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Description:
After listening to some tunes Ejh wrote a long time ago, I started digging through some old tunes of my own. A couple Dadai & I have been reworking and hope to post soon.
I came across this one, and realized there is an aniversary of sorts related to it. It was the last song I played it for my father, who died shortly after.
That was 10 years ago. It's illustrated with a self-portrait done 20 years ago. The song was written 30 years ago.
After grad school I bummed around in NYC for awhile, painting and playing in a corner of Central Park with an open guitar case. Then they found a job for me . . .
Just me and my 12-string Marty . . .
Oh, I can't really sing in D anymore but then you can probably figure that out for yourself . . .
Lyrics:
Self Portrait
© 1977 Craig Bakay
Hello Central Park, can you hear me way up here
Hope this message finds you well and skies above you clear
You know they found me a job today
And it's gonna take me away
Won't you please ask the folk singer who sits over by the clown
If he could play some Rollin' Stones cuz I won't be around
And I'm off to Chicago, I don't really want to go
Not yet been gone half a day and still I miss you so
Can you hear me Central Park, you've always been a friend
Loved the life I led with you, but now it has to end
Cuz they found me a job today
And guess I'm gonna have to change my way
I was just a street musician, playin' for the coins they gave
Didn't matter what I spent
There was nothin' left to save
And they'll tell me in Chicago that I have to cut my hair
People in the village know that ain't playin' fair
Can you tell me Central Park, why can't I stay with you?
Just don't want to live the way that other people do
Cuz they found me a job
Guess there's nothing left to say
Cuz I'm off to Chicago, I don't really want to go
Not yet been gone half a day and still I miss you so
And I only hope you'll think of me when my guitar is gone
Street musicians come and go but you go on and on
Can you hear me?
Hardware:
Martin D12-20, two old Shure Unispheres, and Alto S-6 mixer and a rapidly aging eMac
Software:
GarageBand
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What a string! &mdash 05/02/06 - 01:25:47 AM
Craig, this has a really nice sound happening - the Martin sounds
beautiful and clean. The song reminds me so much of some early 70s
stuff I used to listen to - for some reason I can't remember many
names of bands from that period : ) Byrds singing Dylan is as close as
I can get. Nice changes of pace.
What a string of anniversaries on this one song - your treatment is a
fitting celebration. This is well produced and your singing is fine -
hey, I can't sing in anything but D. Maybe it could come up a bit in the
mix : )
Like it!
Neil [ Reply to This ]
What a string! &mdash 05/03/06 - 05:10:07 AM
thanks Neil. I guess to a great extent, that early '70s sound will always be
with me. Beggar's Banquet, Sticky Fingers, Eat a Peach, Live at the Filmore,
Blonde on Blonde, Live Dead, 4-Way Street, Sit Down Young Stranger, Court
and Spark, Aqualung, Happy Trails, Last of the Red Hot Burritos, Untitled, My
Feet Are Smiling. We lived it dude :)
One day, if the mood strikes you, this one could use a bassline . . . and
maybe some louder vocals :)
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When philosophy and reality collide, reality wins,
<a href="http://secondlife.com/ss/?u=523780b076305e8d810607813a3bec40">Snow Gretzky</a> [ Reply to This ]
What a string! &mdash 05/03/06 - 04:33:14 PM
Would love to add some bottom end.
Neil
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<a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/20419"> Jiguma Blues </a> & <a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/19990"> Too Many Ghosts</a> [ Reply to This ]
Recapturing a moment... &mdash 05/02/06 - 09:15:45 AM
in time... long time ago. And, you do just that in this one, snow. A lot of feeling in this song and in your voice. The leaving theme seems to be a bridge to your Dad's leaving 10 years ago. No great insight there... just adds so much meaning to the song and your performance.
You, apparently, still can sing in D...
[ Reply to This ]
Recapturing a moment... &mdash 05/02/06 - 09:42:41 AM
btw... love that self-portrait of yours, really fits the song. That expression on your face.... kinda like, "What the heck am I doing?" Which is the reoccurring question of our generation.
Jack
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Dadai / latest song: <a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/19625">Like As The Waves Remix</a>
...making melody with your heart [ Reply to This ]
Recapturing a moment... &mdash 05/03/06 - 09:37:59 AM
Thanks D. What the heck are we doing, eh? Any more, I'm not sure, but If I
had any answers, I would share them with you :)
The words to this tune are pasted in an old journal opposite Mickey btw. (And
I'm still messing with that one, not enough hours in the day.)
Really glad you liked the painting. It was a release a long time ago from a very
frustraing period of life. Another long, boring story lol.
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When philosophy and reality collide, reality wins,
<a href="http://secondlife.com/ss/?u=523780b076305e8d810607813a3bec40">Snow Gretzky</a> [ Reply to This ]
And this is not unlike an EJH piece &mdash 05/02/06 - 10:48:41 AM
Certainly a worthwhile listen, Craig - As Jiguma stated, it does have a
good early 70's feel to it, I like that - Man, this is very different music
comming from you, huh - I'd only heard one other, though - This has
an interesting and strange silence about it... - I like the self-portrait' -
interesting - I don't know if I could do a portrait of myself... - I'm
interested in hearing your other stuff like this - It was a pleasant
surprise, just picking you outta the blue - and I had seen your name a
few times - so, nice... Thanks! - Dion [ Reply to This ]
And this is not unlike an EJH piece &mdash 05/03/06 - 05:16:35 AM
Thanks Cyd. Love that "strange silence" and the comparison to Ejh's stuff. The
inspiration to post this came from Ejh's postings of his older songs. I seldom
get introspective with my own tunes, usually prefering to cover others for that
mood. In that respect, you might like what I did with Ziti's "Answers" or
RCAndrews' "Anymore"
From my own list, In Memory of Clement Wood, Parts I and II were written
about the same time but I've never really been happy with Part ii.
thanks again
snow
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When philosophy and reality collide, reality wins,
<a href="http://secondlife.com/ss/?u=523780b076305e8d810607813a3bec40">Snow Gretzky</a> [ Reply to This ]
memories &mdash 05/03/06 - 07:02:52 PM
of folk singers in the village....washington square park.....central
park.....riverside park....thanks for the memories.....well sung and played
folk music........... [ Reply to This ]
memories &mdash 05/04/06 - 05:19:14 AM
TY MB. You know, your mention of Washington Square sparked another
memory that I hadn't thought of in years.
One night, after catching Herbie Mann at The Village Gate, we were strolling
thru Washington Square when we noticed a crowd gathered around a couple
of guys strumming six-strings and singing. Naturally, we wandered over.
The one kid was singng about a cowboy and I remember thinking "Geez, this
guy is good, I'll bet he's gonna go somewhere."
A few years later, I saw him on TV singing the same song, albeit with a
change or two. The kid in the park was Jon Bon Jovi.
Only in NYC, eh?
---
When philosophy and reality collide, reality wins,
<a href="http://secondlife.com/ss/?u=523780b076305e8d810607813a3bec40">Snow Gretzky</a> [ Reply to This ]
Gone but never forgotten &mdash 05/04/06 - 08:00:14 AM
Not wanting to leave the park is a story as old as the hills. Adam and Eve comes to mind, for example. But there it is - life intruding on those carefree days of youth: cut your hair and get a job! I think this song perfectly captures that adolesent angst.
Oddly enough, it's the story beyond the story I'm curious about. That is, how did things work out in Chicago? Was it as reprehensible as expected? Maybe that's addressed in a later self-portrait?
On the other hand - I guess I know how things worked out: the job, the haircut, the pressure of working with deadlines and the confinement of everyday routines - none of that stability makes up for the lost romance of life in a bohemian village. Goodbye Neverland.
Now - if somebody would just find a job for me! lol [ Reply to This ]
Gone but never forgotten &mdash 05/07/06 - 08:43:39 PM
Ty Warren. You know, the Adam & Eve angle really hadn't occurred to me until
you pointed it out. But it is a classic theme isn't it? lol, it's a sure bet I didn't
know at the time I wrote it what convention I was using :)
And as for what happened next, Chicago actually worked out pretty well in
some respects. I fell in with some ex-hippies in the Rogers Park area and
ended up jamming a lot at a bar called Somebody Else's Troubles. Good
bunch there. One or two of the regulars had albums out at the time or shortly
thereafter.
But, there was an affair of the heart in Chicago and as soon as I can make
sense of the 2,000 tracks Dadai sent me, you'll hear the tune about that too.
Thanks again man.
---
When philosophy and reality collide, reality wins,
<a href="http://secondlife.com/ss/?u=523780b076305e8d810607813a3bec40">Snow Gretzky</a> [ Reply to This ]
thoughts from the bull... &mdash 05/07/06 - 06:33:19 AM
i'm not gonna ramble. i thought this one was just fantastic!
love the pacing. i could hear a full arrangement of soft music behind
this one. brushes, bass, and maybe even a violin or cello.
"People in the Village know that ain't playin' fair" is a great line! love it.
glad to hear this kind of work coming from you. it's what you do and
do so very well!
thanks SD! [ Reply to This ]
thoughts from the bull... &mdash 05/07/06 - 08:36:04 PM
Thanks Bo. And actually, it's in the queue for a version with more
instrumentation. Know any cello players? :)
---
When philosophy and reality collide, reality wins,
<a href="http://secondlife.com/ss/?u=523780b076305e8d810607813a3bec40">Snow Gretzky</a> [ Reply to This ]
Finely crafted... &mdash 05/18/06 - 12:57:33 AM
tune here Snowdragon! Your "Marty" sounds crisp and clean. Your voice is
well suited to this type of story-song. I can't believe I'm only now
discovering your work. I apologize for my tardiness!
Be well! [ Reply to This ]
love the guitar &mdash 08/05/06 - 02:16:19 AM
WOW :) &mdash 10/09/06 - 08:35:10 PM
I could really feel that one.... right down to the last note..... great job, and thanks for sharing such a special song :). And apparently, ye can still sing in D :)
L [ Reply to This ]
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beautiful and clean. The song reminds me so much of some early 70s
stuff I used to listen to - for some reason I can't remember many
names of bands from that period : ) Byrds singing Dylan is as close as
I can get. Nice changes of pace.
What a string of anniversaries on this one song - your treatment is a
fitting celebration. This is well produced and your singing is fine -
hey, I can't sing in anything but D. Maybe it could come up a bit in the
mix : )
Like it!
Neil
[ Reply to This ]