A White Sport Coat

A White Sport Coat…..

The year was 1957. I was all of 14, just starting to discover girls, and wondering how to actually get a girlfriend. I knew it was going to be hard! Too young to own and drive a car, too young to go to the pub, or a club, too far to the beach, too hard to earn much money…the odds were against me.

I had acquired a portable battery radio from a friend. Yes, it was big and clunky by today’s standards – transistors were not invented yet. And I had no clue where the stations were, or what type of music they played.

I turned it on, and my first song that I heard was Marty Robbins singing ‘A White Sport Coat’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zD8MnvyAi6I Was it a pop song? If so, where was it on the charts? It didn’t matter. I was hypnotized by the lyrics.

Never mind that it was a sad, depressing song. After all, here was this dude, wearing a white sport coat and a pink carnation, ready for the dance, but rejected for another. How could she?

I didn’t share his depression. I went on the hunt in every men’s wear store in the city to find that white sport coat. The red carnation could come later. Store after store, I received a blank look from the sales staff. Didn’t they listen to the radio? Weren’t they aware of trends? Obviously not!

Admitting failure, I finally settled for a light fawn sports coat. I needed something in which to look smart and alluring. I gave up on the carnation. Dark brown trousers and a pale yellow tie made up the outfit. I couldn’t wear it to school, as a uniform was compulsory. So I dressed up on the weekend, and went to the local dance hall, alone.

Once inside, I realized I was anything but ‘cool’. No-one wore an outfit like mine. They were probably much more fashion conscious than I was. A small consolation – there were no white sports coats either, so at least I had been thorough in my search.

I stood on the side of the dance floor. Not one girl came up and asked me if I wanted to dance. I’m not sure that they were ‘allowed’ to anyway. Weren’t they supposed to just stand, or sit there, and wait to be approached? And I wasn’t going to do that anyway. Rock ‘n roll? Jive? The sounds of Elvis, Little Richard and Fats Domino wafted through the air. I wasn’t going to make a fool of myself and probably end up flat on my back while attempting the best dance move ever.

After a while, I left, never to return. No coat, no girl, no deep and enduring love…….

The pretend sports coat languished in the wardrobe. The carnation never happened.

I had to find love in other ways, and I eventually did.

Many years on, I still stop and look twice when I see a guy in a white sport coat – yes, they do exist, but few and far between. I feel like going up to the guy wearing it and asking – ‘did you get lucky while wearing that coat?’

And Marty Robbins? I discovered he sang country music. And when I became a country music DJ on radio, I would play that song now and again. Memories would flood back to me. But I never told my listeners the back story. Would you? I’m in a blue, blue mood……….

Mike Friganiotis