Hope Springs Eternal
Life is funny. We’re doing some last-day-of-the-year cleaning and my wife just found this card I drew nearly a quarter century ago. (I drew a few of these seasonal greeting cards back in the day; see another at the bottom of the post.) It feels even more appropriate now than it did at the dawn of the millennium.
I hope you’re doing something hopeful or helpful or restorative today. I’ll be playing a batch of my songs at a free vegetarian meal offered each Tuesday at Open Table MDI, a wonderful community-run kitchen for the many local Mainers struggling to make ends meet - even on Mount Desert Island, known mainly for rich summer people. For me, music is both helpful and restorative.
Here’s the title song from my one and only album (so far) - A Very Fine Line.
It’s a very fine line between winning and losing.
A very fine line between living and dying.
A very fine line between loving and leaving.
Most of your life you spend walking a very fine line.
Hitting five out of six Lotto numbers won’t win you a dime.
If that driver ahead is a nut you may soon be flying.
Girl’s out the door if you say right things at the wrong time.
Most of your life you spend walking a very fine line.
Chorus:
It’s a very fine line that you’ve got to walk.
Gotta watch every word when you make small talk.
Gotta watch every step or you’ll find yourself crazy and crying.
Most of your life you spend walking a very fine line. A very fine line.
It’s a very fine line between loony and sane.
A very fine line between a loss and a gain.
A very fine line between pleasure and pain.
Most of your life you spend walking a very fine line.
People you think are a genius are this far from bent.
President blows an election by half a percent.
We all know love hurts but we try it again and again.
We know that the line between love and despair is so thin.
Repeat Chorus
Bridge:
Winning and losing – a very fine line.
Living and dying – a very fine line.
Loving and leaving – a very fine liiiiine.
Loony and sane – a very fine line.
Loss and a gain – a very fine line.
Pleasure and pain – a very fine liiiiine…
from A Very Fine Line, released November 28, 2013
Credits: Joe Johnson on electric guitar (the whimsical slide licks were recorded on George Harrison’s birthday), Joel Diamond on keyboards, Al Hemberger on bass and Eric Starr, drums. Harmonies are by my friends from Motherlode Trio -- Stacy Labriola, Patti Pelican and Terry Textor Platz. I play guitar.
As promised, here’s another card:
Nicely done. Happy New Year!
I love the song. It’s a very fine line indeed.