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The Talkin’ Unwritten Blues

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Mass Media Week

This week, apparently, is turnin into talkin’ blues week. I guess it’s pretty easy to write a talkin blues song about what’s happening out in the Entertainment Mass Media World.

Anyway, this is a song I wrote back in the winter of 2008, about February or so. It’s all about the Great Writers Guild of America Strike of 2007-2008. You can read about that here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007–2008_Writers_Guild_of_America_strike.

It was a pretty ridiculous thing if ya ask me.

Entertainment writers go on strike in 2007, inspiring the Talkin' Unwritten Blues.

So I wrote this song, because I heard all about it all over the news on television and radio and all that. If you missed hearing about it then you were probably locked in a dark box, or out living your own life.

A funny thing happened right after I wrote Talkin’ Unwritten and posted it up on Myspace; the Writers Strike ended. Just like that. I was kinda upset because I couldn’t really sing the song out at all. But I also took credit for ending the strike. So I guess it worked out for everyone.

What do you think, reader of my weblog?

Chicago Song, Listen

The Talkin’ CTA Bus Blues

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Mass Media Week

Here’s a song I wrote about the great CTA bus system back in the wintertime of 2009. I jotted it down after reading this newspaper article.

Now, I first read it in the Chicago Tribune, that great Mass Media Establishment of Reputable Degree, and I just kinda had to write a song. This one wasn’t a struggle at all. I think I remember I wrote it all in about 5 minutes and probably didn’t go back and edit it at all, except for a line or two.

You have to read it online, though, cause all the old papers have been burned up, so I couldn’t scan in the original.

A CTA bus running a red light. Yippee!
It’s perfectly okay for a CTA bus to run a red light.

I think I only played the Talkin’ CTA Bus Blues out once, maybe twice. The one time I definitely remember was right after I joined the Barehand Jugband and I played a quick “break set” in-between our multiple sets back when we had a regular show at the Horseshoe. Anyway, probably 3 people heard it that night. And the band doesn’t play at the Horseshoe anymore, at all, ever.

So, read that article and listen to the song and leave me comment if you’re feelin friendly.

Listen, New Song

If You Want It Baby

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New Song Week

If You Want It Baby is another last minute song. I let the day just slip away and now I’m tired. But I ain’t gonna just give in. I’m behind this week. Thursday is tomorrow already and I got nothing to post. It’s probably gonna be another late night.

But this song, for today, is done. It’s based on a melody similar to one that we play on several songs in the Barehand Jugband, most notably Sugar Puddin’, which is starting to become a really big crowd pleaser. Mainly because the girls singing it are struttin during the whole song.

Anyway. This song is like that one, but different because I wrote the words to this one and put them in a certain order.

Okay…that’s enough talkin about it.If you want it baby, come grab my joystick.

Listen, New Song

Leavin’ You

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New Song Week

I barely got this one done. I sat down at 11:18pm and churned it out. Was a real struggle today. I didn’t take a whole lotta time for to write a song and so I ended up puttin in a last gasp at the very end. That’s a terrible way to write. I’ve learned ya can’t wait around for inspiration to hit ya. There’s a quote by someone…Norman Mailer, maybe…floating around out there that goes something like, “Inspiration is for amateurs.” And that’s the truth. Ya gotta put it in t get it back out.

I didn’t put it in and so I’m left with this little blues song. I kinda started diggin it after the second verse, though. And I’ll probably work on this one a little. It’s got something going for it. Like a train engine. Like a trout.

Anyway, goodnight, sweet dreams. Here’s what I’ll be a-dreamin about:

I'll never be leavin' you, but if I do, it'll be on a Triumph.

See ya tomorrow for the next new song.

Listen, New Song

You’re All I Got

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New Song Week

So this week I’m gonna try to write a new song each day, Monday through Friday. I actually wrote You’re All I Got last night, so, really, I’ll be writing new songs Sunday through Thursday. Anyway.

This one is an attempt at a love song. I’ve been told my love songs aren’t really love songs at all. Maybe that’s true. But I tried really hard at this one. Maybe it counts. I can’t tell. I know I was feelin some love when I wrote it.

The melody came pretty easy and the words kinda fell right into place fairly quickly. I had a chorus, but it didn’t add anything new or interesting, and it wasn’t really a chorus. Maybe a bridge or something like that. A divider? Either way I cut it out, so I’m left with 4 short verses and a song that’s about one minute long or so. One minute is really easy to listen to, even though you’ve got so many other things to spend not very much time on.

No harp on this because it was late and I didn’t want to wake anyone up.

Let me know what ya think. And drop in tomorrow for the next new song.

Sometimes it feel like a pile of logs is all I got.