[delb0y]

One for all the musicians that never got to make a recording. Just the repeated "toos" in the final verse that bothers me.

The King of the Blues

I was standing at the crossroads, when I saw the hearse roll by
Someone said it was the King of the Blues, somebody started to cry
Close behind came a Dixie band and the Saints went marching on
Then there were flowers and women in black and the King of the Blues was gone

The first time that I heard him, was down on Bourbon Street
In a bar so warm yet when he played his horn, he still turned up the heat
If he played for an hour or if he played all night, he always played our favourite songs
And there's something different about the city tonight now that the King of the Blues is gone

They say that the King lives on, through the music that he played
But that's a lie and I still cry for the records that he never made
For all those safe-bet boy-band record men, got all their attitudes wrong
And it's too late to record him now, for the King of the Blues is gone

Try to imagine a train in the night or a riverboat rollin' by
The sound of the breeze through the willow trees, the glory of an eagle's cry
Stop and listen to all you can, it'll be quiet before too long
You're already too late to hear the best now that the King of the Blues is gone

[CaliaMoko]

One possible idea for "And it's too late to record him now, for the King of the Blues is gone":

But they'll never get a chance to record him now....
or
And they'll never get a chance....

....or something like that?

[delb0y]

I think it's the last but one line I need to lose the "too" from. The last line is a nice way to end the song as is.

Verse three covered the lack of recording, so I don't want to revisit that idea - and I like the third line of the last verse, too. This idea about stopping and listening to things before it's too late is a nice statement.

It's just those darn repeated "toos" !!

[Paulski]

Hi Derek

Good stuff, good stuff.
Maybe just say "before long" instead of "before too long", the "too" is redundant there anyway.

Did I mention this is good stuff?
Paul

[hardtwistmusic]

Derek, this is excellent.  The message in the lyric really connected with my concept of what music ought to be.

The mental picture of a sort of "musical Bojangles" leapt into my mind. 

Your comment on what a shame it is that the music they tell us we're supposed to like gets recorded for posterity while real musicians just fade away like Macarthur's "old soldiers." 

Poignant, and it sings easily and well to a variety of vocal melodys. 

I think this is a very impressive lyric. 

[lillypilly]

Imagine a train in the night or a riverboat rolling by
the breeze through the willow trees, the glory of an eagle's cry
So stop and listen it will be quiet before too long
besides already late to hear the best, now the king of blues is gone

just a random suggestion

oh by the way I like this

[tomcrocus]

Hi Delboy,
               i'm loving this,i think you're just nitpicking about
too man "toos",it reads and sounds fine to me.

"The first time that i heard him,was down on Bourbon Street
In a bar so warm yet when he played his horn,he still turned up the heat",

that's very nice,it's a top write,thanks for sharing,i hope you turn
it into a full blown song,
                                  Tom.

[PaulAds]

great, solid stuff, Derek...i can see it slotting in perfectly to your set

nicely evocative

[igg]

Hi,

Sorry, I'm a little late to the party.....A solid write with an compelling story....I'm off to listen to what you did with it!

igg

[Helena4]

You are such a vivid talented storyteller, delb0y. You literally paint pictures, its awesome, hats off to you. I really enjoyed this one.