The way I remember it, and I have never found it, the first line is a smarmy cute thing David Bowie said in some TV interview, “pretenders borrow, artists steal.” After recalling that to a thousand strangers in small groups it came to light that it was Stravinski who said it.
There's a thing I do. I start to learn someone else's piece that's a little out of my skill set and I get partway there and then quit. Later I find the half completed sort-of cover and write new lyrics. This is one of those from trying to learn “Son of Sam” from Elliott Smith's record Figure 8. How appropriate for me to steal.
I did the same thing with John Hatford’s Gentle on My Mind with a song called, Already Gone that I will explain next week.
This one includes evidence of my free form Buddhist practice in it from ten years ago in the teenies. “Fight no battles. Fly no flags. Walk the earth with what you carry in your bag.”
There’s not much else I remember about how this one came to be.
People I know have had insights about what it means that have surprised me.
I called it Smith because of who I stole the first couple chord changes from.
Smith
Pretenders borrow; artists steal. Hipsters gather at that broken Ferris Wheel. True believers roll deep. And you've got promises to keep.
Fight no battles. Fly no flags. Walk the earth with what you carry in your bag. Freewill will provide if you're willing to let it slide.
You've got to feel it for someone else to feel it too. Shit is up to you. No one will fight you if it’s true.
Repeat first verse
Promises to keep x3.
-fin-
This was the first song I invited Justin LaDuc to play on. We played it live in the studio as a group for cohesion. While he was in he added a percussion part to the song Abandon (What? Music? 12 ) which I had given him to listen to a year or so before. It was a great session.
Smith Starts the album Donkey Island
Buy one here:
There's a video.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DFJImBI8dWc&t=2s
