“Low Down Dirty” - a song about being in bitter company
I heard an awesome quote lately “The Blues is the kind of music made to be played at night”. I think of that almost every time I play this song, and it always seems a bit more powerful once the sun goes down.
Backstory
When on the Spotify app on a computer you can see the songs that your friends are listening to. I was sitting there trying to find the next song to enjoy and I saw my buddy had just listened to a song called Low Down Dirty by Lynyrd Skynyrd (hopefully they don’t come after me for using the same name).
Anyway, a writing prompt I will sometimes use is to take a title or some sort of phrase and see if a song pops out from that. It just so happens that one was hiding in those simple words for me.
**I did not listen to the Skynyrd song until I was sitting writing this… up to you, but I wouldn’t say it’s in my top 5 by any means. Enjoy.
Writing Process
This one came fast. You can hear in the versions below that there isn’t a ton of workshopping or figuring out much. That is the beauty of a blues tune, it isn’t about the flash it’s about the feel.
At the time I was feeling a way, and had drank a little the night before, so it was a hairy day. This was my final week at the job I had worked for the last 3 years, so I was also nervous about a new chapter in my life, so self medicating with some late night scotch was a trend (don’t tell my mom).
When I saw the title to that Skynyrd song, I pictured a person down on their luck, wallowing in their despair and unable to feel a connection with others. It’s easy to get into your head and feel sure that everyone else has their shit together and you’re the only one feeling lost or hurt. I have a couple other songs with a similar core thought, so it was easy to build another around that sentiment.
My favorite line is “that’s old shoes”. Nothing groundbreaking, but the picture of walking around in old shoes that have crossed previous paths and taken you down roads that others have already visited stands out. I know for me I am so aware of the desire to be unique, that I ignore how similar we all are. Everyone is out there trying to scratch their initials into whatever walls they pass, and we all feel the blues now and then (I refuse to believe otherwise).
The only constant with emotions is that we will feel the spectrum over time. If you find yourself singing the blues, know that there are others singing too if you are looking for some harmonies. Enjoy the ride.
Notebook Page.
Sept. 22nd, 2021
Lyrics
You got that low down dirty
Think it's as good as it gets
Wake up in the morning head splitting and it's full of regrets
You got that low down dirty
Brother thems old shoes
You aint the only one 'round here that's been singing the blues
You got that low down dirty
Thought that he was the one
Just a number in his book, that smooth talking son of a gun
You got that low down dirty
Sister that's old news
You aint the only one 'round here that's been singing the blues
Sweet wine, sunshine, summertime
Gone with out a care
You got the low down dirty It ain't going nowhere
You got that low down dirty
You thought that you was alone
I lost count of the years, I've been calling this home
You got that low down dirty
We don't always get to choose
You aint the only one 'round here that's been singing the blues
The only one 'round here that's been singing the blues
You aint the only one 'round here that's been singing the blues