Papa Do Run: A Baby Boomer Looks (and Laughs) at Vintage Rock & Roll

Deborah Godin
BookSurge (2007)
ISBN 9781419668203
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (9/07)


My first glance of the cover let me know I was in for a great read.  The cover is designed so that you feel like the book will be energetic and fun to read.  The author, Deborah Godin, is a true fan of good old-fashioned rock and roll.  She refers to it as “Vintage Rock and Roll.”  In “Papa Do Run” she reminisces about the songs from the old days and how they impacted her generation.  She mentions that each generation will think that they came from the best musical era.  While I agree that people might feel that way, I found myself feeling sorry for the most recent generation of youth who are raised on music that tends to be disrespectful and seems like it is more interested in getting away with saying something bad, than saying something that has meaning.  Maybe that seems too deep, but when you read “Papa Do Run” and reminisce about music from those days, I think that you will agree with me.

Deborah Godin either has a phenomenal memory, or she has really done a lot of research for this book.  She extensively discusses artists, the music, the lyrics, what was happening at the time and what was happening at her life in this time.   I also learned about the origins and meanings of many of the songs.  I was born a few years after the baby boomer generation ended, yet I still remember a lot of these songs.  I also have been fortunate enough to see a few of the bands mentioned in concert like Rush and Jefferson Starship.  How incredible it is that they are still playing today!

I wish I had read a book like this when I was taking music classes in school.  It really would have given me a greater appreciation and understanding of the origins of this type of music.  “Papa Do Run” would make an excellent gift for someone who was raised on music from this time.  I was thinking that this would make a great Father’s Day gift.  If you give this as a gift or read it yourself, you might find yourself up in the attic looking for some old vinyl records!  What a great way to drive your kids crazy!

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