Blue Eyes

Gram Parsons. Uncle Tupelo.

This is how I feel the majority of the time. The world, most of the time, is just too complicated. Too noisy. Too hard to figure out.

Sometimes, all I want to do is ditch everything except Sue, Vida, and that old pickup that's just about on its last legs. I wish we had a cabin somewhere and a long, tree-shaded dirt lane that led up to it. A garden out back. A big old barn. A few animals. Definitely a dog, or two. Aussies. And chickens. Maybe a couple of goats. A horse for Sue.

Gram Parsons wrote it. Uncle Tupelo sang it later. Because they realized what a great song it is.

Blue Eyes by Uncle Tupelo

INTRO:

G

VERSE 1:

G                                                    D

Sometimes I get upset when people treat me bad

C                                                      G

I don't have time to think and so I get real mad

        C

And I pull my hair and find somewhere where I can be alone

D                                                                                         G

And when I do I think of you and head myself back home

CHORUS:

C                                        D   G

Where I got chores to keep me busy, a clock to keep my time

C                                          G                                                     D

A pretty girl to love me, with the same last name as mine

C                                                                                           G

When the flowers wilt, a big old quilt to keep us warm

D                                                                                                                                    

I got the sun to see your blue eyes, and tonight you're in my

G

arms

VERSE 2:

G                                                D

Sometimes I get unwound when fancy cars drive past

C                                                G

Money don't get me down, I can't make it last

                                                                                         C

And I bite my nails and if that fails I go get myself stoned

D                                                                                         G

And when I do I think of you and head myself back home

CHORUS

HARMONICA SOLO:

| G | G | D | D |

| D | C | C | G |

REPEAT VERSE 2

CHORUS

END:

G C D G

The Jayhawks: Angelyne

I always have to be digging around.

I've known about The Jayhawks for a while. Have downloaded some of their files. As a matter of fact, the first time I ever saw Lucinda Williams, The Jayhawk opened for her. So, yeah, I've been aware of them for awhile.

But last night I was looking through the current No Depression "bookazine" and read a review of Ready for the Flood by Mark Olson and Gary Louris, which I guess, according to Amazon.com, is due out tomorrow. Remember: You heard it first here. Action Bob Markle at the forefront of the music world.

Anyway, The Jayhawks, and all those bands that aren't around anymore like Uncle Tupelo and Whiskeytown seemed to get what Gram Parsons was trying to do with country music, that those stoned-out hippies in Laurel Canyon couldn't figure out. Country rhythms with mature, poetic lyrics and a few sophisticated key changes--not shit about my pickup truck or tractor or all those freakin' bar songs and workin' and payin' the bills.

It's just nice stuff. Like this song, Angelyne. Don't expect to get your socks blown off. Expect your foot to start tapping and the song to stay in your head for a couple of days. Isn't that really all it's supposed to do?




Here comes the weather
It's looking like another storm
If all desire
Would leave this tired boy alone

Hopes haunt me like ghosts
They point their fingers
Grass grows in the cracks
Wind makes me shiver

Angelyne, forgive me
We threw it all away
You could never stand living with a man
Who could only lead you half way to love

I tried to fake it
But you wouldn't play along
I watched you naked
Innocent and holding on

Snowflakes make your bones ache in the winter
Your face will not fade, it will just linger

Angelyne, forgive me
We threw it all away
You could never stand living with a man
Who could only lead you half way
Angelyne, forgive me
We threw it all away
I could never fit into your plans
I'm nobody's man

Don't you tell me how to live my life
Don't you tell me how to live my life

Angelyne, forgive me
We threw it all away
You could never stand living with a man
Who could only lead you half way
Angelyne, forgive me
We threw it all away
I could never fit into your plans
I'm nobody's man

Blue Eyes

Sometimes I get upset when people treat me bad
I don't have time to think and so I get real mad
And I pull my hair and find somewhere where I can be alone
And when I do I think of you and head myself back home


CHORUS:
Where I got chores to keep me busy, a clock to keep my time
A pretty girl to love me, with the same last name as mine
When the flowers wilt, a big old quilt to keep us warm
And I got the sun to see your blue eyes, and tonight you're in my arms


Sometimes I get unwound when fancy cars drive past
Money don't get me down, though I can't make it last
And I bite my nails and if that fails I go get myself stoned
And when I do I think of you and head myself back home

New Madrid

What a great first line....all my daydreams are disasters....

BTW: New Madrid is the name of a major fault line south of St. Louis, kind of where Uncle Tupelo is from....




All my daydreams are disasters
She's the one I think I love
Rivers burn and then run backwards
For her, that's enough
They all come from New York City
And they woke me up at dawn
She walked with me to the fountain
And she held onto my arm
Come on, do what you did
Roll me under New Madrid
Shake my baby and please bring her back
'Cause death won't even be still
Caroms over the landfill
Buries us all in its broken back
There's a man of conviction
And although he's getting old
Mr. Browning has a prediction
And we've all been told
So come on back from New York City
Roll your trucks in at dawn
Walk with me to the fountain
And hold onto my arm
Come on, do what you did
Roll me under New Madrid
Shake my baby and please bring her back
'Cause death won't even be still
Caroms over the landfill
Buries us all in its broken back

Outdone

Now there's too many people trying too hard
Not to be outdone
They follow close behind their proud smoking gun

It's up to you and me whether to pay them any mind
Some people turn to tomorrow, and some, a bottle of wine
Remember back when there could be no wrong
It's different for everyone until it's gone

Now there's too many people trying too hard
Not to be outdone
They follow close behind their proud smoking gun
--Uncle Tupelo