Bob Karwin - Reinventing the Wheel liner notes, lyrics, and chords Credits: Guitar: Kenny Vaughan Bass: Dave Roe Drums: Jerry Roe Keyboards/Accordion: Kevin Johnston Dobro: Jim Hoke Acoustic Guitars/Vocals: Bob Karwin Producer: Kevin Johnston - Orca Sound Studios Mastering: Jim DeMain - Yes Master Studios Cover Photograph: Jim “Axl” Siler - Green Flash Photography All songs written by Bob Karwin (BMI) Copyright 2016 End of A1A I have always been jealous of my friend, Jim Hoehn’s ability to write upbeat songs about dark subjects. He can create singable crime dramas. That’s a feat. When I was planning my trip to Key West this year, I started thinking about the Seven Mile Bridge. In parts it is incredibly long and desolate. I wondered if anyone had ever tried to commit suicide by jumping off of it. Actually, I just kind of assumed people did. The thing is, you never hear about it. It would be a terrible blow to the tourism image of the keys if people thought it was a sad and dangerous place. Then, I started remembering some of the “outlier” areas that exist on the very small island. For a year or so, I did a radio show on Beachfront Radio called “The Bob Karwin Report.” In preparing the show, I would read the local Key West newspaper to see the real news of what was going on, beyond the weeks they are infiltrated by body paint and aloha shirts. For such a small place, geographically, I always found it funny that they had such a giant courthouse. There must be more crime there than outsiders realize. That got me doing some research. I found three true crime stories that took place in Key West over the years and wove them into a single song. The idea was that Route A1A symbolized the tropical paradise that is Key West. It’s a town that literally sits at the end of A1A. So, a spike in crime could mean the end of everything that little tourist town was trying to cultivate. Hence, the end of A1A. The stories in this song are true. Musically, this song is strange. When I wrote it, I wasn’t happy with the arrangement. It seemed boring. I quickly realized that my limited vocabulary of guitar chords was holding back the song. In other words, I had written a song I couldn’t play. I remembered that Jim Morrison of The Doors didn’t play any instruments. He would write songs and sing them to Ray Manzerak, who would then figure out what chords made up the melody and he would teach them to the rest of the band. That’s how we did this one. I sang the song the way I wanted it and my Producer, Kevin Johnston, had the job of figuring out what I was singing and teaching it back to me so I could play it. Sure, I could just take music lessons and learn theory, but he already did that. No sense “reinventing the wheel.” The End of A1A Intro: G D A Bm7 Em7 D A little green house on Cuba Street A7 G On a fading Key West night Three sun tanned children go to bed As their mother turns off the light A G The trash truck rattles to the curb outside D A Like so many times before A G Just enough noise to camouflage D A The shot that sent her to the floor Chorus G D This never happens. It just can’t be. A Bm7 The neighbors always say G D When the real world comes to the Florida Keys A Bm7 At the end of A1A G D They try to hide what goes on inside A Bm7 But the news always finds a way G D That’s the price of paradise A G the end of A1A A Jersey girl with a wild side Spring break seventy three She was burnt and bored down on the shore So she hopped a bus for the keys Out of money and out of time She hitched back to marker five A Stock Island burger joint’s The last place she was seen alive. Bm7 G A Temporary people Bm7 G A Shuffling down Duval Bm7 G A They never scratch the surface Bm7 G A But they never know it at all Bm7 G A That’s the way they like it Bm7 G A “Thank you, come again.” Bm7 G A
Stay long enough trouble isn’t “if” G D It’s just a matter of when Regretful man in an SUV Led the Deputies on a chase Trying to find some way to escape Memories he can’t erase He pulled over on the Seven Mile Bridge And jumped over the side Traffic backed up for miles and miles But nobody knew why Verse 1: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/florida-keys/article40439115.html Murder of Rosado and Carla Ortiz 2015 Verse 2: https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/48zm3w/the_forgotten_hitchhiker_murders_of_mary_and/? Mary and Maggie Jenkins 1973 Verse 3: http://www.examiner.com/article/suicide-note-reveals-florida-man-s-reason-for-jumping-from-florida-keys-bridge Stephen Gius 2012 The Place I Wanna Go I have been to the island of Jost Van Dyke three times. On that tiny island is one of my top 5 favorites hangouts on the planet: The Soggy Dollar Bar. It got it’s name because there is no dock. If you want to get there, you have to anchor a boat off shore and swim or wade in. So, all the dollars you have in your pocket would be soggy when you used them to pay for your drinks at the bar. The beach is pretty close to perfect. In fact, the photo of me in a hammock that is the cover of my album “Sorry, I’ve been busy,” was taken there. Just up the beach is some of the best roti and fresh fish you can get. Aside from the location, the bar is known for two things: Inventing the “Painkiller” drink and having a ring toss game that is mesmerizing and serene. An afternoon spent at the Soggy Dollar can erase almost all the stress a person can have. This song sums up how it feels to spend time there. Simply put, you just never want to leave. There is one bit of artistic license in the song. I had to throw in a reference to “Foxy’s,” another iconic location that sits on the other side of the island. When the owner feels up to it, he brings his guitar out and strums a few island tunes. Even though the song is mostly about the Soggy Dollar, I couldn’t get away without a Foxy name drop. The Place I Wanna Go G C G C Where the water's so clear you can see your feet G C D Where there's palapas everywhere to protect you from the heat G C G C Where the music in the air has a steel drum beat D C G That's the place I want to go Where the sand’s so soft you can't help but sink Where the slow down style will bring you back from the brink Where there's fresh nutmeg on top of my drink That's the place I want to go C D G The place I want to go's a boat ride away You gotta stay for a while Not just for the day C D G F# E The place I wanna go's so far from here C D G But Its worth every minute to get there. Where the taxi drivers know you by your name Where the weight of the world's washed off by the rain Where you can be the king of the ring toss game That's the place I want to go Am C G Familiar faces at the tshirt stand Am C G Foxy strumming on the weathered bandstand Am C G I dream that one not so distant day Am C D My ticket here will be only one way Margarita This song was inspired by a scene from the movie, “From Dusk Til Dawn.” There is a scene in a nightclub where Santanico Pandemonium (Salma Hayek) dances on stage and then “assists” Richard Gecko (Quentin Tarantino) in drinking some tequila. If you haven’t seen the movie, here is the scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkaveikyikE I STRONGLY suggest that you don’t watch it at work. The dancer in my song is more like if Satanico Pandemonium took a job dancing at Cantina El Borracho from “The Three Amigos.” I wanted her to be dangerous, but not obviously so. She dances, she drinks, she loves. But, you can never tell if it is an act or if she is showing her true self. That’s a pretty haughty description of a song that sounds so simple. That’s because I wanted a salsa-y arrangement that was energetic and fun for her to dance to. The arrangement is an intentional nod to Harry Belafonte “Jump in Da Line.” (Most people know it as “Shake Senora” [Side note: I know most people who like my music say they despise rap music. You should still check out Pitbull’s song, “Shake Senora” with T-Pain and Sean Paul. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmuKdoe8MvI It makes you feel like you are standing in the middle of South Beach in Miami. To be honest, I can only listen to about half of it, but it’s still a cool track.] This song should make you want to turn it up and dance around. It’s not quite as good for a thoughtful, solo acoustic performance at the local coffeehouse open mic. Margarita Margarita C F In a dusty cantina C G There's dancer named Margarita C F And if you send her tequila G F C She might cha cha over to see ya Chorus C F Margarita Margarita she's a salty one C G Margarita Margarita cools down the sun C F Margarita Margarita makes everything fun G F C Margarita Margarita she's a salty one. The sun it gets so hot And her dresses weigh quite a lot So, if there is no shady spot She might wear her dresses or not Bridge (2x) F C Margariiiita Margariiiita Margariiiita G F C She's a salty one When the night time come And her shift is done She's loyal to no one And she trades tequila for rum Never Ending Whiskey Glass I recently had the crazy good fortune to play several shows in Ireland. Thank you to my friend, Brent Burns, for inviting to tour with him for the week. In case you haven’t heard, whiskey is kind of a big deal in Ireland. To be clear WHISKY is not a big thing in Ireland. That’s Scotland. Ireland fully utilizes the E: whiskEy. I am not being a know it all. I learned that on the trip. One night, we played a show at Taylor’s Three Rock Pub in Dublin. Our group was promised a “whiskey tasting” before the banquet style meal. The owner, John, came up to the table with full bottles of whiskey in each hand. As he poured the first one, he described in detail how it was a single malt. He told us the region it was from and what notes to expect. Then, he came around with a blended whiskey for comparison. Again, background was given on the distillery and the origins of the grain. That was the extent of the tasting. After that, he circled our tables for the rest of the night with one bottle of each in hand, refilling every glass if more than a sip was gone. You know how, when you go to Denny’s, you never quite know how many cups of coffee you had because it’s like it refills to the top on every sip? Same deal here, only with whiskey. I am grateful that he audience was drinking as much of it as I was. We were calibrated so that the degradation in my performance was exactly proportional to their inability to detect sour notes. As Brent and I took the stage, and our crowd was multiple whiskeys in, they let in another tour group. Fully unsuspecting folks. It was a magical night. After we finished, the house band came on and played a couple hours of traditional Irish tourist songs. We weren’t the first lubricated crowd they had seen and certainly would not be their last. But, I truly believe we were the best audience that place has ever had. Throughout the night, John continued to circle the tables and refill the glasses to the point where my whiskey glass seemed to be “never ending.” This song is an almost true story about that night. I hope that the feel of the song transports you to a seat at that table. Never Ending Whiskey Glass G C G John was a barrel of a man With a bottle of whiskey in hand Em Em/F# His guests never go dry G C No matter how hard they try D C G Welcome to Ireland C So let’s raise up a toast G To our wild Irish host C C And his pub lined with dark wood and brass C Bm No one ever spills G Em So he fills and fills D C G Your never ending whiskey glass Danny Boy fills the hall And the voices rise and fall If your whiskey's all gone Before the end of the song John's there to answer the call. D The night's always young C. When there's songs to be sung G. Em On a Dublin Saturday night D. And the band looks so proud C When the sing along crowd G. E. A Even gets some of the words right When the clock hits the end of the line And the tourists are all feeling fine John comes around As the pub closes down To set ‘em up one final time I’m with the Band This song started with a Facebook post. My friend, George Jurco, is a major trop rock music fan. He posted a general “thank you” to all of his favorite musicians and I was honored to have been included in the list. The number one thing that sets trop rock music apart from other genres is the connection between the audience and the musicians. No other universe of music has such a blurred line between the audience and stage. I have seen countless shows where a musician forgets the words and the audience fills in the line. Don’t even get me started on the network of people who have gotten so tired of the music industry that they decided to skip the middle man and just bring their favorite music right into their own backyard with house concerts. In the pop music world, you get the impression that a lot of the performers are going it to be appreciated and to make money. Our world is stocked with musicians who love to play so much that they step down off the stage after the show and continue to play around the fire or back at a packed hotel room. That is how important the audience is to trop rock. It is almost like the audience is actually a part of the band. This song is partially dedicated to Mike Miller of The Boat Drunks, who’s song “Hollow Man” is the gold standard for trop rock fan appreciation moments. While that song isn’t directly about the audience, the connection people have to that song is something I don’t think exists with any other song I can think of, in any genre. This song is my contribution to the “thanks to the audience” oeuvre. I only hope it gets me up high enough on the ladder where I can reach Mike’s hand to shake it. I’m with the Band D A Went to a show at my neighborhood bar Bm7 G No one you’d know, they didn’t get very far In the front row, was a smiling man Across his old t-shirt was the name of the band A G When the boys sang, he sang along Barre D D#/D B A I asked him how he knew all of those songs E F#/E G A He looked at me, and smiled, and he said: D A I’m with the band, they just don’t know it Bm7 G My job’s to sing loud and I hope I don’t blow it D A Me in this chair and them on the stage Bm7 G We make a good pair, man we’re all the rage D D/C# D/B A Til the end of the show and they turn on the lights G A7 D I’m with the band, just for tonight He said he hasn’t missed a show in 10 years But he really loves seeing them here This is the place where he met his wife The music became the soundtrack of his life He said the boys would sing And we would dance What I wouldn’t give for just one more chance To look in her eyes and brag right out loud I’m with the band, they just don’t know it My job’s to sing loud and I hope I don’t blow it Me in this chair and them on the stage We make a good pair, man we’re all the rage Til the end of the show and they turn on the lights I’m with the band, even just for tonight D7 C He knew every solo G and tired intro D D/C# Like he could step in D/B A Take on the show C G But he didnt’ want to be in the spotlight E - F#-G-A It was just enough to hear those songs every night What he didn’t know was the band knew him well The waited each night for the requests he would yell They checked from the stage to make sure he was there At that front row table, in his favorite chair They built in his voice to the harmony line And he’d hit it perfect every time And after the show, the boys would all say He’s with the band, he just don’t know it His job’s to sing loud, and we know he won’t blow it Him in his chair, and us on the stage We make a good pair, man we’re all the rage Til the show’s over and they turn on the lights He’s with the band, every night Beerable Hours My song writing process usually starts with the music. I don’t normally sit down with the intention of writing a song. Some people carve out time every day to write in order to stay in practice. I tend to wait for inspiration. I will go long periods without writing anything and then, after I get one song done, the floodgates sort of open. I ride the wave until the water is gone and then go back about my business. I do play guitar almost every day, simply because I love it. So, from time to time, I will find myself “noodling” around and I will stumble on something that sounds new or that feels like the start of a song. From there, I’ll just start singing. When I hit on an opening line that I like, the song tends to fall into place from there. If you read my lyrics closely, the chorus or title is usually pretty closely tied to the first line of the song. On the other hand, a lot of Nashville type songwriters spend a lot of time working on song titles and building it in from there. That’s why country music songs often have really clever titles. Just look at Buffet. “The Weather is Here, Wish You Were Beautiful” was a whole song build around a bumper sticker. Kenny Chesney’s “She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy” also started with the title. I’m sure you get the point. This song started with the title. I was talking to my friend, Axl Siler, who needed some legal advice. I gave him the best advice I could. He then asked how much he could pay me for the conversation. I told him to buy me a beer the next time we got together. Lawyers love to get paid in dollars. They call their time “billable hours.” That’s when the idea of getting paid in beer and racking up “beerable hours” struck me. Beerable Hours Ab I know a lawyer who works downtown in a big glass tower He spends his days and nights chasing billable hours C# He keeps a change of clothes in his office and sleeps on the floor Eb While most of the money he makes C# Eb Ab Goes to the guys with their names on the door I don’t need those dollars and cents But still I spend a lot of time helping out my friends I’ve been known to swing a hammer or move a couch or two Maybe I should start charging for my time Like those lawyers do C7 You can keep your money F I’m not a greedy man Db7omit5 My currency is best delivered Eb7omit5 in bottles and cans I’m charging beerable hours For my precious time If you got the cold ones I’ll be first in line I’m set up for direct deposit Into this belly of mine I’m charging beerable hours For my time I can paint your fence for a tall boy or two For another six, I’ll fix your sink when I am through For a case, I’ll be ready with my table saw and planer Or you can bring a keg, and keep me on retainer You can keep your money I’m not a greedy man My currency is best delivered in bottles and cans I’m charging beerable hours For my precious time If you got the cold ones I’ll be first in line I’m set up for direct deposit Into this belly of mine I’m charging beerable hours For my time People ask how I pay my rent When I get paid in beer I nickel each for a bottle and can At place not far from here I bring it bag and they give me the dough I can pay my bills and have a little left for a six pack to go Pen to Paper From time to time, the History Channel will do a story that includes letters from soldiers to their loved ones back home. Now, I am a big fan of modernism and advances in technology. The downside of such advances is that communication is fleeting. Yes, it is true and tweets, Facebook posts, Snapchat images and things like that last forever. But, texts disappear. Lose your phone and every message to you is gone forever. Privacy protection is such a concern that people have made sure there is no central agency collecting texts (legally). You can’t contact your phone company to find a lost text. People send “I love you” and “I miss you” messages by text. They don’t stop and use ink to stain the message on to a piece of handcrafted parchment. Those messages aren’t wrapped in little ribbons and kept to re-read when the author is no more. In 50 years, there won’t be a collection of “love texts” from Presidents to their sweeties. That is a shame. As much as I say about it, I do the same thing myself. It has just become the way of the world. That’s why love songs are so important. A recording can last forever. It can capture a feeling and bring you back to that feeling when you hear it. This song is my way of acknowledging the past while living in the present. Pen to Paper G D We’ve got an old fashioned thing C You and I A love like ours just wasn’t meant for modern times You deserve much better than the top of my head You deserve every romantic word From every book I ever read A A/B The keys move too fast C D and make my fingers trip and fall and my voice gets to shaking too much for a telephone call G D I’ve got to put pen to paper C D With what’s on my mind G D Put it down in my own hand C G and take my sweet time A A/B Putting my curve on every word C D Line after line C D Gotta put pen to paper C G An old fashioned modern time I want to give you words You can hold in your hand And fold up in in that pretty little box You keep on your night stand Some day when we’re old You can pull that box off the shelf And we can laugh at what a romantic fool I made of myself Like a soldier writing home til his hand gets sore Or a classroom note that you fold up tight And slide across the floor Am Things that move fast G Aren’t built to last Am What we’ve got is slow D Like a hundred years ago. Burning the Castle Down I followed the 2016 elections pretty closely. I know a lot of people followed them, but I studied and watched all of the strategy unfold. What really struck me was that, no matter how hard the Democrats and Republicans fought with each other, they seemed united in keeping other players out of the game. It seemed like such an odd thing to bond over. This song isn’t “pro” or “con” anybody. It is a metaphor for how existing enemies can band together against a “new” enemy. Sort of like how siblings bash on each other, but will defend each other to the death from anyone OUTSIDE the family who tries to do the same thing. I set the story in medieval times because I liked the image of an “out of town” knight riding up to a castle where a war was going on and having the warring factions stop their fight to turn on the new person. Also, knights a fun to sing about. Pirates get all the attention, but jousting is pretty tough, too. Dare I say that knights were the first pirates? Dare…dare. Burning the Castle Down D G A When the world’s on fire D G A And they're looking for someone to blame D G A The one who's yelling the loudest D G A Is probably the keeper of the flame Can't break tradition By walking on new ground Rather than hand over the keys They'd rather burn the castle down Time for a G A New coat of paint on the old place G A Maybe fill the mirror with a brand new face G A it's no sin to redecorate hallowed ground G But it's a whole lot better A than burning the castle down The round table knights vow to serve the King And protect him against anything When the marauders come to pillage and rob The knights stand aside cause it's an inside job D A When a new white knight rides up on his own G A They draw the shades and lock the gate like no ones home D A He's there to help a new chapter begin G But the story’s the same A Because they'd rather torch the place than let him in They may smile and shake your hand Welcome you to their land They make you think you've got a chance To join them in a fighting stance But when the time for battle comes The three of you becomes two on one And if you start to make up ground They just burn the castle down Floating Front Row Over the years, I have had the pleasure of performing at an event called Parrot Grande in the Phoenix, Arizona area. The event is held in late August or early September. Again, the event is in the PHOENIX, ARIZONA area. That means daytime temperatures can reach 135-140 degrees. (Not really, but it sure can feel like it.) I love the heat, so I love being outside and playing at this event. The outdoor stage is set up at the foot of the pool. The front edge of the stage is literally at the edge of pool. So, to be in the front row of the show, you have to be in the water. Frankly, it’s a good idea so people don’t die of heat stroke. Last year, at one point during my show, there were three rows deep of people jammed against the front of the stage, just floating, drinking, and singing along. I thought, “well, that’s floating front row.” I actually pulled out my phone and typed the title into my notes. So, this is another one of those songs that started with the title instead of the first line. I have always said that once songwriters start writing about writing songs, or “life on the road,” they are officially out of real life experiences to write about. Once your life switches from working a regular job and interacting with regular people to simply floating between the stage and tour bus, songwriting becomes a lot more challenging. This was the last song I wrote for “Reinventing the Wheel.” That may mean I am out of ideas. If this is my last song on my last album, I’m fine with that. It sums up how much I love standing in the sun and singing to the floating front row. Floating Front Row G D It’s a hundred degrees by nine G C But its still three hours until show time G Em And I’m getting worried that the crowd’s C D Gonna burst into flames But it eases my mind To see the mic is set up right at poolside Everybody’s in the water Paddlin’ to the front of the stage C G And now I’m singing to the floating front row C G All I can see is inner tubes and toes A But I can hear the voices singing Bm7 From the rum that their bringing C D In a constant flow To the floating front row Andrea Bocelli’s somewhere tonight Singing to bow tied folks sitting in the moonlight They got wine and cheese And act oh so refined My crowd’s a little different than that We got watertight tumblers and big floppy hats Armed with kazoos and ready to have good time I’m singing to the floating front row All I can see is inner tubes and toes But I can hear the voices singing From the rum that their bringing In a constant flow To the floating front row Em G Find the shade of an overhanging palm tree C G to keep you cool. Em G My only question’s how can you float and drink for three hours C D without leaving the pool? [Spoken: That’s why its called the V.I.Pee section] The Man in the Sand Did I cheat by putting this song on this album? Yes, it was previously released as a single and as a bonus track on my “Greatest Hits” compilation, “Sorry, I’ve Been Busy.” But, I am a believer in albums and context. “Reinventing the Wheel” was sort of built around this song, so it seemed appropriate to make it an official part of the collection. The tone, sound, arrangements, and energy of the album all were born with this song. I had previously released it with the title, “Over the Rainbow.” I thought it would be a cool nod to the classic, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” Wow, that was a mistake. Everyone got totally confused. Some even got mad at me for the confusion. I have learned my lesson and re-titled the track here. This song is about that moment in “The Wizard of Oz” where the movie snaps from black and white to color. When your dream life suddenly becomes your real life. Society tells you that you go from being a child to being a grown up to being an “old person.” They always leave out that second childhood that happens after your kids are grown and you have the means (hopefully) to do all the cool things you dreamed of doing as a kid. Some people never do those things. I am absolutely going to do those things. Heck, I am doing as many of them as I can now. This song captures the moment when you are free. You are retired (or just plain quit). Your kids are on their own and it’s just you and the person you love. Life resets to when you were first dating. You can go anywhere and do anything. Throw the real world clothes into the ocean, put the top down, blast the tunes, and head off into the sunset. I’m not quite there yet, but I can see it on the horizon. You can bet that I’ll be blasting this song when the moment comes. I hope you do, too. The Man in the Sand G C He stared there alone at the rainy horizon G D 3 piece suit, briefcase in hand G C His eyes filled with color as the sun was a rising G D G Dressed to the nines, ankle deep in the sand C G Now he’s over the rainbow D G He ain’t in Kansas no more C G Em He’s over the rainbow D C G Ain’t that what working was for He reached back and tossed the case into the ocean Followed by his jacket, his tie and his shoes He laughed and breathed deep as the tide took his clothing When it ain’t worth nothing, it ain’t nothing to lose [chorus] [Bridge] Em F# You drive and you drive and G C You punch the late clock Em F# You save and you save G C To own your own rock Em F# But when its all said and done G A You have to leave time G For a victory lap after D G the finish line He turned and walked back up the hill to his car His wife kept it runnin’ with the radio on They sat there and listened, synchronized smiling Top down, swaying to their new favorite song