Dir1 Story

Diamonds In The Rough Vol One

You are listening to: 1948

THE STORY BEHIND THE SONG

1948 (Apr 2006) A tribute to my 1948 Martin 00-17 guitar that I traded a very nice Ovaiton guitar for. It was cracked and needed multiple repairs, but it was a 1948 Martin!! THINGS TO KNOW..It was found in a flea market for $40!!

Broken Man (Feb 2019) I started this song in 2016, I’ve seem to forgotten the initial inspiration for the song. But in life, we get beat down by THE SYSTEM, or evil people hiding in the system. Key issue is to know its not about you and you have to deal with it and get on with life. THINGS TO KNOW..I’ve been broken several times and I’m still around!!

Cowboy Boots (Oct 2009): The song is about possessing old things that still work! THINGS TO KNOW: Its all factual!

Do You Believe In Fairy Tales (May 2020)   During the 2020 Corona Virus Lockdown, I began working thru my “Song Ideas” and found this title and a few lines that I wrote in 2014. THINGS TO KNOW: To find a Prince, you gotta kiss a lot of frogs.!!

Exit 35 (May 2010) A Pullman City Harz song. Exit 35 is the one I take off Autobahn #9. About 3 miles before the exit, I can see bright into the night the Esso Gas Station and McDonald sing!! THINGS TO KNOW..The song was originally written as a love song to a faithful old dog!!

First Signs of Spring (May 2020) Another song from the “Song Ideas” that I finished during the Corona Virus Lockdown. I didn’t have much to work with other than title. ! THINGS TO KNOW: I ended up sounding like Ray Scott every time I sing it!!

Four Seasons (-Oct 2006) This was a tribute to how life is like the seasons. THINGS TO KNOW..I don’t think I’ve ever performed this song Live!

From Napoli with Love (August 2013) The song Juarez is the Texas themed version., so I made a ballad based upon the Tom Russell Song “Down The Rio Grande”; THINGS TO KNOW: I’ve never been to Juarez, but I went over the Rio Grande at Laredo/Nuevo Laredo numerous times while stationed in Corpus Christi, Texas!!

House Up In The Holler (June 2010) I wrote this at a weekend home we owned for a while. It was up in a holler. I updated it during the Corona Virus Lockdown of 2020. THINGS TO KNOW..Sticking to the theme of “All a man needed to get by in life was a pair of mules and 20 acres of good land.

I Got All I'll Ever Need (July 2009) I have bought some much musical gear, I find myself in a music store and I say to myself "Well, I got one of those already, got two of that one, etc". So the song stems from that basic thought.   THINGS TO KNOW..In the past four years, I've sold off about half of my instrument collection and assorted toys, but I've still got a dreamland of instruments and equipment (toys)!

Jimmy and Becky (Mar 2005) A The idea for this song came from a co-worker of mine. Her husband went to Iraq and came back OKAY, until the next morning when he could not get dressed. He did get treatment and retired from the Army a broken man. They divorced shortly after. THINGS TO KNOW.. The man didn’t kill himself!!

Me and Alice (Sep 2005). Written on an airplane coming back from Amsterdam. I was working on another song about people not having health insurance on that trip and this was a bonus song. THINGS TO KNOW: I sent this to my songwriting bud Norm Cheney and he immediately came back to me with the question of WHERE did I get this song idea, because it was the story of his first wife, except he neve made it to Europe with her ashes.   ALSO, my wife called it the most depressing thing she had ever heard!

That’s Who I Am: (July 2012) Another ROAD SONG.   I wrote this on 2^nd day of 2 day gig. THINGS TO KNOW: It’s expressing the feeling of being on the road performing for strangers!

The Funeral (Dec 2007) I wrote this when my wife’s Uncle died and we made our Christmas trip early. I was thinking of cases where a person had no remaining family, or friends…Or no one even knew that they had died, hence, no one at the funeral. THINGS TO KNOW: Everything was made up, but it could have happened this way.

Working Poor (Jan 2021): Probably inspired by a news article on TV or Internet. The working poor are those who are just over the poverty line, but still make to much for government assistant. Some have taken a fall, as in this song. Big business doesn’t want or feel a need to pay a living wage. They are content with letting the Government make up the slack Food Stamps, various Government assistance programs..and they get away with it. THINGS TO KNOW: Just because you live in a low cost area and you get by on less than a living wage, does not mean that is possible in area that are high cost.