Papa was a rollin’ stone…

In 1972, The Temptations released the song “Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone.” The song peaked at number 24 on the R & B charts, and was ranked #168 on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

I was driving my son to school this morning, and “Papa” came on the airwaves. I remember when the song first came out like it was yesterday. It was played over and over again on the radio stations in New York City. I think this was either just before, or around the same time FM-Radio was just becoming popular. At that time, AM radio was the only thing around.

I’ll get back to this song in just a moment, but I want to talk about something more important, and that is absolute stupidity of the public school system, and it’s stereotypical bureaucratic self-justification for it’s own decisions.

For example, this week, kids are taking the FCAT exams. Basically, the FCAT is a standardized test that is supposed to “improve” student performance. But with the amount of actual preparation that goes into it, that’s like saying running one mile every day for a week will “improve” your performance in next year’s Boston Marathon.

Instead, what the FCAT’s done, is provide a way for shallow parents and academics, to rank themselves and bask in the glory of something that has nothing to do with them.

For instance, as a result of the FCAT, they’ve now assigned each school a ranking, A through D, with the “A” schools being the best.

And parents of students who go to “A” schools get to say “my kids school is an “A” school”, as do their teachers and the principal. But let me ask you this: If your kid is an idiot, what does it matter if they go to an “A” school. And if your kid’s a genius, why should you care anyway?

It’s not like on college or job applications, they ask you “Did you go to an A school in 9th grade?”

For the most part, the school’s grade is going to be reflective of the demographics of its students. If you have a middle or lower-income area, where there’s a large portion of students where English is their second language, then the school’s not likely to be an “A” school, unless one of the administrators has taken it upon themselves (and you definitely DO see this once in a while) to “upgrade” the entire place.

Other than that, all these tests do is stress the kids out. It’s like asking me to climb up the side of the mountain, after 2 rock-climbing lessons, and then telling me how successful I am, and therefore how well I’ll be able to take care of and provide for my family, will be determined by whether I scale that mountain or not.

Now on the other hand, if I’d been practicing climbing with a professional instructor, for 10 to 20 hours a week for 6 months, then I don’t think the demands (or consequences) of the climb would be unfair.

Make sense?

It just pisses me off when unnecessary pressure is placed on kids, without the proper training or preparation.

Now, let’s get back to that song by The Temptations. The reason that song is SOO awesome, isn’t JUST the funky groove of the bass line, laying down a fat beat throughout the entire song. It’s also not the horns in the background, popping the top end. And… it’s not the falsetto lyrics.

The thing that will make “Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone” last forever, is the story it tells. It’s a story about children being alone and lonely, which is something everyone can either relate to in some way, or have empathy for.

The writer of the song, Norman Whitfield (also originally from New York City), knew that rubbing listener’s emotions would keep him in business. That’s why he’s given credit for being one of the creators of the Motown Sound, AND one of the major instrumental figures in the late-60s psychedelic soul music explosion.

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Now go sell something, Craig Garber

P.S. Check out the recorded past episodes of my radio show, right here: http://www.kingofcopy.com/radio

About the Author

Craig GarberAuthor of "How To Make Maximum Money With Minimum Customers, " and publisher of Seductive Selling - an offline marketing newsletter currently read in 15 countries, world-wide. In a nutshell, I do two things: 1. I show you how to attract a reliable, steady stream of pre-qualified leads who are ready to do business with you NOW... 2. And I increase your net profits and cash-flow, by increasing your customer, client, or patient value -- often, dramatically. How do I do this? By developing, and helping you implement, unique, personalized lead generation and marketing strategies... using compelling sales messages that push your customers emotional buy-buttons. I've worked with over 300 clients in more than 104 different industries, since March of 2000, and I really enjoy what I do. I'm a stable, reliable, happily married family guy with three kids who loves life and always follows through on my commitments and promises. I love to listen to music, workout, read, travel with my family, take pictures, and go bass fishing. I always say "Yes," when it comes to good cigars, good books, and good coffee :-)

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