I lived at Smooth Hound Smith's house in East Nashville for a couple months in 2013, along with their poodle Wilma, while they were on tour. As I settled into a routine of walking Wilma in the morning and coming back home to write and sing, I started to think about various subjects to write about. One of those topics was my folks divorce. I think I never wrote about it because it was, in my mind, a positive thing. I loved them both dearly, but it was clear that the marriage had run it's course. I used one particular incident as my muse. They were arguing pretty good in the dining room (jam room at The Overmanor), and my dad grabbed a fruit bowl and slammed it on the table, smashing it in half. "Damn, I liked that bowl," I thought to myself as I went upstairs to harass my sister. It wasn't long after that that they told us they were getting a divorce, and we all breathed a sigh of relief.
The last verse relates to the fact that, even though they had been divorced for 15 years, mom was still by dad's side as he was dying of cancer in 2007, helping to ease the blow of imminent death. He called her his angel. That left a big impression on me and the family.
lyrics
I can hear commotion breathing still
And can still remember how it felt
I can see the motion
Of the throw that broke the spirit
Of the marriage with a crushing final blow
I was just a boy inside my shoes
But upstairs I was less and less confused
I knew that it was ending
And there's no sense in pretending
There's anything that anyone could lose
Come on too strong
Find your self committed
To someone you can't live with
Looking out for snippets you can lean on
Baby, when the thrill is gone
I don't remember how they used to treat
The other like a prophet or a thief
It seemed like love was only
A condition of the lonely
But still I found it near enough to keep
Now I have never thought to settle down
The wanderlust inside me's just too loud
I can't decide on anything
A wedding ring or baby name
I'm happy with a night out on the town
Come on too strong
Find your self committed
To someone you can't live with
Looking out for snippets you can lean on
Baby, when the thrill is gone
Now dad is gone and mom is going strong
She was by his side when he passed on
He said you are my angel, there’s no way that I can thank you
She smiled and said our son will write a song (and call it)
Come on too strong
Find your self committed
To someone you can't live with
Looking out for snippets you can lean on
Baby, when the thrill is gone
Sweet harmonies & strummed melodies; the duo delve into decades-old folk, jazz, and country to find a timeless kind of love and connection. Bandcamp New & Notable May 23, 2018
This New Haven duo write bright and emotionally resonant folk music where sweeping strings elevate gorgeous melodies. Bandcamp New & Notable Oct 23, 2021
