snare hot rod/closed hat stick | notes G C
Jack dog and the blue rabbit Running through the park at night
Jack dog told the blue rabbit Everything’s not gonna be all right
Jack dog and the blue rabbit scampering underbrush
Jack dog told the blue rabbit don’t be in such a rush
Jack dog and the blue rabbit cross the bridge at a quickened pace
Jack dog told the blue rabbit this is not the human race
D C
Jack dog told the blue rabbit everything he ever knew
Jack dog and the blue rabbit running through the atmosphere
Jack dog told the blue rabbit we have nothing to fear but fear
Jack dog and the blue rabbit plunging into the sea
Jack dog told the blue rabbit you and me
Jack dog told the blue rabbit everything he ought to do
Jack dog and the blue rabbit Running through the park at night
Jack dog told the blue rabbit Everything’s gonna be all right
Maybe it’ll be all right
I think it’ll be all right
All right
Jack dog and the blue rabbit (x3)
running Jack dog running Jack dog
running
This grew its own legs and ran through my head. I don’t know what it’s about.
Dm C Bb Aarpeggiated
When the very last sunset fades from the sky
When the last few stars flicker and die
When gravity ceases to hold you and I
I will still love you
When the things we believed have come true as they should
When all that we hope for and all that is good
Have done everything that we knew they would
I will still love you
When time has no meaning, no slow, no fast
When history circles and future is past
When the universe trembles and breathes its last
I will still love you
As much as I miss the greens and whites of northern Wisconsin, I’ve long been in love with the purple orange sunsets of the Arizona desert.
This song owes much to The Sons of the Pioneers, especially by way of Michael Nesmith’s album Tropical Campfires and the songs Moon Over the Rio Grande and Twilight on the Trail.
tenor reverb
as the last rays of the sun spill pink and orange into a purple sky
stony grey encircles lazy flames that flicker yellow-red
cerulean and sage fade into the quiet of the night
twinkling dewdrops stitched across the royal velvet quilt overhead
unhurried now we nestle in the glowing warm as day is done
shorter days and colder nights, a slower rhythm to our day
simple food and quiet talk till silence crackles in the fire
nodding heads let dreaming gently take our hand and lead us on our way
our blankets bring a balm that soothes and wipes away the aches
the sweetest sleep falls over those who know their work has all been done
when we awake tomorrow we’ll start afresh and journey down the trail
for now we’ll rest beneath the purple sky left by the pink and orange sun
for now we’ll rest beneath the purple sky left by the pink and orange sun
Another 6-minute wonder (that is, about 6 minutes to write.) I spent 5 of them searching in vain for one more word that rhymes with dreams, then rearranged it so I didn’t have to.
When the subject is my Best Beloved, it just isn’t that hard. I’ll never know if they’re any good because I don’t care as long as they make her smile.
capo 4 A 1-5-4
The music begins You take my hand
Every step Carefully planned
Move round the floor Floating, it seems
Dancing with you In my favorite dreams
A walk on the beach Holding your hand
Sun in your hair Toes in the sand
Out on the waves Sunset gleams
Walking with you In my favorite dreams
My favorite dreams Come true every day
They all start with you And end the same way
In beautiful colors Or shades of grey
My favorite dreams Come true every day
I’m older than dirt You’re not far behind
But I love you for more Than your beautiful mind
Sitting together My heart still steams
Holding you close In my favorite dreams chorus
Am
water wears away the stone G
endless flowing flowing on and on Am
river wears it to the bone G
stone wears the water when it’s gone
Am there’s a sun up in the sky G
yeah a sun up in the sky E water wears the stone
wears it to the bone Am E but there’s a sun up in the sky
salty simmer underneath the lid
bubbles over every now and then
kitchen smells of things that can’t be hid
two fists open up and count to ten there’s a sun up in the sky
yeah a sun up in the sky
leaking from the lid
things that can’t be hid
but there’s a sun up in the sky
greyest cloud is water and dust
beyond the cloud the sky is always blue
all the trees and plants and flowers trust
colors of the rainbow are all true there’s a sun up in the sky
yeah a sun up in the sky
people made of dust
can be so hard to trust
but there’s a sun up in the sky
repeat verse 1 and chorus
When writing about deep emotional trauma inflicted by those we should have been able to trust it helps to keep abstracting until there are no emotion words left, only the images they evoked.
A few years ago, memories of some childhood trauma surfaced and messed me up for a while.
intro GGm
sunset shadows sharp against the red Cm Gm
wisp of washed-out cloud snagged on the peak Cm Gm
watching silent up above the sand D Gm
silent, but listen to it speak
Cm Gm
that mountain everywhere I go
that mountain everything I know
that mountain sunset bleeding red D Gm
that mountain can’t get it from my head
above the cactus, long and low and jagged
to the north and to the east it owns the sky
storm clouds rumble down along the range
nestle on its back and cry
chorus
D Gm
no superstition keep your gold
I’ve heard every lying story ever told
tell you mine ’cause I know Cm D
I can leave here anytime I want to go
chorus begins on Gm
D Gm
that mountain can’t get it from my head
This one, specifically:
Phoenix’s east valley is dominated by the Superstition Mountains, a range that, unlike the Rockies, is a great square block of jagged peaks for miles. The one in the photo is the edge, looming over Apache Junction.
hot rod stick click capo 3, come in on ‘hope’
I hope that you like pancakes and I hope that you like eggs cause I kinda like your big blue eyes and I know I like your legs
there’s method to this madness and hunger in my plan
I wanna fix you breakfast every morning if I can
do you like bacon? cause I like bacon
I hope that you like coffee cause I do
I hope you wake up hungry every morning just like me
cause I wake up hungry every day for you
crispy waffles or fried potatoes
either one’s a winner picking one and you sorta lose
maybe we can find a way to mix ’em both together
our famous tater waffles will mean no one has to choose chorus
I’ve got this recipe for brussel sprouts
now hang on, hang on, hang on, just hear me out
cut ’em up and blanch ’em quick towel ’em off a bit
fry ’em up in bacon grease and crunch away your doubt chorus
beer is not traditionally a breakfast food
but you know what Emerson said about little minds
quesadilla with two fried eggs homemade salsa and lime
shot of tequila and a beer it works all kinds chorus
Hillbilly marriage proposal.
Yes. The answer is yes.
bass notes
D A D A G D G D
I hope that you like pancakes and I hope that you like eggs A E A E D A A E
cause I kinda like your big blue eyes and I know I like your legs D A D A G D G D
there’s method to this madness and hunger in my plan A E A E A E A [hold]
I wanna fix you breakfast every morning if I can
D A D A G D G D
do you like bacon? ‘cause I like bacon A E A E D A A E
I hope that you like coffee cause I do D A D A G D G D
I hope you wake up hungry every morning just like me A E A E D A D A
cause I wake up hungry every day for you
crispy waffles or fried potatoes
either one’s a winner picking one and you sorta lose
maybe we can find a way to mix ’em both together
our famous tater waffles will mean no one has to choose
chorus
I’ve got this recipe for brussel sprouts
now hang on, hang on, hang on just hear me out
cut ’em up and blanch ’em quick towel ’em off a bit
fry ’em up in bacon grease and crunch away your doubt
chorus
beer is not really a breakfast food
but you know what Emerson said about little minds
quesadilla with two fried eggs homemade salsa and lime
shot of tequila and a beer it works all kinds
chorus, then A E A E D [pause] A D cause I wake up hungry every day for you
intro Em Em
in the jungle deep and dark and fusty F D Em
where one’s boots and helmet often become musty
in the desert where the winds are gusty F D Em
and the everlasting dust is oh so dusty
it’s important for trav’lers far and near F D Em
to be able to get from there to here
my successful return year after year F D G
can be ascribed to knowing which course to steer
F D
where deserts winds have skirled G Em
or oceans oysters pearled F D Em
into whatever setting one is hurled F D
I like to keep it furled G Em
so the edges don’t get curled F D Em
my laminated map of the world
in the daytime it will always put you right
in valley green or on the mountains white
its value’s undiminished by the night
because, of course, you’ve brought along a light chorus
on a journey, when brigands are about
don’t blanch in fear or give way to doubt
a map can turn retreat into a rout
when it’s wrapped around a cudgel good and stout chorus
my laminated map of the world
my laminated map of the world
I wanted to write a follow-up to my 12-minute epic Arabic trance mandolin piece from a few years ago.
This feels a bit like ordering whiskey and getting lemonade. I like lemonade, once I roll it around in my mouth a wee bit. Still ain’t whiskey.
C F G
you were a little bit older
and a whole lot bigger than me
a little more fun more popular than I’ll ever be
only thing you cared about was a football score
‘fore the bell finished ringing you’d be out the door
to rehearsal or practice whatever you call it
that Friday I was walking home from school
you and your buddies thought that it would be cool
to knock me down and make off with my wallet
made fun of my girlfriend threw her picture away
chased me all the way home and buddy right to this day
there’s a scar inside of me I’ve always kept carefully hid
when you knocked me down it didn’t leave a mark
so you’ll never know there’s a pain in my heart
to think that anybody would treat me the way that you did
sometimes I pretend you grew up all right
but once in a while I lay awake at night
and try to tell myself
that we were just a couple of kids
you were a little bit older
and a whole lot bigger than me
I had a really hard time as a kid, in school, at home, pretty much anywhere; there was always someone bigger and harder than me and it took me half a century to figure out how to stay out of their way.
