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Catcher in the Rye, Coming of age, guns n roses, Holden Caulfield, JD Salinger, literary songs, United States
The classic American ‘coming-of-age‘ novel ‘Catcher in the Rye‘ by J.D. Salinger is one of those books that leave me frustrated and slightly on edge. Holden Caulfield, the 16-year-old protagonist is an icon of teenage rebellion and angst. Now I’m well and truly past my teenage years I’m a little scared to relate with this strange boy who is caught in that in between stage of life.
So in honour of the novel here is Guns’n’Roses with their tribute ‘Catcher in the Rye’. Enjoy! Lyrics are below.
When all is said and done
We’re not the only ones
Who look at life this way
That’s what the old folks say
But every time I see them
Makes me wish I had a gun
If I thought that I was crazy
Well I guess I’d have more fun (Guess I’d have more fun)Oooh, the Catcher In The Rye
Again Won’t let ya get away from him (Tomorrow never comes) It’s just another day… Like today
You decide
Cause I don’t have to
And then they’ll find
And I won’t ask you
At anytime
Or long hereafter
If the cold outside’s
As I’m imagining
It to be Oh, noLana nana na na na
Lana nana na nana
Ooh, the Catcher In The Rye Again
Won’t let ya get away from him (Tomorrow never comes)
It’s just another day… Like today
When all is said and done
We’re not the only ones
Who look at life this way
That’s what the young folks say
And if they’d ever change
As that reminds to say
But every time I see them
Makes me wish I had a gun
If I thought that I was crazy
Well I guess I’d have more fun
Cause what used to be’s
Not there for me
And ought to for someone That belongs… Insane… Like I do
Oh, no Not at allOn an ordinary day
Not in an ordinary way
All at once the song I heard
No longer would it play
For anybody
Or anyone
That needed comfort from somebody
Needed comfort from someone
Who cared To be Not like you
And unlike meAnd then the voices went away from me Somehow you set the wheels in motion
That haunt our memories
You were the instrument
You were the one
How a body
Took the body
You gave that boy a gunYou took our innocence
Beyond our stares
Sometimes the only thing
We counted on
When no one else was there
Related articles
- US schools drop ‘Catcher in the Rye, ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ from curriculum… (telegraph.co.uk)
- So Long, Holden (slate.com)
- Classics “To Kill a Mockingbird”, and “Catcher in the Rye” to be Banned in Schools (dvorak.org)
- The Catcher in the Rye (dihs2011reading.wordpress.com)
- J.D. Salinger, Famous Recluse (introducingcitr.wordpress.com)
- Filming Catcher (introducingcitr.wordpress.com)
- Catcher in the Rye is dropped as pupils get insulation guide instead (thetimes.co.uk)