Let's honor Freddie Mercury by rocking out!

Joe Phalon | Columnist

A few years ago I was stopped at a traffic light. I was still driving a minivan, and I had two boys safely strapped into their regulation car seats in the back.

When it came to music, my boys were raised on the classics. Mozart, Tom Chapin, Barney and, whenever practical, classic rock. Whenever the radio was on in the car, in lieu of a cassette or CD purchased at now-defunct Zany Brainy or someplace like that, it was tuned to Q104.3 or the last vestiges of WNEW-FM.

Back to the traffic light. The classic of all classic rock songs, “Bohemian Rhapsody,” was testing the welds on our vehicle. The song progressed and my boys, long schooled in the importance of Freddie Mercury and his contributions to American culture, were singing as well.

We sang through the first two movements and built toward the crescendo leading to the head-banging portion:

“Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me, For me, For me…”

Let it rip!

“Da da da da da dada! Da da da da da dada!”

That Ford Windstar was rocking!

Then I happened to look across the intersection, and there was another minivan rocking as much as we were! In the front seat was just a mother who seemed to be having a very good time. And behind her I could only assume there were a couple future rock stars banging their heads as well.

They were obviously listening to the same radio station and picked up the musical cues just as we did.

The light changed and we all passed each other waving and secure in the knowledge that through our children, Rock ’n’ Roll is here to stay.

Now I’m sure there is somebody reading this who is a member of some self-appointed moral crusade against all that is evil or Hillary in this country who is going to say I and the other parents who played rock for their kids were exposing our children to immorality. Nonsense. “Bohemian Rhapsody” is filled with Heartland values. After all, the line “Put a gun against his head, pulled the trigger now he’s dead,” would more than pass muster with the NRA.

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But back to Freddie. As many of you know, there is a highly anticipated movie coming out this November that bears the name of the song, which chronicles Freddie Mercury’s life through the Live Aid concert in London during the mid-80s.

The formative years of all but a few of people my age were in some way influenced by Freddie and Queen. Perhaps it was just the raw intensity of the music. Or maybe the subversive messages in that music. So here’s my idea to remember him this year on the occasion of his biopic.

A date and time should be picked in which every rock radio station will simultaneously play “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Perhaps Sept. 5, his birthday. Then the occupants of every vehicle on the road from coast-to-coast have the potential to rock out all at the same time. A Nationwide Headbanger’s Ball in Freddies honor!

It shouldn’t be too hard to coordinate. About three companies own almost all the radio stations in the country.

But be sure to rock responsibly!