Saturday night it happened to Greg Joseph at Club Cafe.
About 25 minutes into his set, and just after he put down the big orange guitar and picked up the shiny metal guitar, he tuned it, played a few notes, and started singing a very insightful song about the rash of high school shootings that made the news. The song is called "The List"
"You made my list. I hold it tight"
He paused.
"Oh shit. I forgot the words. I always mess up this song," he said.
From my seat, just to the left side of the stage in front of where Rob James would later join his Clarks bandmate to play guitar, harmonica and add some backing vocals, I pulled the camera down for a minute and said, "It's hidden deep inside my books. I add to it every night."
"Yeah, that's it. Thanks," he said, sheepishly grinning.
And started the song over.
I love the song ... it's one of those great "kid who got picked on" songs ... and there were times in school when I was that kid, so on some level, I can identify with it.
And that identity is often what makes a song great to someone.
Which is why I love that album like I do. It's full of songs that I can identify with. Love, loss, fun, and even a song about driving through the south.
And I've got a couple of tales about driving through the south, police officers and dumb things I've said.
But those are for later days.
Later in the show, Greg and Rob were tossing out some classic Clarks songs, and a few select covers, including "Down Under" by Men At Work.
It's funny how sometimes an acoustic cover of an 80's tune can make you remember how good - and how bad - a song is at the same time, eh?
Now I'm off for a bit of a vegamite sandwich.
(No, not really. Going for a salad at Panera. Vegetables, vegamite ... not really the same, other than some letters)
So I'll leave you with another song off the album I identify with ... "Liquid World"
Liquid World
Caught you searching for answers
At the bottom of a glass
On a two legged bar stool, that teeters between
Yesterday and the past
Always cast out as the victim
Bring your tears and violins
Only one piece I offer, to you as my friend
This is life and how you win
I’ve been stand up, knocked down
rolled around
In my liquid world
I’ve been kicked to the ground
But I’ll never stand down
I will rise up, stand up, run wild
In my liquid world
This is my liquid world
Hear you’re fighting some new battle
There’s nobody on the other side
Except for your demons and fears, screaming in your ears,
Make a mess of your mind
Caught you running toward disaster
Riding rough, crashing in
When there’re six lanes of traffic, only four lanes of road
You back it up, you start again
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