Hey Mama, I'm Writing The Same Song As You

"I told him it was not the perfect country and western song because he hadn't said anything about momma or trains or trucks or prison or getting drunk." You Never Even Called Me By My Name

One of the rewards for donating money to our project was that for $100+ I'd write you a song with the title and style of your choice. My mom was one said donor although unsurprisingly she didn't really care what song I made. I like to think that 'hey mama' is kind of country-- I do mention 'mama' and 'mexico' in the same song-- however Ben thinks it's more folk. In any case, here's the song for my mom that she'll probably be just as pleased with as anything else I make. Thanks for loving me so unconditionally. Sorry my propensity for sad bastard lyrics didn't fail me here either.

Ben and I started work around 2:30. Prior to going to Ben's house (a recording paradise: all wood, no neighbors, and no direct sunlight,) Logan and I spent half an hour or so by the river where I came up with the music for this track. I'd been carrying around this line "Hey Mama, I'm writing the same song as you" for awhile but didn't really quite understand what it meant--personally or in any larger context. I don't know how other people write lyrics but I usually build mine from a line or two into something larger. I rarely, if ever, think of a theme/story in its entirety beforehand.

This song poured out. I played the tune for Ben, he picked up his mandolin and we arranged this thing in about ten minutes. Every time I got stuck on a lyric, he'd swoop in with a really good one like 'even worse the places I always end up' or "but for now found some friends/ don't know when I'll be back again." When I couldn't figure out how to sing over the Am-D-C bit before the chorus, he fit the lyrics in with ease. I like the way our voices sound together. He fills out my clean tenor with his smoky tenor. Monday night, I walked into the Under the Hill Saloon while he was playing 'Crazy' by Gnarls Barkley solo on guitar--something I've recently attempted-- and I knew we'd be able to work something nice out.

Ben's playing mandolin, trumpet and singing. I'm playing guitar, harmonica, singing and shaking the sugar container. The great joy I felt when he suggested we add trumpet after the line about Mexico. Logan experienced that joy too. There was lots of laughing. (Thinking about it a little more now, It was Ben's idea to use Mexico as one of the places in this song. Maybe it was his scheme along.)

I am, again, amazed at my collaborator's graciousness and willingness to help us on our crazy adventure. I wish there was a way I could plug Ben's shit on the interweb but if you want to hear him you're just gonna have to come on down to the Under the Hill Saloon in Natchez, MS. I think that Ben Lewis and The Brood could write an album together. We'll get to all the topics from David Allen Coe's speech and tastelessly use trumpet on every track.

hey mama, I'm writing the same song as you