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The Ghost of 1978

from Children Live the Fear by Bill White

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i have a recurring performance anxiety dream in which a sweires of misfortunes prevents me from arrivig at the gig on time. and when i get there, i have no idea what to play or where the band is or what the hell is going on. and i always wake up right before i finally get on stage and start to play. but a few weeks ago i had my first dream in which i actually played, and it was a ptretty good show. then two nights ago i had one in which i woke up after playing the firrt verse and i remembered the song verbatim. so i scribbled the lyric, then tried to sleep, but afa while, i got up and wrote the wrest of this song in 15 minutes. and spent the rest of the day finishing up

lyrics

I was hanging art last night
Down at Market Place
Looking for a woman
Who had an ugly face
I found one who looked like Goya’s mama
So I said how do you do
She said take a walk pretty boy
I said Im just as ugly as you

I was in the middle of playing
That little song
In the bookstore I had bought
When the telephone rung
It was my partner
Asking me what was up
You were supposed to bring me money
For tomorrows lunch

The place is packed \i told him
Ad the money is rolling in
Ill bring it to you tomorrow
Ill have plenty of money then
He said that wont do my friend
I need that money now
I eat my lunch at midnight
So close that damn place down

I laid down my guitar
But the crowd wouldn’t let me go
They asked if Id be back tomorrow night
I said I did not know
But rght now everybody here hs got to leave
Im closing down the place
When I started the song it was 2018
Now its 1978

I knew the song was no damn good
Even when I was singing it
But 40 years into my past
It was a smashing hit
My guitar wasn’t so hot back then
But I was playing like Hendrix tonight
And every one of my old fans
Looked young in the mystic light

Then all the people disappeared
Who came to hear me sing
Ad I drove to my partners house
With the money he told me to bring
But I asked him never to call me at night again
When I was at the shop
Nostalgia pays in this rock and roll town
And you made the music stop

Tomorrow night Ill be back again
With guitar in my hand
But I don’t know if Ill draw a crowd
Or if Ill even have a band
Tonight my muic brought them all
Back home from the dead
But i never got to finish my song
I had to pay the devil instead

credits

from Children Live the Fear, released July 17, 2018

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Bill White Lima, Peru

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