This little gem by John Denver was first released in 1971 and was featured in the 1973 made-for-TV tearjerker “Sunshine,” along with several other Denver songs. JD’s music was where I cut my teeth on finger picking and I spent many an hour in my college dorm room with his albums and (sometimes) sheet music working these out when I should have been studying algebra or chemistry. (This was way before YouTube and instructional videos.) This one has always held special meaning for my wife and me. It’s one of the first love songs I sang to her after we met and, in a way, has become “our song.” Thanks for listening, and I hope you enjoy it!

This week’s offering comes straight from the virtual barroom stage (or, more likely, corner of the bar next to the kitchen door). This is an original of mine called “Tomorrow They Won’t Remember My Name” and is in the great tradition of musicians who whine about being on the road. I added a couple of touches at the beginning and end to lend a little authenticity to the performance. As always, I hope you like it and thanks for listening!

“The Ballad of Spider John” by Willis Alan Ramsey was covered by Jimmy Buffett in one of his early albums. And before anybody asks, no, I don’t know what a “motor-bank stool pigeon” is. My guess is that Ramsey didn’t know either, but it sounds cool and that’s all that counts. As always, thanks for listening!

This song has been strong in my mind for the last couple of weeks as I’ve watched events unfold. “Thirsty Boots” is a song by Eric Andersen. Although it was written in 1966 during the American Civil Rights movement, I believe it speaks to the sacrifice and dedication of all freedom fighters around the globe. I think it’s a beautiful song; I hope you like it. As always, thanks for listening!

I wrote this song for piano originally so I had to do a little adapting for guitar. I think of this one with a big band/swing feel (think Tony Bennett) with a horn section, etc. You’ll have to imagine your own arrangement when I get to the instrumental break. Spring is around the corner, so I wanted to get in “A Winter’s Day, a Fireplace and You” while you were still sitting next to that roaring fire. Grab a cup of hot cocoa and think back to that “road not taken.”

“Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Crying” was written by Gerry Marsden. It was released by the British band Gerry and the Pacemakers in 1963 and was their first American hit. Their version was produced by Beatles producer George Martin. My version was produced by me and my Epiphone 12-string. The words of the song may seem a bit trite, but it’s certainly true that there’s always a new day. As always, thanks for listening!

Rick Nelson wrote and sang this song that embodies the frustration of musicians whose audiences won’t let them grow. “Garden Party” talks about his take on how things went at a concert he participated in at Madison Square Garden. In case you’re not familiar with the song, check out the story on Songfacts.com. It’s an interesting read. It’s a fun song with references to other musicians who were at the concert, too. Hope you like it, and thanks for listening!

“Colinda” is a traditional Cajun song from my home state of Louisiana that dates back at least to the 1940’s. I couldn’t find a reliable source for the song’s author, but it’s usually sung with one English verse and a French chorus and filled out with fiddle and accordion rides. We used to play this in my sister’s band (Nancy Tabb Marcantel) many years ago, and a friend (Terry Cannon) and I decided we needed to tell “the rest of the story,” so we added the 2nd and 3rd English verses. I’ve put the translation of the chorus below. Hope you like it!

Let’s dance, Colinda
Dance close, Colinda
While your mother’s not here
To make the old women mad
It’s not everyone who knows how
To dance the old waltzes
While your mother’s not here
Let’s dance, Colinda!

This Jim Croce song was written by Norman Gimbel and Charles Fox for the movie The Last American Hero. It was a rare case where Croce didn’t write the song he was recording, but his signature vocals and Maury Muehleisen’s exquisite guitar work made it sound like one of his originals. It was the last song Croce performed just before his death in a plane crash as they left a concert. As always, thanks for listening!

As with many great story songs, this Gordon Lightfoot tune invites the listener to find the real story between the lines of a conversation between two friends from the same home town. Lightfoot is a master storyteller and this song that seems very simple on the surface asks a much bigger question than, “Did She Mention My Name?”