Thank you, George Couch!

by charonsdog 37 Replies latest jw experiences

  • charonsdog
    charonsdog

    I just thought I'd share this story from my past.

    Back in the 80s I remember the big problem seemed to be about music. (Today, it's tight pants, I guess) The organization, society, whatever they were calling themselves, were always going on about the music we listened to. Disco, heavy metal, the whole "backwards masking" thing...couldn't escape hearing or reading about how Satan was corrupting us unless we were listening to Kingdom Melodies or elevator music.

    I was assigned to WTF in the late 80s and remember one of the articles stating that "young people know that the rhythm of rock music is the rhythm of sexual intercourse." I raised my eyebrow really hard at that one, trying to figure out how many different rhythms sex could have (me being a virgin and all). They would quote unnamed sources to back up their assertions. At morning worship, they regularly railed against popular music, and seemed to have a particular problem with "Pink Floyd". Maybe they read the lyrics to "The Wall" and decided it was about them.

    Anyway, one fine morning George Couch was chairing the morning worship, and in his whiny voice (some of you remember this, right?) he went OFF on worldly music. For a solid fifteen minutes. He talked about how it was turning our brains to mush, how it was tearing us away from the Holy Spirit, how it would turn us into the worst kinds of apostates, etc., etc. I just sat back as comfortably as I could in my three-legged chair and half-lidded my eyes until the tirade was finished. I didn't really own much music. I think I had a dozen cassette tapes that I had ordered from Columbia House right before I was invited to Bethel. We openly mocked Couch's speaking voice and joked about it a bit at work in the pressroom that day, but pretty much forgot about it by dinnertime.

    The next morning, I woke up and shuffled down the hall of the "E" building to the shower in my bathrobe. On the way back, I stopped by the "hopper", the closet where we put our garbage and any other unwanted items that would be placed in "grabs", the donated items shop. I was looking to see if maybe someone my size had gotten rid of a shirt that I could wear for work and not mind getting ink all over. Unfortunately, there wasn't a shirt. However, something in the trash container caught my eye. There were a bunch of empty cassette tape cases. And underneath those, were a bunch of cover sleeves. And a bunch of actual music cassettes. Some poor brother on my floor had heard the thunder and damnation in Couch's fiery speech and got an attack of conscience, because he obviously tossed out his entire collection of music that he owned. Curious, I began to paw through the pile. "Eagles Greatest Hits 1971-1975"? Didn't have it before, but now I did. "Triumph"? "Foreigner"? "Journey, Heart, Fleetwood Mac...." I quickly shoved about two dozen tapes, covers, and cases into the pockets of my bathrobe. I left the Tchaikovsky...don't even know why the dude tossed that.

    After work, I went to every single hopper in every residence building on the Farm to see if anyone else had gotten rid of "Satan's music". Mostly it was a bust. But I have always wanted to thank George for his inspirational speech that helped me to expand my meager music collection back in 1988.

  • Lets Think
    Lets Think

    Good story, enjoyed that!

  • LisaRose
    LisaRose

    I once heard a talk on music in the nineties that went on and on about how horrible the song "Mac the knife" was. It's a jazz standard from the sixties about a professional killer, but obviously done tounge in cheek and actually a really great song.

    My kids were teenagers at the time and had never heard of it, so totally irrelevant and silly to them, we all had a good laugh about it later. It was just one of the many things that convinced them that the religion was not for them, for which I am now very greatful.

  • cofty
    cofty

    Brilliant!

    It was part of the Satanic Panic that originated in Evangelical christianity in the '80s. I remember lists going around of bands that were deemed unsuitable. My pioneer partner got rid of a lot of stuff and then bought it all again a few years later.

  • Xanthippe
    Xanthippe

    Yeah I remember this. It was all about rock being based on African music which was all about sex, same rhythm or something. I don't know what those GB were doing in their private rooms but we could never keep up with African music and dance. Perhaps they had a little premature problem.

  • Still Totally ADD
    Still Totally ADD

    Ah yes the good old days. Dark side of the moon by Pink Floyd something demonic about the side of the moon we can't see. How about Stair Way To Heaven by Led Zeppelin? Play the song backwards it says worship Satan. Maybe all of us who did listen to Rock n Roll back in our youth was influence by the devil and that made us leave the cult. LOL Yes I see it now sex, drugs and Rock n Roll made us apostates because that is want we always wanted to do. Saint George was right. What else explains why we are here. Yeah right. Thank you Pink Floyd. Still Totally ADD

  • neat blue dog
    neat blue dog

    Except now JW Broadcasting has Christian rock. The original song "Let's Keep the Pace" could be interpreted as having a sexual rhythm . . . But then again so can anything if your mind's in the gutter.

  • Bugbear
    Bugbear

    Was Michael Jackson on the lists to?

  • millie210
    millie210

    Great story, I smiled the whole time I was reading it and so true~!

  • ToesUp
    ToesUp

    Someone else's "corruption" is someone else's treasure. lol

    Glad you enjoyed some fantastic music!!!

    Typical Watchtower...everything enjoyable is "corrupt."

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