The Creed Anthem

Ladies and gentlemen who appreciate music:

Love Creed.

If I could offer you only one tip for the future Creed would be it.

The long term benefits of Creed have been proved by billboard charts and ticket sales whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience.

I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of Scott Stapp.

Oh, never mind, you will not understand the power and beauty of Scott Stapp until you are older, but trust me, in 5 years you'll look back at photos of him and recall in a way you can't grasp now how beautiful his hair really was and how fabulous he really looked in those leather pants.

Scott Phillips is NOT as shy as you imagine.

Don't worry about their futures, or worry but know that worrying is as effective as trying to convince Fred Durst he really is an ass.

The real troubles in their careers are bound to be things that never crossed your worried teeny mind. The kind that require penicillin or send them to rehab clinics when all is said and done.

Do one thing everyday that SCARES your parents.

Lip Sync.

Don't be reckless with other people's Creed addictions, don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Head-bang.

Don't waste your time being pissed at Durst. He'll always be a jerk.

Some of us get close, some of us will have nosebleed seats, the tours are long and in the end, you'll probably never meet them anyway.

Remember the people who compliment Creed.

Forget the haters.

If you succeed in doing this without yelling obscenities in their direction, tell me how.

Keep your old fan letters.

Throw away your Limp Bizkit CDs.

Stretch. Don't feel guilty if you like KoRn a little bit. The most interesting people I know had diverse tastes in music at 16. Some of the most interesting 27 year olds I know listen to *NSync.

Guys, get plenty of calcium.

And be kind to your knees, you'll miss them when they're gone.

Maybe they'll all have kids. Maybe they won't.

Maybe they'll have another #1 album. Maybe they won't.

Maybe they'll break up at 40. Maybe they'll dance the funky chicken on their 25th anniversary tour.

Whatever they do, don't congratulate them too much or berate them either.

Their choices are half chance, so are everybody else's.

Enjoy Scott's voice. Listen to it every chance you can. Don't be afraid of it, or what other people think of it. It's the greatest instrument he'll ever own.

Dance.

Even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own Creed covered bedroom.

Read the liner notes, even if you don't get what they say.

Do not read teen magazines they will only make you feel like a teenybopper.

Get to know the band members, you never know when they'll be gone for good.

Be nice to their siblings, they're your best chance at getting closer to the band and the people you are most likely to meet anyway.

Understand that fellow Creed fans come and go, but the precious few you really should hold on to cause those will be the friend's for life.

Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle because the older you get, the more possible it will be to move to Tallahassee and try to get to know them.

Live in Tallahassee once, but leave before Donna files a restraining order against you.

Eat meatballs.

Accept certain inalienable truths:

Ticket prices will rise. Scott will philander. Mark will get old.

And when he does you will fantasize that when he was young ticket prices were reasonable, Scott was a good boy, and Mark would have really married you.

You will not marry a member of Creed.

Don't expect anyone else to support them.

Maybe they'll get a new contract, maybe they'll all go solo, but you never know when either one might go bust.

Mark, don't mess too much with your hair. Or by the time you are 40 it will look 85.

Be careful what merchandise you buy, but be patient with those who supply it.

Merchandise is a form of nostalgia.

Keeping it is a way of fishing your Creedie past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the embarrassing parts, and recycling it for more than it's worth.

But trust me on the Creed thing.