2. Richey Lee

Hayes Carll. Some call him country. Some call him Americana. I just call him a great song writer.  One of my favorites.  He can write a political song, a bar band rock song, a funny song or a heart wrenching song. He will appear again in this blog.

 In my mind pulling at your heart strings with a sad song is where he excels. Richey Lee is one of those sad songs with a little bit of happiness mixed in that leaves you feeling like you are some place familiar. I am fairly certain Richey is an amalgam of multiple people and experiences, but many of those feel like they could have been written about people I know and places I have been.  The lyrics in this one are the highlight and they are outstanding.

The song starts telling us about Richey being a loud hard drinking bundle of joy. "A walking laugh wrapped in corduroy." I know that person. It then veers into stories about friends. Every so often the song finds a way back to watch the slow demise of Richey, but as sad as as that is the song finds moments of joy. The joyful moments are what makes me smile in spite of the heartbreak. It is these moments that make me pause and remember good times with my friends. Many of which have faded away. Fortunately not in the same way as our character, but they are just memories to me now. 

I remember fishing with some brothers as kids and laughing harder than I ever have before.  "Summertime on the river. Never gonna laugh like that again, falling right to the ground" took me back to being a teenager fishing with friends. 

"Strange days leave you in wonder and good times don't always stay" took me back to college and the surreal 4 years and characters that were my circle of friends.  Sure enough that time ended and many of those friends faded away.

True love does shake you like thunder. May it not fade away. 

Enjoy. May your friends and memories never fade away. 

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