Regular readers of cafeGAINZ certainly know about me and Johnny's love and devotion to the greatest vocalist to ever live, Stephen Ray Perry of Hanford, California.
Steve Perry was the original, and - for all I care - the only, frontman of the mega band Journey. Nevermind the disgrace of Perry-wannabes Steve Augeri and Arnel Pineda, the current "flavor of the month." While those fugazis certainly have pipes, their voices lack something that Perry's has. Perry's voice is the all-time best, but it also inspires greatness and fortifies a will to keep pushing forward no matter how long the odds. I don’t think anyone said it better than Randy Jackson: “The power, the range, the tone – he created his own style.” My friends, Mr. Perry has it all.
I can't tell you how many times I've leaned on Perry to get me through tough moments in my life (term papers, relationship trouble, the fifth set of squats just to name a few). It's no mystery why I frequently make GAINZ with Perry blasting in my headphones. He's the best, and I want the Best screaming in my ear when I'm getting after it in the weightroom.
In honor of Perry, I'm going to pick some lyrics from each song on Journey's Greatest Hits album and analyze what it means to me in the spirit of cafeGAINZ. And, of course, I have the album on full blast right now as I'm writing this very scripture. I encourage you to do the same as you read! Here are the first 6 songs off the album:
1. "In the shadows of a golden age, A Generation waits for dawn, Brave carry on, Bold and the strong." - Only the Young.
This is the first song on the album and, appropriately, is often the first song I listen to when I get to the gym. The lyric excerpt stands for the uncertainty that comes before a workout (will I give it my all?, will I reach new goals?, etc.) and the mental strength needed to push through that uncertainty. It’s the perfect first song for a workout…Perry doing his thing, sick guitar solos, but it doesn’t go over the edge and pump me up too much. It gets me in the right state of mind: focused.
2. “Just a small town girl, livin’ in a lonely world, She took the midnight train goin’ anywhere, Just a city boy, born and raised in south Detroit, He took the midnight train goin’ anywhere” – Don’t Stop Believin’.
Probably a little early for this song on the track list, but it’s a winner no matter what. Again, these lyrics play on the doubt that can negatively affect a workout if you let it. If you stay in control and, derp, don’t stop believin’, you will have a successful workout just like Perry successfully pulled off the tight yellow leopard print shirt as seen below.
3. “I’ve been trying to make it home, Got to make it, before too long, Ooh, I can’t take this very much longer, nooo.” – Wheel in the Sky.
True story: I’m writing this post over the course of several days. On the day I wrote this particular passage, I was at the gym doing a leg + core routine. My workout was pretty much finished, but I felt somewhat incomplete for some reason. Then outta nowhere, Wheel in the Sky blared out of the gym’s loudspeakers. That was all I needed to hear; I busted out a couple ridiculous sets of one-legged squats and then I felt complete. The end.
4. “They say that the road, Ain’t no place to start a family, Right down the line it’s been you and me, And loving a music man, Ain’t always what it’s supposed to be, Oh Girl, You stand by me, I’m forever yours, Faithfully.” – Faithfully.
The lyrics say it all (my love affair with GAINZ); Perry’s voice puts it over the top. No additional explanation needed. I’m ‘bout to pass out…please enjoy the vid! (youtube won't let me embed it directly thus the linkage).
5. “I’ll keep holdin’ on, but I’ll try (try not to think of you), All I wanted was to hoooooo-OOOOOLLLLLDDDDD YOOOOUUUUUU!!!!!!” – I’ll Be Alright Without You.
(You need to hear this part of the song for yourself...Perry just goes off). This is about not getting ahead of yourself and day-dreaming about your post-workout protein shake during your workout. Don’t be ashamed if you do this, even GAINZ-MAKER occasionally falls victim to this temptation. But stay strong and focused. Your shake will be there, just focus on powering through your sets. You will be rewarded in due time.
6. “Ooh, all night, all night, Oh, every night, So hold tight, hold tight, Ooh baby, hold tight.” – Any Way You Want It.
An ode to Friday and Saturday Night Lights. Most people want to go out and party on Friday and Saturday night, which is OK, but I make sure I put in my work first. You should too.
This concludes Part I of "I'm Perry'lyzed". Remember to tune into cafeGAINZ later this week for Parts II and III which will analyze songs 7 thru 15 on the Journey’s Greatest Hits album!
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