the story of mustang sandy
arriving in los angeles, nov 2022
"Mustang Sandy" is a reference to the song “Mustang Sally.”
It was one of those songs I grew up hearing, but it never really grabbed my attention until I read Daisy Jones & The Six in 2022.
That book cast a spell on me. That part was when Billy and Daisy performed the song on top of the piano was everything. After reading that bit, I played “Mustang Sally” every waking hour.
The song is about a young woman running all over town in a brand new Mustang her sugar daddy bought for her. Concerned about her wild behavior, he tells her to slow her Mustang down or he’ll “put her flat feet on the ground.”
Of course, she doesn’t listen.
That’s the kind of rebellious spirit that defined my 20s. A month after reading Daisy, I flew to California—a trip fully funded by my dad.
the day after I arrived, I canceled my flight BACK HOME.
While I was enjoying my newfound freedom, driving around town in a rented car, my dad called me one morning, telling me to go home and stop with my crazy antics. Apparently, I’d taken it too far.
Like a classic spoiled brat, I told him…
“This is my life,” and ended the call.
And that’s how I became Mustang Sandy.
Listen to Mustang Sally by Wilson Pickett
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