My Favorite Country Music Songwriter (and other stuff)

Hoyt Axton. The man. Did you know he wrote "Snowblind Friend" that Steppenwolf covered?

You say it was this mornin’ when you last saw your good friend
Lyin’ on the sidewalk with the misery on his brain
Stoned on some new potion he found upon the wall
Of some unholy bathroom in some ungodly hall

He only had a dollar to live on ‘till next Monday
But he spent it all on comfort for his mind
Did you say you think he’s blind?

Someone should call his parents or a sister or a brother
And they’ll come and take him back home on a bus
But he’ll always be a problem to his poor and puzzled mother
And he’ll always be another one of us

He said he wanted heaven but prayin’ was too slow
So he bought a one-way ticket on an airline made of snow
Did you say you saw your good friend flyin’ low

You say it was this mornin’ when you last saw your good friend
Lyin’ on the sidewalk with the misery on his brain
Stoned on some new potion he found upon the wall
Of some unholy bathroom in some ungodly hall

Did you say you saw your good friend flyin’ low
Dyin’ slow
Blinded by snow

I won't go on and on - but the man was good. Very good.

I heard an announcer on NPR the other day, trying to be cool, making a Monty Python reference. He made a reference to the 'Knights who say Neat'. Argh. Dude. I thought you wonky liberals were the cool ones - all us conservatives were so square. Man, I spent two whole summers going to Rocky Horror Picture Show ever single weekend at midnight in Denver. I was at the Ogden in 1977 and 1978 ever damned weekend, dressed like Eddy. I still know all the freakin' cues and and sing "Super Heroes" to myself in the car. When I'm not singing P.I.L.'s "Order of Death," that is.

My favorite movie is still probably "Bladerunner," although I am fond of "The League of Extrodinary Gentlemen" lately. And of course "Princess Bride" will always get a spot on my shelf. I dig anime - "Ghost in the Shell" and "Trigun" and "FLCL" and my wife has purchased all the "Cowboy Bebop" dvds for me. Nice woman, she must love me.

I want to re-read "Heart of Darkness" by Conrad, but I'm not sure I have the time these days. I suspect that there was something going on there that I missed.

I'm digging out my old Bukowski, probably due to Run with the Hunted - thanks a lot, pal.

Ever listen to "The The?" Check out "Arabia" sometime.

OK, that's it for now. Bonus points to the first person to find a reference to the Wilson Tobs online and tells us all what they are/is, etc.

Mucha Lucha,

Wiggy