JJ Cale.....

Today was the day I learned that JJ Cale died. When I first heard the news of his passing I stopped for a minute and thought about all the music he wrote and performed. Within the next minute tears started flowing out of my eyes. The last time that happened was when Stevie Ray Vaughn died. I guess the music of JJ Cale has always been very special to me... His name came to me via two of my favorite genres of music, Southern rock and blues. Eric Clapton and Lynyrd Skynyrd. From the beginning of my concert-going days I knew who wrote some of the most popular songs the bands performed at the shows. I always had that name in my head...JJ Cale.

I don't have much to write that hasn't been written somewhere else. I will mention a quick story from a Tom Petty concert several years ago. I was waiting in the crowd for the Tom Petty show to begin and I hear this song come on the huge piles of speakers in front of me. I stop and listen to the song and then I turned and walked to the sound area to talk to the sound guys. I asked them what that was. They smiled and said "JJ Cale, Artificial Paradise." I said thanks and within a week I had the cd "JJ Cale Anthology" and I ended up playing the song on Radiomargaritaville within the next week. True story...

So here are the lyrics to a couple of my favorites from JJ Cale. He will be missed..and I don't know what else to say except maybe getting old and losing musical friends really sucks.


Artificial Paradise

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFWZu0NKA_w

Many loves in a lifetime, they seem to go astray
Many people come and go, they never seem to stay
Sometimes I kid myself, then I realize
I'm just living in an artificial paradise

A hundred times, my hopes and dreams are blown into the air
A thousand times, it always seems no one is really there
Then I know I'm fooling myself, I'm not so wise
I'm just living in an artificial paradise

Plastic state of mind, superficial clothes
Living in a vacuum, close to zero
Sometimes I kid myself, then I realize
I'm just living in an artificial paradise

Call Me the Breeze

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8uk7vlk0sE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsIqEq9OFxE

You can call me the breeze
I keep blowing down the road
You can call me the breeze
I keep blowing down the road
I ain't got me nobody
I ain't carryin' me no load

Ain't no changin' the weather
Ain't no changin' me
Ain't no changin' the weather
Ain't no changin' me
I ain't hidin' from nobody
Nobody's hidin' fom me

I got that green light babe
I gotta keep movin' on
I got that green light babe
I gotta keep movin' on
I might go up to Califonia
Might go down to Georgia
I don't know.