I guess the main absurdity du jour is the fact that I'm back in town, reconnecting in a wonderful way with M, with the knowledge that at best we have a couple of weeks to enjoy eachother, build the bond, only to face a separation which looks like it will hurt a lot.... for both of us. So there's a little bit of a shadow lurking over the delicious time that we're spending together. And of course there's also the knowledge that early weeks and months in a relationship are so pheremonally (and phenomenally) awesome and it's not 'reality' (whatever the hell that is). So there is a subtext to the great 'connection' that we're both delighting in. Nothing is ever perfect, that's just the way it is. But if you can find some moments of bliss and wonder, that's a pretty good substitute, at least to this guy. I'm happy.
Hanging with my friends in the bar last night, after not writing a single song today. I have this crew of compadres that laughs a lot together, and it's such a great thing to have in a foreign place. Laughter is very high up on my list of 'wants', and I am drawn to it like a moth to a funny flame. I showed up late, and by the time I got to play some tunes, it was 'no PA, too late' so it was totally acoustic, a little tough on the voice, but oh well. Did a few songs with my buddies, and then I debuted my day old song 'Happy Finnish Girls'. Big hit, apparently. They jumped in on the chorus, laughed during the verses and we had to do it twice. My doppelganger buddy Harry got out of his seat to come close so as to hear the words, and his approval and laughter was a big plus. Ditto the percussionist, a 32 year old guy from Jersey who showed up for the first time last night and fit right into our crew. Funny, irreverent, musical, he's the youth movement apperently. He also loved the song.
Afterwords we were sitting around, cracking eachother up, and I had a guitar in my hands, and it was the kind of deal where songs can just leap into being from a comment or a statement. It must be like when the comedy writers would get into the room together to crack eachother up and make skits, one liners, jokes etc. It had that vibe to it, and since I can turn anything into an 'insta-tune', we came up with two little humor riffs, just based on our conversation. I made a couple of notes, not wanting to forget the ideas, and now today, I'll put in some hours and see if I can come up with the verses. It's a real organic process, springing directly from our words and laughter, and fuckin A, it's a fertile place to be. And now I can get to work and see if I can get some laughs tonight. Who knew I'd come to Thailand to work on my comedy writing career. And yeah, both ideas are kind of bawdy, one based on the line that 'you can see the hottest, greatest, most accomplished, nicest etc woman in the world and there is some guy who is tired of her shit'. It's a guy thing, and an old joke, but it feels like there's a tune in there. So I'll try and find out later today after M and I have some food and she goes back to her place for a nap before work. That's the current rhythm.
The other tune idea I'll hang onto for now, it sounds too dumb to write about until I can put some flesh on it...
But here's one I wrote during that spurt of creativity in the past few weeks. I started it as a guitar thing at the airport in Laos, just trying to find something new with harmony and technique. Specifically, I wanted to begin a song with a C chord, followed by a B7 chord which is an unusual starting point. The old standard 'I remember you' begins with that type of arrangement, but it's a rare juxtaposition, so I wanted to explore there. Came up with something I kinda liked, and when the plane landed in Hanoi and I was waiting for my ride, I pulled out the guitar in the airport there and kept at it, to the amusement of the passing Vietnamese. It was one of the fragments that was kicking around in my brain for a week, and then I put in some hours and hammered out some lyrics. I don't think it's totally set yet, but I shared it with my friends, and they liked the song and most of the lyrics. It's like a Fats Waller kind of thing, old school, similar to Honeysuckle Rose.
Because I want you
I'll do anything you want to
I know it's crazy
But it's just the way I feel
I'm being real
I'm a honey bee
Buzzing all around your honey tree
It's just amazing what your love
Has done to me
And if I'm dreaming
Please don't wake me up
You see me beaming
When I'm drinking from
Your loving cup
I've got the nerve to
Believe that I deserve you
And all I want to do is serve you
All of my love
Coffee time... and some rice soup for breakfast
