La Vie Boheme

Saturday morning I was cutting the grass and I stopped to increase the volume on my Ipod so I could hear it over the motor of the mower. As I was adjusting the volume control I noticed a group of nicely dressed people going door-to-door through the neighborhood. I did not think too much about it. I locked the control switch on the Ipod so I would not accidentally turn it off during my chores, slipped it back into it’s case and then placed it in my pocket. I continued to mow.

Just as the soundtrack to the musical Rent started blaring in my ears I noticed two of the nicely dressed people standing at the edge of my lawn. I waved and continued to cut along the edge of the front garden. The two people did not move. I figured I would save them a trip to the front door being that no one was home and I turned off the mower and walked towards the couple. The song La Vie Boheme just started to play.

The song La Vie Boheme is about the Bohemian lifestyle of the characters in the musical with the lyrics referencing many artists, influences and phrases that are integral to the characters. La Vie Boheme, for lack of a better term is a cross between Rock and Rap, where the last line of each verse is punctuated by the singers shouting the word or line.

I approached the couple as I took the ear bud speakers from my ears and I rested the wires over my shoulder. The volume was so loud that I knew they could hear the music but it was not too loud to hold a conversation. I asked them if there was anything I could do for them. The song played.

"To days of inspiration Playing hookie, making something out of nothing
The need to express To communicate,
To going against the grain, Going insane
Going mad! "

They told me they were promoting a new church in the area and that the were just letting people in the area know about it. They were not trying to convert anyone or anything like that but that they were just giving out information. They noticed our house was for sale and they were not going to stop but since I approached them they figured they would just tell me. They were waiting for other members, who were down the street, to catch up to them. They were very nice and polite.

"To hand-crafted beers made in local breweries
To yoga, to yogurt, to rice and beans and cheese
To leather, to dildos, to curry vindaloo
To huevos rancheros and Maya Angelou
Emotion, devotion, to causing a commotion
Creation, vacation
Mucho masturbation"

I heard that last line and I tried to see in their eyes if they heard it. I grabbed the I pod in my pocket to shut it off. They started to thank me for my time and I have no idea what else they said because I was so preoccupied with trying to turn the ipod off. Because I knew what lyrics were coming next and I did not want offend anyone’s sensibilities.

"Bisexuals, trisexuals, homo sapiens,
Carcinogens, hallucinogens, men, Pee Wee Herman
German wine, turpentine, Gertrude Stein
Antonioni, Bertolucci, Kurosawa
Carmina Burana"

I fumbled with the controls but since I “locked” it, the volume control did not work.

"To apathy, to entropy, to empathy, ecstasy
Vaclav Havel - The Sex Pistols, 8BC,
To no shame - never playing the Fame Game
To marijuana
To sodomy,
It's between God and me
To S & M "

Again I don’t know if they heard it but I found the whole thing funny.