Carolina Song

Appeared on Pretty Blue

(David Munyon / S.P. Standley)

 

I wrote this song when Gene Gillespie was staying with us in Nashville, briefly. I wrote it in 1986- 1997. I was staying in a single room. Dixie Blue was working at The Stage Deli in Nashville and Gene and I were playing music there for „tips“. It was inspired from my friendship with Neil Stiles, and Danny Stiles and Jason Stiles, they live in Carolina. At the same time, I lost a good friend of mine, his name was Denver Maynard, he died in a abandoned Van from Alcoholism. Denver was a great songwriter. He could never figure out how, to not, take the first drink of the day. The people at the Stage Deli in Nashville were very nice to us. They were from Persia. It is the same place I wrote „Shivas Smile“, about Shiva Eftakar, she was the manager at the Stage Deli. Gene Gillespie is a great songwriter too. I think he works part time dealing cards on a Riverboat in Mississippi. I miss Denver, he was with me when I wrote „Hey Benny“, during better days, back then.

 

The grapevine says you're drinking hard in Charleston

You burned your wings in Tennessee

I hope it's warm in Carolina

Maybe the Coast is what you need

I see you standing by the Ocean

There on that hill near Folly Beach

Where we would sing of truth and promise

Where we would sing of love and peace

 

Tell all our friends in Carolina

That you last saw me, smiling big,

With one thumb and one foot forward

Still singing at the same old gig

 

Remember when we watched those three guys landing

When Armstrong made it to the moon

And your guitar was in the pawn shop

We bailed it out that afternoon

Like Lancelot you seemed to grow there

Despite the lines around your eyes

We sat and played that day on Broadway

We sat and sang all night and cried

 

Tell all our friends in Carolina

That you last saw me, smiling big,

With one thumb and one foot forward

Still singing at the same old gig

 

The grapevine says you're woking hard in Charleston

You earned your wings in Tennessee

I hope it's warm in Carolina

Maybe the Coast is what you need

I see you standing by the Ocean

There on that hill near Zuma Beach

Where we would sing of truth and promise

Where we would sing of love and peace

 

Tell all our friends in Carolina

That you last saw me, smiling big,

With one thumb and one foot forward

Still singing at the same old gig