About the Songs

One of the challenges of singing the songs and playing in the style that I do, is that it is impossible to categorise or classify it.  To me it is simply modern folk music, but some might see it differently.

These songs have three important things in common : I could work out the chords, and I can sing 'em - (o.k. a subjective judgement !) and they seem relevant to our life and times - human condition stuff.

Some were written by Texans - Lyle Lovett, Guy Clark, David Olney, Steve Earle, Butch Hancock, Joe Ely, Robert Earl Keen, Rodney Crowell, Townes Van Zandt, Nanci Griffith, I probably missed some-one.

I don't know why good songs come from Texas, but it's a big place and maybe people get poetic driving to the next place. I don't claim any association with Texas, apart from a respect for it's songwriters, and an intrigue for the lone star state. Me? I'm a Londoner, now settled in West Sussex in England, and I sing as a southern Brit.

Other fine artists, Linda Ronstadt, and Emmy-Lou Harris, (who has done so much to raise the profile of fine writers), Dave Bromberg, John Prine - the road goes on forever.

In my dotage, I have resolved to sing only the songs I love. This way I can sing them with conviction. I hope that I communicate this when I sing for you.

This is a list of some of the material that I use at present - some more, some less. Investigate these writers - buy their recordings - you will discover some amazing works.

If you have similar interests, tell me. Take care - but take it. Andrew Perry – (Updated December 2000).

...and the ...SONGS I SING

Ain't it Something (Lyle Lovett)
The words say very little but imply volumes of bitterness about the frailty of friendship.

Angel Flyin' too Close to the Ground (W Nelson)
If you had not have fallen, I would not have found you - wonderful poetic imagery

Bar Room Girls (Gillian Welch)
Oh the night came undone like a partydress - nuff said?

Blues Ain't Nothing (Andrew Perry)
Blues ain't nothing but a good man feeling bad - I wrote that?

Black Diamond Strings (Guy Clark)
About those days before good guitars and D'Addario strings

Boats To Build (Guy Clark)
Time for a change, tired of that same old same - been there? me too!

Cain's Blood (M. Johnson)
A dark song of undescribed personal demons

The Cape (Guy Clark)
A life story in three verses - veiled references to superman, can't sing it without thinking of my six year old grandson Henry.

Come From The Heart (Susannah Clark - Guy's wife)
A beautiful sentiment - and a singy chorus but it needed a third verse - so I wrote one

Cold Dog Soup (Guy Clark) To me this s Cynical song about how our music is so often pear before swine. I’ve added a personal verse.

Coming Down In The Rain (Buddy Mondlock)
A tale of suburban desperation

Deeper Well (David Olney)
A dark song - enigmatic and compelling

Desperadoes Waitin' for a Train (G Clark)
One of GC's excellent story songs - it reminds me of brief moments with my father

Die Tryin’ (Guy Clark) it’s one of those “go for it” songs by Guy

The Doctor (Lopudon Wainwright III) a wonderful bit of wise silliness from the master of self ridicule

Driftless (Greg Brown)
Deceptively simple - creates a wonderful mood - just float away into your own memories

Don't Think Twice (Dylan)
Transformed by Alan Taylor - simplified to reflect the bitterness of these rare words

Days Like These (Perry / Plumbley)
One of two songs resulting from one evening with friend and inspiration Mike Plumbley

Everybody (John Prine)
A tongue in cheek twentieth century fable

Every Heart Won’t Let You Down (Greg Trooper) a song of re-assurance for the jaded.

Forever For Always For certain (Guy Clark)  in truth I’m still working on this – so don’t be upset if you request it and I don’t do it.

Friendship (Andrew Perry)
Yup - it's cynical alright - I guess I tend to confuse friendship with acquaintance

Glory Of Love (Leadbelly)
A nice hokum down-home philosophy with an up beat

Goodbye (Steve Earle)
I have to feel strong to sing this number - breaks my heart every time I sing it - and I've heard it before ! - damn good slit yer throat stuff

Guilty (Randy Newman)
A tale of drink, drugs and social inadequacy - a cheery little ditty

Half Century Blues (Andrew Perry)
I put this in to threaten myself to finish it - lead-time was my birthday in March (98)  - "Work in Progress"

Hangin' On (Michael Johnson)
Nice piece of upbeat hokum- contemporary folk thrash!

The Heliosphere (Andrew Perry)
A summer Sunday afternoon in 1998, a small town festivalin Southern England, Jane and I walked across the Downs. every word is true.

Here and Gone (Andrew Perry)
Someone told me that writing about my Dad's death would help me resolve some stuff , so here it is

Highway Kind (TVZ) Work in Progress

Hobo's Lullaby (Goebel Reeves)
Pinched this from Arlo - years ago - don't sing it as much as I ought to.

Homesick For a Place He's never Been (Andrew Perry)
Cars 'n' bars, and sweet guitars - pining for some place he's never been - I've not yet been to Texas - but a small boy and an old man can dream - sometimes the dream is the same.

How About You (New Grass Revival)
Challenging lyrics from a furiously talented group

I Don't Feel Like A Train (John Gorka)
It might be about trains - it might be about becoming middle aged

I Am A Pilgrim (traditional)
A gospel number - which has evolved radically - a modest showpiece for my flatpicking guitar style

If You Were A Bluebird (Butch Hancock)
A simple lovesong but with modern imagery - Lubbock or leave it !

If Wishes Were Fishes (Andrew Perry) why do I write such complicated songs ?

I Wanna Know (Rob’t Earl Keen)  a simple but effective little song about taking a little time to listen to an elderly person’s experiences.

I Wonder Why Trains Make Me Lonesome (M. Auldridge)
A fast flatpicking bit of silliness

It’s The Whiskey That eases The Pain (Darrell Scott) A sinful little ditty about succumbing to the philosophy of the idd two fingers every so often.

It’s a Great Day To Be Alive (Darrell Scott) not great on short titles, but a great singer and musician – Darrell.  Does what it says on the label !

Indian Cowboy (Joe Ely)
A simple story song of circus heroism

Jerusalem Tomorrow (David Olney)
Another compelling enigma from this oddly talented writer

Jazzman (Ed. Holstein)
A song for tired old musicians everywhere

Keys To The Highway (Big Bill Broonzy)
A good ol' "leavin' blues - a twelve string guitar romp

The Lonestar Bus (Andrew Perry / Mike Plumbley)
Somewhere past midnight - we came upon that train - the product of an evening spent with music journalist, web-site designer, and poet Mike Plumbley. Mainly Mikes words.

Master Of My Fate (Andrew Perry) An ironic song

Me & My Uncle (John Philips)
O.k - I've never been a cowboy - a four verse movie - with shades of Quicksilver Messenger Service

MEN (LW iii) oh boy a song about being a bloke – an answer to the “Only Women bleed”  concept.

Mr Bojangles (Jerry Jeff Walker)
One of the more well known Texas songs - I first heard it by Nillson - don't sing it much now my wife hates it

Morning Blues (trad)
Pinched this from Linda Ronstadt - " I've been in an airplane - and I've been in love, so I know what it's like to soar like a dove" - I wrote that bit

Must Be My Baby (Guy Clark)
A happy blues written by my favourite songwriter - how could he write a song about my wife ?

Old Fashioned Waltz (Sandy Denny)
You wanna hear this done to it's best - listen to Emmy-lou - mine is a poor alternative

Old Friends (Guy Clark)
Songwriting at its simplest and finest - achingly expressive

Paint The Town Beige (Robert Earl Keen)
About the changes in direction that happened to so many of us in the early '90s.

Second Hand Face - or Carnival Knowledge (John Gorka)
All the tragicomic essence of a good clown performance and of a good song. Seek out John Gorka!

Skinny Legs (Lyle Lovett) Lyle
Must've written this for portly folk like me

Sittin' On Top of The World ( Trad. arr. Doc Watson - and me)
Sublimely un-profound and frantic flat-pickin'

Song For the Life (Rodney Crowell)
A song about growing up ? - short and very sweet

Souvenirs (John Prine)
"Broken hearts and dirty Windows - make life difficult to see" - wow Mr Prine!

Spanish Johnny (Paul Siebel)
I got this from Dave Bromberg - another western movie - rarely sung nowadays (no connections with Iberian birth control)

Speed of the Sound Of Loneliness (John Prine)
I don't play this like you're used to hearing it - one of the bitterest lovesongs I know)

Sportin' Life (???)
Nice ol' "fixin to die" slow boogie - I enjoy playing this stuff on a twelve string pianahhhhh

Stuff That Works (Guy Clark)
Simple, but heartbreakingly poignant

Summer Wages (Ian Tyson)
O.K. so I'm a hypocrite - I sing a song about lumberjacks - but I HAVE stood on Yonge Street in Canada said to be the longest street in the world - Dave Bromberg's influences here

Take Me Out Drinking (Marra)
A Scottish writer of whom I know nought - but a heavy song - about ..... heavy, I guess

That Old Time Feeling (Guy Clark)
That old time feelin'' goes sneaking down the hall, like an old grey cat in winter, keeping close to the wall, you just kinda know what he's saying - and I've got an old grey cat !

To Live Is To Fly (Townes Van Zandt)
Simple, profound philosophy by one of the world's greater Texas songwriters who died in 1997.

Top Of The Slide (David Bromberg)
Ever been made redundant ? - This Noo Yawk jewish songwriter says it just like it feels without being mawkish

Wayfaring Stranger (anon) Been trying to get this down for ages – now I’m really happy with it. So what’s wrong with the occasional gospel number ?

The Waltzing Fool (Lyle Lovett)
It's a waltz for the people who try to ignore him - you've all seen him at concerts - and he's worried you

Wasted Song (Andrew Perry)  a bitter little poem to music

Whose Blues (Andrew Perry)
Please don't believe a word of it - it's bunkum - well, hokum!

Women 'cross The River (David Olney)
Un-explainable words that every woman in the audience will understand

Wonderful Affliction (Paul Geremiah)
Highways like a thread - Time like a needle - sows my life to so many different people - how's that for a blues line!

Words And The Bottle (Mick Hanly)
Mick's cleverly structured song speaks volumes about singers and performing

You Ain't Going Nowhere (Dylan)
Some of his songs are profound - personally I think this is gibberish - but a nice singy song - I call it the ooh-ee song, join in please !

You Know The Rest (Steve Earle)
Lovely little honky tonk hokum from the thrash king of acoustic music

I'm sure I've missed some, and of course, things get added and dropped, but this is the stuff of the programme at present. If you are the sort of listener, singer, musician, who knows this kind of music, and you have any queries or suggestions, then please e-mail me. Andrew Perry -