As an eleven-year-old sixth grader in 1989, I remember my dad trying to convince me that the centennial parade sounded like fun. Being eleven, I disagreed and refused to accompany him.
“You probably won’t live to see the next centennial,” he reminded me.
Now, as a 29 year old father and CPA, I just skipped another centennial parade, and am contemplating whether “Statehood Day” festivities are worth my time. I mean seriously, the one hundred year celebration of Oklahoma City as the capitol is less than three years away, and the centennial celebration of Paul Harvey spreading urban legends via “The Rest of the Story” is a couple years after that.
Besides, the Land Run Centennial was superior for one reason: “Make it Shine!”
Unlike the Statehood Centennial, which can boast nothing better than Miss America bastardizing Kool and the Gang’s classic anthem, the Land Run Centennial had it’s own theme song:
Make it Shine, Make it Shine
One Hundred Years We’ll Celebrate
The Olympics are Coming, The Olympics are Coming
O-kla-ho-ma, you’re doing fine
Make it Shine, Make it Shine
For Eighty-Nine!
Seriously, could Shakespeare have written better lyrics? The leaders of the last centennial knew how to mark the occasion. So, as my service to this generation, I have taken this task for myself. So, to the tune of Counting Crows “Long December” * (Why? Because it was the last song I heard before writing this):
It’s Been a Long Time
Since We Celebrated a Centennial
Maybe Statehood Will Be a Good Excuse
I Can’t Remember
The Last Thing Bellmon Said
As He Was Leading the Capitol Ball
And It’s One More Chance to Throw a Party
And It’s One More Parade for Mayor Mick
If You Think You Can Wait for the Next One
Think Again
Nah-Nuh-Nah-Nah, Nah-Nuh-Nah-Nuh-Nah-Nuh-Nah-Nah
Nah-Nuh-Nah-Nah, Yeah
When one of our more musically inclined readers turns that into a jingle, the Statehood Celebration will be turning away party goers. I wouldn’t know, though. I’ll probably be watching Friday Night Lights and prepping for the centennial celebrating the plane crash that took both Wiley Post and Will Rogers.
* - I’m fully aware of the irony of my suggestion that bastardizing one song is better than bastardizing this one. I also just realized how much I like the word bastardize.
Oklahoma is like a pop-collared frat boy. We just want an excuse to throw a kegger
You were 11? Why didn’t you tell me that it wasn’t the real olympics coming to Oklahoma City? I think it was probably another 3 years before I realized that summer olympics didn’t happen in places like Oklahoma.
Before “Make it shine”, we were “The greatest state in 88.”
All I want to know is, do I get the day off for this celebration? You know, so I can celebrate by watching 9 episodes of FNL in a row. Oklahoma is heaven (if you’re into Toby Keith, OU football and failing public schools) in 07!
November 16 is a state holiday. As a state employee, I’m loving it. We’re cooking a turkey that day too!
Wait, the fact he’s a CPA didn’t scare the crap out of anyone else?
My dad did not give us a choice, we loaded up the minivan, parents and four brothers who fought the entire hour drive to Guthrie for that fantastic celebration in ‘89. I did get to meet Gary England in some old newspaper building on the corner.
Jane, while my true calling is song writing, I have to pay the bills somehow.
Don’t we all, Clark.
Clark is the exception to CPA’s. Take every CPA stereotype you can and he’s only half of them.