Love-struck Drifters, Reckless Romantics, and other Unlikely Heroes
March, 2014-May, 2014
1. You're Leaving Home
2. Love-Struck Drifters
3. About the Girl
4. Unlikely Heroes
5. Super Folk Sing the Lonesome Blues
6. Villains and Pawns Talking Blues
7. The Never-ending Wave of Goodbye
8. Words for Leaving Home
"You're Leaving Home" 3/24/14 Written while on a motor-cycle ride.
You're Leaving Home
You're thinking it's time for a change. the house you've been living in is too small for your dreams. You're leaving home. Your thoughts and your feelings have rearranged. The objects in your mirror are closer than they appear or so it seems. Your leaving home. Your leaving home my friend and the straight and narrow highway that you thought would take you to the end... as it turns out was just a byway to take you only as far as your next change of scene. What does it mean... It means you're leaving home.
You're thinking it's time for a change. the house you've been living in is too small for your dreams. You're leaving home. Your thoughts and your feelings have rearranged. The objects in your mirror are closer than they appear or so it seems. Your leaving home. Your leaving home my friend and the straight and narrow highway that you thought would take you to the end... as it turns out was just a byway to take you only as far as your next change of scene. What does it mean... It means you're leaving home.
"Love-Struck Drifters" 4/15/14
This lyric flowed from wherever inspiration, history and personal experience meet. There was no editing, just wrote it as it came. As I listen back, I can definitely hear several songs that are in my musical library and a few movies that influenced this...It's recorded with me playing and singing an acoustic guitar "live" and then 1 overdub track playing some chords with the Gretsch.
This lyric flowed from wherever inspiration, history and personal experience meet. There was no editing, just wrote it as it came. As I listen back, I can definitely hear several songs that are in my musical library and a few movies that influenced this...It's recorded with me playing and singing an acoustic guitar "live" and then 1 overdub track playing some chords with the Gretsch.
Love-Struck Drifters
It was shortly after the time when Johnny Ace and the Love-stuck Drifter Gang rode out of Mexico
Having rescued their dear Rosy from that tyrant and dandy Jackson La Belle in that tale we all know so well. Every school kid can tell that story by heart and though it brings a tear to every eye
We raise a glass in fond farewell to those happier times gone by
Johnny Ace and the Love Struck-drifter Gang with Rosy right beside their fame growing far and wide
In those days of renown you couldn't keep a good man down
Into every town they'd ride
There'd be open arms and smiles all 'round
Brass bands would play and the cheers would sound
Johnny'd buy the last round then he'd leave with Rosy
The Love-struck Drifters would tear the place down
But that's the kind of heart he had
Sure, that's what makes this story sad
Unlikely heroes often do fade away before their through
Johnny Ace and the Love-struck Drifter Gang eventually went their separate ways
It's hard to keep a band together
Those were just different days
Rosy got herself a ride out of town after all that hurtin' went down
Who can blame her if she doesn't come around to be reminded by
Every school kid who knows the story by heart and though it brings a tear to every eye
We raise a glass in fond farewell to say good bye
And of course you know me
We met back then
When we were those love struck drifters
Driftin' to the end...
N0w we're driftin' once again
It was shortly after the time when Johnny Ace and the Love-stuck Drifter Gang rode out of Mexico
Having rescued their dear Rosy from that tyrant and dandy Jackson La Belle in that tale we all know so well. Every school kid can tell that story by heart and though it brings a tear to every eye
We raise a glass in fond farewell to those happier times gone by
Johnny Ace and the Love Struck-drifter Gang with Rosy right beside their fame growing far and wide
In those days of renown you couldn't keep a good man down
Into every town they'd ride
There'd be open arms and smiles all 'round
Brass bands would play and the cheers would sound
Johnny'd buy the last round then he'd leave with Rosy
The Love-struck Drifters would tear the place down
But that's the kind of heart he had
Sure, that's what makes this story sad
Unlikely heroes often do fade away before their through
Johnny Ace and the Love-struck Drifter Gang eventually went their separate ways
It's hard to keep a band together
Those were just different days
Rosy got herself a ride out of town after all that hurtin' went down
Who can blame her if she doesn't come around to be reminded by
Every school kid who knows the story by heart and though it brings a tear to every eye
We raise a glass in fond farewell to say good bye
And of course you know me
We met back then
When we were those love struck drifters
Driftin' to the end...
N0w we're driftin' once again
"About the Girl" 4/6/14
A cosmic country song in answer to a conversation that sounded something like, "I see you in a ship in space....what are you searching for?"
I'm not out here crossing these stars in search of any kind of new world...
A cosmic country song in answer to a conversation that sounded something like, "I see you in a ship in space....what are you searching for?"
I'm not out here crossing these stars in search of any kind of new world...
About the Girl
It's always been and soever will it be about the girl
By land or by sea through space past the most distant world
You can tell yourself the journey was for the money or the fame
or the search for some higher truth
But it always has been and soever will be about the girl.
History is made by fools looking to impress
She may be a queen or maybe a redhead with the smile you miss
Forever waiving goodbye in a calico dress
It always has been and soever will be about the girl
So boys before leaving your homes your wanderings to begin
Know that it always will be about the girl and so it always has been
Heroes spend most of their time just idling by
And wasting the hours between with thinking about why
You can ask any Joe and he'll tell you the story books lie
I'm not out here crossing these stars in search of any kind of new world
But it always has been and soever will be about the girl
History is full of love-struck romantics looking for just one more good time
And with every refrain down through the years
You hear them sing the same old line
It always has been and soever will it be about the girl
The one left behind
It's always been and soever will it be about the girl
By land or by sea through space past the most distant world
You can tell yourself the journey was for the money or the fame
or the search for some higher truth
But it always has been and soever will be about the girl.
History is made by fools looking to impress
She may be a queen or maybe a redhead with the smile you miss
Forever waiving goodbye in a calico dress
It always has been and soever will be about the girl
So boys before leaving your homes your wanderings to begin
Know that it always will be about the girl and so it always has been
Heroes spend most of their time just idling by
And wasting the hours between with thinking about why
You can ask any Joe and he'll tell you the story books lie
I'm not out here crossing these stars in search of any kind of new world
But it always has been and soever will be about the girl
History is full of love-struck romantics looking for just one more good time
And with every refrain down through the years
You hear them sing the same old line
It always has been and soever will it be about the girl
The one left behind
"Unlikely Heroes" 5/1/14
Perhaps I will write more versus...This is what I have to say on the matter at the moment.
Perhaps I will write more versus...This is what I have to say on the matter at the moment.
Unlikely Heroes
I'm going fishing on the big ocean of inspiration casting out this line patiently waiting for one whale of an idea to pull me in/You gotta learn how to drown before you can swim/You gotta be swallowed whole to see the blue sky again/There's no halfway out and no halfway in/There's a lesson about surrender. You can't fake it Jim./All you unlikely heroes and you restless romantics and you love-struck drifters on the road...you'll never be anything more than one another's reflection./You'll never be anything less than the light of each other's soul....the light of each other's heart and soul.
I'm going fishing on the big ocean of inspiration casting out this line patiently waiting for one whale of an idea to pull me in/You gotta learn how to drown before you can swim/You gotta be swallowed whole to see the blue sky again/There's no halfway out and no halfway in/There's a lesson about surrender. You can't fake it Jim./All you unlikely heroes and you restless romantics and you love-struck drifters on the road...you'll never be anything more than one another's reflection./You'll never be anything less than the light of each other's soul....the light of each other's heart and soul.
"Super Folk Sing the Lonesome Blues" 5/5/14
Super-folk Sing the Lonesome Blues
Pick any ordinary Joe and I'll tell you something Jim, I'd give up all my super powers to be like any one of them, to show my heart wide open and not have to pretend...to put away this mask for good 'cause who's it really fooling. Everybody knows...how it goes. Super-folk sing the lonesome blues, Love-struck drifters tend to lose, reckless romantics seldom choose. It's those unlikely heroes we're counting on to come through. I got a headline for you "Unlikely Heroes Save the Day by Coming to Their Own Rescue." Jim, the day I read that story I'll pawn my silver shoes, find a new line of work and stow my cape away. Super-folk sing the lonesome blues, Love-struck drifters tend to lose, reckless romantics seldom choose. It's those unlikely heroes we're counting on to come through. There's no rock in outer space that can make me weak or rule my world. Ask any Joe and he'll tell you Jim it's always been and soever will it be about the girl. Love-struck drifters tend to lose, reckess-romantics seldom choose. It's those unlikely heroes we're counting on to come through.
Pick any ordinary Joe and I'll tell you something Jim, I'd give up all my super powers to be like any one of them, to show my heart wide open and not have to pretend...to put away this mask for good 'cause who's it really fooling. Everybody knows...how it goes. Super-folk sing the lonesome blues, Love-struck drifters tend to lose, reckless romantics seldom choose. It's those unlikely heroes we're counting on to come through. I got a headline for you "Unlikely Heroes Save the Day by Coming to Their Own Rescue." Jim, the day I read that story I'll pawn my silver shoes, find a new line of work and stow my cape away. Super-folk sing the lonesome blues, Love-struck drifters tend to lose, reckless romantics seldom choose. It's those unlikely heroes we're counting on to come through. There's no rock in outer space that can make me weak or rule my world. Ask any Joe and he'll tell you Jim it's always been and soever will it be about the girl. Love-struck drifters tend to lose, reckess-romantics seldom choose. It's those unlikely heroes we're counting on to come through.
"Villains and Pawns Talking Blues" 5/8/14
The latest installment in the continuing saga of Rosy and Johnny Ace
Villains and Pawns Talking Blues
It’s hard to tell these days the villains from the pawns considering the rope they sell at the general store in town is what’s tying “Rosy” to the tracks and that train bearing down wouldn’t move an inch but for those coal-shoveling hired hands
Any Joe can understand what everybody knows
The Jackson railroad and the Jackson General Store and every hotel and bar in Jackson county and more is owned by that self-same criminal we remember all too well from those days when Johnny Ace and Rosy rode this very town like they owned the place
Where are those Love-struck Drifters now
They’re nowhere to be found and that train is bearing down and the reckless romantics show a passing interest before turning round and the train is bearing down and the super folk sing the lonesome blues
There’s not enough of them to go around and the train is bearing down
So we’re counting on the unlikely hero to save the day
The engineer smiles and waves at the crowd gathered round and the train is bearing down
Oh Rosy dear the train is bearing down
Every Spring in Jackson town they re-enact that famous rescue scene you can hear the screams and the sighs of relief when at the last minute this year's "Johnny Ace" hits the switch to change tracks and the train rolls right by "Rosy" who walks way with pride in tact and the by-standers lay their money down.
Then the town folk carry the heavy cashbox to the house up on the hill where they say he lives there still.
It’s hard to tell these days the villains from the pawns.
It’s hard to tell these days the villains from the pawns considering the rope they sell at the general store in town is what’s tying “Rosy” to the tracks and that train bearing down wouldn’t move an inch but for those coal-shoveling hired hands
Any Joe can understand what everybody knows
The Jackson railroad and the Jackson General Store and every hotel and bar in Jackson county and more is owned by that self-same criminal we remember all too well from those days when Johnny Ace and Rosy rode this very town like they owned the place
Where are those Love-struck Drifters now
They’re nowhere to be found and that train is bearing down and the reckless romantics show a passing interest before turning round and the train is bearing down and the super folk sing the lonesome blues
There’s not enough of them to go around and the train is bearing down
So we’re counting on the unlikely hero to save the day
The engineer smiles and waves at the crowd gathered round and the train is bearing down
Oh Rosy dear the train is bearing down
Every Spring in Jackson town they re-enact that famous rescue scene you can hear the screams and the sighs of relief when at the last minute this year's "Johnny Ace" hits the switch to change tracks and the train rolls right by "Rosy" who walks way with pride in tact and the by-standers lay their money down.
Then the town folk carry the heavy cashbox to the house up on the hill where they say he lives there still.
It’s hard to tell these days the villains from the pawns.
"The Never-ending Wave of Goodbye" 5/28/3024
A chorus was needed to tie a few stories together.
The Never-ending Wave of Goodbye
Ask any ordinary Joe in any ordinary bar
On any ordinary planet circling around any ordinary star,
"Will the unlikely hero win the girl in the end?"
The chorus will answer this way my friend...
It's that never-ending wave of goodbye that she gave
That plays over and over in your mind
We all start out as reckless romantics
In search for the girl left behind
History won't be kind and most likely will forget
That the likes of us were ever around
So let's all raise our glass to the unlikely hero
Before the love-struck drifters tear the place to the ground
Let's all raise our glass to the unlikely heroes
Who left their homes in search of some kind of new world
Time has a way of turning reckless romantics to love struck drifters
It's always been for the sake of the girl
It's that never-ending wave....
Ask any ordinary Joe in any ordinary bar
On any ordinary planet circling around any ordinary star,
"Will the unlikely hero win the girl in the end?"
The chorus will answer this way my friend...
It's that never-ending wave of goodbye that she gave
That plays over and over in your mind
We all start out as reckless romantics
In search for the girl left behind
History won't be kind and most likely will forget
That the likes of us were ever around
So let's all raise our glass to the unlikely hero
Before the love-struck drifters tear the place to the ground
Let's all raise our glass to the unlikely heroes
Who left their homes in search of some kind of new world
Time has a way of turning reckless romantics to love struck drifters
It's always been for the sake of the girl
It's that never-ending wave....
"Words for Leaving Home" 5/10/2014
Words for Leaving Home
You're leaving your home
You're wondering where to begin on your own
We all start out as reckless romantics anyway
If I could give you any advice I would say
Stay clear of Love-struck drifters you meet on the road
Don't believe in history just cause it's old
Unlikely heroes can't always do they're told
When you dive into love
Let it swallow you whole
If any Joe tries to tell you it's win or it's lose
Remember even Super folk are bound to sing those lonesome blues
Don't think it's for the money the fame or the search for some new world
When it's always been and soever will it be about the girl
You'll never be more than the dreams that you hold
You'll never be anything less than the light of each other's heart and soul
You'll never be anything less than the light...