The Muletrain Deal

     Songwriters can be an annoying bunch, and God help you when they gather together. Its like a gaggle of geese. It’s loud and obnoxious (in a flighty way) and if you walk underneath them they will shit all over you. I generally abhor songwriting gatherings. When they perform "In the Round" they pass songs around and nobody listens to anybody and each one, each songwriter up there, is so fucking sure that they are the shit. I’ve seen it. I’ve been it.

     You can bet your bottom dollar, people, somebody will have a song comparing love to rose or about the homeless man down the block. There’s always the hippy on the end (always put the hippy on the end) who has a song about the environment. There’s the one who writes every song with the word ‘fuck’ or ‘shit’ in it. Then there’s the jilted-lover-songwriter. Be they male or female, you better hope you didn’t bring a date. Either way, you lose.

     And let’s be honest, even if and I mean even if you could assemble the best writers there is only so much you can take. Let’s pat ourselves on the back that we’re intelligent and sensitive and like to ‘listen’ to the words of a song, but enough is enough. Know when to say when. "Here’s another song about…"--- I don’t think so, pal.

     So the Muletrain is three writers. One after the other. Usually a young local songwriter for twenty minutes followed by a good break and a trip to the bar. Then a noteworthy songwriter of some renown and another break and trip to the bar. Followed by my favorite writer, me. The room listens if your good enough and if you aren’t...well...what can I say? It’s a cold harsh world out there for us sensitive bastards. Knoxvillians just paid their money to see you, they didn’t promise to listen.