Through the Past Dorkily: Too Young to Fall in Love

Editor's note: Through the Past Dorkily is a recurring feature that looks back at the embarrassingly dorky diary I kept as a 16-year-old in 1984. After a week-and-a-half of business and crazy shit going on in the world, I'm back with another mega-post. 

Monday, April 9, 1984

Song of the day: Adult Education - Hall and Oates

Top 5 at Five
1. So You Ran - Orion the Hunter
2. Oh Sherri - Steve Perry
3. Killer - Pat Travers
4. Against All Odds - Phil Collins
5. Whisper to a Scream (Birds Fly) - Icicle Works

Started weight training today. What a joke! I couldn't even bench 60 pounds! How embarrassing! Shit!

I got an 84 for my BiSci grade. On that quiz in Algebra, I got a 99! I got 96 on my final grade.

Mom called guitar instructor and now we have guitar lessons on Fridays from 5:30 to 6:30.

- The (weak) Barbarian

Tuesday, April 10, 1984

Song of the day: So You Ran - Orion the Hunter

Top 5 at Five
1. Oh Sherri - Steve Perry
2. So You Ran - Orion the Hunter
3. Sister Christian - Night Ranger
4. Rock You Like a Hurricane - Scorpions
5. Against All Odds - Phil Collins

Oh, I'm wicked sore.  Today we were doing squats. All I know is that I'm sore all over!

We saw a film called "Dream Makers." It had rock music in it, like the one we saw at Hanford last year. Only thing was, you couldn't (hardly) see the screen because light was shining in the gym through a massive window.

Madame wasn't here today; yaah!

- The Barbarian

Wednesday, April 11, 1984

Song of the day: Big City Nights - Scorpions

Top 5 at Five
1. So You Ran - Orion the Hunter
2. Too Young to Fall in Love - Motley Crue
3. Heaven - Bryan Adams
4. Rock You Like a Hurricane - Scorpions
5. Magic - The Cars

I got a couple of grades today. In Civics, I got an 84 and in French I got an 80. Pretty bad, huh?

I miss school because of the French/Spanish trip to Boston tomorrow. Now the Algebra test is moved to Monday, and Civics and Geometry tests are on Friday now.

Prom tickets went on sale today. They cost $35 a couple. I don't know what's going on with me. Right now, it doesn't look like I'll be going to the prom. I'll just have to wait and see. The prom is exactly one month away. And counting...

- The Barbarian

Thursday, April 12, 1984

Song of the day:  Between the Wheels - Rush

Top 5 at Five
1. So You Ran - Orion the Hunter
2. Oh Sherri - Steve Perry
3. Leave It - Yes
4. Run Runaway - Slade
5. Violet and Blue - Stevie Nicks

WOW! What a day!!!!! When I got on the bus for Boston this morning, [a different cute girl than the one I had a crush on] sat in the seat in front of me. We started talking, and the subject drifted to the prom. Then I asked her to go with me! And she said yes! Yes! Yes!!! Zowie! We talked all the way to the show. She told a friend about us, and [friend's boyfriend] came up and congratulated me. [Other buddies] know, too. I told Jeremy before I got home. Tomorrow everybody will be talking about it. She invited me to go out for Chinese food with her and her parents tomorrow night, but I said no 'cause I had guitar lessons and I'd feel kinda uncomfortable about it. She understood! What a babe! About the 35 bucks, she offered to pay half, but I wouldn't let her. Later, I asked Mom and she said she'd give me the moolah. Awesome!

I also heard the new Rush song "Between the Wheels" today. It's excellent! Alex Lifeson cranks on it with a great solo, Geddy's vocals are great, his bass and keyboards are terrific and Neil Peart is excellent on drums! Mega song!

- The ecstatic Barbarian

(Oh yeah, the concert was alright.)

Friday, April 13, 1984

Song of the day: Distant Early Warning - Rush

Top 5 at Five
1. Between the Wheels - RUSH!!
2. So You Ran - Orion the Hunter
3. Rock You Like a Hurricane - Scorpions
4. Heaven - Bryan Adams
5. Heartbeat City - The Cars

Weird day, man. [Teacher] was at her mother's funeral, so we had [different teacher] in Civics. She laid down the law, and the class was surprisingly quiet! I got [prom date]'s phone number and I gave her mine. Then we went to Geometry, where [teacher] was gone. It musta been Teacher Skip Day! We just did some worksheets. In Bi Sci, we did some brain stuff. In Algebra, weird stuff went down. First I went to put my homework in the filing cabinet, which we never do. Then I got moved up two desks, right beside [prom date]! I'm gonna sit there from now on! At lunch, I sat with her and [my buddies] were raggin' on me. I don't care!

I got my report card after school, It was bad. I got an 88 in Geometry and 83 in Prep for College. No comment!

I called [prom date] after school. We talked for around 10 minutes and then Mom came home so I said I'd call her back tomorrow. God, she's awesome!

I drove at night today. I did alright.

[A buddy] asked [girl] to the prom. She said maybe. Ha!

I've been thinking about [prom date] all day. I think this could be it! Wow!

- The Barbarian

Saturday, April 14, 1984

Song of the day: Wild Horses - The Rolling Stones

RITCHIE BLACKMORE'S BIRTHDAY

Hmm. I watched the Rock Palace last night. They had Ozzy live for 3 songs, Sammy Hagar and Ratt. Pretty good. I didn't get to sleep until 2:30.

Woke up at 10 this morning. Went to the library to get that book for College Prep. They didn't have it but they ordered it for me.

After Mom went to work, I called [prom date]. We talked for around an hour. She is great! We would've kept on talking if her mom didn't tell her to get off the phone. Boy, I can't wait till Monday!! I'm thinkin' about her all the time. [Her ex] was stupid ever to break up with her! She's the best thing to happen to me since I can remember! Wow! 

- The (kicked in the butt by love) Barbarian

Sunday, April 15, 1984

Song of the day: Show Me - The Pretenders

Not much doing today. We went to church for Palm Sunday. Then I was busy washing the clothes all day.

[Prom date]. She's on my mind all day. I can't wait till tomorrow! I wish I could be with her all the time!

It was weird. Ever since me and [prom date] started going together, I've been hearing a wicked lot of Stones songs on the radio! This weekend I heard 2 album sides, 4 blocks, around 25 songs all together. Twilight Zone, eh?

Catch you later. Monday's almost here. Boy, is she something else or what?

- The (mesmerized) Barbarian

Monday, April 16, 1984

Song of the day: Jumpin' Jack Flash - The Stones

Top 5 at Five
1. Between the Wheels - Rush
2. Run Runaway - Slade
3. Strung Out - Steve Perry
4. Some Heads Are Gonna Roll - Judas Priest
5. Don't Leave Me This Way - The Ravyns

Man! First lemme get some stuff out of the way. I took a Geometry quiz and an Algebra test today, both of which I think I did good on.

I bought the prom tickets today. More importantly, I talked to [prom date] twice on the phone! First I called her at 5:30 and we talked about general stuff till 6. Then I didn't go to do lessons and I called her again at 8:30. This was the good one! We talked about going to see "Police Academy" this weekend. She told me that she started liking me that day that we had to retake an Algebra quiz. We walked to the store together that day. She said she really likes me a lot and so do her friends. I told her I was thinking about her all the time.

This looks like the beginning of a beautiful relationship!!!!

- The (lovesick) Barbarian

Tuesday, April 17, 1984

Song of the day: Red Sector A - Rush

Top 5 at Five
Sorry, dude. I missed the mutha!

 Wow! What a day! I got a 97 on that Algebra test! Best in the class! [Girl] wasn't here, so I sat in her desk in Geometry, right up near [prom date/girlfriend]. I found out that her homeroom is right next door to mine, in [teacher]'s room. Zowie!

We talked 4 times on the phone today! I called her at 3 and we talked for 15 minutes, then for 30 minutes at 4, then 30 more at 5. That's why I missed the countdown. Then again at 8:30 for half an hour. I kept saying all this "romantical" stuff to her and she loved it! I meant every word of it. This is great!! She likes me a wicked lot! Things are going great!! I feel like I'm on Cloud Nine all the time!! Spring's here, and so is love! (Gimme a break, willya?)

- The (romantic) Barbarian

Wednesday, April 18, 1984

Song of the day: The Enemy Within - Rush

Top 5 at Five
1. So You Ran - Orion the Hunter
2. Don't Leave Me This Way - The Ravyns
3. Too Young to Fall in Love - Motley Crue
4. Sister Christian - Night Ranger
5. Murder - David Gilmour

Like WOW! Well, in school I got an 88 on that Geometry quiz and a 100 on a Civics quiz.

But more importantly, [girlfriend] invited me for either dinner or the movies on Saturday, we're not sure yet. And next Tuesday, she said I could go with her mom to pick her up from her grandmother's house. I said sure, but I said I had to ask Mom.

We talked twice on the phone, and the second time I told her that she was special. Man, is she ever!

[Girlfriend], you are awesome!

- The (head over heels) Barbarian

Thursday, April 19, 1984

Song of the day: Happy - The Rolling Stones

Top 5 at Five

1. Heaven - Bryan Adams
2. Too Young to Fall in Love - Motley Crue
3. Jump - Van Halen
4. Leave It - Yes
5. Whisper to a Scream (Birds Fly) - Icicle Works

I got a 100 on the Geometry test today! Mom talked to [Bi Sci, Civics and French teachers] today. They all said I goofed off too much. No prob.

Well, it's dinner on Saturday night. And Dad said I could go then and on Tuesday, too!! [Girlfriend] said after we get back on Tuesday, we can play tennis with [another couple]. Sounds good to me!

I talked to her four times on the phone today. She's starting to compliment me as much as I compliment her! Wow! I have one hell of a girlfriend! Wow!!!

I can't wait until Saturday night!! Boy, I can't wait!!

- The (sore but still horny) Barbarian

Postscript: Well, holy crap. The young man's in love. Egad, I forgot how painfully dorky I was about this relationship, but I understand because she was literally my first girlfriend. That giddiness in a new relationship was always crack-like, but it burned too brightly to last (how's that for foreshadowing?).

Didn't remember that Ravyns song; had to look it up on YouTube. Pretty run of the mill AOR stuff :


 
No surprise that the Orion the Hunter song was big, because it featured some of the dudes from the band Boston, which by that point had gone about six years since its last album. And OTH sounded exactly like Boston, minus about 150 guitar tracks. The band's long forgotten now, though:



But here's a song that's still great. The Icicle Works were pretty much one-hit wonders, although they kept releasing music through the rest of the decade. I still dig it: