Publish or Perish, Part 2

To P or Not To P

Back in mid-March I posted that I am contemplating the idea of self-publishing a book that would be a combination of my song lyrics along with photographs and/or images of some of my other artwork. Also included would be scans of the original pencilled out sketches of a given song.

Still meditating.

For the song Wore Out My Welcome, from the CD Dreams Are Strange, I’ve roughed out a first draft that would cover two pages. It’s a tale of a man who left his home and girlfriend to go to war and the consequences of his decisions. Based in Arizona, I included both Black Canyon City and Winkleman. Oddly enough, I jump started this song when I was watching some concert footage of John Hiatt and heard him say “glad I didn’t wear out my welcome” regarding being back in whatever town he was in. It stuck with me enough to jot it down and eventually write this song.

The photo above is of the abandoned Dog Track that I shot over a decade ago in Black Canyon City. The building has since been demolished. As I explained in a post in March titled Portraitville I was experimenting quite a bit with HDR (High Dynamic Range) photography. Another option may be to use the B&W version. Choices, choices…

Here are the lyrics and players followed by a link to listen to the song on SoundCloud.

Wore Out My Welcome

Raised in Black Canyon City
By my ma and sisters three
Married my childhood sweetheart
Meant to start a family
Instead I joined the army
To protect our way of life
While I was playing soldier boy
A man done stole my wife

I wore out my welcome, I wore out my clothes
I wore out the feelings from my head to my toes
Some say that there are better days ahead before I'm done
In the meantime nurse this whiskey in a bar in Winkelman

Now I'm working the night shift
Selling gasoline and beer
Today is just like yesterday
Tomorrow looming near
I can't take back the things I've done
Just step ahead in time
Try to keep my feet on solid ground
This lonely life of mine

Now I am an old man
I've seen folks come and go
Somehow I am still alive
My family's all below
The grass ain't getting greener
On this side of the hill
As I rest my feet 'til my next shift
Got a few years in me still

I wore out my welcome, I wore out my clothes
I wore out the feelings from my head to my toes
Some say that there are better days ahead before I'm done
In the meantime nurse this whiskey in a bar in Winkelman

Gary Mackender: Drums, Accordion, Vocals
Karl Hoffmann: Bass
Joe Fanning: Acoustic Guitar
Heather Hardy: Violin

And now, a moment of something…