“My Pockets” - a song about being between
Recorded on the Coast of Oregon (it’s my last video recorded on tour).
*360 video included. (Adjust the quality settings, they can default to lower res).
Story Pairing
Think of a job with a wider spread of assumption when it comes to financial strength than an artist. Personally I can’t think of one. In my head an artist is either in the struggling camp, eating cans of beans, or they are rich and riding around in tour buses or creating their next masterpiece in a million dollar lodge in Montana. I don’t think that same way about a profession like a doctor? There isn’t a version that is performing surgery on brains and then goes and lives in their van down by a river, is there? (side note, if your brain surgeon is living in a car, idk… maybe get a different surgeon) (side note to the side note, do you get to pick your brain surgeons? Certainly you do, right?).
Back on track here Ben.
I had a date in the past that for some reason thought I was in the camp of tour bus musician. It was a short lived fling, but I remember going on a first date and I suggested a local nepalese spot. It’s was one of those restaurants that could give a rat’s ass about how the dining area looked. They were there to make amazing food and feed people, so if that meant mismatched furniture in a run down, dusty corners, water stained drop ceiling, flickering light, paper plates, room temperature tap water in an amber colored semi-transparent cup, and a blaring front door chime because the staff is always in the back cooking…. so be it. Those are the places where magic happens. That said, if you think that you are about to go on a date with an independently wealthy musician and you end up at a hole in a wall in a bad neighborhood, I understand the hold up.
I was there early, chatting with the owners, and I remember her walking in dressed up like we were going to a gala, and the look on her face was like she had just stepped in farm animal droppings with diamond shoes. It was so absurd I giggled. **A little tip for anyone going on a first date and wanting to make an impression. Don’t giggle as your date walks up to you all done up and feeling out of place.
I’ll spare you the little details (she dropped a saucy dumpling on her dress and I spilled a water cup trying to help, she said all of 15 words the entire time, I stuffed my face with delicious food, we split the bill to her horror, I think it was the first time she ever paid for a meal, her credit card still had the sticker on it, I took her leftovers, we never texted again).
Some people just aren’t compatible, but Nepalese food is always delicious.
Song Structure
Chords:
Verse - C / G / B7 / G / F# / E7 / A7 / D
Chorus - C / G / F# / E7 / A7 / D / G
Voice Memos
No Notebook Page
Written in 2018
Lyrics
Well she loved me for my pockets
Had a habit of staying full
Trapped and stranded, so I left to find
Something strong enough to pull
Ain't it funny how you hear that whistle blow
Hear it from a mile away (she says)
Hey boy, why’d you have to go
Need I remind you there’s no reason left to stay
Oh the poor man gets to drinking
Rich man gets to thinking
And I know I’m somewhere in between
I sat down with the devil
And we talked for quite some time
Poor dog well he’s misunderstood
Shared some whiskey and a couple words to rhyme
Oh the poor man gets to drinking
Rich man gets to thinking
And I know I’m somewhere in between
Nothing left for a poor fool to do, but find a bottle to call his friend
Rich man, well he’s just passing through
As many buddies as dollars left to spend
Well the poor man gets to drinking
Rich man gets to thinking
And I know I’m somewhere in between x3