After a dry spell

[AnneS]

Mixing and managing the CD project, I seemed to hit a dry spell as far as playing and writing go. Although I've been playing more lately, new material hasn't been showing itself. But inspired by recent developments in the life of my friend Danyael (he's a 70-something Viet Nam vet who plays the electric guitar on Tribe), I snagged one.

 

Dan's as close to homelessness as I've ever had to witness, but his plan was to scrape enough money together to buy a small camper and then travel between various national parks to live out the rest of his days. (His health is somewhat compromised by COPD.) The practice, I'm told, is common among guys in his condition who have enough to keep up the insurance and registration on a camping vehicle and who can still drive. It's called "stealth camping" because, apparently, vets can camp for free for life at the national parks, for some set number of weeks--and then, as long as they pull out for a couple of weeks, they can come right back and do it again. Turns out, Dan says there are plenty of VA hospitals in close enough proximity to our national parks. A dubious return for their service, but it's something.

 

Anyway, with the help of our mutual friend (and my producer) Bob, Dan's getting his van this weekend. After a couple of tense months, he's quite a happy soon-to-be camper, and I hope this song is a worthy salute to him and to others like him out there.

 

Rest of Your Days (lyrics available at the link)

 

(P.S. Don't bother guessing which guitar I'm using...I'll spring that on you later.)

[chasAK]

Nice start on your new song. There are many many similar stories and each one of them is real. Try and stay in touch with Dan and try to help him from going over the edge.

 

chasAK

 

 

[jt]

Lovely!

 

Thanks for sharing this with us.

[kwalker201]

Well written song Anne. You have that special gift to tell a life story through lyrics.

[OldCowboy]

Compelling and close to home for far too many for whom Viet Nam has never actually ended.

[kelly campbell]

True

[Lars68]

I really liked that! The song has a nice drive and some wonderful lyrics.

 

Do you find that you "hear" new songs differently now, with your cd-project experience in mind? Maybe you think about arrangements and instrumentation in a new ways?

 

Also, did you learn something during the project that you think might affect the new songs you will eventually write?

 

Lars

[AnneS]

Thanks, all--

 

Yes, I'll be keeping in touch with Dan for sure. He'll be staying in the area until the fall, it looks like, so he won't be hitting the road just yet. He couldn't be happier it seems, now that he has a home of his own. Thanks, everyone, for your kind encouragements.

 

Lars, yes--it may be that there are some after-effects on my music-making generally, due to the CD project. All positive, I think, although there had been a little dry spell, as I mentioned. Overall, one beneficial difference is that, before, after writing a song, I could only sort of sense its potential; now, I can visualize it--can see it through the steps required to (maybe) reach its potential. Before, I was more like a mother hen ("each of you is so wonderful!") and now, I may be more like a teacher in a classroom, seeing special potential in a handful of kids.

 

I don't think my approach to or experience of writing will be different--but I think my "what happens next" experience will be keener, if that makes any sense.

 

I dunno, though--we'll see...

 

 

 

[Red 333]

Moving. More so with the understanding of the back story.

 

Red 333