Work tape for a little lovesick country song, with a few references to ancient cartography and dragons tossed in for fun.
I know what all drives me crazy about this piece, I'd love to hear where others figure I've screwed it all up.
Thanks for commenting, Ani. Yeah, the dragon reference is a little obscure.
Medieval mapmakers used to toss in illustrations of dragons (or sea monsters and other mythological creatures) whenever their drawings wandered off into the unknown world. Twentieth century popular lore had the maps often including the inscription ‘Here Be Dragons’ as well (though Wikipedia says only two maps with that inscription are known to exist). But I imagine a lot of people are not all that familiar with ancient cartological practices. It’s sort of a stupid verse to stick in a country song. Plus it moves the lyrics from the concrete to the metaphorical, which is always a good way to screw a song up.
And I agree that the chorus arrangement needs more sonic distinction, too. Right now, there’s not much to distinguish it except for the different chord progression and drum pattern. Bothers me every time I hear it…
March 07, 2018
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Another great ‘Kyle Mercer’ storytelling! You are special - I love it!
March 08, 2018
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There's a gal looks like you in Tacoma
But I escaped to Oklahoma
Come Tulsa, thought I heard somebody call your name
Didn't stop again till Bangor, Maine
Seems any gal who treats me tender
Winds up some great pretender
No matter what they say, no matter what they do
It all just makes me think of you
I've run the back roads to Atlanta
And through most of eastern Alabama
Seen the Mardi Gras down in Mobile
Got drunk on Bourbon and on Beale
All those times I tried to leave you
Cause I thought that it would please you
Thought a little space, some time apart
I might could drive you from my heart
Took 66 down to St Louis
Paddled up the great Missouri
Hitched rides on Sunset Boulevard
And San Francisco cable cars
I tried the road to San Antone
I've tried old Highway 61
The Skyline Trail betrayed me too
They all just drove me back to you
Back in old times there'd be maps
That let a man fall right off the world
Into the mouths of dragons
And forget about a girl
Somehow the dragons they broke free
Now where they roamed it's just you and me
Like some last great mystery
Beyond all known geographies
Drove 66 down to St Louis
Paddled up the great Missouri
Hitched rides on Sunset Boulevard
And San Francisco cable cars
I tried the road to San Antone
I've tried old Highway 61
The Skyline Trail betrayed me too
They all just drove me home to you
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It is fun. I don’t quite get the dragons, but it did get my attention. I guess there could be more of a difference between the verses and the chorus via sound. 
March 06, 2018
0
Thanks for commenting, Ani. Yeah, the dragon reference is a little obscure.
Medieval mapmakers used to toss in illustrations of dragons (or sea monsters and other mythological creatures) whenever their drawings wandered off into the unknown world. Twentieth century popular lore had the maps often including the inscription ‘Here Be Dragons’ as well (though Wikipedia says only two maps with that inscription are known to exist). But I imagine a lot of people are not all that familiar with ancient cartological practices. It’s sort of a stupid verse to stick in a country song. Plus it moves the lyrics from the concrete to the metaphorical, which is always a good way to screw a song up.
And I agree that the chorus arrangement needs more sonic distinction, too. Right now, there’s not much to distinguish it except for the different chord progression and drum pattern. Bothers me every time I hear it…
March 07, 2018
0
Another great ‘Kyle Mercer’ storytelling! You are special - I love it!
March 08, 2018
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Ani Bergman
It is fun. I don’t quite get the dragons, but it did get my attention. I guess there could be more of a difference between the verses and the chorus via sound.
March 06, 2018
No members have liked this comment.