Driving With an Automatic

I'm kicking myself momentarily, because I realised last night how many pertinent things remain, of which I haven't told you.  I'll make a (short) list, so that there'll be at least some sort of organisation:

1.  First, regarding the first "p.s." from the last post.  I feel as though I need to share what happened, given everything I've been through with this guy, and how many songs I've written about/for him.  We didn't end up doing lunch, but we hung out at a nearby Starbucks for a few hours, before we drove off to another town to look at something.  I have to say, what a pleasant surprise he was.  The whole tone of the conversations we had seemed, to me, like a couple still friendly after a divorce - not that we were ever a couple (duh), but there was that sense of coming back to friendship after a physical and emotional gulf had separated us for a while.  At times, there was the tone of parents telling their kids they had to put their dog to sleep, but the overall feeling was a strengthening of our acquaintance.  I feel as though we are going to be great friends.  Also, I'm over him.  It took four and a half years of agony, but it's done.

2. Next.  Y'all know that I'm a New Jersey Devils fan, if you know me at all.  So, because I'm both a songwriter and a Devils fan, it was only natural that the two should at some point coincide.  Not just the songs I've written about certain events in the course of the team's season, or the wisps of couplets I put together during this recent Cup run (one triumphant, the other sad - I had to cover all the bases, and then I stopped).  But I've also taken to rewriting certain already-famous songs.  For example, the first Devils-themed song I put together is to the tune of "Love Like Crazy," by Lee Brice (it's also merely okay...I borrowed heavily from the original).  It's kind of the history of the Devils.  For example, instead of "they called them crazy when they started out / said seventeen's too young to know what love's about," I have "they called him crazy when he started out / said hockey in New Jersey wouldn't stick around."  I made sure they still rhyme, and have the same rhyme scheme and syllable count as the original.  But my favourite one is to the tune of "Love Story," by Taylor Swift.  It tells the story of a prospect coming to the draft, hoping to be drafted by the Devils, and finally that happening.  It also features the use of "Lamoriello" instead of "Romeo," which is kind of really funny if you think about it.  I'm currently working on "This is Devils Hockey," to the tune of Brad Paisley's recent Number 1 hit, "This is Country Music."  What happened last summer was that I was so intent on memorising my own version of "Love Story" (called "Play Hockey," naturally), that when we went to a show of her "Speak Now" tour, and she performed "Love Story" - which, as her biggest hit, closed out the show - I accidentally sang my bridge instead of hers.  Good stuff.  If you'd like, I can post those lyrics, too.  Let me know.

3.  Because, yes, we went to see another Taylor Swift concert!  It was incredible.  Very theatrical.  And this time, the battery of my camera didn't die during the opening act (which was NEEDTOBREATHE - and you NEEDTOHEAR their music, I'm not kidding - it's like Southern rock, and it's amazing; I recommend "Let Us Love," and "Something Beautiful," as well as "Valley of Tomorrow," and...basically the band's entire The Outsiders album), so I have a ton of video, as well as photos.

4.  But, finally, the most exciting thing (!!!!).  Last summer, I actually made it to Nashville.  We walked down Broadway, and it felt as though I'd been called home.  There is truly where I want to be for the rest of my life.  I was a little worried, because I had built it up so high and amazing in my mind, and I tried to reason with myself, that there was no way it could live up to even half of the expectations I'd created - but it did.  Very much.  We hit up all of the highlights: the Ryman Auditorium; the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum; the Grand Ole Opry; Jack's BBQ (where, incidentally, I found out one of the Devils' beat reporters eats lunch when the team plays a game in Nashville; it's directly across from Bridgestone Arena, and the food is incredible; I tweeted this to him, to suggest a dining option, and he responded with, "Been there several times and will be going again for lunch tomorrow.")...  We took a trolley tour, and walked up and down Music Row, and looked at the Parthenon replica (weird), and went honkytonkin'.  I can post pictures, if you're interested.  And when we left, I left my heart behind.

5.  And now, the song.  I learned to drive on a manual car; I can drive stick like nobody's business.  But we recently (read: about a year ago) had to switch cars, when our lease expired, and there were only automatics and so we had to settle for one of those (grrrrr).  The first thing I noticed is how much more complacent I am when I'm behind the wheel of an automatic vis-a-vis a manual (also that once you take your foot off the brake, it moves forward right away).  I drive more quickly, because there's no self-monitoring mechanism, such as shifting gears, involved, because the car does it for you, and (a) that's boring, and (b) it breeds less caution.  I don't like it.  But it's also, of course, easier.  Which is the aspect of driving with an automatic I decided to write into the song.  That's the focus of this story: the ease of driving with an automatic, where it's not difficult and it transitions easily from one moment to the next.

I should mention that the melody I've attached to this song has been stuck in my head ever since the trip to Nashville in August, when I came up with it.  I'm not even kidding.  But that made it tremendously easier to come up with lyrics, because the melody, and therefore the melodic constraints, were all there.

Also, I started this song during a class last year and finished it 2 January - I don't have that written, but I remember it vividly, because I finished it during the third period/overtime of the Devils game vs. the Ottawa Senators (they lost, mostly because David Clarkson got a penalty in OT and that was that; it was also the last game until March that Travis Zajac played, because of his Achilles injury flaring up.)

And so, I present:

Driving With an Automatic

sometimes I think we're not working hard enough
all these years together and we're still in love
don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining
it's just surreal to keep explaining
how this works for us,
(but still)

CHORUS:
it's like driving with an automatic
we don't even have to think about it
everything just comes so easily
there's a guarantee we're moving forward
one hand on the wheel, one hand in yours
that's the way it is with you and me

our future is the untravelled road ahead
taking this ride is not something we'll regret
changing us is unnecessary
as long as we're not stationary
always side by side, we said

CHORUS:
it's like driving with an automatic
we don't even have to think about it
everything just comes so easily
there's a guarantee we're moving forward
one hand on the wheel, one hand in yours
that's the way it is with you and me

(instrumental break/bridge)

'cause we're driving with an automatic
we don't even have to think about it
everything just comes so easily
when you're driving with an automatic
don't even have to think about it
everything just comes so easily
there's a guarantee we're moving forward
both hands on the wheel*, my heart in yours
that's the way it is with you and me
that's the way it is with you and me....

*I had to put that.  I'm a very safe driver, and I play by all the rules.  In fact, when he and I left Starbucks and got into his car (which was, I noticed, an automatic), we were talking about driving, and he mentioned, "Yeah, you seem like a very '10 and 2' person."  Which, he was right, I am.  So I had to include that in the song because I don't advocate recklessness.

Please have noticed that I am very much getting started with my love song period.  Like Picasso, only much less talented.

Much love, and thank you for the musik,

Just Another Ordinary Girl

Well, it must've been hard, it must've been tough, keeping up with crazy fools like us.