That painting to your left is probably my favorite piece of 20thC art. It’s “Sugar Shack” by African-American painter (and former NFL defensive tackle) Ernie Barnes. Barnes once described this painting in an interview as illustrating how dance “utilizes rhythm as a way of resolving physical tension.” I’ve always appreciated that description of dance, and I’ve always thought the elongated forms and implied movement of his painting captured it perfectly. In 1976, Marvin Gaye asked Barnes if he could use the painting as the cover for his album I Want You, lending the painting and Barnes international exposure.
Interestingly, “Sugar Shack” was also featured in the credits of the 1970’s television series Good Times, which is how I came to first know the painting. Good Times, like most 70’s sitcoms, had an excellent theme song, which I also happen to use as the ringtone for my wake-up alarm. Whatever happened to all the good television theme songs, anyway? Maybe everyone thinks this, but I think a very good case can me made for my childhood years (the 70’s and 80’s) being the Golden Age for great TV theme songs. Remember The Greatest American Hero, The Jeffersons, The Facts of Life, Cheers, Diff’rent Strokes, Gimme A Break, The Brady Bunch? Theme songs had been around since the beginning of television, of course, but they were really perfected in the television of those two decades. Then, it seems like people just gave up on theme songs sometime in the late 80’s. Weird.
Anyway, if I had to pick a song to be the theme song to a TV show about my life, it would be the theme song from Good Times. Here it is:
Not getting hassled. Not getting hustled. Keeping your head above water. Making a wave when you can.
Yeah, that about sums it up.
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Here’s your quick-access link to the entire 30 Day Song Challenge 2014 prompt-list and my picks for each day.