Blues Poem

Here's a poem in the structure of a classic blues tune. We lost power at our house very early this morning, which made for a chilly breakfast. We only had to endure the cold for a few hours, but that was inspiration enough.


Cold Road Blues
Jim Haas

It’s cold outside
Cold as I’ve ever felt
I say it’s cold outside, honey
Cold as I’ve ever felt
Can’t even feel my toes
Don’t know when the ice might melt

Gotta leave for the coast, man
Tell my friends goodbye
Gotta leave for the coast
Tell my friends goodbye
Just seems inevitable
Though I don’t know why

Out on the open road
Drivin’ through the night
Out on the open road, baby
Drivin’ through the night
Can’t shake this crazy feelin’
That somethin’ just ain’t right

Radio is playin’
But I don’t hear a thing
Yes, the radio is playin’, people
But I don’t hear a thing
All I want to do is
Stare at the moon and sing

It’s a grey grey dawn
Sun hidin’ behind the trees
It’s a grey grey dawn, brother
Sun hidin’ behind the trees
Time to get our stuff together
Stop this prayin’ on our knees

Can’t stand the dust and dirt
Gotta stop this crazy race
Can’t stand the dust and dirt no more
Gotta stop this crazy race
Make a home in the mountains
Put a smile on your face.

Make a home in the mountains, yeah
Put a big smile on your pretty face

Music (short version)

Rob Hardy recently wrote about the importance of music as part of a well-rounded education, which got me to reflecting on the central role music has played in my life. I'm working on a long, boring essay on that subject which may or may not appear here someday.

In the meantime, I kindly draw your attention to four music-related links there on the right sidebar.

Fabchannel shows concert videos from the Paradiso in Amsterdam. It is a free glimpse into a much more multi-national venue than exists in this country. It's where I first learned of Ojos de Brujo and Walter Trout and the Radicals. High quality.

Songs:Illinois is a blog devoted to contemporary alt-country, indie rock, nuevo-folk, and a bunch of other cool musical stuff. Very nicely done.

Old Blue Bus has become one of my favorite daily blog stops. Ed from Richmond (VA, not CA) is a one-man encyclopedia of roots music. He opened my eyes and ears to Arhoolie Records, a label based in El Cerrito, CA (where I once ate a lovely meal at a golf club high in the hills overlooking San Francisco Bay). The Arhoolie catalog is full of classic blues from the pre-electric guitar days.

Drummerworld is just that -- everything about drums and drummers. Videos of famous drummers drumming, places to buy drums and drum music and drum records.

So listen or watch the samples on those sites...because I said so!