ANALYZING A SONG
Those of you that know me know that I have two loves; telling a story and singing a song.
Some songs have no message worth telling. The Beatles once had a song called She Loves You.
If you just concentrated on the title, you would think there would be somewhat of a story in the song. However, the song consisted of the words She Loves you yeah yeah yeah and the next
line was She loves you yeah yeah yeah and so on. Even a non-musical genius could remember
the words yeah yeah yeah.
Country Music is a mix of happy songs and tearjerker songs. Now Roger Miller had a string of songs that were happy and carefree. Walking in the Sunshine is one of my favorites. Put a smile upon your face as if there's nothing wrong. Sing a little sunshine song. Happy and sometimes comical like his song "Hang Me" or Doo Wakka Do or King of the Road. He was magical with lyrics but like so many before him , he left us, he got involved with drugs and died too soon. He could have become a musical genius with his ability to put words together with insightful songs such as Husbands and Wives. England Swings put a smile on many faces. You can't roller skate in a buffalo herd which I would not have tried even with a few drinks in me. Daddy used to sit on the back porch and sing : Keep on the Sunny Side. Cheer up My Brother, Walk in the Sunshine.
A while back, I wrote a story about how a song affected me. Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show
sang "Sylvia's Mother". Most love affairs have a mother involved. Even the song, "You never
even called me by my name (A good beer drinking song) Steve Goodman, John Prine and David
Allen Cole all mixed together. Steve Goodman died way to young but from cancer instead of
drugs. City of New Orleans is a classic.
Anyway, I have always liked Gene Watson. Just a plain old country boy who loved to sing. Who
has not heard his song Farewell Party? One of his songs that touched me lately was a song called
Full Time Fool. I would like to share my feelings about the song which reminded me of another song
called "Ruby don't take your love to town or Johnny Cash's Sun Records side B of a Young Cowboy named Billy Joe who did not listen to his Mama and took his guns to town which reminded me of
some Merle Haggard songs such as Lonesome Fugitive and Mama Tried.
Anyway, I digress as I usually do. So, here goes my analysis of the story in the Gene Watson song
Full Time Fool which goes as follows:
[Verse 1]
What time are you coming home?
You sure look pretty in your new satin dress
I'll miss you the minute you're gone
Don't worry 'bout me 'cause I'll be on my knees
The moment I turn out the lights
And I'll pray that the dreams I'll be dreaming of you
Don't turn into nightmares tonight
[Chorus]
I love you come hell or high water
I know you can't help what you do
I wonder if I'm part-time crazy
Or am I a full-time fool?
[Verse 2]
Where are you going tonight, Mary Ann?
I'll keep a light in the hall
It's better to know that you're mine now and then
Then never to have you at all
I'll keep on living my life just for you
So love me whenever you can
You're not a one man's woman
But I'm just a one woman's man
- (This is a little twist on Country Music. Usually, it is the man who goes out and leaves the wife at home. Like Jerry Lee Lewis' song: "What Made Milwaukie Famous. It's late and Babies waiting and I know I should go home." Of course there is Ruby who took her love to town.)
What time are you coming home?
You sure look pretty in your new satin dress
I'll miss you the minute you're gone
The moment I turn out the lights
And I'll pray that the dreams I'll be dreaming of you
Don't turn into nightmares tonight
I know you can't help what you do
I wonder if I'm part-time crazy
Or am I a full-time fool?
Where are you going tonight, Mary Ann?
I'll keep a light in the hall
It's better to know that you're mine now and then
Then never to have you at all
I'll keep on living my life just for you
So love me whenever you can
You're not a one man's woman
But I'm just a one woman's man