York Times doesn't mean I can truly debate Paul Krugman regarding economics. The guy's a f*cking Ph.D. for god's sake. How many years did he go to college? Eight? Ten? How many years have you been out on the road? Two? And you think you deserve success? You're frustrated that your unique gifts, which aren't so unique, haven't been recognized?
Do you know how badly Madonna wanted it? Come on. Do you have that pure desire? Are you willing to give up marriage, kids, a pension all in the HOPE of making it?
Are you willing to tour for years, not only honing your chops, but building a fan base?
Are you willing to work on your career instead of watching TV and drinking beer?
Sh*t, there's room for a zillion lawyers. That's seven years past high school, but at least there are a bunch of openings. But how many openings for music star ARE THERE? Why do you think YOU'RE ENTITLED?
Fire up that famous track from the second AC/DC album, "It's A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock 'N' Roll.)" That was released FIVE YEARS before Back In Black. And, that track is as good as anything ON Back In Black. Sh*t, the American record company didn't even bother releasing Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap in America... Or the band's very first record. They figured there was no DEMAND!
It takes SACRIFICE! If you're making a house payment... Sh*t, if you've got HEALTH insurance and you're bitching you haven't made it yet, you're not playing for real. True wannabe stars will forgo ANYTHING! They'll eat ramen FOR YEARS, all in the HOPE of making it. That's right, there's no guarantee.
I guess it was better one way in the old days. These losers didn't have a voice. There was no Net for them to complain on. They couldn't afford to make a record and they got a day job and gave up their fantasy. But now, everybody's bitching he didn't get his turn. Sh*t, just because you got a trophy for being on the soccer team, which came in last place, THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOU'RE ENTITLED TO BE A MUSIC STAR!
