The Mother of the World's Smallest Led Zeppelin Fan Speaks


We were forced to play Led Zeppelin's "Physical Graffiti" tonight, as it was the only thing that would calm Zelma down. Sitting around listening to it made me think of all of the Led Zeppelin fans I'd known.

I had a boyfriend in college who was a huge Led Zeppelin fan. He used to dance waving his fists in the air to the beat, which sort of embarrassed me at the time. These days, I don't think I would be embarrassed by being with someone who was dancing funny. Maybe I would just back off a little, that's all, but I would still encourage it. Really, he didn't even dance funny. He danced like Bruce Springstein.

Then there was this bus driver in Durango. He played Led Zeppelin on the bus speakers, on the city bus. Only in Durango! I remember him saying once, "I've been part time, temporary, for six years!" I wonder if he still is.

"Physical Graffiti" is on two disks, and I was using my computer as a CD player. Taking out a disk and putting in a new one takes about half a minute. Zelma started crying the second the music stopped, and stopped crying as soon as she could here it again. I swear to god. Brian was holding her in front of him while the music was playing, and she put her fists up in the air and bounced a little... kind of like that ex-boyfriend of mine, actually.

7 comments:

  1. Oh, dear. That's funny.
    Led Zeppelin is my favorite band. Zelma has good taste.
    I'm not sure I remember the Zep-head bus driver. I wish I did! I think I was too busy being distracted by the other passengers, like that woman who always tried to eat her face. And that psycho hose beast who yelled at me for sneezing that one time.

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  2. I don't remember the psycho or the woman who tried to eat her face! The Zep-head bus driver was great, though. You got the feeling you were just getting a ride with some guy you knew, verses riding the bus.

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  3. Was the bus driver anything like the school bus driver on The Simpsons?

    I like Led Zeppelin. Dennis and I saw them at Fillmore West once. Isaac Hayes was the opening act. That was strange! Zep was great, though. Jimmy Page did the violin bow thing, and they played Stairway To Heaven.

    If you don't have their DVD yet, you should get it. There's this great segment of a teen music TV show in Iceland, with all of these kids looking really baffled.

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  4. All these mentions of the Durango "characters" reminds me of the superhero boy and the Durnago hooker.

    I had a bus driver in middle school that looked and acted just like Auto from the Simpsons. He had a big boom box that he played his heavy metal from. He was my favorite bus drive by far. A close second was in high school when I had an old guy with a long white beard. The day before Winter break he dressed up like Santa and his wife joined him, dressed as Mrs. Clause. That was fun being driven to and from school and Mr. and Mrs. Clause!

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  5. Did the Superhero Boy visit the Durango Hooker? And what about Headphone Guy? Now that everyone has those headphones that no one can see, and those phones that you can't see, it seems like people who talk to themselves a lot are probably a lot more socially accepted.

    I was a bus driver for a while. I always wonder how those kids remember me.

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  6. I love the headphone guy. He was the most truly happy person I have ever met in my life. He would always have that beaming smile on his face. What a great guy. One time, he came in to McDonald's when I was working, and ordered a cheeseburger, which he paid for all in change. When I was waiting, he set the walkman down on the counter (leaving the headphones on, of course), and there was no tape in it. He just wore those headphones everywhere.
    Marcos has just reminded me that perhaps the walkman had a radio built in. But somehow, I think not.

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  7. It sounds like Gina found out headphone guy's secret!

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