Before I went to the Rhett Miller Songwriting Is Magic camp 2024 I had written a song to perform at Open Mic. I'm nervous as hell doing solo acoustic stuff, which is weird because I'm generally not nervous on stage. Just me and a guitar on stage? Terrifying.
Anyway, my wife and I were seeing Jade Bird (she's brilliant, by the way. I recommend you check her out) locally and we met up with a friend of ours. He's been going through some serious health issues and offhandedly said “I count my life in summers” or something similar… and as I am wont to do I wrote that down in my notes app.
The result is a song called Summers.
I wrote it not only with the one who provided the line, but with my friend Bob Ford who recently passed away. Bob was my daughter's godfather, one of the first two people I met when I was first stationed at Pease Air Force Base way back in 1984, and the one who introduced me to Garage Rock. Bob didn't have an easy life, especially the last few years, but he was kind, caring, fucking hilarious, and I often hear his laugh rattling around in my brainpan when I hear something that is equal parts funny, disturbing, and very, very wrong.
Instrumentation includes Yurt Rock drums, and the Hummingbird, Gretsch and Thunderbird bass.
I did end up performing this at the open mic. And I did mess up a little near the end… I guess I need to get out to local open mics and build some confidence. Although local open mics are going to feature Shari singing because she's so much better at it than I am!
Link to the song
Lyrics
When you were young summer was magic
The air; aromatic
Sunshine; prismatic
The whole of the world was dynamic
I counted my life in summers
I counted my life in summers
Then you’re grown, slaving for the man
And the weather is hot as cayenne
Working on your summer tan
Always seemed like the best plan
I counted my life in summers
I counted my life in summers
I counted my life in summers
I counted my life in summers
Spring new birth
love and light
Summer full of life
Autumn to Winter
Seasons of Wither
Ashes to Ashes
we all fall down
into all joy can come the tragic
the world becomes more manic
The light of summers that were automatic
Will go dark, symptoms somatic
I counted my life in summers
Full of joy
I counted my life in summers
what a lucky boy
I counted my life in summers
too few left
I'll keep counting my life in summers
til I'm out of breath