Ted Tocks Covers – Top 3 Posts for May #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #TomPetty #WarrenZevon #TinyTim #AmyWinehouse #DireStraits #KendrickLamar and #TheKinks

Sometimes when I sit down to write, I feel like I am coming at you like an airplane in the fog. I have no idea where the runway is, but if I follow the flight plan I manage to land safely. It is here that I recognize this reality. Things never seem to happen fast enough for me but the older I get, I am learning that if I am patient and I stay the course, I will get to where I want to go.

There are two quotes from Tom Petty that I find myself turning to as either a mantra, or a form of solace.

The first is from ‘Runnin’ Down a Dream’, and I am sure you all know the closing line.

There’s something good waitin’ down this road
I’m pickin’ up whatever’s mine”

I’m goin’ wherever it leads, but on occasion I struggle with the pace which leads to a constant sense of concern. How do I know what I am doing is right? What is the purpose? Does anybody really understand? I need validation, and sometimes I feel like nobody cares. I sink to a pretty low level, but inevitably I bring myself back with this pearl of wisdom.

I’m so tired of being tired
Sure as night will follow day
Most things I worry about
Never happen anyway”

For years, Heather has told me to stop worrying because things will work out, and truth be told they always do. I know I am not alone here, but man, would I ever feel better if things were a little easier.  This message came my way in my readings recently and it sums things up nicely.

Today, if you find yourself worrying about certain outcomes, or feeling impatient waiting for results, try to focus on the present. Practising the art of patience helps you to surrender and accept any feelings of powerlessness.”

I think it is the last line I am coming to grips with. It’s the perception of powerlessness.

Maybe I am more in control than I think? There is an ebb and flow to the universe and we are all moving together. Each of us are along for the ride, but in the end, there is only one person we can be solely responsible for. Me…You…

For a few years now, each month Ted Tocks Covers has wrapped up each month with a recap of the posts from the previous month. Part of this exercise is an effort to identify themes that have become apparent in the songs I have shared. Pretty much daily, I find myself focusing on what the artists I am featuring are saying through their music and words. This is a primary focus of Ted Tocks Covers. Where I am really fortunate is when people I have never met reach out and let me know how songs I feature have impacted their life. Here is just one recent example.

Just read your review on Jackson Browne’s “Rock Me on the Water”. I’m in the septuagenarian group. I’m also a veteran who got introduced to a lot of great west coast and other regions’ music. More importantly, I got an expanded scope of ideas back then. I lived in that era. Ironic similarities now (maybe worse) as you pointed out. Still hopeful as JB was in those “among us”.
Retired now. Currently have time to reflect, re-discover, and enjoy all the music of my favorite female vocalist since ’67, Linda Maria Ronstadt. I had just listened to RMOTW yet again.
Great work, Ted, glad I found your site. Thanks for the backstory.”

In one paragraph ‘George’ managed to say so much about who he is. Imagine what he has seen? Somehow through it all, he too, manages to make sense of things through the power of music. He has concerns, but he remains optimistic. For over six decades he has been able to turn to the wisdom of Jackson Browne and the tranquil vocals of Linda Ronstadt. Somehow, through the power of search engines, a Ted Tocks Covers feature from over two years ago found its way to him. Through Jackson Browne’s words and Linda Ronstadt’s delivery George and I connected. For this brief moment, music brought us together.

Rock Me on the Water – You left it for somebody other than you to be the one to care. #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #JacksonBrowne #BrewerandShipley #JohnnyRivers #LindaRonstadt #KathyMattea

We live in a foggy world, but this plane landed and the familiar strains of ‘Rock Me on the Water’ was playing in the background.

Oh, people, look around you
The signs are everywhere
You’ve left it for somebody other than you
To be the one to care

You’re lost inside your houses
There’s no time to find you now
While your walls are burning, and your towers are turning
I’m gonna leave you here and try to get down to the sea somehow

The road is filled with homeless souls
Every woman, child and man
Who have no idea where they will go
But they’ll help you if they can

But everyone must have some thought
That’s gonna pull them through somehow
While the fires are raging hotter and hotter
But the sisters of the sun are gonna rock me on the water now

Rock me on the water
Sister, will you soothe my fevered brow?
Rock me on the water
I’ll get down to the sea somehow

Oh, people, look among you
It’s there your hope must lie
There’s a sea bird above you
Gliding in one place like Jesus in the sky

We all must do the best we can
And then hang on to that Gospel plow
When my life is over, gonna stand before the Father
But the sisters of the sun are gonna rock me on the water now

Rock me on the water
Sister, will you soothe my fevered brow?
Yeah, rock me on the water, maybe I’ll remember
Maybe I’ll remember how

Rock me on the water
The wind is with me now
So rock me on the water
I’ll get down to the sea somehow

Rock me on the water
Rock me now
Rock me on the water
Rock me now”

Jackson Browne

Show me anybody who is writing music like this these days.

Through music we have the ability to unite through the spirit of song and the message contained within the lyrics. Oftentimes, this is where the stories begin, or maybe it is all just a swirling cycle that keeps coming around. This was definitely something good, and I picked it up.

Thanks for reaching out, George.

One need not look too far in order to understand that there is something here that relates to music and the qualities that the best songwriters bring to their creativity. So often, the lyrics reflect a degree of compassion, and empathy toward some aspect of the human condition. Many times, this portrayal of humanity presents itself in a passionate way. On other occasions they appeal to our conscience in order to recognize the dire state we occupy, or the dangerous road we are heading down. When filtered, the thoughts shared come through in angry or defiant tones, because in order to inspire change some form of powerful emotion needs to be sparked.

Music has this ability and through the magic of song, words do inspire.

This is a timeless reality.

Over six and a half years of writing and listening, in order to share this passion, Ted Tocks’ goal is to focus on the music and the magic. The anecdotes behind what brought these songs to our ears are endlessly fascinating, and I am happy to say the reader engagement continues to grow. This past month over 430 Ted Tocks features generated page views.

Last month, this feature generated well over 5700 page views, which translates to the second-best month ever for Ted Tocks Covers.

This is all important to me, because by sharing Ted Tocks Covers, I am aiming to tell a story. It begins with the music I discuss, and on occasion it flows into what is happening in my life. Here, I must repeat myself by saying that your support provides validation, because some days the readership this project enjoys is the fuel that motivates me as I enter the day…The real world, so to speak.

So often in my life music is the engine that drives the vehicle I call Ted Tocks Covers, and I continue to maintain that you, the reader, are the passenger. Thank you for coming along for the ride.

Ted Tocks Covers is ME sharing myself with YOU.

In May, Ted Tocks Covers was enjoyed by people in over 75 countries worldwide. The highest engagement by far comes from residents of the United States. The U.S. represented over 60 percent of Ted Tocks Covers readership during the past month. Keeping it in North America, Canada resides at #2, followed by the United Kingdom, Australia and Ireland.  

Ted Tocks Covers managed to maintain an average of over 185 page views a day throughout the past month. While this is nothing huge by blogging standards, for a hobby it is quite validating. I continue to be pleased that my love of music is relatable to so many, and gradually…slowly, more and more people seem to be coming on board. Well into its seventh year, Ted Tocks Covers WordPress site has managed to build an audience of over 600 followers. Add to that another 1500 followers on various social media platforms, and the numbers continue to blow my mind. From a modest hobby, to something that others seem to enjoy. It all makes me smile.

Quite often, it is music that serves to soften the most hardened among us. As noted earlier in this post, it definitely gives us a place to land safely.

As always, before I move on to the top three Ted Tocks Covers features for May, I would like to give a nod to a few features from the past that achieved milestones this past month.

Keep Me in Your Heart – A beautiful message from #WarrenZevon and a brief story behind The Wind. #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #EddieVedder #TheWailinJennys

Keep Me in Your Heart – During the month of May ‘Keep Me in Your Heart’ by Warren Zevon flew past John Prine and ‘He Was in Heaven Before He Died’ to become the #1 Ted Tocks Covers feature of all time. This beautiful song from ‘The Wind’ now has well over 5500 page views, but the intriguing thing is the numbers keep going up every month as it becomes swept into the fascinating realm of search engines which so often drive the readership of Ted Tocks Covers. I absolutely love this song, and Warren Zevon is among my favourite lyricists, so I am happy to share its #1 status in this post. Enjoy every sandwich.

Tiptoe Through the Tulips – A look back at a 90 year old song and the flamboyant star who made it popular 50 years ago. #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #NickLucas #HumaneSociety #TinyTim

Tiptoe through the Tulips – This feature goes all the way back to November of 2019. It had exactly 3 page views. In December, it gained two more readers. Even in 2020, it only had 26 more, but somehow, it got picked up by readers who were either curious about the life of Tiny Tim or the origin of this interesting song. Between 2021 and the present day ‘Tiptoe Through the Tulips’ has over 4100 page views and counting. It really is a fascinating story and it accentuates the life of an intriguing character who was more than a novelty act. This feature resides at #4 all time in terms of Ted Tocks features. The top two are mentioned above and sitting at #3 is ‘Mack the Knife’ by Lotte Lenya, and made famous by Bobby Darin.

Rehab – A song that captures the sad story of #AmyWinehouse. #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #LeoMoracchioli #TerraNaomi

Rehab – This song by Amy Winehouse straddles the fine line between a Soul/R&B classic and a tragedy. Amy Winehouse was clearly troubled. She had people around her who cared, but she was also the golden goose. Check out this quote from producer Mark Ronson.

I was walking down the street with Amy. We were in New York and we’d been working together for about a week and we were walking to some store. She wanted to buy a present for her boyfriend and she was telling me about a specific time in her life that was…. I feel bad, like, talking about a friend like this, but I think I’ve told this story enough times…. but she hit, like, a certain low and her dad came over to try and talk some sense into her. And she was like, “He tried to make me go to rehab and I was like, ‘Pfft, no no no.'” And the first thing I was like, “ding ding ding ding ding.” Like, I mean I’m supposed to be like, “How was that for you?” and all I’m like is, “We’ve got to go back to the studio.”

They got their hit, but at what cost?

Now for this month’s top three songs.

The Man’s Too Strong – I still hear his laughter, I still hear his song. #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #DireStraits #MarkKnopfler

#3 – The Man’s Too Strong – Admittedly I went on a bit of a rant here, but this provocative song from Mark Knopfler and Dire Straits, speak to the level evil can go if left unchecked. As I type this piece ‘Don the Con’ has become ‘Don the Con’vict’. You can add this descriptive word to all the others adjectives that speak to the vile cretin who was once the ‘President’ and who’s primary goal is to destroy democracy and turn his country into an autocracy and theocracy. A power hungry tool who has no redeeming qualities, yet about 30% of the electorate would vote for this rapist, known adulterer, racist and lifelong criminal who through the manipulation of many other equally evil sycophants have been able to dupe millions of appallingly ignorant and grossly uneducated halfwits who seem incapable of independent thought. Found guilty on 34 counts. Maybe there are consequence to his actions. He has never been made accountable for any of his crimes. This looks good on him. The man’s too strong. Very true. Lock him up and never let him see the light of day. Sadly, I have no confidence in the system. I don’t think he will spend a day in jail, and this too will add to the perception that this imposter is a leader. Don’t even get me started on the stench that has become the Supreme Court. Guilty on 34 counts will mean nothing until they fumigate the entire ‘house’. The house smells like a heaping pile of orange shit. Will they ever get rid of the stench? Depends!

Dear America:

Make your vote count.

The United States as a country is divided. It’s in complete disarray when people like this gain power, the man is definitely too strong.

Ronald Reagan Era (His Evils) – We’re far from good, not good from far. #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #KendrickLamar with #AshReiser #AbSoul and #RZA

#2 – Ronald Reagan Era (His Evils) – This example of the early work of Kendrick Lamar lays out the realities of growing up on the streets of Compton, or any inner city in the United States. The underlying theme is the policy set forth by the puppet masters who pulled the strings of ‘Bonzo’ the U.S. President through most of the ‘80s. Ronald Reagan was the figurehead that helped to pave the way to where modern-day Republicanism has arrived. Destroy democracy. Let the corporations run the country and allow hopelessly reactionary churches dictate morality. Women’s rights be damned and make sure that people of colour remain second class citizens. His evils were cleverly disguised. Forty years later, the seed they planted exposed the sick underbelly. You reap the harvest you sow. Many predicted this. Some still call him a hero and a great President. He simply stood on one side of the divide and waved.

Waterloo Sunset – Sing a little Sha-la-la with Ray. #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #RayDavies #TheKinks

#1 – Waterloo Sunset – The number one song for the month of May is much more of a feelgood song. It is so necessary. Let’s sing along with Ray Davies and The Kinks. Sha-la-la. ‘Waterloo Sunset’ was a piece that Davies had floating around in his mind for a few years before he was finally moved to write. It began as an homage to the ‘Merseybeat’ and Liverpool, but by the time he put pen to paper he found himself imagining a couple named Terry and Julie meeting on Waterloo Bridge before enjoying a pleasant evening in London. The don’t need no friends, because when they are together, they  have each other. This is everything they need. They are in paradise. May we all get to that place. As always, I shared this with my online friend Dave from www.kindakinks.net and he was kind enough to share it on his Kinks fan site. This leads to a positive trend that whenever I feature a song by The Kinks it enjoys positive readership. That makes me want to sing.

‘Sha-la-la’.

Any time spent listening to The Kinks just makes one feel good.

We need that.

Happy listening as we head toward the halfway point of 2024.  As you listen, take some time and explore the deeper meaning of the songs you enjoy. Understand what the artist is telling you, and then explore a little bit more.

Or

Grab a book. Take time to read. Educate yourself.

We have no way of knowing where we are going if we don’t understand where we have been. Many of the leaders who are orchestrating some of the disastrous decisions that are being made presently are literally counting on the fact that most people are literally paying no attention, and have no concept of the future implications.

As a society, we need to wake up.

If you missed the features listed above the first time around, by all means enjoy them now. If you think a friend might like to spend a few minutes with some good music, please share because…

#MusicisLife

If you haven’t already, please sign up yourself or invite other people to follow Ted Tocks Covers at:

Linked In – https://www.linkedin.com/feed/

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/TocksTed

Mastodon – https://thecanadian.social/home

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/tedlindsay66/

Linktree – https://linktr.ee/admin

Blog Site – https://wordpress.com/view/tedtockscovers.wordpress.com

By signing up to the blog site, Ted Tocks Covers posts will be delivered to your email, and you can read it on your own time. The benefit of this is, you are not held captive by Facebook or Instagram and their ridiculous algorithms.

You can always follow Ted Tocks Covers on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn where I post every day, with either new content or reposts of past features. Here, I have also created a Linktree account so everything is together.

Thank you for continuing to read Ted Tocks Covers. I will be in touch. You can count on that. There are many great stories to come in the days ahead.

This is all part of the plan.

Stay safe and have a grateful day!

Ted Tocks Covers – Top 3 Posts for April. #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #WarrenZevon #AllmanBrothersBand #TheRollingStones #TomPetty #JohnPrine

Step right up and enter the recap for April of 2024.

While quite sadly, the world around us seems like a dumpster fire, from this perch things are looking okay. April was the best month ever for Ted Tocks Covers.

Over 5900 page views

Over 5000 visitors

Once again in April, Ted Tocks Covers was enjoyed by people in over 80 countries worldwide. The highest engagement by far comes from residents of the United States. The U.S. represented over 70 percent of Ted Tocks Covers readership during the past month. Keeping it in North America, Canada resides at #2, followed by the United Kingdom, Australia and Germany.

When I began this project in 2018 it was meant as a pastime. It remains a way to keep myself sane. At the outset, I was okay with the fact that perhaps no one will ever read it, but it would serve a purpose for me at least. It could help me make sense of things while sharing my passion for music.

And here I am, almost half way into my seventh year, and over that time many others have joined me. Little by little, the audience has grown.

Through music we have the ability to unite by embracing the spirit of song and the message contained within the lyrics. Once again, I state that frequently it is the artists that bring this reality to light. One need not look too far in order to understand the value of music and the qualities that the best songwriters bring to their creativity. So often, the lyrics reflect a degree of compassion, and empathy toward some aspect of the human condition. Many times, this portrayal of humanity presents itself in a passionate way. On other occasions they appeal to our conscience in order to help us to recognize the dire state we occupy, or the dangerous road we are heading down. When filtered, the thoughts shared come through in angry or defiant tones, because in order to inspire change some form of powerful emotion needs to be sparked.

Music has this ability and through the magic of song, words do inspire.

This is a timeless reality.

This is all important to me, because by sharing Ted Tocks Covers, I am aiming to tell a story. It begins with the music I discuss, and on occasion it flows into what is happening in my life. Here, I must repeat myself by saying that your support provides validation, because some days the readership this project enjoys is the fuel that motivates me as I enter the day…The real world, so to speak.

So often in my life music is the engine that drives the vehicle I call Ted Tocks Covers, and I continue to maintain that you, the reader, are the passenger. Thank you for coming along for the ride.

Ted Tocks Covers is ME sharing myself with YOU.

Quite often, it is music that serves to soften the most hardened among us. It definitely gives us a place to land softly.

Frequently, patterns develop when it comes to the posts Ted Tocks Covers shares. Sadly, this month pointed to the fact that as music fans all too often we find ourselves in a place where we need to say good-bye to an artist that has contributed immensely to the music we love. Here is a thought I read recently on a social media stream.

We don’t mourn artists we’ve never met because we know them, we mourn them because they help us know ourselves.”

This is so true, and it speaks to a trend that inspires those who love music, to seek out what their fellow music fans are thinking when it comes to their adoration of music, or an artist who has departed.

Speaking to this point, a good portion of the readership of Ted Tocks Covers in April can be traced to the legacy of musicians who left us. As always, before I move on to the top three Ted Tocks Covers features for April, I would like to give a nod to two features from the past that achieved milestones this past month.

Keep Me in Your Heart – A beautiful message from #WarrenZevon and a brief story behind The Wind. #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #EddieVedder #TheWailinJennys

This feature shares the story behind one of the most sentimental songs Warren Zevon ever wrote. In April this beautiful ode to those Zevon loved the most, became just the second Ted Tocks Covers feature to surpass 5000 page views. I will boldly predict here that it won’t be long before ‘Keep Me in Your Heart becomes the #1 Ted Tocks Covers post of all time.

Blue Sky – Enjoy each sunny day and eat a peach for peace. #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #AllmanBrothersBand #DickeyBetts #DuaneAllman #ChuckLeavell #JoanBaez #GreatSouthern #WarrenHaynes #DerekTrucks #FrankHannon

During the month of April, the music world lost one of the finest guitar players to ever grace a stage. Dickey Betts who was the driving force behind the Allman Brothers Band for over three decades, died on April 18. From that day on, page views for Ted Tocks Covers featuring the Allman Brothers Band rose, and the one that received the most was Betts’ epic piece ‘Blue Sky.

Now for this month’s top three songs.

#3 – Tell Me

Tell Me – Sixty years later and they keep coming back. #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #TheRollingStones

Early in April, The Rolling Stones celebrated a significant milestone. It seems to me this band marks a milestone pretty much daily. Sixty years ago, this past month the Stones celebrated the release of their debut album. ‘Tell Me’ exists as the groups’ first original hit song. Looking back at a career that has lasted over six decades, this becomes quite an important marker along that incredible journey.

#2 – Yer So Bad

Yer So Bad – Hanging out with Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne in a world gone mad. #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #TomPetty #JeffLynne

During April, yet another beloved artist who left us way too soon was featured. Every time I share a Tom Petty song, I make sure to share it to his intensely devoted audience on Facebook, and I am proud to say that once again they took some time to read this post which celebrates the anniversary of Petty’s acclaimed ‘Full Moon Fever’ album. More specifically. ‘Yer So Bad’ discussed an appreciation for the Tom Petty sense of humour and how it shone through so positively in his song writing. Hopefully it made at least a few people smile.

#1 – Come Back to Us Barbara Lewis Hare Krishna Beauregard

Come Back to Us Barbara Lewis Hare Krishna Beauregard – My spirit’s broke, my mind’s a joke and getting up’s real hard. #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #JohnPrine

Every April, Ted Tocks Covers sets aside a day to share John Prine with his still growing audience. It’s a personal mission aimed to make people smile, and think, and hopefully look at life through a different lens. This song represents what some might consider to be a deeper track in John Prine’s catalogue, but the lyrical quality brings out John Prine at his humorous best and most importantly, his most astute as a social observer. There are two observations when it comes to John Prine, that Ted Tocks Covers has emphasized over and over again. First, the best people on social media are Prine fans, and the world would be a better place if everyone took some time to listen to John Prine.

Happy listening as we move deeper into 2024.  As you listen, take some time and explore the deeper meaning of the songs you enjoy. Understand what the artist is telling you, and then explore a little bit more.

Or

Grab a book. Take time to read. Educate yourself.

We have no way of knowing where we are going if we don’t understand where we have been. Many of the leaders who are orchestrating some of the disastrous decisions that are being made presently are literally counting on the fact that most people are literally paying no attention, and have no concept of the future implications.

As a society, we need to wake up.

If you missed the features listed above the first time around, by all means enjoy them now. If you think a friend might like to spend a few minutes with some good music, please share because…

#MusicisLife

If you haven’t already, please sign up yourself or invite other people to follow Ted Tocks Covers at:

Linked In – https://www.linkedin.com/feed/

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/TocksTed

Mastodon – https://thecanadian.social/home

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/tedlindsay66/

Linktree – https://linktr.ee/admin

Blog Site – https://wordpress.com/view/tedtockscovers.wordpress.com

By signing up to the blog site, Ted Tocks Covers posts will be delivered to your email, and you can read it on your own time. The benefit of this is, you are not held captive by Facebook or Instagram and their ridiculous algorithms.

You can always follow Ted Tocks Covers on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn where I post every day, with either new content or reposts of past features. Here, I have also created a Linktree account so everything is together.

Thank you for continuing to read Ted Tocks Covers. I will be in touch. You can count on that. There are many great stories to come in the days ahead.

This is all part of the plan.

Yer So Bad – Hanging out with Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne in a world gone mad. #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #TomPetty #JeffLynne

For just about as long as I have been listening to music I have been exposed to the magic of Tom Petty. There is definitely some value in proclaiming that ‘I keep crawling back’ because like so many others who consider music to be a soundtrack to their life, Tom Petty exists as a cornerstone of that playlist.

It’s not just in the music performed by Tom Petty and his bandmates in the Heartbreakers, who in my mind are the best ‘band’ in music history next to The Band, but it is in his words and accessible wisdom.

Packaged nicely within these qualities comes a certain levity, and it is here that we embark on a piece that offers a glimpse at his sense of humour.

So, today we will take a look at the wicked wit of Tom Petty. Those of you who listen to Tom Petty Radio on Sirius XM will be very familiar with his fun anecdotes and cheeky outtakes, which segues nicely into the fact that Tom Petty released ‘Full Moon Fever’ exactly 35 years ago today.

Remember this?

Hello, CD listeners. We’ve come to the point in this album where those listening on cassette, or record, will have to stand up, or sit down, and turn over the record, or tape. In fairness to those listeners, we’ll now take a few seconds before we begin side two. [pause] Thank you. Here’s side two.”

It’s better when Tom delivers the message.

In the Tom Petty catalogue, ‘Full Moon Fever’ is cited as Tom’s debut solo album. It came out of a period of transition for Petty who was juggling a combination of uncertainties in his life and his career.

I wasn’t in the mood to make a record. I wasn’t even thinking about making one. We thought we could do it real fast. I told the Heartbreakers, ‘Look, I’m going to make a record’ and they weren’t planning to do anything at the time. I said I could be done with it in a few months. Of course, I wasn’t.”

To carry him through the process, Tom drew on some pretty powerful personal connections. His recent affiliation with his Traveling Wilburys colleagues Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison and George Harrison and perhaps most importantly, Jeff Lynne feature prominently in the song writing throughout ‘Full Moon Fever’. Tom Petty fans were greeted with stylistic references to Buddy Holly, The Beatles, Del Shannon, Bo Diddley, The Byrds and of course Bob Dylan and George Harrison.

When Tom Petty needed the perfect person to encourage the creative process, Jeff Lynne appeared, almost out of thin air. Well, this is a bit of a dramatization; but through a series of encounters, it all kind of unfolded naturally. According to both Jeff Lynne and Tom Petty, they met in London following a Bob Dylan and the Heartbreakers concert. Jeff Lynne and George Harrison had opted to attend together. The conversation revealed many commonalities, but nothing concrete resulted until a chance encounter a short time later, in Los Angeles.

It was Thanksgiving Day. I was at the house in Beverly Hills, and some people were coming over. And I like to have softball games. And so, I was going to have a softball game at the house. But I didn’t have enough mitts to play ball. So, I was going to drive down to the Sav-On in Beverly Hills and buy a dozen ball mitts so everybody could play ball. … So, I’m at the traffic light, and I look over to my left, and there’s Jeff Lynne. Who I’d only just recently seen in England. So, I honked my horn, and he turned around, and we pulled over. And I said, ‘Wow, what are you doing here? And I love that album [George Harrison’s Cloud Nine]; the album’s great.’ He said, ‘I’m working with Brian Wilson.’ And he said, ‘Where do you live?’ I told him where I lived, and he said, ‘That’s weird. I live really close to there. So, we should get together.’”

Jeff Lynne remembers it in a slightly different way; but one thing is clear. There was definitely a desire to explore the possibilities.

I was driving in Beverly Hills and this horn kept blowing. And I thought, ‘Who the hell’s that?’ And it was Tom. He was going, ‘Pull over. I wanna have a word with ya.’ We pulled over and he said, ‘Oh, I really like what you did with George’s album. Do you fancy doing something together?’ I said, ‘Oh, that’d be nice, y’know.’”

A short time later this happened.

I was with my daughter Adria, and we were out Christmas shopping. We had driven over to Studio City, there was this one restaurant there on Ventura called Le Seur, a French restaurant that was a really good restaurant. … It was kind of our special night restaurant. I pulled in the parking lot and we came in. I sat down in my chair, and the waiter came over and he said, ‘There’s a friend of yours [here and he’d like you to come over to the table.’ And that’s all he said. I said, ‘Oh,’ and I got up and walked around—there was kind of this private dining room — and as I walk in, there’s George [Harrison]. And he was having lunch with some people from Warner Bros. And Jeff. And as I walked into the room, Jeff was writing my number down for George. And George said, ‘How strange, I’d just gotten your number and somebody told me you’d walked into the restaurant at the same time.’”

Sometimes you just have to think forces beyond our comprehension are pushing us to a greater purpose. As we all know, Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne sat down and explored some of Petty’s recent work, and the results were almost immediate. With a little bit of polish, and a fresh ear a couple of Tom Petty classics emerged.

So it was around this time that I showed Jeff one night I had written the song Yer So Bad. But there was one little bit in the B-section where I didn’t know where to go. And he showed me this E minor chord. And that kind of opened it all up to me. And he showed me this little part, E minor to C, and he said, ‘You could do this.’ And I said, ‘That’s great!’ And I was so elated, because I had been working on the song for days and I couldn’t get from the verse to the chorus somehow. And he showed me this little bit, and I said, ‘Great! Will you produce this!’ And he said, ‘Sure, let’s do it.’ […] I remember coming home after we cut Free Fallin’ and Yer So Bad. And having those two tracks on cassette, and I must have played them for two hours, over and over, just sitting there on the bathroom floor, feeling, wow, this is so great. It was really exciting. […] [The lyrics to Yer So Bad are] black humor. I was stuck on the little turn-around and couldn’t figure out where to go. The ‘Not me baby’ place. And Jeff said, ‘Well, put and E minor there.’ And when I put the E minor in, it led me right through everything.”

Here is ‘Yer So Bad’ which resides as an un-plucked gem in the Tom Petty catalogue, but it comes back to his sense of humour. It all stems from a slightly bizarre set of characters.

My sister got lucky, married a yuppie
Took him for all he was worth
Now she’s a swinger dating a singer
I can’t decide which is worse

But not me baby, I’ve got you to save me
Oh, yer so bad, best thing I ever had
In a world gone mad, yer so bad

My sister’s ex-husband can’t get no lovin’
Walks around dog-faced and hurt
Now he’s got nothin’, head in the oven
I can’t decide which is worse

But not me baby, I’ve got you to save me
Oh, yer so bad, best thing I ever had
In a world gone mad, yer so bad

Oh, but not me baby, I’ve got you to save me
Oh, yer so bad, best thing I ever had
In a world gone mad, yer so bad

Oh, yer so bad, best thing I ever had
In a world gone mad, yer so bad”

Who are these people?

But, clearly they walk among us and as a society we feast on their misery and their flaws. We take know our lives are not perfect, but we take solace in the fact that we aren’t this much of a disaster.

It’s a slippery slope but on we roll.

Of course, the video portrays everyone effectively with Tom narrating the scene from a birds-eye view. In this quote, Tom Petty admits to being stuck in a combination of burnout and writer’s block. He needed someone to encourage his seemingly unending creativity. That person was Jeff Lynne. Essentially, the message was just set down and let the ideas flow.

Yer So Bad was the second song we did for ‘Full Moon Fever’. That was such an incredibly inspiring period for us because Jeff knew so much about recording technique and song writing that we didn’t know. We were kind of in a rut and he came in with all these fresh ideas. The night after we did ‘Free Fallin’ Tom and Jeff went off and wrote that one and came in the next day and said, ‘Let’s do another.’ We recorded it in a couple of hours. Tom and I were amazed that you could make records that fast after so many years of slaving over tracks.’ ‘Jeff had a huge impact on me, my music, my life,’ Tom says. ‘And I think Jeff had a huge impact on Mike as well. We had never met anyone who was such a wizard in the studio. He can pull off anything with ease and it just fascinated us. It was like a college education in making records.'”

…and for God’s sake lighten up a little. It’s only rock and roll.

While ‘Full Moon Fever’ comes across as somewhat light with a smattering of soul-searching perspective, and a healthy dose of therapeutic value there was some dissension within the Heartbreakers. Following the release of the album, Howie Epstein and Benmont Tench were apprehensive about performing the songs as part of any Tom Petty live set, and drummer Stan Lynch want so far as stating that whenever he played ‘Full Moon Fever ‘tracks he felt like he was a part of a tribute act.

But, true to Tom Petty’s character he charted his own creative course. It comes through like a chapter of a book that wrote itself, because ‘Full Moon Fever’ truly became the bridge that took Tom Petty from a great artist, to truly essential.

To this day, tracks from ‘Full Moon Fever’ still occupy key spaces on the list of essential songs we enjoy as we meander our way through life.

Here is ‘I Won’t Back Down’ which projects an air of defiance. Listen to this again and then picture the famous photo of Johnny Cash giving a photographer the finger. It’s a statement song.

‘I Won’t Back Down’

Sadly, it has been co-opted by a caravan of fools, and hopelessly bad actors. The reaction from the Tom Petty estate was swift and decisive but sadly you can’t insult these stunned morons with a stick.

The Tom Petty estate and our partners were shocked to find out that Tom’s song ‘I Won’t Back Down’ was stolen and used without permission or a license to promote Kari Lake’s failed campaign. This is illegal. We are exploring all of our legal options to stop the unauthorized use and to prohibit future misappropriations of Tom’s beloved anthem. Thank you to all of the fans who brought this to our attention and who help us protect his legacy every day.”

In the fall of 2023, the Rapist in Chief’s daughter-in-law, who the ‘crime family’ once refererd to as ‘horse face’ behind her back released a pathetic auto-tuned pile of crap as some form of message to the horde of lemmings who still follow the Adderall infused Mandarin Mussolini. Hey Lara…Stupid Eric spilled his Cheerios again. Clean up in the kitchen.

Here’s one for you while you tidy up…

“All down the street, they’re standing in line
With white lipstick and one thing on their minds
Hey little freak with the lunch pail purse
Underneath the paint, you’re just a little girl”

Welcome to the ‘Zombie Zoo’. As long as stupid people fall for this con it will go on. P.T. Barnum was right. There is a sucker born every minute, and way too many seem to have been hatched in the good ol’ U.S.A.

For God’s sake people. Wake up!

Moving through the tracks that alerted the world to a revitalized Tom Petty, here is ‘Free Fallin’ which Tom Petty reflected on with fondness. In this quote, Tom speaks to the initial writing sessions with Jeff Lynne that yielded ‘Yer So Bad’ and ‘Free Fallin’

 The next day we recorded the second song, which was ‘Free Fallin’. Two good days of work, I’d say.”

No one could argue with this statement.

‘Free Fallin’

Here is Jeff Lynne’s recollection on this period.

I helped [Tom Petty] finish one song (‘Yer So Bad’)‘]. And the next one we did was ‘Free Fallin’, I believe. And that was pretty good, the second go. [Laughs] And then I think we did ‘I Won’t Back Down’ after that. And it was just going so well, I just had to do the whole album.”

The song writing was moving along so smoothly, that one song just seemed to flow into the next. If ‘I Won’t Back Down’ exists as Tom Petty’s statement song from ‘Full Moon Fever’, ‘Runnin’ Down a Dream’ which was co-written with Jeff Lynne and Mike Campbell is definitely the anthem.

It was a beautiful day, the sun beat down
I had the radio on, I was drivin’
Trees went by, me and Del were singin’
Little runaway
I was flyin’”

Here is an old Ted Tocks Covers feature which connects ‘Runnin’ Down a Dream’ with the Del Shannon classic ‘Runaway’.

‘Runaway’

There is one line in ‘Runnin’ Down a Dream’ that keeps me going.

There’s something good waitin’ down this road
I’m pickin’ up whatever’s mine”

Like Tom said, we gotta keep movin’…on.

True to this mission, here is a fond memory of Tom Petty performing ‘Yer So Bad’ in the BBC studios in 1989. The band missed the bus…

Gotta love that 12-string acoustic sound with a little nod to Roger McGuinn.

About a decade and a half later here is Petty and the rest of the Heartbreakers during a 2003 soundstage performance that is adored by his fans. Watch Steve Ferrone in the background. Love it.

Please take a moment to note Benmont Tench’s piano contribution I could listen to him play all day. After his initial disdain for the ‘Full Moon Fever’ album, he actually suggested that this period of time allowed him to get his own life back on track.

The other side of the story is that I was out of my mind on cocaine and alcohol. I was a very high man and deeply troubled with drugs and alcohol, so I thank Jeff Lynne. I had nothing to do…so I got to go to rehab, and it saved my life. Also, hell, I’d been doing session work for years by that time. Why the fuck shouldn’t Tom go play with someone else and have fun too?”

So, there you go. Time is fluid, and we all can change. Sometimes all we need is a little self-awareness and a push.

Just be careful who you believe. Be careful who you trust, or you may go down hard…In a world gone mad, the free fall into despair can last a long time.

For today’s cover versions I gravitated to a trio of recordings that speak to me for different reasons.

Let’s kick it off with this cover by Cade Gregg and Ben Gallaher in 2011. This is all about the banjo and their fun delivery. Just listen, and you will want to always hear ‘Yer So Bad’ with a banjo. Two thumbs up for making a phenomenal song even better.

On several occasions I have featured Josh Turner in Ted Tocks Covers. Check out ‘Kodachrome’, ‘What a Feeling’, ‘You Don’t Mess Around with Jim’, ‘Me and Julio Down By the Schoolyard’, ‘Graceland’, and ‘Sloop John B’. He is immensely talented. Everything he does is just fantastic.

Many a Tom Petty feature has been accompanied with a cover version provided by Jake Thistle. Today is no exception. For more Tom Petty posts that include Jake Thistle please check out ‘Time to Move On’, ‘Tweeter and the Monkey Man’ and ‘All or Nothin’’.

It seems to me the best way to conclude this feature is to continue  the salute to the lyrical quality of Tom Petty’s catalogue. To begin, here is an astute quote by writer Kip Berman.

 Tom Petty is an incredibly underappreciated lyricist, always the everyman outsider (tough combo) with an abundance of wit and heart. There’s a reason why Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, and Roy Orbison all answered Petty s calls. Just listen to ‘Yer So Bad’ it’s a master class on being fed up with everything in the world but Petty does it without coming off as a self-righteous prick. It’s sympathetic to the things he condemns. The yuppie he castigates in verse 1 (‘My sister got lucky/ married a yuppie/ took him for all he was worth’), he takes pity on when ‘now he s got nothin / head in the oven/ walks around dog faced and hurt’ by the 2nd. Even the chorus concedes (‘but not me baby/ I’ve got you to save me’) that were it not for love, Petty would likely be living a life as cynical, pathetic, and empty as his subjects.”

Much of this sentiment is reiterated in this old Ted Tocks Covers feature.

‘A Salute to Tom Petty’

All of this is shared in an effort to reinforce the premise of today’s homage to Tom Petty and the transitional ‘Full Moon Fever’ album.

Getting back to the humour that flows through the lyrics like a lazy river on a peaceful afternoon, here is a fun passage from ‘A Mind with a Heart of Its Own’.

Well I’ve been to Broker, and I’ve been to Mi canopy
I’ve been to St. Louis too, I’ve been all around the world
I’ve been over to your house
And you’ve been over sometimes to my house
I’ve slept in your tree house
My middle name is Earl

There is a spontaneity to this verse that makes it so genuine. But as always, I can safely say that being authentic was always one of Tom Petty’s greatest attributes.

He defined integrity.

In ‘Free Fallin’ the humour was a little more subtle. Masked in his observation of society he delivered this classic verse.

All the vampires, walkin’ through the valley
Move west down Ventura Boulevard
And all the bad boys are standing in the shadows
And the good girls are home with broken hearts”

Do you know what happens to people like the ‘bad boys’ standing in the shadows? They become incels sitting in their apartment, listening to Charlie Kirk, Ben Shapiro and Vapid Joe Rogan.

I used to live in a two-room apartment
Neighbors knocking on my wall
Times were hard, I don’t wanna knock it
I don’t miss it much at all”

It’s like Tom Petty knew, and he checked out of the scene just in time. In Warren Zane’s 2015 book ‘Petty: The Biography’ this observation was shared.

He’s got tinted windows on his soul”

Tom Petty was at his happiest when he was on stage or in the studio.

He literally played until he died. He performed for the fans. He performed with his friends. He did so on his own terms. To the end, he was true to himself.

The cynical humour in his lyrics came through as both a reflection of himself, and the people he wrote about.

And then he said good bye.

This song doesn’t get nearly enough love. Here is ‘Alright for Now’ to send you on your way.

Goodnight baby, sleep tight, my love
May God watch over you from above
Tomorrow I’m working, what would I do?
I’d be lost and lonely if not for you

So close your eyes
We’re alright for now

I’ve spent my life traveling, spent my life free
I could not repay all you’ve done for me
So sleep tight, baby, unfurrow your brow
And know I love you, we’re alright for now”

Give someone you love a hug today.

Remember Tom Petty with a smile, because we are all alright..

…For now.

End of the Line – Everything will work out fine. #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers

Many times, there are pictures frozen in our minds in relation to specific songs. In the early days of music, the memories were mostly auditory, but with the advent of video the way we recall songs tended to be equated to the videos that groups used to promote their creativity.

Today’s post speaks to a group of friends who gathered to pay tribute to a man they admired.

This got me to thinking about the image of Roy Orbison’s guitar in the rocking chair, and the added touch of his photo. ‘End of the Line’ is a symbolic video produced by The Traveling Wilburys. It pays homage to their friend Roy Orbison, also known as Lefty Wilbury.

For this project, Roy named himself after one of his mentors, Lefty Frizzell.

The Traveling Wilburys portrayed themselves as throwbacks to a simpler time. A musical band of brothers, with a propensity for rebellion; the act imagined taking their show on the road. Conceptually, it didn’t matter that the reputation they contrived to formulate the band was somewhat dubious. This image was the schtick, and over a very short time period they managed to catch time in a bottle.

Some people say Daddy was a cad and a bounder. I remember him as a Baptist minister.”

Roy Orbison

Just think of the lineup. Years later music fans still marvel.

Bob Dylan – Lucky

George Harrison – Nelson

Jeff Lynne – Otis

Roy Orbison – Lefty

Tom Petty – Charlie T. Jr.

Take a moment and reflect on the magnificence of the three who have left us and the volume of music that they have left behind.

Then consider that amongst this group of legendary musicians, it was Roy Orbison who generated this emotional response. Here is a very candid observation from Jeff Lynne.

Everybody just sat there going, ‘Wow, it’s Roy Orbison!’ … Even though he’s become your pal and you’re hanging out and having a laugh and going to dinner, as soon as he gets behind that [mic] and he’s doing his business, suddenly it’s shudder time.

Jeff Lynne

George Harrison echoed this sentiment when he described the unlikely series of events that brought the quintet together.

The thing about the Wilburys for me is—if we’d tried to plan it, or if anybody had said, let’s form this band and get these people in it—it would never happen, it’s impossible. It happened completely, just by magic, just by circumstance. Maybe there was a full moon that night or something like that. It was quite a magical little thing really.”

George Harrison

‘Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1’ was released 35 years ago today. It all began with a spontaneous session that saw the creation of ‘Handle with Care’.

Handle with Care – Today’s supergroup feature and a few noteworthy tributes and covers. #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #TheTravelingWilburys #JennyLewis

They had so much fun working on this song that the group agreed that they should do a whole album. From start to finish the album took six weeks to create.

The Traveling Wilburys collaboration would be the last album featuring Roy Orbison, released during his lifetime.

Fittingly, ‘End of the Line’ was the closing track. As it happened, only Bob Dylan doesn’t take a turn at singing lead. George, Jeff and Roy take turns on the chorus and of course Tom Petty sings the verses.

Like George Harrison said; it was magical. It remains magical.

It is a moment frozen in time.

Just one of many countless examples of how special ‘Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1’ is, the fact that despite the pedigree that this group of musicians brought to the process, there was literally no sign of ego. If you haven’t already, please watch this video.

‘End of the Line’ was written by George Harrison, but based on their agreement, all five shared song writing credit.

It was about collaboration. They just wanted to have fun, and based on the moments captured in this brief documentary; clearly, they did.

Here is ‘End of the Line’ which is described by George as an ‘optimistic song’.

Well it’s all right, riding around in the breeze
Well it’s all right, if you live the life you please
Well it’s all right, doing the best you can
Well it’s all right, as long as you lend a hand

You can sit around and wait for the phone to ring (End of the Line)
Waiting for someone to tell you everything (End of the Line)
Sit around and wonder what tomorrow will bring (End of the Line)
Maybe a diamond ring

Well it’s all right, even if they say you’re wrong
Well it’s all right, sometimes you gotta be strong
Well it’s all right, As long as you got somewhere to lay
Well it’s all right, everyday is Judgment Day

Maybe somewhere down the road aways (End of the Line)
You’ll think of me, wonder where I am these days (End of the Line)
Maybe somewhere down the road when somebody plays (End of the Line)
Purple haze

Well it’s all right, even when push comes to shove
Well it’s all right, if you got someone to love
Well it’s all right, everything’ll work out fine
Well it’s all right, we’re going to the end of the line

Don’t have to be ashamed of the car I drive (End of the Line)
I’m just glad to be here, happy to be alive (End of the Line)
It don’t matter if you’re by my side (End of the Line)
I’m satisfied

Well it’s all right, even if you’re old and gray
Well it’s all right, you still got something to say
Well it’s all right, remember to live and let live
Well it’s all right, the best you can do is forgive

Well it’s all right, riding around in the breeze
Well it’s all right, if you live the life you please
Well it’s all right, even if the sun don’t shine
Well it’s all right, we’re going to the end of the line

George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Jeff Lynne , Roy Orbison and Tom Petty

Like I said in the introduction, in the end, ‘End of the Line’ became about the video. It was directed by Willy Smax. The four remaining members gathered in Los Angeles in December of 1988, a short time after Roy’s death. The set captured the Wilbury scene which depicted the group in a bygone era, riding in the passenger car of an old steam locomotive. While George, Jeff and Tom contribute their guitar and vocals, Dylan lends his rhythm guitar and the ‘other Wilbury’, Jim Keltner (Buster) is keeping time.

But somehow through it all, the focus is Roy. This is fitting because even in the earliest days of the Traveling Wilburys gathering to write and record, this was the case. Here is another quote from Jeff Lynne that reflects on how much respect the Wilburys had for Orbison.

We would arrive about twelve or one o’clock and have some coffee. Somebody would say, ‘What about this?’ and start on a riff. Then we’d all join in, and it’d turn into something. We’d finish around midnight and just sit for a bit while Roy would tell us fabulous stories about Sun Records or hanging out with Elvis. Then we’d come back the next day to work on another one. That’s why the songs are so good and fresh—because they haven’t been second-guessed and dissected and replaced. It’s so tempting to add stuff to a song when you’ve got unlimited time.”

Jeff Lynne

The eery timing of all of this becomes the story, because as we all know Roy’s career was enjoying a resurgence. His Wilburys success was combined with the recording of his solo album, ‘Mystery Girl’. This Jeff Lynne collaboration became a top 10 hit.

While reflecting on Roy’s earthly presence, George Harrison conjures his old Beatles track ‘Within You, Without You’.

We love Roy and life goes on within you and without you.”

George Harrison

It all shines down when Roy Orbison drives home the third chorus.

Well it’s all right, even when push comes to shove
Well it’s all right, if you got someone to love
Well it’s all right, everything’ll work out fine
Well it’s all right, we’re going to the end of the line”

George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Jeff Lynne , Roy Orbison and Tom Petty

Thirty-five years later, the fact that this happened at all, exists as a gift to anyone who understands the magnitude of the collective. The Traveling Wilburys are a supergroup for the ages, but in the actual moment they were really just five guys hanging out and playing in Dave Stewart’s living room and kitchen.

Tom Petty summed it up concisely

It was a bunch of friends who just happened to be really good at making music.”

Tom Petty

This quote segues nicely into a couple of covers and for today’s cover versions, the selections will be reduced to just two. We will begin with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers live in Philadelphia, in 2008. The crowd is loving the moment except for the idiots who manage to carry on a conversation throughout the presentation. Face palm.

When sharing cover versions of these great songs, it is important to zero in on the special message contained within. Here is Dr. John with Aaron Neville doing a stunning cover of ‘End of the Line’ on what would be Dr. John’s final studio album, ‘Things Happen That Way’. The album was released posthumously in September of 2022, just a few months after Dr. John died of a heart attack in June.

Such a fitting cover, and the fact he was joined by a wonderful collection of friends makes it even better. The vocals are shared by Dr. John, Aaron Neville, Katie Pruitt, Carlo Nuccio, Shane Theriot and Will Lee

Have a great day, and remember, no matter you are going through…

It’s alright.

Everything will work out fine.

Saving Grace – It’s hard to say who I am these days, but I run on anyway. #MusicisLifeTedTocksCovers

I’m lost.

Up is down, and down is up.

Everywhere I turn.

I am beginning to lose faith.

South of the border, I continue to be perplexed at the 24/7 domination of the news cycle by a one term, twice impeached, three times married, four times indicted, 91 felony-facing, lying, cheating, racist, sexist, anti-semetic, ignorant, draft-dodging grifting, fascist, traitor. He’s a bully. An absolute ignorant moron; a complete half-wit. He’s a rapist; the ultimate loser, and yet he is revered by one in every three Americans of voting age. In some states this number rises to about half of the electorate.

How can I possibly look at this abomination, and come away feeling optimistic about our future?

The man is a disease. The cult he leads is how it manifests in society. People wear their willful ignorance like a badge of honour.

This orchestrated manipulation of the masses has been going on for at least nine years. One of the conductors of this horror show declared that if you can put a face on hate, people will vote for them in droves. This is a fact, because it is a model that has served to promote fascism throughout history.

Blind obedience is just another sleeping city along the road that leads to oblivion.

Wake up you stunned sheep.

Don’t even get me started on the mainstream media who are determined to make the 2024 U.S. election close, even if it destroys the country.

Why?

Just follow the money.

There is big money in leading great numbers of the population to the edge of the cliff.

Anyone who follows is a lemming and they deserve their ultimate fate. The people they are following do not give a shit about them. In fact, if Lord Farquaad met one of his supporters on the street, he would look at them as if they were a piece of shit on his platform shoes.

The sheep who follow the never ending grift simply represent a means to an end for these eternal con artists. They clearly have not recognized that they have been duped and they are being used. They are being fed with bullshit. They eat it up like pablum. I use this term, because anyone so void of independent thought should be treated like an infant.

Keep them sick, stupid and poor, and then turn them against each other. The more marginalized the target is, the better. Turn it into an election talking point while the rest of the country burns.

Bring on the clowns, because the circus is going to continue and it is coming to your town, and maybe even your country…

…Because, meanwhile in Canada, polls are suggesting that Pierre Poilievre has a forty percent approval rating. Ol’ Pierre is a 44-year-old finger pointing twirp. He worships at the altar of Stephen Harper and has a startling resemblance to Ron DeSantis (DeFascist), who has proven to be a one trick pony. His rapid decline has been fun to watch. Similarly, PP’s strategy is set on dividing the electorate and turning people against each other. He is easily the worst in a line of failed contenders in this country’s Regressive CONservative Party. Because people refuse to educate themselves and actually explore the world beyond headlines, or investigate the details regarding any issue, they simply accept the vitriol people like ‘Pepe le Pew’ spray.

You see them every day. Driving the streets of your town with ‘Fuck Trudeau’ bumper stickers and Canadian flags waving from a hockey stick, strapped on to their Dodge Ram pickup truck.

Stop! You have become a meme. You are literally broadcasting your ignorance.

Give us our flag back.

I am Canadian, so I will say please.

But, 4 out of 10 people? Really?

Let’s hope sanity prevails.

Do yourself a favour and read the polices this party plans on taking to the polls in 2025.

This is not the Canada I know, and if you feel they represent you, then you can quietly dismiss yourself from my life.

I read this quote recently. It paraphrases May Chazan who is an Assistant Professor of Gender and Social Justice at Trent University as well as Canada Research Chair in Feminist and Gender Studies. She is speaking to the tactics radical right politicians deploy in order to gain power.

In many ways these reactionary politicians are being developed as a means of gaining power in communities which feel stripped of it. However, instead of interrogating the systemic causes of economic and social inequality, they turn towards tactics that target even more marginalized groups.”

Dr. May Chazan

Name the issue

Look for the pattern.

We keep being told what we see to the south will never happen here, but it is unfolding before our very eyes.

It’s a plague. It is completely predictable because they are all operating from the same playbook. This is nothing new.

I just can’t comprehend how gullible anyone who supports these people must be.

Again, I state that we must learn lessons from history.

We need to find some grace under all this pressure. If only there was somewhere to turn?

This is where music becomes my refuge.

Enjoy ‘Saving Grace’ by Tom Petty. These lyrics perfectly reflect everything that is going on.

I’m passing sleeping cities
Fading by degrees
Not believing all I see to be so

I’m flying over backyards
Country homes and ranches
Watching life between the branches below

And it’s hard to say
Who you are these days
But you run on anyway
Don’t you, baby?

You keep running for another place
To find that saving grace

I’m moving on alone
Over ground that no one owns
Past statues that atone for my sins
There’s a guard on every door
And a drink on every floor
Overflowing with a thousand amens

And it’s hard to say
Who you are these days
But you run on anyway
Don’t you, baby?

You keep running for another place
To find that saving grace
Don’t you, baby?

You’re rolling up the carpet
Of your father’s two-room mansion
No headroom for expansion no more
And there’s a corner of the floor
They’re telling you it’s yours
You’re confident but not really sure

And it’s hard to say
Who you are these days
But you run on anyway
Don’t you, baby?

You keep running for another place
To find that saving grace

Don’t you, baby?

You keep running for another place
To find that saving grace

Don’t you, baby?”

Tom Petty

‘Saving Grace’ was released in 2006 on Tom Petty’s ‘Highway Companion’ album. It was the lead track. In the original recording Petty employed a couple of dependable partners. Mike Campbell plays slide guitar, rhythm and handclaps and Jeff Lynne adds bass guitar, a rhythm track, organ, backing vocals and his own handclaps. On this track, Tom becomes a bit of a one-man band by singing lead vocals and adding backing vocals, drums and piano.

When it all comes down to it, the 12-string guitar foundation is what really draws the listener to the studio version of the song. True to Tom Petty’s music roots, there is a strong Roger McGuinn influence here.

Over the years, Tom spoke proudly of this composition because it represents his values as a person. Within the lyrics, Petty was hoping to instill some degree of accountability within his audience. The message is that personal strength and empowerment are within us all. Start with yourself and then move outward. Sadly, too many people approach things from the opposite direction.

In this quote Tom Petty comments on his intentions.

I wanted to write a song that reminded people of the fact that we all have the power to save ourselves, to find our own grace in difficult times. It was important for me to express that feeling of empowerment and finding strength within.”

Tom Petty

For people who are truly listening, ‘Saving Grace’ is a song of hope.

The title ‘Saving Grace’ encapsulates the idea of finding salvation and strength through love, whether it’s love from another person, self-love, or a higher power. It’s about realizing that there is always a lifeline, a saving grace, available to us.”

Tom Petty

For decades, the power of the songwriter has resided in their ability to encapsulate their experience and make it relatable to a wide audience. Not everyone can capture their own feelings and then present it to people this effectively, but when this happens, the result is magical.

Tom Petty managed to do this on countless occasions over his forty year career.

I draw from my own life for inspiration and then expand upon those experiences to create songs that resonate with a wider audience. ‘Saving Grace’ embodies emotions that I, and many others, have felt at different points in our lives.”

Tom Petty

 Petty then goes on to express the importance of an accessible musical accompaniment.

For this song, I wanted to strike a balance between meaningful and relatable lyrics and an infectious melody. It took some time, but once the pieces fell into place, ‘Saving Grace’ became an anthem of resilience and empowerment.”

Tom Petty

It’s the line, “anthem of resilience and empowerment” that really speaks to me. I love that. This is what we all need. We are not alone, but we do need to be careful about the forces we subscribe to when the aim is to bring us together.

I think the universal appeal lies in the fact that we all face challenges and seek solace in different ways. ‘Saving Grace’ reminds us that we are not alone and that there is always a glimmer of hope, even in the darkest of times.”

Tom Petty

There is hope, but the line between hope and despair is razor thin.

Getting back to the music, let’s take a moment to focus on how this Tom Petty masterpiece translates to the stage with the entire Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers ensemble. This is from the ‘Runnin’ Down a Dream’ documentary recorded in 2006 during a 30^th anniversary show in the band’s hometown of Gainesville, Florida.

Whenever I go back and watch this video, I get chills. It is so accessible.

Listen…

There’s a guard on every door
And a drink on every floor
Overflowing with a thousand amens”

Tom Petty

Infinitely wise…Tom is still speaking to us, and I submit this as exhibit 420 that The Heartbreakers are the best backup band in music history. Right up there with  The Band.

As for the cover versions of ‘Saving Grace’, I was not able to gather much in the way of big-name tributes but there are some quality renditions that can be shared. First, in 2012 a tribute act known as Union of Sound recorded a ‘Salute to Tom Petty’ and included ‘Saving Grace’ as part of the collection.

More recently, in 2020 a band called Andrew Leahey and the Homestead offered this quality cover as part of the ‘Tom Petty 70^th Birthday Bash’ virtual festival.

Still in 2020, we get The Refugees and their own take on ‘Saving Grace’. This is from what they refer to as the ‘Coronavirus Sessions’.

All of this speaks to Tom Petty and his musical mission of “creating meaningful music that touches lives”.

What more can we ask for?

Before I head on down this road to pick up whatever is mine, I want to share a recent headline that caught my attention.

More news from the never-ending clown show. It seems ‘Stupid Eric’s’ wife has decided to record a cover of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers song of defiance ‘I Won’t Back Down’.  This is despite the fact that Tom Petty’s estate has sent a cease-and-desist order to these oblivious fools.

Both the late Tom Petty and his family firmly stand against racism and discrimination of any kind. Tom Petty would never want a song of his used for a campaign of hate. He liked to bring people together. Tom wrote this song for the underdog, for the common man and for EVERYONE. We believe in America and we believe in democracy, but Donald Trump is not representing the noble ideals of either. We would hate for fans that are marginalized by this administration to think we are complicit in this usage.”

Statement from the Estate of Tom Petty

Here is the ignorant response of this trailer trash.

I don’t got no message for the Petty family because I don’t even think about them.”

Lara Trump

For the record, does the double negative imply that she does have a message for Tom Petty’s family?

This may confuse her, so I will stop here.

Here is a message to Stupid Eric, his brother Beavis and the Princess who lives with the eunuch.

You’re rolling up the carpet
Of your father’s two-room mansion
No headroom for expansion no more
And there’s a corner of the floor
They’re telling you it’s yours
You’re confident but not really sure”

Tom Petty

Justice is coming. People caught up to your con.

What is it about RepubliCONs? They have no capacity for nuance and you can’t insult them with a stick because their base level intelligence makes their mind virtually impenetrable. Simply stated, they have not evolved.

When Benmont Tench learned of the intentions of Stupid Eric’s wife, he made this declaration.

I, in no way approve of Trump even whistling any piece of music associated with our band. I hope that’s clear enough.”

Benmont Tench III

Benmont Tench and Tom Petty…True highway companions.

I am just happy that in a figurative sense, I am along for the ride, every time I listen.

Ted Tocks Covers – Top 3 Posts for October #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #PetShopBoys #GratefulDead #TomPetty #JohnPrine #PeterGabriel #TonyJoeWhite

For this month’s summary, I will not bury the lead.

In October, Ted Tocks Covers surpassed the 50,000 – page view milestone. This moment was celebrated by a fun little acknowledgement from my friends at WordPress who host my page and document all the stats.

That’s all I have to say about that. It is just nice to receive the validation as I continue to be amazed by how many people, literally the world over take time to read my thoughts on the music that has literally connected us over the decades.

When all else fails, I know I can turn to music as a guiding light, because through this blog I am assured that many people feel the same way I do about the healing power of music.

There are times that I can make no apology. I am often restored by this daily ritual. I aim to find joy in this hobby because it allows me to be in the moment, while reflecting on my past through music.

Music is an influence that has always encouraged me, and by all indications, it seems to offer solace for those around me. The appreciation allows people to tap into their artistic side while they make their own rules about how they want to interact with the world at large or with those closest to them. It can serve as a grounding influence. Music helps me lay out a road map for my life. Others are free to come along for the ride.

There are days where I sit and write in the early morning hours where I realize I am a little bit lost.  As the words flow from my mind to my fingertips, moving from keyboard to screen, the intention is to help me strike a more positive work/life balance and evaluate how much energy I need to spend on my well-being, and a quality of life for the people closet to me.

Through a lack of establishing a clear priority, I have failed those closest to me. I regret this wholly, but it is my issue to work through.

Fortunately, this therapeutic exercise has served a purpose. To some degree it boosts my confidence and opens up space for me to think about my goals, as my thoughts emerge.

What area of my life requires more harmony and balance?

What rituals do I have that allow me to surrender and let go?

What does fulfillment look and feel like in my everyday life?

We should all be asking ourselves these questions.

For over 40 years I have learned one thing for sure.

The answers are often contained within the music we share.

It all comes back to one line for me;

“If you get confused, listen to the music play.”

Robert Hunter

During October, Ted Tocks Covers readership went back to the pre-summer numbers, averaging well over 50 page views a day. In total, over 190 songs received attention on the Ted Tocks Covers blog site with page views being enjoyed in 50+ countries. The top five countries by page views remains; the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia and Ireland.

A couple of Ted Tocks blogs hit significant milestones.

Biko – In October this plaintive piece by Peter Gabriel became the 58^th Ted Tocks Covers post to reach a minimum of 100 page views. This number has become a bit of a benchmark for this blog. ‘Biko’ goes back to the early days of Ted Tocks Covers. There is a certain degree of pride in knowing that once in a while the music I am sharing is resonating to an engaged audience. ‘Biko’ is an extremely important song because it brought a story of oppression to a worldwide audience, while the powers that be were hoping to sweep it under the carpet. This is a common practice. How long would Apartheid have been able to flourish in South Africa, if the artists had not stepped up to relate the atrocities? Oftentimes, it is the musicians that bring the stories to the people and force awareness and action. Let’s just say, we didn’t learn about this in school. Forces way beyond us aim to suppress, for their own self-serving interests. Greed is rampant, and many people we should be able to trust have proven to be contemptible. As always, I urge you to educate yourself. Dig deeper. But, please beware of the source. A stranger on Facebook who posts their opinion is not necessarily the one you want to base your life’s decisions around. There are a lot of charlatans out there, and they are targeting you.

You can blow out a candle

But you can’t blow out a fire

Once the flames begin to catch

The wind will blow it higher.”

Robert Hunter

Polk Salad Annie – This is a totally different approach that shares a southern U.S. folk song that has been heralded for over 50 years. In October, this Tony Joe White classic surpassed 300 page views. Its success as a feature is perfect because it truly is timeless. When artists like Elvis Presley and Tom Jones cover your song, you have hit the big time. Tons of fun and universally accessible. ‘Polk Salad Annie’ tells a story. Just one more purpose that music aims to serve. It brings characters to life.

Now, let’s move on to the top three posts for October.

#3. Always on My Mind – The research for Ted Tocks Covers looks far and wide for the inspiration that leads to these posts. I frequently refer to cover versions that I feel are among the best I have ever heard. The more I write, the more I realize the label ‘best cover of a song ever’, or ‘best cover artist’ is virtually impossible to declare. Musicians  have been covering each other for centuries. It is an evolution of inspiration. Having said that, I discovered that in a BBC poll earlier in the 2000s ‘Always on My Mind’ by Pet Shop Boys was voted the best cover ever by music lovers. I hadn’t initially planned to create this post, but based on that declaration, I felt compelled to do a feature on this classic song that goes back half a century. Naturally, it has been covered by a wide range of artists from several genres, which made it the perfect song to feature.

#3. Blow Away – Former Grateful Dead keyboard player Brent Mydland would have turned 70 years old this past month and Ted Tocks celebrated this occasion by sharing one of his many shining moments with this essential band. Anyone who needs evidence that music is a binding source in our lives, needs to look no further than this band. In featuring ‘Blow Away’ I offered a glimpse into my ten-year foray as a lightweight Deadhead, and how important Brent Mydland was in solidifying my love for the Grateful Dead. Brent brought the audience in with his live performance. He personified the soul of an artist. He held them in the palm of his hand, and when the song was over, he sent them on their way to spread the word.

#2. Wildflowers – It is hard to believe that it has been five years since we lost Tom Petty. I offered up a bouquet of ‘Wildflowers’ in order to celebrate my love for the music of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. A short time after researching it, writing it and gathering some phenomenal cover versions, I posted it on the anniversary of his passing. Only then did I realize that I had already featured ‘Wildflowers’ three years previous. So, there you go. A song so good, it had to be featured twice. Tom Petty IS that good. He deserves every accolade. Yet another go-to artist for this music lover. Guaranteed to sing along and he always makes me think with his straightforward wisdom.

#1. Nine Pound Hammer – Speaking of song-writers who can relate with his accessible lyrics, the number one post for the month of October was by the immortal John Prine. Every time I feature John Prine, I share it on Facebook to John Prine fan pages, and his legion of fans come out to enjoy the memories. With this post, I tried something a little different. I imagined an interaction with him where we both just say back and listened to the music. It was pure fantasy, but it was fun as we explored an American work song/bluegrass classic that goes back at least a century and likely way more. While not even close to a John Prine original, it was John Prine who introduced me to this song. For this, I owe John a debt of gratitude. This post gave me an opportunity to say thank you. As a fan of John Prine, I often reflect on his music and offer my thanks. The many fans on social media who take a moment to share their love make me realize I am definitely not alone. I have said it before and I will say I again. The best people on social media are John Prine fans. They are closely followed by Jackson Browne fans. They just get it.

This is where I met (virtually) an on- line friend named ‘DB’. If I have it right, he reached out after  I posted ‘Rock Me on the Water’ by Jackson Browne on a Jackson Browne fan page. He has continued to follow me and read my posts every day since that time. He often takes the time to send me a note about his love for a song that I have featured.

‘DB’ also serves to validate why I write.

Your writings continue to be a first read in the morning, well…. first right after Heather Cox Richardson’s “Letters From An American”

DB

This is the highest form of compliment.

And

Your histories serve both as reminders of well-worn tunes as well as intros to unfamiliar artists. The social commentary is a bonus.”

DB

He also shared a personal story about John Prine, which I value. That will remain between us.

It is here that I thank ‘DB’ and the many other people like him who carve time out of their day to read my reflections on the music that has shaped our lives.

If you missed these features the first time around, please, enjoy them now. If you think a friend might like to spend a few minutes with some good music, please share because…

#MusicisLife

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Thank you for continuing to read Ted Tocks Covers. I look forward to sharing more music with you as we move toward the end of 2022.  

As always, thank you for following.

Wildflowers – You belong somewhere you feel free. #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #TomPetty #LarkinPoe #ChrisHillman #MileyCyrus #BillyRayCyrus #TheWailinJennys #TrampledByTurtles #LucindaWilliams #OtisGibbs #KennyVaughan #EddieVedder

It’s like he is talking to the listener.

When Tom Petty sings “You belong among the ‘Wildflowers’ he means YOU. Not many singers have the ability to consistently draw the audience into their music.

Let’s call his music and lyrics accessible.

Tom Petty has a lofty place among the best. This is what makes him so enduring and endearing.

Certainly, a song like ‘Wildflowers’ which contains such artistry and poignance took a significant amount of time to craft?

Right?

Well, no. According to Tom, it took about as long to write as it took you to press play and listen.

I just took a deep breath and it came out. The whole song. Stream of consciousness: words, music, chords. Finished it. I mean, I just played it into a tape recorder and I played the whole song and I never played it again. I actually only spent three and a half minutes on that whole song. So, I’d come back for days playing that tape, thinking there must be something wrong here because this just came too easy. And then I realized that there’s probably nothing wrong at all.”

Tom Petty

It may have sounded just like this:

In the simplicity, there exists a message.

You belong among the wildflowers
You belong in a boat out at sea
Sail away, kill off the hours
You belong somewhere you feel free

Run away, find you a lover
Go away somewhere all bright and new
I have seen no other
Who compares with you

You belong among the wildflowers
You belong in a boat out at sea
You belong with your love on your arm
You belong somewhere you feel free

Run away, go find a lover
Run away, let your heart be your guide
You deserve the deepest of cover
You belong in that home by and by

You belong among the wildflowers
You belong somewhere close to me
Far away from your trouble and worry
You belong somewhere you feel free
You belong somewhere you feel free”

Tom Petty

Life is about you. Enjoy it. Go and get it. Share it with someone you love.

Tom Petty refers to it as “an ad lib from the word go.”

The beauty of ‘Wildflowers’ exists in its simplicity. The words were in his head, just waiting to tear down the walls in his mind and bust their way out. In the 2007 documentary ‘Runnin’ Down a Dream’, Petty revealed that his therapist pointed out that ‘Wildflowers’ was essentially a letter to himself.

(He told me) That song is about you. That’s you singing to yourself, what you needed to hear. That analysis kind of knocked me back. But I realized he was right. It was me singing to me.”

Tom Petty

At the time of writing, Petty was struggling with several issues, both personally and professionally. His marriage was failing. He was chasing internal ghosts related to his upbringing, specifically, an abusive father. On the business front, his friendship with long- time Heartbreakers drummer Stan Lynch was deteriorating due to musical differences. Much of this strife was projected in the lyrics that appeared on the ‘Wildflowers’ album. It paints a portrait of a man at a crossroads.

He was able to take solace in two forms of escape. The road, and the recording studio at his California home. Here is Tom’s daughter Adria Petty.

You didn’t open that door unless the house was on fire. My dad spent most of his time in his life quarantined in his house or on the road, basically. But he had that room and he’d just go in that room every single day and work and close the door.”

Adria Petty

Rick Rubin adds to the concept of escapism with this recollection.

There was definitely tension in his life. It seemed he didn’t really want to leave the studio. Like he didn’t want to do anything else in his life. I think he wanted to take his mind off whatever was going on at home.”

Rick Rubin

This brings it all back to the stream of consciousness that shines through in so many of the songs that appear on the ‘Wildflowers’ album. Petty famously referred to it as his ‘divorce’ album.

Wildflowers’ is the divorce album. That’s me getting ready to leave. I don’t even know how conscious I was of it when I was writing it.”

Tom Petty

Sadly, the success of ‘Wildflowers’ coincided with one of the darkest periods of Tom Petty’s life, marred by severe depression exacerbated by an effort to self-medicate with heroin.

Looking back, it is difficult to reconcile how someone who gave so much to so many through his art, felt so hopelessly alone.

Somehow, he managed to work through it. He gave us so much of himself through his music. He needed to take some time to absorb everything. This was the escape.

Far away from your trouble and worry
You belong somewhere you feel free”

Tom Petty

He needed to give himself permission to go there. It was right in his own backyard. He captured a moment in the backyard of his Santa Barbara home, surrounded by the beauty of a spring revitalization.

In doing so, he articulated the same solution for millions of his fans.

Who knows how many people Tom Petty has helped with his words and music? There is a lot of truth to the commonly held belief that music to many, exists as a form of therapy. Today I submit that your therapist is Tom Petty. It may not be a role he asked for, but through his ability to break things down to their lowest common denominator, his music became a friend we could all count on when everything around us seemed impossible to navigate.

So, a song that Tom Petty admitted was written as a note to himself, ended up becoming a song that a legion of his fans turn to in a moment of self-reflection.

It is this genuine ability to relate that continues to make the music of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers a gift to us all.

Five years ago, when news of Tom Petty’s death surfaced, the tributes came in a flurry. They were heartfelt and they often came in the form of people covering a variety of his songs. Because ‘Wildflowers’ has such a sentimental power it was one of the primary choices. Here they are in a vague chronological order.

This version of ‘Wildflowers’ by Larkin Poe seems to have been done immediately upon hearing of Tom’s passing. It is straight from the heart. Heartbreaking really. Listen to their harmonies and the lap steel accompaniment is phenomenal.

This cover is extremely important. Enjoy this version by Chris Hillman, formerly of The Byrds. His 2017 album ‘Bidin’ My Time’ concluded with a tribute to Tom Petty.

The significance of this version is deep because it acknowledges Tom Petty’s well known Byrds influence. This album features Tom Petty on two tracks as well as Steve Ferrone, Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench. Don’t quote me on this but it may exist as the last studio recording of Tom Petty.

When Chris Hillman sings this line, it is a direct compliment to the man who wrote the song.

I’ve seen no other who compares with you.”

Tom Petty

High praise indeed.

Here is another sentimental cover.

Less than a week after Tom Petty died, Miley Cyrus and her father Billy Ray appeared on ‘The Tonight Show’ with Jimmy Fallon. Listen as the song moves toward the conclusion. This is dynamic. She is singing this to Tom Petty. Another special moment.

You’ve gotta love The Wailin’ Jennys. Here they are on E Town. This a fantastic cover from 2018, where they pay tribute to Tom Petty.

Again from 2018, here is Trampled by Turtles. The banjo brings out the genuineness of the lyrics. Once again, the artists who cover Tom Petty illustrate the adaptability of his music.

More recently, from 2020, here is Lucinda Williams with her rendition of ‘Wildflowers’. This is a project called ‘Lu’s Jukebox’. Lucinda Williams was a good friend of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. The friendship comes through in this delivery.

Please take a moment to enjoy this episode of Otis Gibbs featuring Lucinda’s guitarist Kenny Vaughan. He tells stories about life on the road with a bunch of ‘Florida hippies’. You can hear how much he appreciates their friendship. Good times and no pretense.

He summarizes Tom Petty in this line.

He put his songs and his art ahead of everything else in life.”

Kenny Vaughan

How cool is Eddie Vedder? Just watch this. This is well in advance of a Pearl Jam concert at the Los Angeles Forum in May. Eddie comes out on stage and addresses the early arrivals. This is a special moment, and the song he delivers is carefully selected.

Somehow it seems appropriate that I conclude the music portion of today’s post with ‘Wildflowers’ from the final show by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. This is from September 25, 2017, performed before a familiar crowd at Hollywood Bowl. This concluded the band’s 40^th anniversary tour. As you take it in, you will recognize the beauty of this treasured moment. It comes across just like the first time…

When you think of Tom Petty the words honest, genuine and integrity often get tossed around. I will share a quote from his daughter, Adria where she effectively portrays her father using the word authentic while discussing his song writing artistry.

They have some deeper quality than words can capture, and I think they’re honest and authentic and we don’t get a lot of that these days. … And that was what was unique about my dad. My dad was much more excited to meet somebody who is authentic than someone who was rich or famous, any day of the week.”

Adria Petty

This is how Tom Petty is remembered.

As devoted fans, we will continue to sing…

You belong in that home by and by.”

Tom Petty

Lover of the Bayou – Happy 80th birthday to #RogerMcGuinn. Drink the blood from a rusty can. #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #TheByrds #JacquesLevy #TomPetty #Mudcrutch

This is music. Just close your eyes and listen. The song will take you directly to the bayou. Your tour guide will be an unlikely source.

Happy 80^th birthday to Roger McGuinn of The Byrds.

The man who revolutionized the sound of the Rickenbacker guitar., and so much more…

…Read on.

In order to celebrate this significant milestone, today’s feature will be ‘Lover of the Bayou’. This song has a somewhat complicated set of intentions and timeline of releases so let’s sit back and enjoy a short retrospective of a fascinating career in music.

‘Lover of the Bayou’ exists as a 1969 writing collaboration with Jacques Levy, who was a songwriter and musical director. At the time McGuinn and Levy had an eye on making a Broadway musical. The working title was ‘Gene Tryp’ which was an anagram of Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen’s ‘Peer Gynt’. The ambitious production was to be set in the Louisiana bayou in the mid-1800s. The main character was a hard living southerner who sold guns to both the Confederates and the Unionists while offering rum to the slaves.

The portrait of Gene Tryp comes through very clearly in the song writing. As you read the descriptive lyrics, you’ll be captured by the imagery. This is driven by Levy, who in addition to having writing aspirations, he was also a psychologist and a student of Freudian symbolism.

Catfish pie in gris gris bag
I’m the lover of the bayou
Mark your doorstep with a half wet rag
I’m the lover of the bayou

Raised and swam with the crocodile
Snake-Eye taught me the Mojo style
Sucked and weened on chicken bile
I’m the lover of the bayou

I learned the key to the master lock
I learned to float in the water clock
Learned to capture the lightning shock
I’m the lover of the bayou

And I got cats an’ teeth and hair for sale
I’m the lover of the bayou
There are zombies on your tail
I’m the lover of the bayou

I cooked the bat in the gumbo pan
I drank the blood from a rusty can
Turned me into the Hunger Man
I’m the lover of the bayou”

Roger McGuinn and Jacques Levy

The version of ‘Lover of the Bayou’ shared at the outset of this post is actually a live recording from the Felt Forum in New York City on March 1, 1970.  The mood that the song creates is almost indescribable. I will call it murky and ominous. One gets the feeling ‘Lover of the Bayou’ is setting you up for something and it is not going to be good. Here is a perfect description from a fan of all things related to The Byrds.

The music is threatening, and tense, like the rant of its witch-doctor narrator.

-Byrdwatcher on Untitled

As much as the song comes across as a narration by the main character, it has also been suggested by McGuinn himself that if the play had seen the light of day, it would have been performed by a character named ‘Big Cat’ who portrayed a voodoo witch doctor.

Unfortunately, ‘Gene Tryp’ was abandoned as a project, but there were a few offshoots. McGuinn and Levy’s writing yielded a total of 26 songs. Some were specific to the musical, but it was ultimately determined that six were up to standard for release by The Byrds. They included ‘All the Things’, ‘Just a Season’ and ‘Chestnut Mare’ and today’s feature, which were included on the 1970 album ‘Untitled’. The live version of ‘Lover of the Bayou’ actually opens the album. ‘I Wanna Grow Up to be a Politician’ and ‘Kathleen’s Song’ appeared on The Byrds follow up album, ‘Byrdmaniax’.

As far as ‘Gene Tryp’ goes, although the concept was not pursued by Levy and McGuinn, a revised adaptation was created by students of Colgate University in 1992 under the title ‘Just a Season: A Romance of the Old West’.

Without further adieu here is the studio version of ‘Lover of the Bayou’ which was left off ‘Untitled’ in favour of the live version. To add to this item, one should also note that the ‘Untitled’ album title was a mistake. The new incarnation of The Byrds, which included Roger McGuinn, Gene Parsons, Skip Battin and the great Clarence White were working on a more dynamic label. The Byrds producer, Terry Melcher wrote ‘untitled’ in parentheses as a placeholder on the Columbia Records paperwork, and before everyone knew it, the album was pressed. Sticklers for detail, the folks at Columbia even included the parentheses.

Enjoy the quality studio recording here. Some cool effects. This version was ultimately released in 2000 as a bonus track on a CD reissue of ‘Untitled’.

For added clarity, the live version of ‘Lover of the Bayou’ was also released as part of a Columbia Records four song single in 1971. The other three songs were ‘So You Wanna Be a Rock and Roll Star’, ‘Goin’ Back’ and a cover of Bob Dylan’s ‘Chimes of Freedom’. The Bob Dylan cover is an interesting tie in for a couple of reason. As we all know, the connection between Bob Dylan and The Byrds is obvious in terms of The Byrds ascent as an integral act in the ’60s, but perhaps lesser known is the huge role Jacques Levy played in co-writing much of the 1975 Bob Dylan album ‘Desire’ and assisting in the concept that became Dylan’s ground breaking ‘Rolling Thunder Revue’ tour.

Just to reaffirm the importance of this track in the evolution of The Byrds, in terms of their lineup and their sound, ‘Lover of the Bayou’ was also added to their two disc retrospective called ‘The Essential Byrds’ released in 2003.

Moving on to my contention that The Byrds need more love when it comes to their place in defining a sound that remains integral to music in the present day, I found this guitar track to be a fascinating exploration into today’s feature composition. It further demonstrates the phenomenal musicianship of each member, specifically the playing of the immortal Clarence White.

By 1975, The Byrds had broken up and Roger McGuinn had become engaged in a handful of intriguing projects. His involvement with Bob Dylan and Jacques Levy on the ‘Rolling Thunder Revue’ is well documented. That year also saw him release ‘Roger McGuinn & Band’ which was intended as an opportunity to for not only McGuinn to shine, but to share his desire to spawn the careers of new musicians. He encouraged their instrumental contributions, as well as their song writing. On the surface this seemed like a good idea, but sadly it was not what the critics considered essential, nor was it deemed desirable by the buying public. Later, Roger McGuinn admitted that this was a mistake, stating;

A band should be a benevolent dictatorship. Democracy is a great form of government, but it doesn’t work in rock & roll.”

Roger McGuinn

‘Roger McGuinn & Band’ did include this collective’s take on ‘Lover of the Bayou’.

It says here, that this is a solid take of this incredible song. It speaks to the evolution of styles. A little heavier which lends itself to the brashness of the character Levy and McGuinn were writing about in their initial concept. Note the subtle backing vocals, and the introduction of the piano foreshadows the incredible cover version that is coming up soon.

This is a treat. Here is Roger McGuinn live in 1978, at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, New York with former member of The Byrds, Gene Clark. The video focus is on Roger, but trust me, Gene Clark is there.

Let’s move on to 2004 and a live video from Spain. The quality is not great, but this really speaks to the Rickenbacker sound that Roger McGuinn perfected. Just Roger and ‘Rick’. Awesome!

It just keeps getting better. When one mentions the musical influence of Roger McGuinn there is no escaping the role he played in the career of what became Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. This is well documented. In fact, it became a mutual admiration society. Ted Tocks Covers can’t stop watching this superlative cover version of ‘Lover of the Bayou’ from Mudcrutch. It is absolutely outstanding. Mike Campbell plays the role of Clarence White and provides a blistering solo. Any time spent listening to Benmont Tench on the piano should be banked in order to add hours and days to a good life. I just love this band and their role in what evolved into one of the finest acts in music history. Next to The Band, there may be no better backup band ever.

Just one final take on ‘Lover of the Bayou’. Here is Mudcrutch live from New York City in 2016 with special guest Roger McGuinn. The only glitch is the miscommunication at the beginning when Tom Petty assumes Roger would take the lead vocal. It becomes pretty apparent that on this night Roger McGuinn was passing the torch to his protégé. Listen to the crowd when McGuinn steps up to sing verse two. I just love this moment. It had to be shared.

That’s Tom Leadon on rhythm guitar. He is an original Mudcrutch member and brother of Bernie Leadon, who was a founding member of The Eagles. Randall Marsh is on drums.

It’s all a very special look at the lineage of one of music’s most storied inspirations. If you created a Venn diagram of Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Roger McGuinn and Tom Petty there would be a very clear overlap in terms of how these artists and their careers intersected and played off of each other. This is where the very unique quality of a prolific musician like Roger McGuinn really comes to the forefront.

Listen to the story about how Roger McGuinn and Tom Petty came to collaborate on ‘King of the Hill’.

Just one more example of the inextricable link between these artists.

As far back as 1957 when Roger McGuinn enrolled in Chicago’s Old Town School of Folk Music his path was clear. After graduating, he explored avenues that would help him perfect his craft. This led to associations with the Limeliters and the Chad Mitchell Trio. His first big gig was as a backup guitarist and harmony vocalist for Bobby Darin. When Darin retired from recording and performing, Roger McGuinn barely skipped a beat, as he was hired by Darin’s T.M. Music which operated out of New York City’s famous Brill Building. McGuinn’s vocation became, songwriter, for the princely sum of $35 per week. He supplemented that income by working as a studio musician, where he worked with such eventual major artists as Judy Collins, Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel. These intriguing connections coincided with his desire to take his craft to the burgeoning folk scene in New York’s Greenwich Village. At about the same time, Roger McGuinn first heard The Beatles and took note of the guitar George Harrison was playing in the film ‘A Hard Day’s Night’…A 12 string Rickenbacker.

Then came the invitation that changed everything. He was asked to head west to Los Angeles and serve as the opening act for Hoyt Axton and Roger Miller at The Troubadour. McGuinn knew this was a huge opportunity, but he had to stand out.

I got a job offer to play as an opening act at the Troubadour. I did feel that the real folk scene was in the Village. But the Beatles came out and changed the whole game for me. I saw a definite niche, a place where the two of them blended together. If you took Lennon and Dylan and mixed them together…that was something that hadn’t been done.”

Roger McGuinn

Initially it flopped.

McGuinn was frustrated with the scene and the audience. Fortunately for everyone, Roger Miller suggested that the up-and-coming singer take a more casual approach with his audience.

I came out and started blending Beatles stuff with the folk stuff, and the audience hated it. I used to get mad at ’em because I thought it was good. Roger Miller took me aside one night and said, “I know what you’re trying to do up there. It would go a lot better if you didn’t get mad at the audience. Just try to smile and be nice to ’em.”

Roger McGuinn

As audiences began to warm up to Roger McGuinn’s stage show, artists like Gene Clark and David Crosby were drawn to what he was doing. The earliest incarnation of The Byrds took flight.

After laying down a few demos that included some Beatles and Dylan covers, the fledgeling group began to shop their new sound around. A transitional moment took place when their manager, Jim Dickson got an audition at the home of Benny Shapiro of Columbia Records. They set up tape of the backing tracks and sang over them in Shapiro’s living room. When the record executive’s 14 year old daughter came tearing down the stairs thinking the Beatles were in her living room, they all knew they may be on to something. When Benny Shapiro told his friend Miles Davis about his discovery, he was urged to sign them up.

The Byrds were in flight.

In a nutshell, that is how it all began.

It was all behind the vinyl.

This speaks to the significance of Roger McGuinn for about six decades.

When folk music and rock and roll was blended as a new genre, he was there.

When the idea to merge psychedelic rock with bluegrass and country, he was there along with Chris Hillman and Gram Parsons.

When Bob Dylan wanted to bring his vast world to the smaller stages of North America in a musical cavalcade, he was there.

And when, a sneering burgeoning sound was bubbling in North Florida that would ultimately become known as Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Roger McGuinn’s fingerprints were all over that sound.

All of this makes me realize that in many ways the story of my life is revealed on vinyl and in many ways, Roger McGuinn lies within those grooves.

He should be revered for his importance. In fact, it says here, I think he would have made a good ‘Wibury’.

This is always a good way to assess someone’s value.

Be a Wilbury.

Never forget #MuiscisLife

Sometimes it takes a trip through the past to remind me of this truth.

Top 3 Posts for January and a few bonuses – #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #WarrenZevon #RamJam #DaveGrohl #FooFighters #JacksonBrowne #TomPetty

Ted Tocks Covers began 2022 on a high note. For only the second month ever it exceeded 2600 page views. The feature enjoyed readership from over 50 countries worldwide.

Before I move on to the top three original posts for January, I will share a couple of older posts that generated over 100 page views this month alone.

Keep Me in Your Heart – This look back at Warren Zevon’s farewell album ‘The Wind’ continues to generate strong readership. Since January of 2021 it has averaged more than 60 page views a month. Last month it was the second most viewed song. It also resides as the second most viewed Ted Tocks ever. Warren Zevon fans may know that January is also Warren Zevon’s birth month.

Black Betty – A look back at the roots of a good time song. Sorry to ruin your day if you haven’t read it, but ‘Black Betty’ has an origin in the oppression of Black people in post- Civil War United States. The song represents a fascinating example of the evolution of music over the last century, which is exactly why I write Ted Tocks Covers. The more I write, the more I learn. The more you read, the more you learn.

Top 10 Posts for 2021 – This retrospective that obviously included the top 10 blogs of 2021 received some strong engagement from my friends at www.kindakinks.net. The top five posts included two songs by The Kinks, ‘Living on a Thin Line’ and ‘Where Have All the Good Times Gone’. Every time I include a Kinks song in a post this group takes the time to read it and engagement explodes. I love the band and I love their fans.

Part of the reason why I love doing the annual or monthly recaps is because it takes me back to the time of writing. It also helps me enjoy the song all over again. The truth is, this is also another benefit of writing this blog. Since January of 2018 I have written 1422 features, and on each occasion I have learned more about the music and artists that I love. By digging  into the background, I gain a broader understanding which provides a deeper appreciation for both the songs and the songwriters. In the end, this project provides a great escape.

We could all use an escape.

Like my friend Brian says:

“Turn off the news and turn up the music.”

Okay, enough of my pontificating. Here are the top three posts for January.

#3. Everlong – This was written as a celebration of Dave Grohl’s birthday and as an opportunity to salute one of the best people in music today. He is just such a cool guy. So open and completely genuine. If he has a character flaw, I have not been able to detect it. What I do know is that he writes great songs and he seems to be universally revered. If the world had more people like Dave Grohl we would be in a better place.

#2. Rock Me on the Water – What I said about Dave Grohl, I repeat about Jackson Browne. Yet another musician who seems to be a friend to all and enemy of none. ‘Rock Me on the Water’ borders on prophetic. Music lovers, if you want to listen to a musician who can help you make sense of things through his lyrics you could do a lot worse than this artist. He writes such timeless and beautiful songs and you can get lost in the thoughtful lyrics. His fans on Facebook comprise a wonderful global community. Whenever I share my posts with them, the views literally have representation from dozens of countries. It is both fascinating and refreshing to know the breadth of his message.

#1. Time to Move On – When I announced my early retirement from a position, I have held for over 32 years I shared it on Facebook to my immediate contacts and then I said ‘what the hell’ and I introduced it to my on-line friends in the Tom Petty community. The engagement and heartfelt comments I have received have left me humbled and grateful. I can’t express how much this means to me during such an uncertain transition. Two things I know are, as long as I write this blog I will share Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers songs, and as long as I feature Tom Petty I will share directly with his wonderful fan base. The spirit of Tom is alive in them. This gives me hope because what I said about Dave Grohl and Jackson Browne is also true of Mr. Petty.

If you missed these features the first time around enjoy them now. If you think a friend might like to spend a few minutes with some good music, please share because…

#MusicisLife

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Thank you for continuing to read Ted Tocks Covers. I look forward to sharing more music with you as we wade deeper into 2022.

Stay safe and have a grateful day and let me leave you with this thought…

If you find yourself in a situation and you are not sure how to respond as yourself…

What would ________ do?

If you insert any of Dave Grohl, Jackson Browne or Tom Petty, and act accordingly you will probably be just fine, and you too will likely make the world a better place.

Collectively, through music, song and action, this is possible, and frankly it is necessary.

Time to Move On – What Lies Ahead I have No Way of Knowing. #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #TomPetty #JonShain #HiHoSilverOh #DwayneGretzky #BillyStrings #JakeThistle

For about 45 years now, I have been aware that music helps me make sense of things. Music is magic. It helps me focus. Most of all, when my own words escape me, I can turn to song for solace and on many occasions, I can zero in on the song’s meaning and say to myself that is exactly how I am feeling.

I know I am not alone. I say this in virtually every Ted Tocks Covers post.

#MusicisLife

On my list of top 10 favourite lyricists, you will find Tom Petty. For over 40 years his songs have helped me see through the haze of life. Today’s feature song is ‘Time to Move On’ from his 1994 masterpiece ‘Wildflowers’. To some, it exists as a Tom Petty deep track, but I suspect this song has some intense meaning to many fans as they navigate their own lives and aim to chart a new course. On this day, it is no different for me. So, here is the story.

After 32 years and four months and likely a handful of days I am leaving my position at the Burlington Post (Metroland Media, Torstar). They paid somebody a lot of money to rebrand the company. I have lost track of the proper name so I may be ‘getting the words wrong’.

This has been a difficult decision because I have invested well over half of my life in what has been a lucrative career in print and digital media sales. Within this space I have enjoyed several roles since 1989. When I arrived at the Milton Canadian Champion in 1989, I knew virtually nothing. Thinking back, I was only 22. I was ready to learn, but I was literally ‘a deer in the headlights, frozen in real time’. It was a baptism by fire, and my best attribute was a determination to make it work. I guess somehow, I did because three decades later I am still here. In that time, Heather and I got married, raised three sons and turned our house into a happy home. It has been quite a ride. Truly a rollercoaster. No day was ever the same and it was rare that my learning curve was not steep. On several occasions I was forced to redefine myself in an industry that has seen a lot of change. The past five years has been extremely challenging, and frankly, March 2020 through the present has been insane. Perseverance is truly the model and if it wasn’t for the resilience of everyone around me, no degree of success would have been possible. Somehow, we have made our way through it because that is what we do…but…

…It is just time to move on.

The truth is, I was never the consummate salesperson. When I graduated from Wilfrid Laurier University in 1988, similar to the present, I had no idea where I was going. I had a degree, and not a clue what I was going to do next. I applied for a job as a junior advertising representative at a daily newspaper in Guelph, and somehow managed to talk my way into it. In retrospect, I listened to an intimidating and opinionated Advertising Manager named Pat, talk at me for about an hour and I suspect that based on my nature, I interjected my thoughts at just the right intervals enough times to make him think I was the right person for the job. I was hired and learned aspects of the industry from the ground up. It was a difficult year and a half, but I enjoyed it enough to know that in order to succeed I had ‘to move on’.

So, in the summer of 1989 I answered a help wanted ad for an advertising representative at the Milton Canadian Champion. I drove from Guelph to Milton for the interview, late in the day. It was here that I met Neil Oliver. The meeting was the complete opposite of my Guelph experience. I talked, or perhaps babbled a bit, feeling as though I didn’t really know what I was talking about. As the meeting was ending Neil invited me to meet his brother Ian who was the Publisher. The only feedback I ever received was Ian thought I was shy, and he had his doubts about whether I could succeed.  Somehow, I managed to say enough to get the job and through a lot of trial and error I managed to spend over three decades fulfilling a variety of roles in various locales to the best of my ability.

As I said earlier, it was never as much about selling as it was about helping the businesses and services, for whom I created advertising plans. I was taught to listen; to understand client’s needs. Once I identified their needs, I matched our offerings to create programs that would help them achieve their goals. Simply stated, I remembered my earliest lessons. I sold in terms of benefits. How can I help you? The only way to do that was to listen. My client’s success was my success, and through the years, many came back. As I leave, I will allow this to reside as a measure of my value.

Some of my most rewarding relationships have been the people I have assisted through the years. Being paid to do this job is nice, but having a client say thank you for my service was always the ultimate reward.

This leads to all of the people I have had the pleasure of working with through the years. When you spend over 8000 days with a group of people they become like family. Again, the reward is the many friendships I have gained through the years. The people I have worked with are some of the best people I will ever know. We worked closely to create a product we were proud of. Did we always get along? Of course not. But we always respected each other, and any dissent was only seen as an essential hurdle for us to achieve the goal of being the best we could be. Success within this group was always a team effort. The work that goes into getting a publication to your front door is monumental. Truthfully, it is a story that really needs to be told because over the years it has been taken for granted.

The sad part is through the years I have had to say goodbye to too many wonderful and immensely talented people. In recent years departures were becoming way to frequent. The cuts became way too deep. Changes within the industry were constant and few have been for the better. Most have bordered on ludicrous. Sadly, from my perspective, none have been made with any true understanding of the day-to-day operation, so while devoted employees bust their ass at the ground level with minimal assistance, many in upper management reap all the benefits. Too many people are enduring death by a thousand cuts and the scars remain. It has become unsustainable and my ability to truly help has become limited, more succinctly…impossible. If I can’t be fulfilled, I have no choice but to move on. If I did anything less, I would not be true to myself. It’s time to move on.

Or like Tom Petty said…

Which way to something better?”

Tom Petty

Right now, ‘I have no way of knowing’ but “there’s something good waiting down this road, and I’m picking up whatever is mine.”

Yes folks, there is a Tom Petty lyric for every one of life’s moments.

Enjoy the complete lyrics.

It’s time to move on, time to get going
What lies ahead, I have no way of knowing
But under my feet, baby, grass is growing
It’s time to move on, it’s time to get going

Broken skyline, movin’ through the airport
She’s an honest defector
Conscientious objector
Now her own protector

Broken skyline, which way to love land
Which way to something better
Which way to forgiveness
Which way do I go

It’s time to move on, time to get going
What lies ahead, I have no way of knowing
But under my feet, baby, grass is growing
It’s time to move on, it’s time to get going

Sometime later, getting the words wrong
Wasting the meaning and losing the rhyme
Nauseous adrenalin
Like breakin’ up a dogfight
Like a deer in the headlights
Frozen in real time
I’m losing my mind

It’s time to move on, time to get going
What lies ahead, I have no way of knowing
But under my feet, baby, grass is growing
It’s time to move on, it’s time to get going

Tom Petty

Let me say right here, that similarities between me and Tom Petty are very few. If I had to choose one, it would be we both have a reputation for working hard. I know that through the years, I have pissed a lot of people off along the avenue that saw a project through to its completion. I realize this, but it must be said that every time, it was done out of passion for what I do, and in an effort to make everything as good as it could possibly be. Like Tom Petty, if effort was perceived to be falling short, I would, figuratively speaking, punch a wall.

In the end it can all be summed up as hard work. When speaking to the lyrics for ‘Time to Move On’ Tom Petty suggested that songwriting is hard work, but when everything comes together the reward makes it all worthwhile. Here, he recalls a moment where he was reminded of the song’s initial composition.

I had forgotten the lines, and there’s a really funny line in it: ‘Nauseous adrenaline / Like breaking up a dog fight,’”. To get those lines into a song that’s pretty, was really hard. But it worked out really nice.”

Tom Petty

That is a perfect way to summarize my time working with literally hundreds of people over nearly 34 years. Nothing was ever taken for granted.

It worked out really nice.”

Tom Petty

Before I move on to today’s cover versions, please enjoy the live version from 1994. This is special for so many reasons. Tom Petty fans will note the significance of the date. This performance is part of Neil and Pegi Young’s Bridge School Benefit. Tom Petty performs with the Heartbreakers, featuring Mike Campbell doing a sensational slide and Howie Epstein on bass and backing vocals. As the video ends you get a glimpse of Tom and Howie sharing the screen. Brings a tear to my eye. To me, this is the best version of this song, and it is actually an introduction because it preceded the release of ‘Wildflowers’ by one month.

Whenever I include a Tom Petty song in a Ted Tocks Covers feature, I know quality cover versions will be plentiful. I have managed to grab a handful for your listening pleasure.

Here is Jon Shain from 2007. He does a nice job putting a unique twist on it. The harmonica is solid. He bridges Tom Petty and Bob Dylan. Just an honest delivery and his reverence shines through.

I was captivated by this haunting version of ‘Time to Move On’ from the Californication soundtrack in 2013 by Hi Ho Silver Oh (now known as TUFT) featuring Leslie Stevens. The slow and contemplative rendition makes time stand still. Fantastic.

Canada loves Tom Petty about as much as they love Wayne Gretzky so when I saw that the popular southern Ontario band Dwayne Gretzky covered ‘Time to Move On’ I was all over it. This is a great band. They performed it as part of a tribute show commemorating the one-year anniversary of Tom’s sad passing.

Time to Move On” is one of our favourite songs from the album ‘Wildflowers’. It just breezes along so effortlessly and reminds us of driving around rural Ontario in the fall.”

Dwayne Gretzky

The final three cover versions are from last year.

First, we look back to May and the bluegrass stylings of the infinitely talented Billy Strings. These guys are having a ton of fun while paying homage to one of their music mentors.

Whenever Ted Tocks Covers features Tom Petty, Jake Thistle is not too far behind. Last October, Jake covered ‘Time to Move On’ as part of his annual salute to the hero he most aims to emulate as he continues to move up the ladder. I have shared Jake’s work on several occasions. He is definitely going places.

So, when do you know it is time to move on?

When you find yourself ‘getting the words wrong, wasting the meaning and losing the rhyme’.

One just gets to a point. I need to know that what I am doing matters. Too frequently in the recent past I have lost that sense of purpose. It is time, because this is how I feel. I need to be true to myself. Like Tom Petty, it is about integrity.

“Frozen in real time
I’m losing my mind”

Tom Petty

I have a new chapter to write and ‘under my feet, the grass is growing’.

I’ve got to get going.