Tuesday, November 30, 2021

"WHEN YOU WERE CUTE AND I HAD ALL MY HAIR (Back-story, Lyrics, and Link to Song on YouTube)

Back-story:

Ideas for songs come from just about anywhere. Books, songs, movies, news articles, nature, family, friends, and events are just a few sources that come to mind. I have many ideas floating around in me, just waiting to come out. Some come out quickly, but some stay with me for a long time before they materialize. Here is one that took quite some time before it was ready.

In 2,000, Siobhan and I were playing at Fiddler’s Green, an Irish bar in Rochester, NY. Jim and Margie Hastings were there for dinner for the first time because they won a gift certificate to the restaurant. They stayed for the entire show, and we got to chatting with them for quite some time when the show was over. We connected and a friendship was born. At subsequent shows at Fiddler’s Green, Jim and Margie brought their four children, Pat, Kenny, Katie, and Dan, and it did not take long before we became part of the family.

As the years rolled on, Jim, Margie, and the kids continued to support our music at a wide variety of venues. One night, we were scheduled to play at Borders, a bookstore in Henrietta, NY. Jim, Margie, and their youngest son, Dan, came to see us, and when they got to the bookstore, we informed them we had been double-booked. The five of us decided to hang out together at another restaurant, and since Dan was with us and only ten years old, we Chose Chuckie Cheese so that he would have something to do while the adults chatted.

As Jim, Margie, Siobhan, and I chatted listening to the sounds of children playing games at Chuckie Cheese, Jim reminded Margie of some special event that occurred for them back before they were married. Margie could not recall this event, and Jim made several attempts to stimulate her memory. After failing several times, Jim, in total frustration, humorously said, “It was back when you were cute, and I had all my hair.”

For some reason, Jim’s comment became imprinted in my mind. I played around with it for several years, and finally it became the last line of a somewhat catchy chorus that depicts a man enjoying an evening by the fire with his wife after many years of a happy marriage.

After getting the chorus together, I had to develop a setting and story to support it. As with most of my songs, when they are ready to come out, they do, and this one was ready, and it flowed out within a day. The setting is merely a three-verse ballad of Jim and Margie’s life together with their four children. I knew it was a keeper instantly, and now all it needed was a melody and some chords.

To enhance the tone, mood, and theme of this Humorously charming upbeat ballad, it was essential to keep the chord progression simple and the tempo fast. So, that’s just what Siobhan and I did with her bass, my guitar, harmonica and vocal. After we put the song together, we went over to record the basic tracks with Rich Cooley, a neighborhood friend. Following this, we brought in two fine musicians, Perry Cleaveland and Bob Spadafora, to add some finishing touches. Perry with his mandolin and fiddle created some impressive sounds, and both Perry and Bob   added some terrific backup harmonies to the chorus.  Following this, Siobhan did an excellent job mixing and mastering the song on her computer, and she created a nice cover for the single.  Hope you have time to give it a listen.

 

Lyrics:

Verse 1

We met many years ago and life was simple then

The protest of the sixties had all come to an end

Bob Dylan and Pete Seeger had faded from our view

John Prine and Jimmy Buffett carved a life for me and you

We bought ourselves a little house with a few trees in the yard

There were cookouts on the back deck, evenings playing cards

Sitting around a campfire, singing old folk songs

We thought life couldn’t get better; then our children came along

We started out with twin boys, and oh they were a pair

They were followed by a sister with long blonde curly hair

Thought we’d try for one more girl to even up the score

But when the stork arrived, a little boy was at our door

Chorus

You know I like to sit here with you on these cold and wintery nights

Talk about the old times as the fire burns so bright

I like to sit and stare at you in your long underwear

And talk about when you were cute, and I had all my hair

Verse 2

The kids grew up so quickly; the years just disappeared

Through the good times and bad times, we smiled through our tears

We did the best we could to show them what was right and wrong

And when you can, we stressed to them; it’s best to get along

We listened to their music, watched them play their sports

We spent evenings and weekends on many fields and courts

Through all the wins and losses, we savored every game

We were destined to be in the Parents Hall of Fame

We went camping and skiing in places near and far

As we rolled along the highway, we sang songs in the car

And when the day was over at the setting of the sun

We’d sit around a table and relive all our fun

Chorus

Instrumental Break


Verse 3

Now it’s just the two of us in this empty nest

The kids are out there working trying to do their best

They stop by with the grandkids every now and then

To talk about the old times and what lies ‘round the bend

We’ve been through some changes; we’ve put on a few pounds

We’ve learned to roll much better with all the ups and downs

Your hair has turned from auburn to a silvery gray

I think mine might have too if it hadn’t gone away

And even with these changes, some things still remain

When I look deep into your eyes, it still drives me insane

And one thing that has always been and always will be true

The best day of my life is still the day that I found you

Chorus, twice

 

Here is a link to the song on YouTube. Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAMA_-JfXpQ&list=PLmaM3h4AoHN-pRSCzG9xMGkJuCeDDLaf4&index=28

If you Prefer, you can stream this song on all the major platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Prime, etc.