• From: Starkville, Mississippi USA
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 2,069

Topic: "There Won't Be a Statue of Me"

While on lunch break the other day, I was sitting on a shady bench and found myself gazing at statue of a famous guy.  Seemed like good fodder for a country-flavored twanger . . .

There Won't Be a Statue of MeJames McCormick, September 16, 2007


A country-flavored twanger . . .


intro . . . [C] . . . [G] . . . [F] . . .


[G]Well, [C]every little town has a [Em]hero


A [F]paragon of [Dm]moral digni-[G]ty . . .


[G7]Some-[C]one all the kids can [Em]learn about in school


With a [F]statue in the [G]park for all to [C]see . . .


But there [F]won't be a statue of [C]me


There [F]won't be a statue of [G]me . . .


[G7]They still [C]laugh about what what happened, I'm [F]legendary . . .


But there [C]won't be a [G]statue of [C]me


[G]They say [C]truth is stranger than [Em]fiction


My [F]story is too [Dm]wierd to be a [G]lie . . .


[G7]You could [C]never fabricate [Em]details so bizarre


It's [F]way too ab-[G]surd to even [C]try . . .


No, there [F]won't be a statue of [C]me


There [F]won't be a statue of [G]me . . .


[G7]My [C]story's oft repeated with [F]great hilarity . . .


But there [C]won't be a [G]statue of [C]me


[G]It's [C]lucky that no one was [Em]injured


I'm [F]thankful that [Dm]nobody [G]died . . .


[G7]The [C]only thing that suffered was my [Em]dignity and pride


Most [F]people laughed so [G]very hard they [C]cried


No, there [F]won't be a statue of [C]me


There [F]won't be a statue of [G]me . . .


[G7]'Round [C]campfires and taverns the [F]tale is told with glee . . .


But there [C]won't be a [G]statue of [C]me


[G]Some [C]stories are told to in-[Em]spire


[F]Moral tales [Dm]told in tones of [G]awe . . .


[G7]My[C]story has a moral buried [Em]somewhere deep inside


But [F]people simply [G]laughed at what they [C]saw


No, there [F]won't be a statue of [C]me


There [F]won't be a statue of [G]me . . .


[G7]To [C]be a local legend is [F]not an easy thing . . .


And there [C]won't be a [G]statue of [C]me



[G]Some [C]stories need to be em-[Em]bellished


With [F]extra-added [Dm]stuff to drama-[G]tize . . .


[G7]My[C]story needs no frills, no [Em]extra little thrills


The [F]simple facts suf-[G]ficiently sur-[G]prise


Yes,there [F]won't be a statue of [C]me


There [F]won't be a statue of [G]me . . .


[G7]The [C]story will live on, there [F]really is no need . . .


There [C]won't be a [G]statue of [C]me


[G]Some [C]folks wait a lifetime for [Em]wisdom


[F]Treading ever [Dm]so cautious-[G]ly . . .


[G7]But in-[C]trepid fools like me get [Em]hard knocks constantly


I'm an [F]expert in [G]harsh reali-[C]ty


Yeah, there [F]won't be a statue of [C]me


There [F]won't be a statue of [G]me . . .


[G7]'Tis a [C]cautionary tale, I'm [F]sure you will agree . . .


Yeah, there [C]won't be a [G]statue of [C]me


[G]Well, [C]statues are carved for [Em]heroes


[F]People who have [Dm]made histo-[G]ry . . .


[G7]My[C]story is so popular, so [Em]embarrassing . . .


I'm a [F]favorite joke for [G]all posteri-[C]ty


Yeah, there [F]won't be a statue of [C]me


There [F]won't be a statue of [G]me . . .


[G7]No [C]monument erected for [F]all eternity . . .


Yeah, there [C]won't be a [G]statue of [C]me


[G]My [C]story has earned me recog-[Em]nition


Some [F]people might [Dm]envy my re-[G]nown . . .


[G7]But re-[C]member statues are for [Em]heroes . . .


They [F]don't build [G]monuments for [C]clowns


So, there [F]won't be a statue of [C]me


There [F]won't be a statue of [G]me . . .


[G7]Ial-[C]ready have plenty [Em]notoriety . . .


So, there [F]won't be a [G]statue of [C]me



"That darn Pythagorean Comma thing keeps messing me up!"
[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pythagorean_comma[/url]

James McCormick's Website

  • From: Almancil, Algarve, Portugal
  • Registered: 2006-09-02
  • Posts: 6,198

Re: "There Won't Be a Statue of Me"

James,

I loved this song. It weaves and interesting tale and plays very, very well. I just have one question.

WHAT THE HECK DID YOU DO? lol

Roger

"Do, or do not; there is no try"

Roger Guppy's Website

  • From: Starkville, Mississippi USA
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 2,069

Re: "There Won't Be a Statue of Me"

Hi Roger - Actually, the details of the humiliation were purposely left to the imagination.  I can think of many embarrassing events in my life . . . thankfully, none quite of the magnitude to become 'local legend'.  Glad you liked this one - James

"That darn Pythagorean Comma thing keeps messing me up!"
[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pythagorean_comma[/url]

James McCormick's Website

  • From: derbyshire
  • Registered: 2007-05-17
  • Posts: 2,843

Re: "There Won't Be a Statue of Me"

well james i was just waiting for the meaty bit but the was nothing to bite on ,come on spill the beans...

love is life ,life is for love,keep a true heart and live life to the full....stay cool

daddycool's Website

  • From: Upstate NY
  • Registered: 2007-07-17
  • Posts: 40

Re: "There Won't Be a Statue of Me"

Outstanding, James.  Just fantastic.

  • Registered: 2007-04-03
  • Posts: 3,489

Re: "There Won't Be a Statue of Me"

James McCormick!

How could you do that to us? I was like the rest just sucked in waiting for the story! See how good your writing is? "Thats To Clever" .
I need a Glass of wine after that one, Im all Twangered out!

Excellent James.

Old Doll.

Why Blend in with the Crowd ? When you were made to stand out !
  • From: Starkville, Mississippi USA
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 2,069

Re: "There Won't Be a Statue of Me"

I have added a recording of "There Won't Be a Statue of Me" to my MySpace Music page:
http://www.myspace.com/r200james
Thanks for all your encouraging comments!  James

"That darn Pythagorean Comma thing keeps messing me up!"
[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pythagorean_comma[/url]

James McCormick's Website

8 Reply by SouthPaw41L (edited by SouthPaw41L 2007-09-19 04:46:46)

  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 2,662

Re: "There Won't Be a Statue of Me"

James,

Enough with artistic imagery and 'left up to personal interpretation' stuff. You gotta let us know what you did.
I once drove my motorcycle into a telephone pole while looking back at a station wagon full of young gals from Tennessee. Lucky for me the folks who lived by the pole I hit were doing some remodelling to their home and had some sheet rock tilted against the pole I ran into. I escaped with only minor injuries to myself and motorcycle but my pride was almost totaled.
There, I told you mine now you tell us yours!

Have a Great Day,
SouthPaw41L(Toney)

Give everything but up.
  • From: Starkville, Mississippi USA
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 2,069

Re: "There Won't Be a Statue of Me"

Well, Toney - Years of intensive therapy and heavy medication have made the details a little fuzzy. . . .  No, actually I just latched onto the song idea while looking at the statue in the photo.  Seemed like it would be fun to write an 'anti-hero' song.  Since we all have embarrassing moments, I figured it would be a goog song topic.

Being a 'clueless geek' there are probably many things that I probably should be embarrassed about, but I'm way too busy having fun to much care.

That statue in the photo is of G.V. 'Sonny' Montgomery - he served in U.S. House of Representatives for many many years.  The 'Montgomery G.I. Bill' which funds higher education for military veterans was his brainchild.  He was an alum and a very good friend to Mississippi State University where I teach.

"That darn Pythagorean Comma thing keeps messing me up!"
[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pythagorean_comma[/url]

James McCormick's Website

  • From: Orpington London
  • Registered: 2006-10-22
  • Posts: 390

Re: "There Won't Be a Statue of Me"

if you carry on writing songs like this we'll might give you a statue, yet. where do you want it

reminds me of "act naturally" by vonnie morrison "their gonna put me in the movies, their gonna a big star outta me, they want a man whose sad and lonely  and all I've gotta to do is act naturally"

lets rock it up - we may not get a statue but what the heck

johncross21's Website

  • From: Texas
  • Registered: 2007-07-31
  • Posts: 950

Re: "There Won't Be a Statue of Me"

i was eating in lumberton at the casa ole one night, and i thought i kept hearing my name said behind me but i didnt recognize the people.... so i started eaves dropping and found that they WERE talking about me, relating to their friends some experiences they'd had with four crazy rednecks and a school bus......
so anyway i guess some of my antics were spread abroad. I hope they never make a statue of me because i know what it would have to look like lol
Nice song though, its always nice when i can relate to lyrycs smile

All You Need is Love smile

HannahBeth's Website