A Trip Down Memory Lane: Remembering the Eighties

Posted by Hildra Tague Jun 16, 2009

Let's take a trip back in time. Remember the 80's? Wrap up the Eighties with me:

The Eighties Rap by Hildra Tague

In the fascinating 80s the rap came out; You could sing, dance and yell of what it's all about. When the decade started out folks wondered what it was about.

Terrorists in Iran grabbed hostages and ran, Carter invited them home again. In Afganistan Russia took one last stand, Then came Gorbachov with glastnost to offer.

Dictator Marcos in the Phillipines bought a million shoes for his beauty queen. Filipinos didn't like adoin' without; So they all went to vote and they kicked him out.

Ollie and Ronnie had a contra scandal; Lots of banks fell, their dough was too hot to handle! Air travel sometimes went downhill. Only thing was – crashes didn't give a thrill.

Jessica fell in a well to take a nap, and put the state of Texas on everyone's map!

Mrs. Reagan helped our people start a Drug War. Say No to Drugs; they're really such a bore. Columbia imported more than coffee; And our drug czar wondered if we'd ever get off it!

Nintendo was the craze of the days. Parents wondered why kids just sat there in a daze. We went from George to George in 200 years. But of nuclear war people still have their fears.

Then came Black Tuesday – it didn't bring doomsday. The deficit really zoomed, but not away! Scientists thought they'd invented cold fusion. They made a discovery; it was mental confusion!

The day the Challenger suddenly exploded our hopes for space were quickly eroded. But then faith's birth was truly seen when Discovery cleared the lift-off scene.

Yuppies got off to technology. Computers, viruses, videos, IMAX, CDs. Solomon wrote a book and he went to hide. Ayotollah hired a hit man, then he himself died.

Issues were big; discouragement was too. Ozone, sea turtles, Prince William Sound. Dead Birds and fish were floatin' around. The environment, stripped forests, needles on the beach. Toxic waste, poison food, was health within reach?

It all started with Where's the beef? then MTV, Cabbage Patch, Garbage Pail, holograms, go to jail. Synthisizers, radical designer jeans, Touchstone, Spielberg, awesome beams. Chill out, 2 can play this little game, Roger Rabbit found his way to fame.

Break dance, slam dance, Say No to crack. Runaway Aids, Olympics, Icecapades. Couch potatoes made their furniture slump. They grew, not in the head, but in the rump.

The Middle East, Israel; Oh help us please, Immanuel. Reaganomics, Quayle in a Bush, Many wanted peace as their wish.

We spoke of peace, we threatened war. Some wondered what it all was for. Lybia was bombed by the U. S. of A. McDonalds went to Russia; now that was the day!

The 80s saw some pretty tough times. Alicia, St. Helen's, San Fran, Carolines. Siberian Express, then can you guess? The next year was so cold even Rudolph got dressed!

Freedom was tried; in China many died. Suddenly governments began to change: Poland, the Czechs, the East Berlin wall. They knocked it over an it pleased 'em all!

Romania downed their ruler – he was tried and died. In Panama Noriega met his fate; they gave him bread and water in his plate.

Sometimes no one noticed living through all this: The homeless, high crime, illiteracy. Was this bliss? But we listened and hummed as we went along, and tapped to the beat of the very latest song.

Back to the Future, E.T., Rain Man, Bat Man; Don't worry, be happy, just do what you can. Pretty soon it came the last December with just enough time to fondly remember.

The 80s are gone except in our heads. Now the time has come to forge ahead. Let's all pull together on this home on the map, and sing, hope and dream.

Now, folks, that's a wrap!

* Hey, all you Grandmas and Granpas out there,

Show your grandkids how cool you are by reading this rap with them:-)

You might even add some drumming or a little musical support here and there.

The Eighties Rap is authored by Hildra Tague and is under copyright. Permission to use online or in print must be granted by the author in writing.