This week I will offer up a few notes about some fine performers I saw during the week, then talk about one of my more established songs, and the lyrics therein.

I’ve been enjoying Indie Tuesdays at the Linsmore as often as possible, as it never fails to pleasantly surprise. Last week, I caught the irrepressible ex-Vancouverite Gary Edward Allen, he-of-three-first-names, as he opened the night. His set was characterized by solid performances of his own material, and top notch audience management, as a drunken patron kept singing the lines to Neil Young’s “Old Man” regardless of what Gary was playing. Safe to say, that got “old” real fast, but Gary was not thrown by this and deservedly put the heckler in place, firmly but politely…more or less. Here is a sample of his writing, a song called Hands.

He was followed by the delightfully top-hatted Sophia Radisch. She is a surprisingly mature songwriter for her age, and has a great voice, breathy at times for intimacy, and that she releases to full throated power for dynamic impact. If you check out her site linked above, you can hear studio versions of her songs, and see videos of them (one of them is imbedded below). She is also a busy actress. Where does she find the time? There are also videos of her right at the Linsmore so you can see and hear the same performance I did.

Félix and the Cats will be playing the same time and place as Sophia in just over a week, on Tuesday, October 25. For those who come (and please come!), you will hear this next song.

The instrumental part of Just Right for Me had been percolating for a many years as two overlaid simple bluesy guitar riffs. The idea just sat around unused.

Finally, something clicked for the chorus and I was able to put lyrics to it.

A disclaimer: I hope no one will perceive it as objectifying, something to which we have all been sensitized given “the Donald’s” idiotic pronouncements. Let me assure all this is not “locker room talk”, but it is Rock and Roll. In the end, the song is about, crudely perhaps,  finding the person who is your soul mate.

I have included two versions of it: the first in G with open tuning guitars, multi-layered as I wanted the two riffs overdubbed throughout the whole song. For practical performance purposes, I reset the song in standard tuning A, and minimized the overdubs so it would sound much more like the live version. I probably could have spent more time on the vocals :-\

Original version of Just Right for Me

Revised version of Just Right for Me

Just Right for Me ©2013

Verse 1
Some girls are fat with great big asses
Some girls are smart with great thick glasses
Some girls are fun, and love to play
Others won’t give you the time of day

Chorus
Oooh, when all’s said and done
Oooh, I know she’s the one
Oooh,……….she is just right for me

Verse 2
Some girls are vicious, with chains and whips
Some have delicious ruby red lips
Some superstitious with voodoo hexes
Others flirtatious with all their exes

Chorus and Solo

Verse 3
Some girls are anxious to please their man
Some are suspicious of all your plans
Some are ambitious for fame and riches
Others malicious, and downright bitches

Chorus – out

Until next week, be well!