Just Try

Pict: Dani and Gary's community garden lot

This summer we went on vacation to the East Coast. In Massachusetts, Daniela and Gary were really kind to invite us to stay at their home a couple of days while we knew Boston and nearby cities. Daniela is an old friend of my wife, but we didn't know Gary. As soon as we arrived that evening, I see Gary's guitar in a room. I just needed to hit the strings to hear it's perfectly in tune. Later, he tells me he plays a little every day to relax after coming from work. Some written music is around.

Later, after dinner and coffee, Gary and I start to talk about music while playing random notes in the guitar. We found we have similar musical tastes. After a while we start to talk about what we did before, so he goes somewhere and comes with a couple of CDs in his hand. He had a band some 20 years ago. They were doing quite well and then life put a big stone somewhere, and the band was dismantled. He tells me those CDs are copies of demo tapes they made during those days. I was shocked. The songs were beautiful. These guys recorded everything in one take and the sound was pristine; I couldn't hear a bad note. Man, these guys were so good.

At that time I've just discovered macjams and was very excited about the music and the talent in this community, but just as an outsider. I started to play a couple of songs that I downloaded from here and I told him he should start recording music again and post it in a site like this. I tried to show him that things are much easier now. There's no no need for a studio, we have computers; no need for a recording company, now we have these sites where musicians can publish their music for free, etc. Then, I was surprised of myself, trying so hard to convince him to start making music again and to share it. I was being too pushy, not very common on me, so I stopped as soon as I realized that (sorry about that Gary).

We left their home a couple of days later, but during the next couple of weeks I drove a lot and had quite some time to think about that conversation. I wasn't happy. Why was I that insistent? I started to think I was just like him. Music was always a dream, and I lived some of the best moments in my life while playing music. But I already had given up on that dream. How could I ask Gary to do what I was not doing? I could see Gary was my mirror, and everything I said to him was for myself too.

I was also reading a book called "Ignore Everybody" on those days (there's a free pdf with a condensed version of the book; if you are interested google for it). It helped me a lot to break a lot of stupid blocks I had about letting my music go.

And here I am, just trying to make some music again.

I wrote this song for Gary. It is a short version of what happened that night. But I'm fine being preachy and pushy now, because this song is also for me.

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This is so strange.
We left our dreams behind.
And Time in on drums
Playing with a cold smile

And I'm telling you,
You have to try it again.
There's nothing to lose
There's so much to share by the way.

So won't you try, my friend,
And play your song again

Try (no admiration)
Again (no recognition)
Try (no corporation)
Again

Express your ass.
Say whatever you want to say.
Ignore everyone of us
And someone will start to sway.

And now I'm telling you
You have to try it again.
There's nothing to lose,
There's so much to share all the way.

So won't you try, my friend,
And play your song again.

Try (no desperation)
Just try (no intoxication)
Try (no domestication)
Just try

Doesn't this
Sound perhaps
Hypocrite?
I don't care.

Try (no suffocation)
Just try (no constipation)
So try (just imagination)
Just try (no ossification)
Just try (no mummification)
Oh, try (just transformation)
So try
Ooh (just good vibrations)
Just try (just transpiration)
Come on try (just continuation)
Oh try

I hear your song,
Coming from a distant place.
Still fresh an pure
But hidden in a purple tape.

So won't you go, my friend,
And sing your soul again.

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Uploaded: Oct 20, 2009 - 06:29:14 PM
Last Updated: Oct 22, 2009 - 03:05:54 PM Last Played: Nov 26, 2009 - 12:00:42 AM

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