Saturday 9: No More Tears (Enough Is Enough) 1979
Unfamiliar with this week’s tune? Hear it here.
1) This lyrics use weather as metaphor for romance. Here at Saturday 9, we’re more literal. How do the skies look where you are this morning? Well, it’s dark out now, and earlier, even when the sun was up, it was cloudy and grey.
2) According to Merriam-Webster, “enough is enough” is what you say when you want something to stop because you “can no longer accept or deal with it.” When did you recently say — out loud or to yourself — “enough is enough.” I have no idea. It’s not really a phrase I use, and I wouldn’t have had a recent reason to use it, either.
3) Grammy winner Luther Vandross began his career as a background singer and performed on “No More Tears.” Tell us about one of your early jobs. When I was a kid, I washed dishes at the restaurant where my dad cooked. I was on my feet all night, got paid under the table, of course, but I enjoyed feeling like I had actual responsibility and getting spending money, too, as well as a little share of whatever my dad was cooking.
4) Both Donna Summer and Barbra Streisand made slight changes to their first names. Summer was christened “LaDonna,” while Streisand’s parents spelled her name the more conventional “Barbara.” When she was in high school, meme mistress Samantha Winters went from “Sammy” to “Sam.” Did you ever make a similar change to your first name? Nah. The name Janelle isn’t easy to shorten in a way that makes sense, although my mom has always called me Nellie.
5) Hair was higher maintenance in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Streisand and Summer are both sporting styles that would require chemical treatment, like a perm or relaxer. Today’s looks are less rigidly styled and tend to be smoother or slightly messy. How often do you change your look? I change my hair color somewhat often–I’ve stuck with the same thing for a few months for a couple of reasons, one of which I’m not sharing just yet, but overall, I’ve changed it every eight weeks. I very well may go blonde when I go back in a month, too!
6) In 1979, it seems every kid was asking Santa for Star Wars toys. Some things don’t change, since the Star Wars franchise remains popular with children and toymakers after more than 40 years. What book or toy did you love as a child that remains popular today? The Wizard of Oz, sort of. It’s still considered a classic.
7) Thinking of things that endure … In 1979, the #1 show in the ratings was 60 Minutes. It’s still on, every Sunday night, and in the summer of 2019 it came in at #4 in the Nielsen ratings. What’s the most recent show you watched? Was it news, sports or entertainment? Entertainment–I think it would’ve been the original Twilight Zone. Or possibly Kitchen Nightmares, which I don’t usually watch but got interested in thanks to a mention online of that infamous episode with the couple who was so insane that Gordon Ramsay walked out. I think Gordon Ramsay is a dick, but I was on his side here.
8) In 1979, the price for a dozen eggs averaged 85¢. Today, it’s about twice that. Are you more likely to use eggs to prepare a main course (like an omelette or Eggs Benedict) or as part of a recipe (anything from a cake to a meatloaf)? Main course, especially lately. But I would like to get into trying to do more cooking and baking soon. I just haven’t felt up to it, again, for reasons I’ll get into another day.
9) Random question: You’re alone in your car, driving through your neighborhood on a bright, sunny day. You get a flat tire. You have a spare and a jack in your trunk. Would you fix it yourself or call for help? I’d use my AAA membership my mom renews as a gift every Christmas. I know I don’t have it in me physically to fix on my own. If I was with someone else, though, I’d probably do it. In fact, my brother and I did once when we got a flat when he was picking me up from college for the weekend, but my mom was so worried that it would, like, fly off while we were driving that she sent my dad out to follow us home. It didn’t.