1 (edited by Phill Williams 2015-12-11 21:12:40)

Topic: grave yard rocker

this is a kind of history of my early life in rock bands. the time line is not linear as events and rhyming don't naturally coincide. hope you like it anyway.

Grave Yard Rocker Undefined




(CHORUS)




[A] I'm getting old, so I [D] aint gonna rock and [A] roll no more.


Did you [D] hear what I said? I cant rock and roll when I'm [A] dead.


My [E] debts are paid, [D] I cant rock and roll from my [A] grave.




Well I'm [A] looking back, [D] all those years when I was [A] young.


[D] Times were hard, but playing music was [A] fun.


If I could [E] go back there, [D] boy oh boy would I [A] run?


[D] Searching all round for a place to play.


To [A] make some money, got rent to pay.


[D] Seems my friends didn't have the stuff.


[E] Gave in too soon saying [E7] enough is enough.


(CHORUS)




[A] Yes I'm thinking about, [D] all those gigs when I was [A] young.


We had to [D] buy a van, and a man to drive when he [A] can.



He ran [E] off with my girl, [D] that's no good for the [A] band.




[D] Getting new guys to make a new band.


But [A] everybody wants to be the front man.


[D] Never find a guy who can play the drums.


[E] Everyone who came turned out to be a bum.


(CHORUS > SOLO)




[A] Wrote some songs, [D] nobody cares when you're [A] rocking along.


[D] Guys made a fuss, went on tour in a [A] bus.


But the [E] bus broke down, [D] glad I never left [A] town.




[D] Dodging bullets, dodging tax.


They [A] tried to rob me of my Fender axe.


[D] In the end I made a sacred vow.


[E] Get on my own just [E7] like I am now.


(CHORUS)





Ask not what Chordie can do for you, but what you can do for Chordie.

Re: grave yard rocker

I would love it if you gave it a listen then leave a comment here, click the link below....thanks


https://soundcloud.com/iphillfine/graveyard-rocker2

Ask not what Chordie can do for you, but what you can do for Chordie.

Re: grave yard rocker

Nicely written Phill and a very  good solo ,for me I would have edited it to about three mins  twenty  but that just the sort of length I write a rock n roll song  .Good content with a country feel.Well done again

Re: grave yard rocker

hi grah, thanks for the listen. i was about to omit the last verse, well there wasn't a last verse but i had more to add to fill in the picture. i suppose i could have left the solo or a chorus or two out but i just record guitar and vocal as the song goes, then add other tracks till i think it's done, so track length isn't an issue...it is what it is, it could have come out at 2 minutes and that's what it would have been, if you see what i'm getting at?

i didn't think of it as a country song though. thanks for the comments, always glad to hear constructive critism

Ask not what Chordie can do for you, but what you can do for Chordie.

Re: grave yard rocker

Good song phill,thanks for sharing .

my papy said son your going too drive me too drinking if you dont stop driving that   Hot  Rod  Lincoln!! Cmdr cody and his lost planet airman

Re: grave yard rocker

I like it phill. I'm gonna have to loosen up these old fingers and give it a try.

Live in the "now" - a contentment of the moment - the past is gone - the future doesn't exist - all we ever really have is now and it's always "now".

Re: grave yard rocker

Nothing like the trusty 12 bars when you need to tell a "story", right, my friend? smile

This is another one of those songs which make me say, "He's been readin' my mail", because almost all the verses in it made me nod and shake my head "uh-huh" accompanied with a wry grin.

We had one of those "bums" and although he wasn't a drummer, he was our fantastic lead guitarist and many's the time we had to bond him out of jail when we needed him for a gig. He had a drinking problem and the more he drank the better he got - did you have one of those?

Anyway, luckily our lead singer happened to be a Deputy Sheriff, so it was no problem getting him out long enough to play, then put him right back. One night, he went to what he thought was a partial glass of whiskey left behind undrunk which he proceeded to drink down - cigarette butts and all. He got sick all over my drums.

So yeah, your song hits home pretty well for me my friend. More comments left for you on the Cloud.

Thanks, Phill! smile

Your friend,

Bill

Epiphone Les Paul Studio
Fender GDO300 Orchestral - a gift from Amy & Jim
Rogue Beatle Bass
Journal: www.wheretobud.blogspot. com

Re: grave yard rocker

Good sing, Phill, and well performed. I personally like songs that are well-developed, even though that might be a performance obstacle ... depends on the audience, I guess.

Re: grave yard rocker

Phill

Love it... length doesn't matter to me -    if it's good, the listener will be tapping that foot and singing along. ( as I was)
Pretty cool story; not being a musician and never having played in a band - it is so interesting to me to hear about what happens between band members.  I would imagine it's difficult to manage so many factors - egos, abilities, schedules, commitment, who's songs get played etc.....

I think this song would be a great catalyst for discussion as many of the Chordians probably have played in bands. I'd like to read some of there comments regarding those experiences - both good and negative.

Thanks for another inspirational tune !!

ROCK ON FRIEND - Loving it !

JIM

Your vision is not limited by what your eye can see, but what your mind can imagine.
Make your life count, and the world will be a better place because you tried.

"Use the talents you possess, for the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except only the the best." - Henry Van Dyke

Re: grave yard rocker

A good foot tapper Phill. Well recorded and performed as usual.
As you say it is what it is a decent 12 barrer (is that word) song.
well done.

Re: grave yard rocker

Phil, nice song and you performed it really well. So many thoughts went thru my head as I was listening. I understand Graham's country comment because I was thinking Rock-a-billy. But I first heard a Roy Obison kind of vocal than I could almost hear John Lennon singing it. Then I thought what if Keith Richards did it . I'd love to hear Keith's version. Love it.

    Joe

Re: grave yard rocker

joe, rockabilly never occurred to me, when people say country i think of jambalaya etc! i like the way you link me to all those dead people smile as a coincidence, i played a gig last night with a rockabilly 3 piece; guitar, double bass and drums. from what i heard they were very good, i was in another room doing my set.

hi ark, i don't know why it came out as a 12 barrer (if it wasn't a word before it is now) strangely for me, i actually like the song myself.

jim, "length doesn't matter to me" funnily enough the wife tells me the same thing.....:lol: all the mini stories are true events one stand out is when the band bought a trip bus/ coach (i don't know the americanism) which broke down on the way to spain and the guys were stuck there for several months. we were meant to be leaving on christmas eve, not when you have a wife and kids....maybe i was short of commitment?

TF, thanks for the listen and comment.

bill, how did you know that i've been reading your mail? lol we had a few drummers, one fell asleep during "summertime blues" he was well lubricated that night. by front man, i'm referring to the guys that wanted to stand up front and do all the chat and announcing because they thought they it was easy, till they made a complete fool of themselves (not exactly the wording i would have used on FB, but were not on FB)

bluejeep and dino, thanks for the listen and comments. it's an awful temptation to get all snooty and stick some clever chords in, but i'm happy with the way it turned out.

thanks to everyone for listening and commenting.

phill

Ask not what Chordie can do for you, but what you can do for Chordie.