On Giving the Post a New
On Giving the Post a New Title…
Me And My Uncle
Lyrics: John Phillips
Music: John Phillips
South Colorado, West Texas bound
We stopped over in Santa Fe
That being the point just about half way
And you know it was the hottest part of the day
I took the horses up to the stall
Went to the bar-room, ordered drinks for all
Three days in the saddle, you know my body hurt
It being summer, I took off my shirt
And I tried to wash off some of that dusty dirt
West Texas cowboys, they’s all around
With liquor and money, they’re loaded down
So soon after pay day, you know it seemed a shame
You know my uncle, he starts a friendly game
Hi-lo jacks and the winner take the hand
My uncle starts winning, cowboys got sore
One of them called him, and then two more
Accused him of cheating, well no it couldn’t be
I know my uncle, he’s as honest as me
And I’m as honest as a Denver man can be
One of them cowboys, he starts to draw
Well I shot him down, Lord, he never saw
Shot me another, hot damn he won’t grow old
In the confusion my uncle grabbed the gold
And we high-tailed it down to Mexico
Now I love those cowboys, I love their gold
I love my uncle, God rest his soul
Taught me good, Lord, taught me all I know
Taught me so well, I grabbed that gold
And I left his dead ass there by the side of the road
It’s rumored that this is the song that the Dead played more than any other between 1966 and 1995. Seemed that way to me. I always got the same delicious bad-boy identification out of it that I got listening to Merle Haggard “turn twenty-one in prison doing life without parole.” But “Me and My Uncle” is a more positive and hopeful song than “Mama Tried.” In both songs the balladeer is flawed and self aware, but in ”Me and My Uncle,” he is at least on the outside, a free man.
An uncle is a wonderful thing to have and a wonderful thing to be. You can ride out with your uncle secure in the companionship of an older, more experienced man. An uncle can be non-judgmental but still have a measure of parental authority. An uncle can teach you and be willing to learn from you as well. An uncle can teach you things your dad won’t. Or shouldn’t.
In the San Francisco music scene in the seventies, Jerry Garcia (then an older fellow in his thirties) played an avuncular role. He was genuinely interested in working with other musicians, trading licks, giving and taking.
The title of the July 24 post, “Sandhill Trek Presents… the Avuncular Chris Locke” will change soon. It will include the title of his work in progress No Love Lost. Then, as the interview ages out toward the bottom of the page, my allusion to Chris avuncular role in the social fabric of the Internet will fade somewhat, because the post will be re-titled. But the acknowledgement of that role will remain both in this wordy explanation and in the posts of several bloggers who referred to the original title.
Bits is bits. You gotta love ‘em.
