A kiss is the simple touching or brushing of one’s lips to another object or another person. Kissing cultural connotations vary greatly throughout different cultures and countries. In the United States, for example, we have the strong cultural associations of kissing as a romantic gesture between couples.
During the Summer months at my High School there was a popular quiz show that asked contestants to identify which musician they most loved. Most answered a band name or a song title; “I like Kiss the album by Guns-n-Roses,” “Kiss the song by Steely Dan,” “I love Michael Jackson’s Thriller,” “Kiss the song by Eric Clapton,” and so on. These examples are just a small taste of what our culture associates with kissing.
For an example of the above mentioned song, let’s assume that the contestant chose “I love Michael Jackson’s Thriller.” The appropriate kiss gesture would have been to lean over the person with whom he is kissing and kiss him on the nose. This is easily accomplished by making an O-shape with your index finger and thumb and pressing it against the back of the person’s neck, halfway between the ears. Then, using a smooth motion, move your tongue to the tip of the man’s nose and gently press it in with a tongue. This creates the same effect as if you were to rub your tongue along the outside of his nose.
Another popular song that uses the name kiss is New Divide by The Band: When the namesake boy is singing, his left hand is pressed onto the band’s guitar’s fretboard. He then places his right hand on the guitarist’s chest and begins to play a chord. This is repeated, stopping once he has made the pitch. Instead of moving from the fretboard to the chest, however, the guitarist merely shifts his position until his left hand is no longer covering the fretboard. This allows the guitarist to kiss the person he is dancing with.
The January songs that contain the phrase “lead guitar leads the way” include Back in Black by AC/DC and Don’t Take Me Home by The Who. While these bands do not specifically use the “lead guitar leads the way” phrasing, many of their fans have taken to substituting it for “bands play in the way.” For instance, in their song We’re Not As Good As Our Own, AC/DC states, “We strum the chords like crazy, but our guitars lead the way.” The Who also mentions the phrase “we play in our own way” in their song Tommy. This later became the title of a movie featuring the band.
Although many bands choose to use the “we play in our own way” as a way of introducing the kissing fives to their fans, it is not entirely clear whether or not this phrase originated with the band or simply evolved overtime. Regardless, it is a fun way to tell your kissers that you are leaving them for a better time. The kiss on February 13th will only increase in popularity as people continue to celebrate Valentine’s Day in new city, state or country. You should join in the fun by planning a tour for your favorite band or two!
