I was reading Kerouac’s “The Railroad Earth” today.
Love it. Just that ragged-glorious-introspection of his, full of beatific yearning.
A couple years back, I wrote an entire album of songs based around many of his books. “Ti Jean” ~Hearts Crossing The Center-Line~ was that collection of Kerouac inspired songs. You can peruse, listen and/or purchase at: http://billmalloneemusic.bandcamp.com/album/ti-jean-hearts-crossing-the-center-line-songs-inspired-by-the-writings-of-jack-kerouac
Above all, enjoy…
bill
SO: Here’s the start of a new piece which I hope to develop more later:
“What you have here is your “Moments” dissected. The “It” you seek here all shows up as suggestion, as curiosity, as hunch-intuitive. You learn to revel in the tenderness of a breath given, drawn, sent forth. It was never your own.
My own some 22 road-years as a song-writer stretch out before me.
A bit like a stain, an idiocy, a joy.
Making songs. Gift. What a wonderful thing.
God be thanked.
The road past:
On most days I can hardly remember much of it. The blur of it and the mundane cadences of waking, driving, sound-checking, playing, packing and perhaps a meal and drink all melds onto one smudged chalkboard of non-permanence.
It lives inside, i suppose, as nuances, snap-shot impressions.
Sometimes, I find i am “allowed” to spin these into the precious metal of memory & recall. I place them in a cold vault called: “This Is How It Was.”
I even filigree them with a gold-leaf of fondness.
Even though I’m sure much of it was as hard and as bitter as broken glass.
Friends. Surround yourself with them. Recognize their light. Warm yourself with it. And put back in to their lives.
You need them, and they, you.
Their burdens are likely as hard as your own.
And they take off the sharp edges of life so we don’t hurt ourselves.
S’what i think.
A learning curve. All part of the game.”
~bill mallonee
songsforthejourneyandbeyond 