The Boomers' Fascination with Death: A Musical Journey

We were talking about music of my generation which started because when I was at an open mic recently when a singer started performing a song by Pearl Jam. While many people today know their version, I immediately recognized it from the original hit by J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers called "Last Kiss." This song, along with many others from the late 1950s and early 1960s, captured a unique and somber fascination with teenage tragedy that defined our generation.

We discussed why the boomers were so fascinated with death and tragedy when we were teenagers. We talked about the fact that we grew up during the Cold War era, and the threat of nuclear war was a constant fear. We would practice hiding under our desks in case of a nuclear attack, and the phrase "Don't trust anyone over 30" became a popular slogan. We genuinely believed that we might not live past 30, and that thought was terrifying.

As a way to cope with our fears and frustrations, we turned to music, Our music became an outlet for expressing these anxieties. We created a genre of songs that were melodramatic and tragic, often featuring teenage characters who died in car accidents, motorcycle crashes, or other tragic circumstances. These songs were our way of processing our emotions and dealing with the uncertainty of our futures. These songs about teenage tragedy, often  heart-wrenching, resonated deeply with us. They depicted young love lost to tragic accidents, capturing our sense of helplessness and our grappling with mortality.

One of the most iconic songs from this era is "Last Kiss," which has been covered by several artists, including Pearl Jam. The original version by J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers is a haunting tale of a young couple who are separated by a fatal car accident.

These songs might seem melodramatic or even cheesy to you today, but they were a way for us to express our emotions and deal with the uncertainty of our futures. They were a way for us to process our fears and frustrations, and to find some sense of control in a world that seemed to be spinning out of control.

So, the next time you hear one of these songs, remember that they were a product of their time, and that they were a way for us to cope with the fears and uncertainties of growing up during the Cold War era.

Here are some of the iconic songs from that era that explore themes of death and heartache:

1. Last Kiss - J. Frank Wilson & the Cavaliers
2. Teen Angel - Jean Surrey / Red Surrey
3. Endless Sleep - Jody Reynolds
4. There's Something on Your Mind - Bobby Marchan
5. Patches - Dickey Lee
6. Leader of the Pack - The Shangri-Las
7. Ebony Eyes - The Everly Brothers
8. Rocky - Austin Roberts
9. The Pickup - Mark Dinning
10. I Want My Baby Back - Jimmy Cross
11. Goodbye Baby - Little Caesar

These songs not only provided a soundtrack for our youth but also helped us navigate the turbulent emotions of growing up in a world overshadowed by the threat of nuclear annihilation. They remain a sad reminder of how music can capture and reflect the collective anxieties of a generation.