Next To Me

a song

Wow, what a year it’s been! I started this newsletter back in January from the wilds of southern Florida, and it already seems like forever ago. This will be my last post of 2022, and I hope the new year brings health, thriving, and good cheer to you and yours.

Now then, I wrote a song in Croatia, which I described in The Flood. I was finally able to make a decent recording of it, and so I’m publishing it here as promised. The recording probably isn’t the best I can do. For one thing I was a bit congested, although maybe that just added some extra vocal character. I’m hoping to re-record this and other songs while I’m down in Mexico, and I’ll be sure to let you know when that comes out. Anyway, here’s the new song:

I haven’t tried this audio embedding thing before, so if you have trouble with it, you might need to click the title of the article to go to substack and listen there.

Here are the lyrics and chords:

Asus2 = x02200
Cmaj7 = x32000
Fmaj7 = xx3210

C Asus2 - / C Asus2 - / Fmaj7 C / G C F -
I wore out socks and teenage wishes
Couple hits and lots of misses
Took hard knocks and rocked by kisses
You were always right there next to me

Looking back on faded photos
Of when we thought the world won't hurt us
Damn those kids were dumb and gorgeous
Never thought what happens next to me

Am C G - (3x) / C G Asus2 - (2x)
Did you want it to go on forever
When you know every road has an end
You went where the wind chose to blow you
And the wind blew you far from a friend (2x)

Back when we grew up together
I thought we'd be young forever
But life turns cold just like the weather
And I can't hold you warm and next to me

Fmaj7 Cmaj7 Asus2 (3x) / Asus2 - F -
Oh who can follow me on this wild ride (3x)
But I'm all right

I guess life ain't like a story
Ain't no heroes ain't no glory
Why couldn't I just say I'm sorry
When I had you walking next to me

A frozen creek on my family’s land in North Carolina, Christmas 2022.

See you in 2023!