musitorial noun, a mashup of music, musings and editorials, music and song that evokes thought and commentary.
Today’s musitorial has been inspired in part by Little Stevie Wonder’s oft-repeated parting words: “see ya!”
In truth, I don’t really know if it is or was repeated ‘oft,’ but he did say it at least once – on Bob Dylan’s The 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration (1993, producers Jeff Kramer Jeff Rosen Don DeVito, Columbia) concert and double album. That album featured a long list of iconic musicians performing Dylan’s songs. “Little” Stevie Wonder did “Blowin’ in the Wind” (orig. 1963, Columbia Recording, John H. Hammond, prod.) – an unbeatable rendition at the end of which he (Wonder) signed off saying, “see ya!” Very funny. As everyone knows, Stevie wonder is blind since shortly after birth.
Little Stevie is not directly connected with my musings today, but seeing is.
I have long been perplexed, even perturbed by the oft-repeated parting words of radio hosts (and of regular columnists) who depart saying “see you tomorrow” (as the case may be).
Stop saying that – puhleeze!
No, you won’t see them tomorrow, or in the foreseeable future unless they will be in the studio tomorrow. No, you won’t see me tomorrow or in the foreseeable future either – possible never.
Am I being overly pedantic? Perhaps. But surely there’s at least one final space in the mediasphere wherein precision in language counts for something.
Not long ago, I heard an on-ait newsreader us the term “T-bone” to describe a traffic accident. Geez, is nothing sacred? When I log onto Facebook I am challenged to make sure I’m “not a robot,” but when I successfully pass the test, I am told: “I’m not a robot.” Surely it should say “you’re” not a robot?
Anyway, in recent years I’ve found it interesting that some language roles have shifted – even reversed. Where the aforementioned radio hosts are gradually losing language precision in favour of the colloquial, many previously down-to-earth and even inarticulate occupations have been increasingly pedantic. In particular, a new level of professionalism is evident among firefighters and law enforcement professionals.
This is not, I repeat not to denigrate those actors. Indeed, I am by no means perfect either, and at my advanced age I sometimes have to accept the first words that are closest to what I think I’m saying. However, I wish the firefighter next door didn’t have to say he and his colleagues “knocked down” a fire at a “domicile” that was the result of an “incendiary conflagration,” etc.
Just what am I saying? Is there a need for a grammarian version of language police, or should we let language-use evolve willy-nilly. I’m of two minds about that – or somewhere in between, I guess.
Of course language use should evolve. No question in my mind that, as our awareness and knowledge of our world evolves, words, definitions and ideas all evolve accordingly, rightfully. Just think of some of the words we now know are absolutely unacceptable but were in everyday use forty or fifty years ago and have been eclipsed by new understandings and sensitivities – a couple of which haven’t left my lips in decades.
I think my original point was more about precision in definitions and usage and whom should be the keepers of same. Well, one “whom” is school teachers. This is not to say that teachers ought to flog users of slang (as they once did), but they should be prepared to keep them in use.
The other “keepers” should be media, and I guess that’s where we came in. I wouldn’t expect that “The Little General,” Ronny Bourgeois,[1] on CKCW in Moncton, NB, should be careful to use biblical references during his broadcasts of 1960s commercial Rock and Roll hit parades, but I would prefer and request that our national broadcaster, CBC, be mindful of the difference. “See”?
=30=
Link to Wikipedia entry about the venerable Little Stevie Wonder: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevie_Wonder
Link to Wikipedia entry about the song, “Blowin’ in the Wind”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blowin%27_in_the_Wind
Link to Wikipedia entry about The 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration double album: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_30th_Anniversary_Concert_Celebration
Link to Wikipedia entry on CKCW-FM (formerly AM): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CKCW-FM
Link to a Facebook post (Old Moncton Photos, Travis O'Toole, May 20, 2025) about “The Little General,” Ronnie Bourgeois: https://www.facebook.com/groups/20642950449/posts/10163506688065450/
[1] Bourgeois also hosted the CKCW-TV show, Top Ten Plus, in the same era. My friend in those days (Ed Savard) had an “in” with The Little General, in that his older sister (Sharon) worked at CKCW, so Ed and I were among the privileged few to visit the station’s remote broadcast trailer when The Little General was on site – usually at the A&W drive-in on Mountain Road (Moncton). I was on the dance floor of Top Ten Plus once. I won a paisley belt that coincidentally matched one of my paisley shirts. Lucky me!
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