My Father Introduced Me to Cocaine
It was one of those hot Chennai summer days. Let me rephrase that — it was just another day in the city of Chennai. What I do remember clearly is that it was the middle of May, and the holidays had just begun. I can recall my mother in the kitchen, cooking something delicious. My brother was surfing the seas of the internet for songs. And me? I was the eternal spectator of my brother’s computer usage. Good times!
The main character of this story, however, was preparing for his role, getting all dressed up.
The internet was relatively new back then, and the idea of downloading, or piracy, was the coolest thing ever. You felt like a real hacker every single time! That was also around the time I learned what binge-watching was. Dexter’s Laboratory, Dragon Ball Z, The Simpsons — you name it. Granted, The Simpsons was way above what my young brain could fathom. But the funny yellow family, especially the fat guy who says “D’oh!”, was entertaining to anyone regardless of age.
And just like that, another day of piracy had arrived. Sailing the seas for new music had become child’s play to my older brother. I don’t know if it was because what we were doing was borderline illegal or if he just felt like it, but our father told us about “Cocaine” — a magical, fascinating combination of elements that activated parts of your brain you didn’t know existed.
And my God, was he right.
It hit me like nothing ever had before. Until that day, my playlist was filled with Beatles songs, Ilayaraja classics, and A.R. Rahman melodies. But now? Everything changed. A whole new world opened up to me. Eric Clapton completely transformed the way I experienced music. Cocaine was the song that introduced me to rock. Proper rock — with epic solos and raw energy.
That song was the gateway to my guitar journey.
There’s only one reason I have an electric guitar in my room today. One reason I can play some version of Stairway to Heaven. One reason why music still transports me away from the horrors of reality. All because my dad introduced me to Cocaine by Eric Clapton.
I will always be grateful to you, Father. Every note I play on my guitar today is thanks to the songs we downloaded that day.
As for the day I discovered Heroin?
Well, that’s a completely different track for another time.
