Musings - Joe Ficklin

You remember Bobby Lee? Seems like yesterday just him and me G G C C Was down at the courthouse steps, shootin’ the breeze D D G G Waiting for our cousin Jimbo, when suddenly he spied this bimbo G G C C In a miniskirt hiked high above her knees D D G G He elbowed me and with a wink said, “that there’s the future ex, I think” He bounded for the street with that stupid grin But before he got even halfway down, that sweet little thing done turned around With a twist that’d make a preacher want to sin The lips that framed her teeth were sly, a misty glamour concealed her eye Her get-up was a shade of emerald green Now, I’ve got myself my own dear cutie, but I’d a-traded her for this here beauty On a scale of one-to-ten she was seventeen Bobby Lee, he knew no shame, went up to her, asked “what’s your name?” She gave a glance that smoldered like the sun (She said) “you think you know what you’re doing mister, but I warn you now I’ve got some sisters There’s eight of them, but of me there’s only one” Not that you’d notice but we’ve been around forever G D C G Delighting in the fools of men who think they might be cleverD D C D Those that know us, love us; and some find us inspiring G D C D While those that we love back find our attentions… tiringC D C/D G Bobby Lee said “I know a park where we can hang out after dark Go and watch the fireflies spark She laughed and said “sure, that sounds great, I’ll meet you there at half-past eight” Bobby Lee howled and then began to bark She smiled at him and looked at me, my blood froze up, I could hardly breathe Then Jimbo came out through the courthouse door He’d paid his fine, his time was done; I looked around but that girl was gone I thought about the words she’d said before Chorus Bobby Lee said “the girl is fine, and tonight I’m gonna make her mine” Jimbo said, “let’s go grab a bite.” We didn’t notice it at the time that everything we said would rhyme So I had to say something and what came out was “alright” Sitting outside the Taco King, I felt a sudden urge to sing The melody of which I never knew I got my guitar from the truck and a tune began to pluck The boys joined in when I hit stanza two Chorus Now Jimbo is by nothing scared but singing caught him unprepared The people there dropped money in my case And Bobby Lee, well his eyes got wide and I could see him shake inside And a look of terror ran around his face We made a hundred bucks that day, until the crowds all went away Singing songs we never knew we knew Bobby Lee near missed his date, and didn’t get home ‘til very late * Me and Jimbo tried to figure what to do Chorus When Bobby Lee returned at dawn we asked him what was going on He said her name that we should know it Erato is her name to Greeks, mythology well of her speaks She is the muse for every lyric poet Now through the day, deep into night, I sit and write and write and write (and write and write and write and write…) And thoughts of sleep abandoned be Though Bobby Lee swears he’s her love, by hell below and heaven above I fear that she’s in love with me Chorus (Spoken while strumming: By-the-way, you really ought to meet her sisters. Swell bunch of girls, well, except for poor Melpomene. I think she’s bi-polar or something. But Thalia’s a hoot! And, hoo-WHEE, that Terpsichore can dance ‘til the cows come home. And go back out again. And come home again. I wore out a pair of my finest boots doing Cotton-eyed Joe with her. One more time…) Chorus