Have
Sun, Will Travel - the story
I recorded my first cd, "A Little Something for Everyone," in 1999. At that time, I was pretty new on the music scene and had never tried to record before. I thought the songs were pretty good, but I hadn't found my place in the music world. I called it "A Little Something for Everyone" because the songs bounced around from Trop Rock ("California Sunshine") to singer-songwriter, finger picking acoustic ("Time Like This") to blues ("Stay the Night") to straight ahead Rock ("Drive").
As time passed, and I wrote and recorded more music, I have always wanted to go back and rework that album to fit better with the place I have come to know and love in the musical arms of the legendary parrothead masses. Well, my dream has finally been realized. I worked with my good friend, Kevin Johnston, who produced my last album "In Spite of it All" and is the musical brain behind Maryland Trop Rockers, Captain Quint, to over haul "A Little Something for Everyone" and add new music. The result was so different that I gave it a brand new title "Have Sun, Will Travel," and I hope you enjoy it.
To those of you who already have "A Little Something for Everyone," I encourage you to give this new version a listen. I think you'll want to put ALSFE to the side as a cherished collectible and update your Bob Karwin collection with this new disc.
I have put together a track by track commentary for "Have Sun, Will Travel" complete with the stories behind the songs and lyrics:
Click on any title to go directly to that song or just scroll down through all the songs and stories:
2. Should I
3. Perfect Day
4. Here You Are
5. St. Anywhere
7. I Won't Give Up (My Vices) For You,But You Can Share Them With Me If You Want To
8. Drive
10. Stay the Night
11. Big Rudy (King of Karaoke)
13. Days Move On
Click on any title below to hear an MP3 sound clip.
California Sunshine. This song was born on the sand in Pacific Beach, California. When I moved to So. Cal. from Boston, I couldn't get over how soothing the beaches were. Almost every night, I would take my guitar and a bottle of red wine down the beach after dark and strum under stars with the rolling waves keeping time. I wanted to write a song that gave the listener a sense of how I felt sitting on the soft sand in the warm evening air. The original track was pretty sparse with just a guitar. I have always regretted putting it as the second track instead of the first. That error is corrected here. Also, Kevin added some awesome Steely Dan style keyboards that compliment the tune.
Lyrics:
California
sunshine brings peace to my weary mind
But
there's nothing I can find
To
take the place of having you right by my side.
Chorus:
I can lie in the warm sand
Margarita
in my hand,
But
nothing can
Take
the place of you
A
sunset on the Pacific Shore
Reminds
me of what I'm living for
But
I could not ask for more
Than
to see it set with the one I adore.
A
cool breeze on a summer day
Blows
all my cares away, but there’s
One
thing a breeze can’t replace
A
soft smile on your pretty face
Should
I:
This is one of the new tracks on the album and may be one of my all
time favorite Bob Karwin tunes. When
you graduate from high school, you the school thinks they have prepared
you for life in the big, cruel world.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
It is AFTER graduation when you need the most help.
This song is my cry for that help.
Lyrics:
They gave me a cap and gown and they shook my
hand
Pushed me out into this wide open land
Yesterday I was a child, but today I am a man
Just because they shook my hand
So
I’m sitting behind the wheel staring at the road ahead
Should I keep it in a straight line?
Should I hang a left instead?
Should I sign on the dotted line
And give Uncle Sam my life?
Or should I get a little job in my little town
And get me a little wife?
Well,
you don’t know what you don’t know
Until it comes back around
You
think you’ve got life locked and loaded
Then it falls apart on the ground
You
can’t see what you can’t see
Till it smacks you in the face
It turns you round in a great big circle
Till your back in the same damn place
When I was child my parents were
The
dumbest people I’d ever met
I’d
never follow their crazy advice
Even on a bet
But I got older and they got smarter
At least that how it seemed
And now I got a couple kids of my own
And they act the same damn way with me
Should I head to the park and play some ball
Should I lower my cholesterol
Should I eat a great big piece of cake
Should grab a pole and head to the lake
Should I turn around and run real fast
Till I finally escape my past
Should I stay awake all night long
Or I just sit here and sing this song
Perfect
Day:
When I moved to California, I got a furnished apartment in Ocean
Beach. If you don’t know the
area, I will try to explain. When
you see hookers and pot heads sitting around your town in the evening, do
you wonder where they are during the day?
They are in their furnished apartments Ocean Beach.
Back in 1997, we had satellite television.
Not the cool, sleek DirecTv type, but that giant space station
looking thing that only got 20 stations.
We didn’t even have MTV, but we did have CMTV (country music
television). This was before
country music became modern and cool.
Hell, Faith Hill didn’t even have an album out yet. Once thing I
noticed about Nashville was that thing weren’t going to good for those
folks. They lost their jobs,
wives, girlfriends, cars and dogs. I
had heard the old joke about “What happens when you play a country
record backwards? You get your
job back, your truck back, your wife back…”
I never really believed it until I saw CMTV.
So, I thought I would write a happy country song about a day when
everything goes right. They
will probably never play it on country radio, because no one could relate
to it in Nashville. But, it is
here for you.
This
song was on ALSFE. Kevin added
some awesome, bar room keys. He
also got his band’s harmonica player, Kaare
Wieneke (yes, that’s his real name) to lay down some nasty harp.
It was what this song needed.
Lyrics:
The
sun is out, but it's not too hot
Thinkin'
'bout how my truck is running great and the pocket full of money I got.
Every
song on the radio's got a perfect beat
I
won twenty dollars on a lottery ticket that I found in the street.
Chorus:
I know it ain't too often something like this will come my way
So
I'm turning my back on my past trouble
Gonna
enjoy my perfect day.
Driving down the freeway
Not another car in sight
I turn off to take a short cut I know and
I made every light.
I went to the post office and didn't have
to stand in line
Then I made it to the bank one minute
before closing time.
(chorus)
Forgettin' all the money I owe and the
bills I left behind
Forgettin' I work 90 hours a week and don't get overtime.
Forgettin'
about the time I lost bluffing with two of a kind
Well
I'm feelin' good and I'm feelin' fine
Haven't
felt this good in a long, long time.
Walk
into my house, what do I see?
My
lovely lady with open arms waitin' with a smile for me
I
crawl into bed/I turn out the light
It
may be the end of a perfect day, but it's the start of a perfect night,
yeah
Here
You Are:
This song goes out to all the stalkers of the world who take their
job seriously and do it with pride.
Sure, there are people who will break into your house and boil your
bunny.
But many stalkers will just sit in a tree across from your house
and watch you get out of the shower.
What’s the harm in that?
If you’re walking down a dark alley and a bad guy jumps out, hits
you with a pipe and leaves you for dead, your stalker is 20 yards behind
you, sees everything, calls an ambulance, and gets you to a hospital.
So, in some cases, stalking done right is sort of like being a
guardian angel.
This song goes out to those stalkers.
This was an original ALSFE track. Kevin added some “Bob Marley-ish” keyboards that really highlights how much of rip off of “No Woman, No Cry” this song really is. I did that on purpose because I thought it would be funny since it is about stalkers.
Lyrics:
I
don't know why you keep comin' round here
When
I told you to stay away.
I
open my door, there you are smilin' at me
Day
after day.
I
drive to work and see your car trailing behind me
There
you are on my way home
When
I go out it seems like you know just where I'm gonna be
I
can't get on minute alone.
Chorus:
I don't see how you don't know the end is here
I
thought I made everything perfectly clear
When
I kicked you out and mailed your stuff to Alabama
But
here you are.
My phone rings of the hook in the middle of the night
When I answer there's no one there
But trick on you, I can hear you
breathing
And I'd recognize that sobbing anywhere
(chorus)
I must admit its kinda strange seeing you
at every turn
But you've never done me no harm.
And using a gun is something you could
never learn
But if you did I know that you would be
easy to disarm
I must admit its kinda nice
Having someone to come home to
And if I'm gonna be stalked by someone
for the rest of my life
I'm just glad its you.
St.
Anywhere:
This is a new track.
It was written by my good friend Mark Mulligan for his cd “A Bar
Down in Mexico.”
Mark’s version is very happy and upbeat.
I heard the song after four or five Irish Whiskeys and it seemed to
really slow down – go figure.
I recorded this version with just guitar and vocals and it came out
sort of dark and dreamy.
Mark told me that he likes it.
I hope he wasn’t just being polite.
By the way, go get Mark’s version on his web site www.markmulligan.net
P.S.:
Yes, Mark now realizes that he stole a line from a Kenny Chesney
song.
There is no need to point that out to him. J
Lyrics:
A
beach chair and blender
Coronas
and Coppertone
Fresh
lobster and coconut shrimp
I
can taste it on my tongue
But
I wake up from my daydream
And
the boss is on my case
Something
I did sure made him mad
Man
I need a good day real bad
Blame
it on the windchill
Maybe
it’s the rain
Pull
me out of my cubicle
Put
me on a plane
A
latitude adjustment is exactly what I need
No
shirt, no shoes required
Somewhere
warm where I can chill out for a while
Like
Saint Thomas, San Pedro or Saint Pete’s
Hotter
than Hell is cool with me
Saint
Kit’s, or Saint Croix , I don’t care
Send
me down to Saint Anywhere
A
beach bar in Mexico
A
boat down in Belize
It’s
a puddle jump to paradis
The
Caribbean or the keys
I’ve
used up all my sick days
So
I’m calling in dead
I
could get canned but I don’t care
I’ve
had it up to here
I’m
going down there
Where
walking up at the crack of noon
Means your day has just begun
Where
the ice in my glass barely lasts
Until
I pour me another one
Where
seagulls and pelicans
Chase
the sun across the sky
I’ll
be watching at some sailboat disappears
On
the just another day in Saint Anywhere
I
need a bright and breezy – really lazy
Day
in the tropical sun
So
pick a saint and point me toward the sea
Cause
I’m tearing off my necktie – Dreaming bout a mai tai
Close
your eyes and come along with me
Cause
girl we out to be
In
Saint Martin, Saint Johns or Saint Barts
I’m
halfway there wondering where you are
Saint
Marks, or Saint Lucia I don’t care
Catch
you there in Saint Anywhere
They
can have St. Paul, I’ll take Saint Pete
Adios
Boss, I’m out of here
Destination
Saint Anywhere
Meet
you there in Saint Anywhere.
Sambalectricity:
This is another new track (well, sort of ).
ALSFE had a song called “Identity Crisis.”
When we started working it up for this cd, Kevin added some Latin
style keyboards that I really liked. The
problem was that it didn’t fit with the lyrics.
So, I changed the lyrics from top to bottom to fit the new feel of
the song. It turned out to be
one of my favorites.
What
we have now is a story about a woman on a “girl’s weekend” to Havana
in the 1940’s. She steps off
the airplane and into the world of swirling music, heat and parties.
I have made up the word “Sambalectricity” to describe the way
it feels to stand in front of a rolling Latin band that is putting out
10,000 watts of energy through the music.
It has enough power to keep dancers moving for days.
I like to imagine the lead character to be Lauren Bacall circa “To
Have and Have Not.”
Lyrics:
When
she stepped down from the airplane
She
stepped into one of those hot Havana nights
So
glad she finally made it
To
give her suburban life a little bit of spice
Chorus:
She
wants to spin round the dance floor
Just
a blur, feet too fast to see
She
wants to twirl, just a flash of color
And
feel the band, givin’ off sambalectricity
She
headed straight down for Sans Souci
And
she was gonna stay right there until the break of day
Drinking
rum straight from the bottle
A
million miles from bake sales and PTA
[Chorus]
Bridge:
Every
eye is on her
From
millionaires down to ganja bombardiers
But
nothing seems to phase her
It’s
like she’s the only one dancing in here
Now
it’s back to the mainland
She
feels like she was born again
Recharged
and elevated
She
knows just where to go next time when……
I
Won’t Give Up (My Vices) For You, But You Can Share Them With Me If You
Want To:
When I heard Jim Croce’s “Totally Depressin’, Low Down Mind
Messin’, Working at the Car Wash Blues,” I vowed to write a song with
a title just as long. I also
wanted to make fun of people who put parentheses around their titles.
Either make it part of the title or don’t!
So, I put my parentheses in the middle, just to be difficult.
This song embraces being a pig and lout.
Too many people either get into a relationship hoping to change the
other person. Even worse, some
people actually try to change themselves.
This song is your reminder to be yourself and find someone who like
that and always will.
Lyrics:
Good
scotch whiskey and fine cigars
Hangin’
around in seedy old bars
Dirty
books and too much t.v.
These
little vices make up the essence of me.
CHORUS
I can see it in your eyes, you want me to
change
My
life’s too old to rearrange
I
won’t give up my vices for you
But you can share them with me if you
want to
I
won’t sell my junky old car
Or give up my dreams of being a star
I curse and swear like an old sailor man
I drink my beer straight out of the can
Some people might wonder why you stand by
me
Well I think I know
Of all my vices that mean so much to me
My favorite one is loving you from head
to toe
I’ve
seen you puff on a sweet Cuban roll
I’ve
seen you at the track with a fat bank roll
I think the only reason you want me to
put my act on a shelf
Is so you can have my vices all to
yourself
I can see it in your eyes, you want me to
stop
Fold my cards so you can scoop my pot,
well
I
won’t give up my vices for you, but
You can share them with me if you want
to.
Drive: There
is a scene in the original Star Wars movie where Obi Wan Kenobi is
teaching Luke Skywalker to use the force.
While flying on the Millennium Falcon, a little robot flies around
Luke’s head and zaps him with lasers.
Luke is supposed to use his light saber to deflect the lasers.
He concentrates hard, but can’t stop the lasers.
So, Obi Wan has him wear a helmet with the visor painted over so he
can’t see. He has to use the
force to “feel” the lasers…AND IT WORKS.
I have always thought it would be cool to go through life that way.
Just “feeling” the right moves. This song is about doing
exactly that.
This
song was originally on ALSFE.
Trop Rock radio host Dennis King played it on his “Island Time
Radio Show,” a trop rock specialty show that broadcasts out of WBWC-FM,
Cleveland’s Modern Rock Alternative.
“Drive” has the distinction of being the only song to
make from “Island Time” into the main station’s rotation.
This version is beefed up and could very well make a reappearance.
Lyrics:
I drive down this highway, 190 miles an
hour
I look for a road sign
But I always see it too late.
I could use the stars to guide me but
I don't know how since I slept through
that lecture
My inner faith would only chide me cause
I've never been very good at conjecture
so I...
Chorus: Drive with my eyes closed.
It's good as any other way I know.
A map won't help me if I don't know where
I want to go so I
drive with my eyes closed.
There's a fork in the road with arrows
pointing
Every which way showing me how to get
through it
But I couldn't decide which way I wanted
to go so
instead of using that sign I crashed right into it
Times
Like This: In
the music business, you bang your head against a lot of walls trying to
get heard.
Eventually, after enough rejection, you start to doubt yourself a
little. I am convinced that
there is a magic spell that UB40 has that I don't.
How else could they get famous? This song is about the frustration
anyone feels when they have done all the right things to get ahead and it
just isn’t working.
The
original ALSFE version was just guitar and vocal. This version has
percussion, bass and … wait for it … MELODICA. It
is a little more moody than the rest of the album, but it is a great late
night, cigar in one hand, scotch in the other hand, kind of tune.
Lyrics:
Mirror,
mirror
On
the wall.
Tell
me, tell me
Where
I fall
Between
love and loneliness
Between
Heaven and Hell
Between
barely making it
And
making it well.
Chorus:
But I can't help but to doubt myself in times like this
It's
beating me up and wringing me dry, but I...don't know what it is.
I beat the pavement I pounded the trees
I stood strong and fell down on my knees
I made the contacts and followed through
So tell me what the hell more can I do?
Crystal
ball, do you see
A
magic spell to solve my problems for me
I've
tried abracadabra and alacazam
I've
sprinkled magic dust on it, but here I am.
Stay
the Night: When people
think about one night stands, the image that usually comes to mind is the
guy picking up his underwear and shoes in the dark to skulk off while the
woman is sleeping. As a man
interested in equality and female empowerment, I have written this song
about a one night stand in which it is the woman who takes off in the
darkness.
This song is my take on finger-style acoustic blues.
For those of you who have seen me play live, sweating like a wild
man, pounding on my guitar and popping strings, I give you this to show
that I have a lighter side as well. It
will be our little secret.
Lyrics:
Got
no problem, sleepin' late
Drinking
coffee, getting straight
Trying
to shake off the damage I done
Staying
out too late, having too much fun.
I don't remember every detail
Just bits and pieces as they show
themselves
What makes my hangover so hard to fight
Is that you didn't stay the night.
I woke up, you were gone
Just a note pasted on
A pillow that holds the scent of your
perfume
Floats around the air of my bedroom.
So I drink my coffee
Eat my bacon and eggs
Still
dreamin' about your beautiful legs.
I thought that I did everything right,
but still
You didn't stay the night.
I thought we had a pretty good time
Good food, mighty fine wine
I rolled the dice and took you home
Now here I am in the morning all alone.
So I stare at my steamin' cup
Gatherin' the nerve to call you up
Ask you if you want to go out for a bite
And maybe stay the night
Big
Rudy (King of Karaoke):
This song was the result of a writing assignment given to me by my
good friend, and fellow troubadour, Jim Hoehn (www.jimhoehn.com).
We were in New Orleans for a show and I told him a story about this
little bar in Glendale, California called the Big Fish.
It was called that because it had a giant stuffed marlin mounted
over the bar. Anyway, on Thursday nights they had karaoke hosted by this
fifty-something year old Pilipino guy named Rudy.
Without any sense of irony, he wore a black shirt open to his
waist, with gold chains, a pencil thin mustache and a jet black pompadour.
His signature song was “Mona Lisa.”
On several occasions, he was joined by his son, Rudy, Jr.
Nothing unusual about it. They
even sang together. Well, one
night, he introduces his grandson….Rudy, Jr., Jr.
I kid you not. The
three of them tore off a Tom Jones song that was seared into my memory
forever. This song
immortalizes that night.
This
is a new track just for the cd.
It is a full bar room brawl of a song that feels like the Big Fish.
In case you are wondering, yes, for better or worse that is me
playing the harmonica solo.
Lyrics:
He’s
got his hair piled high and his shirt buttoned low
Medallion
giving off a cool gold glow
He’s
ready to rock the local watering hole
He’s
gonna tear the house down without a band
His
only weapons are the microphone and microphone stand
He’s
big Rudy, the king of karaoke
But
Rudy doesn’t rock alone
His
son Rudy, Jr’s got his own microphone
And
Rudy, Jr’s not the end of the line
Rudy,
Jr. Jr’s standing right behind
So if you want to rock a
room
That’s
dirty
and smokey
Call Rudy, Rudy Jr and Rudy Jr, Jr
The kings of karaoke.
Cathy sings Reba and Ed does Elton John
And
14 other people kill Celine Dion
But they all step side when the Kings of the
Castle come on
Rudy
Jr. to the left, Jr. Jr. to the right
Big
Rudy steps into the spotlight
Tilts
his head back and gets ready to fly
Then
the room falls into a hush