Rock and Roll Will Save Your Life (29 page)

If they’re lucky, someday they’ll have children of their own. And they’ll realize that you don’t have to be a rock star to feel like a rock star. All you need is a soft little human with a sweet-smelling head who settles down at night with her bottle and says “Papa sing.”

“What song do you want?” I say.

And Josie says “Corn,” which means “Jimmy Crack Corn,” or “Ring,” which means “Hush, Little Baby,” or, most often, “Coming,” which means “She’ll Be Coming ’Round the Mountain.”

Then she says it again. “Papa sing.”

And I get to say, “Sheesh, I thought you’d never ask.”

(In no particular order—hey, this list took me fourteen months to settle on, and I’m still in anguish….)

In an effort to liquidate my CD collection all over you, I will send a free disc to any reader who sends me a SASE, along with certifiable evidence of his or her Drooling Fanaticism. This offer only good while supplies last! (So say the folks in Legal!) See
www.stevenalmond.com
for details! Really!

Giant Head-Banging Thank-Yous:

To all the musicians who appear in this book, particularly those who made the foolish but kind decision to allow me to invade their lives. Here’s hoping everyone who arrives here will find your songs and consider themselves blessed. I certainly do.

To all those friends whose patient counsel helped rescue this silly book from the muck of my own poor judgments, and who inspired its composition: Billy Giraldi, Pat Flood, Keith Morris, Dave, Pete, and Mike Almond, Clay Martin, Holden Lewis, Tom DeMarchi, Eve Bridburg, Dave Blair, Michael Borum, Victor Cruz, Tim Huggins, Karl Iagnemma, Jenni Price, and Peter Keating.

To my wise and generous editor, Jill Schwartzman.

Last, and always, to my wife, Erin. If Kip Winger ever does get you back to his hotel room, babe, he’ll be a fraction as lucky as I am.

Grateful acknowledgment is made to the following for permission to reprint previously published material:

Alfred Music Publishing Co., Inc.:
Excerpt from “Short Man’s Room,” words and music by Joe Henry, copyright © 1992 WB Music Corp., True North Music and Lemz Music. All rights administered by WB Music Corp. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Alfred Music Publishing Co., Inc.

Cherry Lane Music Company:
Excerpt from “Africa,” words and music by David Paich and Jeff Porcaro, copyright © 1982 Hudmar Publishing Co., Inc., and Rising Storm Music. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Chrysalis Music Group USA:
Excerpt from “Our Song” by Joe Henry, copyright © 2007 Chrysalis Music and Blood Count Music. All rights administered by Chrysalis Music. International copyright secured. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Chrysalis Music Group USA.

Hal Leonard Corporation:
Excerpt from “Hello, Mary,” words and music by David Baerwald, copyright © 1990 Almo Music Corp. and Zen of Iniquity. All rights controlled and administered by Almo Music Corp. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Hal Leonard Corporation.

Boris McCutcheon:
Excerpts from “Hurt” and “Pony Ride,” words and music by Boris McCutcheon, copyright © 2003, 2008 Cactusman Records (ASCAP). All rights reserved. Used by permission of Boris McCutcheon.

James McMurtry:
Excerpt from “Rachel’s Song,” words and music by James McMurtry, copyright © 1995 Short Trip Music. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Ike Reilly:
Excerpts from “The War on the Terror and the Drugs,” “I Don’t Want What You Got (Goin’ On),” “Commie Drives a Nova,” and “What a Day,” words and music by Ike Reilly, copyright © 2001, 2004, 2008 Siren Six Music. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Ike Reilly.

Bob Schneider:
Excerpt from “Hocaine,” words and music by Bob Schneider, copyright © 2007 Shockorama Music. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Universal Music Publishing Group:
Excerpt from “All Out of Love” by Graham Russell and Clive J. Davis, copyright © 1980 Nottsongs. All rights administered by Universal-Careers (BMI). All rights reserved. Used by permission of Universal Music Publishing Group.

S
TEVE
A
LMOND
is the author of five previous books. He lives and rocks outside Boston with his wife and two children.

www.stevenalmond.com