I Made A Deal With An Old Man In A Food Court Bathroom

Part One

We Sold Our Souls For Rock And Roll — Black Sabbath, 1975.

No Rock album in the history of Rock albums has had more of an effect on my life then that one, not necessarily for the music, nor the lyrics contained within, but the title.

"How?", you ask.

Well, this may take a while, as I'm big on details, so please bare with me. I hope I don't bore you too much.

Now, first off, let me introduce myself.

My name is Mikey Zee, that's not my real name though. No one really cares what my real name is.

Anyway, I am the lead guita—.

Well, I WAS the lead guitarist for the Rock group, BLACKENED IMAGE.

Maybe you've heard of us?? No?? Ok, then.

Movin' on.

I say, "WAS", because there is no more BLACKENED IMAGE, they're all dead, except me.

Now, in order to answer your question, I have to go back in time.

Back...to a time of...youth, a time of innocence, a time of starry eyes and wild dreams,...and the time...I fucked up.

The year was 1986, I was a senior in High School, Hair Metal ruled the airwaves and Reaganomics was in full effect.

Wait!!!, I gotta go back even further.

Now, I've always been into music. Well, as far back as I can remember, that is.

I still remember, sitting on the living room floor, about 7, maybe 8 years old, playing with my Legos, listening to artists such as Roy Orbison, The Statler Brothers, and Marty Robbins, just to name a few, on a record player, while my parents relaxed on the couch.

"What's a record player?", you ask.

You know, that thing people listened to music on before Cassette Tapes

"What's a Cassette Tape?"

Never mind, I don't have time to explain it.

Anyway, I always liked the way that the drums, the bass, and the guitars all worked together in a rhythm.

I didn't understand a lot of the lyrics back then, being so young and all. I mean, I understood what they were saying, not necessarily what they meant, until I got older.

I did notice that most of the songs seemed to rhyme.

I thought to myself, "Hey, I can do that."

Cat — Hat
Fish — Dish

This is easy.

I was hooked.

I started making up a little rhymes, and singing them around the house.

It drove my parents crazy.

But, from that point on, I knew what I wanted to do with my life

Write songs.

Now, As I grew older, my taste in music began to expand. I listened to everything. If I liked it, I listened to it.

Everything from —

50's Doo-Wop to 60's psychedelics

70's Disco to 80's Pop

Old Country to New Country

And everything in between.

That was, until I discovered, HEAVY METAL.

That stuff was loud, fast, and in your face, full of attitude and emotion.