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New Song: It’s too hard to make you agree

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No Theme Week

Here’s a song I wrote Sunday night. I was just kinda working around on the guitar and a part came out and then some words just kinda happened. No long knock-down, drag-out with this one. I’m not sure what it’s about or why I wrote it, but here it is.

And I’m not really sure of a theme for this week. Maybe just “No Theme.” Songs that don’t mean anything, that I didn’t write about anything in particular. Usually, though, that kind of song is one that I listen to again after a couple weeks and it kinda knocks me over cause then I can see from the outside what the song’s really about (at least to me). I guess, right away, I’m too involved in getting it written, making sure all the words are there and all the parts fit, to make much sense of what it’s all about.

Not for every song, though. Some I know exactly what I’m setting out to do and why. Those are actually probably harder to write. Mainly because I’ve got a really great idea and if it doesn’t come together right away it’s a little discouraging. Like if I can’t find the right rhythm or the right chord order or mostly the right words to say what I know needs to be said.

But, anyway, that’s probably an explanation for another week. No Theme Week is about nothing and the road to nothing and the road away from nothing.

Here’s to nothing. I hope all your days of this week are filled with nothing but nothing.

Later…

Chicago Song, Listen

The Talkin’ Tax Blues

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Mass Media Week

Here’s a song about tax I wrote just about exactly 2 years ago. I guess 2 years ago I was really upset about something to do with the city of Chicago and a bunch of talkin’ blues songs came spilling out of me whenever I read or heard about what was going on.

I’ve expanded my boundaries a little bit lately.

Although, I do have a new album of Chicago-inspired songs. I plan to have the songs available for download and purchase, but, apparently, that takes a lot of technical know-how. Anyone ever told you about a FLAC file? Or bit rate? Or pixel laxness?

Anyway, eventually it’ll be up on CDBaby and itunes and all that mess.

For now, though, you can get an album from me out at one of my shows. Next one is this Saturday, 8/14, at Jerry’s in Wicker Park.

But, this song here. I ain’t got much to say about it. I’m not that mad anymore, I guess. It was just something I read in the newspaper again and I wrote this song. Don’t mean nothing. Cause I know there’s a lot of people now-a-days that’s getting all worked up about taxes and government. I ain’t one of them though. I like black coffee. I like to be regulated. I like to be a hypocrite and admit it.

Pay your tax, okay? They support the things that you use in this country.

See ya.

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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

New Song: John Wayne

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Mass Media Week

This week’s songs will all be about subjects that I encountered when being entertained by mass media. So, songs I’ve written after reading newspaper articles, hearing radio stories, seeing art installations, feeling television pulses, inputing keyboard maneuvers.

This new song, today, is one I wrote after seeing the movie “McLintock!” starring John Wayne as some sort of cattle barren in the Old West. It was a really ridiculous movie. I saw it just this past Saturday night at about 1am after biking back from a Barehand Jugband show on North Hooker Street on Goose Island. I think the basic premise was something about how settlers were afraid to move into John Wayne’s community because there was a strong Native American presence. (Note, that in the movie the Native American’s were referred to as “savages” and portrayed by actors as drunk idiots.) John Wayne (McLintock) had no problems with the Indians, though, and even seemed to like them a little bit, or was maybe just amused by them.

Anyway, John Wayne was having trouble getting people into his new settlement, and then his estranged wife shows up with her full bouncing bosom and loud mouth, telling him that she wants to take their daughter with her someplace. (Note, that this is the first mention of any daughter.)

Then John Wayne punches out a guy that he’s hiring into his cattle company and so the guy becomes his good friend and let’s John Wayne taste his mother’s biscuits, which are the best biscuits John Wayne has ever had (although I thought they looked a little small). John Wayne then meets this guy’s mother, who turns out to be a complete knock-out-fully-loaded-babe. So John Wayne hires her as his new cook and makes his old Asian cook “retire.” (Note, that the Asian cook is played to be a crazy little man who speaks in broken English and is always angry about something, but who loves and respects his Big White Master, in this case, played by John Wayne.)

Then there’s a big fight scene in a mud pool.

And then I wrote this new song and went to bed.

I like the music for this song, the words may just be there as place-holders for some other song. Who knows.

Also, my two new albums, “It’s Chicago” and “Andrew Francis,” are due to arrive on Tuesday, August 10. I guess that’s when they “drop.” I’m not having any kind of big-time CD release show, but I am playing at Jerry’s in Wicker Park this coming Saturday (August 14) at 10pm. I’ll have the albums there for sale. I’ll also have them for sale this week at Gallery Cabaret during the open mike on Thursday. They’ll be available for a special discounted price. And, of course, they’ll be available for purchase through itunes and CDBaby.

Okay, that’s enough marketing….see ya.