So a while back, I planed a little motor trip to the cities
to see some friends and family. As always my car radio was tuned to music and
namely country western classics. Then I heard this. Willy Nelson, that old pony
tailed, weed smoker we all have learned to love, singing his latest song, “I Woke Up Not Yet Dead Again Today.” I
had to chuckle at the lyrics because maybe it was his answer to the rumors of
his death that floated around for a while. And maybe Willy just ran out of topics
for new country music songs to write. Maybe the last woman, who stole her
lover’s pickup truck with his dog in it while he was in prison and got hit by a
train, is finally history and there is no more to write about.
Willy, I ask you “whatever happened to having more of “Spanish Eyes” or that song I wanted to
sing at my Granddaughters wedding but she wouldn’t let me, called,” Here’s To All The Girls I’ve loved Before.”
How about “Blue Eyes crying in The Rain”
or “Seven Spanish Angels.” But wait maybe its not just your songs Willy. I
seem to remember Roger Miller singing about, “Roller Skating in a Buffalo Herd” and that no good “Lucille” leaving him with seven lonely
kids and a Crop in the Field, and right after he just became the “King of the Road.” Talk about a let
down. Maybe if he would have stayed home once in a while, huh?
Yes Willy, I have often wondered if Marty Robbins ever got
out of “El Paso” in his White Sports
Coat with that Pink Carnation, Or whatever happened to wicked Felina the girl
that he loved, or if Rosa’s Cantina is even still in business? I knew things
were getting bad when Ray Price started crooning “Burning Memories” and Jack Scott started singing “Burning Bridges” and the Platters, who
aren’t country by the way, got all upset because “The Smoke Gets in Your Eyes.” But like Ronnie Milsap said, it was
just “Too Late to worry” and “He was Just Too Blue to Cry.”
Maybe Willy as long as you’re still writing music and still
on the right side of the grass you could write a new song for all of us country
fans. How about a song that takes us back home again, down those country roads
like John Denver used to sing about back there in West Virginia along those
Blue Ridge Mountains. Maybe we could stop by Butcher Holler, its not that far away.
Sit on that that hill where Loretta grew up and watch the coal trains going
through. Maybe if we have time we could go see where Patsy grew up and where
she “Fell to Pieces” so many times
until it drove her “Crazy.”
Somewhere up in heaven there has to be a country music hall
of fame. Jimmy Reeves, Marty Robbins, Johnny Cash, Glen Campbell, Patsy Cline,
Tammy Wynette, and oh my how the list goes on. I’m betting there is no closing
time up there and the encores go on forever. I can see Minnie Pearl opening the
door and hollering “Howdy” to all who go there. Buck Owens with that big smile
just standing there “Acting Naturally.”
I’m betting there’s going to be a chair with your name on it too Willy but they
are just going to have to wait a while--- because this morning you woke up ”Not Yet Dead Again Today.”
No comments:
Post a Comment