Why I listen to college radio.

I listen because every once in a while, in the middle of a set of great works by the masters of early recorded blues, you'll hear something random pop up. In this case it was John D. Loudermilk.

At first, I mistook the song for an earlier, more primitive, 60s era version of that saccharine 'can I buy these shoes' love-song-to-commercialism that makes me nearly physically sick to hear.

However, after a moment of listening you start to unwind the lyrics and realize it's a song about the morbidity of nuclear winter, and the effect it will have on our nation's youth.

Needless to say, I love it.

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My little boy with smiling face and dancing eyes
Came bobbing down the steps on Christmas morn
And as he gaily opened up his Santa Claus
I wished that darling child had ne'er been born

Outside the window lay the deadly fallen snow
And on my lap the morning headlines lay
As we tried to find the hoof prints Rudolph left
It was all that I could do to say

"No playing in the snow today, son
No snow ice cream at all today
No snowman makin', no sledding or no skating
Oh, no, no playing in the snow today"

He looked up at me with the tear in each blue eye
And when he asked me why, I nearly died
I said, "Some things are hard to explain"
Then I picked him up and kissed his little eyes

And somewhere 'way off in a tower cold and grey
Power hungry men insanely play
In satanic style, and laughter while
ten million parents sadly say:

"No playing in the snow today..."