I found these tracks while digging through big tubs of old cassettes; I was recovering songs for my upcoming Complete Lyrics book, and for my in-progress collection of home demos, unreleased tracks etc. But the weird thing was, when I found "Let Me"--I didn't remember it AT ALL. Even after hearing it, I had no recollection of recording the song. This was an absolute first for me, and it freaked me out pretty good. That was my voice on the tape--and it sounded like Eric Carter on guitar--and the whole tape was mixes of our time in Johnny Sandlin's studio, when we were making GOOD LUCK CHARM back in '93-'94. But for the life of me I couldn't find a foothold for the memory. I still can't. But then I dug through my notebooks from those years, and there it was--"Let Me," lyrics and chord progression all scribbled down in my handwriting. I figured out later we had copyrighted the song too, along with the rest of the material from those sessions. Which just made the whole thing stranger, in my mind.
The lyrics are kinda about "Control" in the sense William Burroughs used to write about--"who's really driving here?" The surrounding songs in that old notebook were working that theme too. Which led me to thinking, "Well--maybe that wasn't me singing at all. Maybe someone or something else had taken me over for awhile? Who knows?
But the lyrics seem right up my alley, for back in those years. Maybe I'm just slippin' in my old age. But the song is pretty cool, a funky little rocker as far as I'm concerned, a forerunner of "Reverend Jacob Nighttrain" and I'm sure glad I stumbled across it in that tub of cassettes. A mystery tape with no label at all; I just randomly stuck it in the tape deck out of curiosity. I figured out Barrineau was on bass, or it sounds like him--I'm assuming it's Jay Wilson on keys, 'cause he played on several of our songs back then; but then again it could possibly be JoJo too--and I started thinking it must be Todd Nance on drums, which was immediately confirmed by Larry Acquaviva, Todd's old roadie and jack of all trades, when he heard the song. "That's Todd," he said before I even asked.
I'd also forgotten we'd taken a pass at "Like This" during the GOOD LUCK CHARM sessions, a different interpretation, laid back but with righteous attitude in my estimation--but I did remember THAT recording session once I heard the song!
So there it is, folks. Music moves in mysterious ways. Hope to see y'all at a show one of these days, if I ever get through all these cassettes and back out into the world.
-DH, March 20, 2020, during the time of worldwide quarantine.
lyrics
LET ME
do you wanta let me hold you down
do you wanta let me paint the town
or do you wanta let me make you sigh
hear you cry
tell a lie
(chorus)
let me burn and let me loot
let me wear the hat and suit
when you let me, honey
how can I refuse
let me
do you wanta let me cut it close
do you wanta let me see the ghost
do you wanta let me drink and drive
shuck and jive
bury you alive
(chorus)
til you say the word we’re just that far apart
you can slash my tires but you can never break my heart
well, let me
well, let me burn and let me loot
bend down and unlace your boot
let me rock and let me roll
let me slide into your soul
if you let me, honey
then that means you’re in control
well, let me
Nashville’s Passion Fruit Boys nail the effervescent janglepop of ’80s college radio with bright guitars and immediate hooks. Bandcamp New & Notable Oct 1, 2022
