My research shows the conspiracy began in 1983 and continues to this day. The evidence is very reliable as much of it was amassed through the tried and true method of “searching the web.” What I uncovered is that for the last 30 years, the pop music industry has led a clandestine campaign to make people believe that staying up all night is fun.

Gregory Greenleaf is in complete agreement with whoever said “Nothing good happens after 10 p.m.”

Interviews I did NOT have with music industry insiders and outsiders suggest that Lionel Richie’s song “All Night Long” was the first attempt to keep people up late. In his song, Richie urges listeners to:

Party, Karamu, Fiesta, forever

Come on and sing along!

All night long (all night), All night (all night) All night long (all night)

You see all that repetition? Well, that’s an old propagandist technique that’s supposed to lead you and me into a trance-like state of compliance. Don’t fall for it. I repeat, don’t fall for it. Also, I don’t know what “Karamuing” involves, but I do know that doing it “forever” sounds exhausting.

Advertisement

Do not stay up late but go to bed early. Getting a good night’s sleep is excellent for one’s body and mind, and that’s why I always go to bed around 9:30 p.m. and get up around 5:30 a.m. Also, to anyone who intends to “fiesta forever” or do some “jammin’ ” near my house in Harpswell after 11 p.m., just know I won’t hesitate to call the police and see that you spend time in jail (all night!) for disturbing the peace.

On genius.com I scrolled through hundreds (maybe thousands) of songs titled “Up All Night,” and each one is promoting partying, drinking and having fun. Put another way, making so much noise I won’t be able to fall asleep.

In Mac Miller’s song, the narrator excuses his partying and drinking to excess because he “ain’t got (expletive) to do tomorrow.” Here is a sample of the chorus, and note the use of the propagandist technique cited above:

(Hey, hey, hey) We stayin’ up all night

I ain’t got (expletive) to do tomorrow, tomorrow,

We up all night!

All night!

To anyone who needs something to do tomorrow, I can’t drive 2 feet in Cooks Corner, Brunswick, without seeing a help wanted sign. Get a job, today, today, why don’t you, and then you’ll find you’ll want to go to bed early, early  tonight.

Comments are not available on this story.

filed under: