if you were some whisky I'd taste you
if you were lots of money I'd waste you
if you were an outline I'd trace you
and fill you in again
if you were lost, I would find you
if you were tired of looking I'd blind you
if you'd forgotten, I could remind you
that some girls are worth fighting for
and if you came to my door,
I'd let you in without hesitation
even though all my lovers before
have failed to meet my great expectations
I've been a fool for so many men
there's really no reason not to do it again with you
with you
if you were sleepy I'd be your pillow
if you were weeping I'd be your willow
if you needed a chariot I'd swing low
and take you home again
(chorus)
(repeat first & second verses)
and if you came to my door,
I'd let you in without hesitation
even though all my lovers before
have failed to meet my least expectations
I've been a fool for so many men
I'm really quite eager to do it again with you
with you
___
I still remember the day that I wrote this...it was on a rainy spring day, and I was walking down Hartrey in Evanston, on my way to work. The first line used to be "if you were a raindrop I'd taste you" which seemed sort of schmaltzy compared to the other lines that followed, so I changed "raindrop" to "whiskey" and thus made some sort of local history...
Something about this song--be it melody, or lyric, or my performance of it--seems to speak to people, and affect them deeply. All I really wanted to do was write a love song--a seduction song, really; this song was supposed to turn a boy's head and cause him to notice me--that was a bit, well, subversive. Some of the things the "I" would do are a little...um...well, "if you were tired of looking I'd blind you"? Take it as you will. I wanted to express that I'll pretty much do anything for love, as long as I get to do it in my own quirky, humor so black it's almost ultraviolet sort of way.
The "I" is so complex, and a little bit frightening--and perhaps infuriating--but there's an undercurrent of sweetness, and a desire to please, to love and be loved, and a willingness to take a risk, that I think a lot of people find appealing.
It's either this song or "Porn Zoo" that's going to be the song on which my legacy rests.
I hope it's this one, even though "Porn Zoo" is damn catchy.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
5 comments:
What, "Porn Zoo" don't get no love?
Hee hee hee...
Kidding.
Nancy's right, Julie. This one's a classic.
I think this is your signature song.
You asked me once about what made your songs good. I think that besides good melody, lyrics and performance, your songs have a unique character to them. A unique voice.
Your best songs have a mix of vulnerability and courage in them. That's rare. It's also an admirable mix to have in a person, and one that I think most people would like to have, ideally.
I think that's one reason why people seem to be affected deeply by this song. That's my theory anyway.
Also, never underestimate the power of a great opening line.
"if you were whisky I would taste you"
You've got the listener at line 1.
The hook is heartbreaking and inspiring at the same time.
"and if you came to my door,
I'd let you in without hesitation
even though all my lovers before
have failed to meet my great expectations
I've been a fool for so many men
there's really no reason not to do it again with you
with you"
The speaker of the song is willing to "do it again with you" even though she's been devastated in love before.
That's a risk that we all should aspire to take.
I love, love, love this song, baby.
The line I like best would have to be -
"if you'd forgotten, I could remind you
that some girls are worth fighting for"
How many times do I wish that I'd taken this advice? Some girls are worth fighting for. Take a stand. Fight for your woman. Ugh. Heartbreaking.
But of course there's also -
"if you were tired of looking I'd blind you"
I've never heard anything like this line before. It's like, "Are you tired of walking? Okay I'll amputate your legs. How's that?"
Can I call these lines "Julie-isms"? Just great stuff. It's idiosyncrasies like this that sets you apart from other songwriters and gives you a unique voice.
Now I'm going to nitpick.
This bit here -
"if you were sleepy I'd be your pillow
if you were weeping I'd be your willow
if you needed a chariot I'd swing low
and take you home again"
I never grooved with. Too much shmaltz for me. I miss the vinegar and toughness of the other verses.
I don't know your policy on revisiting songs after you're done with them, but I always thought you could come up with something better than that.
Don't take that the wrong way, I still love the song as is. I love singing it with you. I hope it's not too overbearing of me to bully my way onstage whenever you play it. If it is, just say so.
Adam gets on my case sometimes about the same things--revisiting lines, etc. Yet, unlike Adam, when it comes to songs, I am not an editor...oh, I'll alter a word or line here or there, but rarely. I find the more I labor at a song, the more laborious it sounds, and eventually the only sound that's left is a great whooshing suck...
But your comments made me think, and here are some alternatives I tried:
If you were a gambler I'd be your winnings
If you hated endings, I'd be only beginnings
or
If you were lonesome, I'd be your hobo
or
If you were a book I'd be your back pages
Those are the best ones. See?
Really, I see nothing wrong with the verse as is...I think there's enough flash that the listener has earned a break in that verse to just sort of absorb and let the melody wash over him or her.
Additionally, I'm not interested in writing a perfect song. If I did that, I'd have nothing to strive for. Besides, aren't flaws what make us unique, and isn't being unique what we want to be loved for? Any slight imperfections we may have only serve as a contrast to all our lovely qualities, making them all the more striking.
When I was a child the cats I loved most were the one with the crooked tail, bent like a question mark, and the one with two different colored eyes--one blue and one green. Of all the cats of my childhood, those are the two I remember (well, them and the one that committed suicide) because of their flaws.
So, sorry to disillusion you, but either I am just too unwilling, or actually unable, to come up with any thing better than that.
You're not disillusioning me.
I told ya I love the song.
You actually made a great case for it as is.
I give.
Actually, that's a pretty damn healthy way to look at songwriting.
Don't try to make every song perfect.
That's one of my big problems. I try to be perfect too much.
OK - I am posting without reading any of the first 6 comments - though I see there seemed to be a lengthy debate about something or other.....Cool.
Julie - the single most powerful thing about this song is the gentle cynicism of the phrase "Fool for so many...No reason not to do it again, etc..."
It doesn't come off as defeated - it sounds funny and cynical (maybe) - but lends a very human aspect to the whole thing.
Great tune - and I always sway to that melody when you play it in the pubs/cafes, etc...
Nice work.
Post a Comment