Retirement

Last night, I bid a fond adieu to Toto's "Africa". It has served me well over the past few months, facilitating some enjoyable Thursday evenings at the Harvest Moon. Who ever knew that smooth music could rock so hard? Michael McDonald, that's who.

Like all good things that must come to an end, "Africa" was retired last night. I tried to do it justice in its final performance, as it deserved a heartfelt send-off. People seemed to enjoy it.

"Africa" now joins an elite list of retired songs, the members of which have brought immeasurable joy to the lives of millions (give or take). While reading the list, please think of some melancholy piano music... like the theme from "Casper, the Friendly Ghost".

• Like a Prayer - Madonna
• I'm a Believer - Monkees
• Total Eclipse of the Heart - Bonnie Tyler
• Hard to Handle - Black Crowes
• Twist and Shout - Beatles
• Mr. Roboto - Styx

The nice thing about retiring a song is that on a whim, the song can be un-retired! For "nostalgia's sake", of course.