Friday Evening Traffic

Lyrics:

When all the charlatans and frauds
Are swallowing the seeds of their pride
And you've sold yourself short for so long
That you're not even worth a goodbye
Will I still meet you by the well to draw water?

When all your white collar crimes have let you down
And you always know the punchline
And your hair falls out without a sound
'Cause there's no one there to listen
Will I still meet you by the well to draw water?

What have you really heard, except the rumor of the fall
What have you really learned, well that's the humor of it all
What did I do that was so wrong except color your stained glass window?

When the streetlamps and the spies
Have all moved out to the suburbs
And you've found to your surprise
That this is the only printing
Will I still meet you by the well to draw water?

When even your clothes can't keep you warm
And the ice cream still melts down your hand
And your whole entire day would be a bore
If not for Friday evening traffic
Will I still meet you by the well to draw water?

What have you really heard, except the rumor of the fall
What have you really learned, well that's the humor of it all
What did I do that was so wrong except paint your lovely portrait?

Just when you think you think your life is going great
And the starry skies politely laugh
You set your clock ahead to not be late
But it really doesn't matter
Will I still meet you by the well to draw water?

Reflections:

This was the first song on my first CD.  It was written about twenty years ago, but I still remember where a lot of the imagery and purpose of the song came from,  "Charlatans and frauds" was a line I picked off from Chesterton - I liked the magnanimity of the way it sounded as a way to describe phonies, and as my other favorite author at the time was J.D. Salinger, this is something a young man like Holden Caufield or myself is quick to point out in others.

The main imagery of the well is an allusion to fidelity that can be found in the Old Testament in the story of Jacob's well and the New Testament in the story of Jesus speaking with the Samaritan women at the well.  Like a lot of my early songs, this one probably had as its catalyst a young lady I had in mind to whom I was secretly pledging my eternal fidelity.  Who she is now I have no idea.

Reading back over the lyrics, the song kind of makes sense as something God might say to me or you - that no matter how dull or banal live might get or how me might become disappointed by our own choices, He is there for us, always faithful and always loving.

This version was probably the first time there was a full band on this tune.   I had played it for years on solo guitar and also as a duo with my friend, Howard Hyde.  He always added a staggered repetitive line to the "Will I still meet you by the well.." that was hard to reproduce without him.  He was not in Steubenville, OH at the time that I recorded this in 1995.

Not long ago I was driving home during my 45 minute  Friday evening commute and hit a traffic jam - this song came into my head after being away for a long time.  My songs are like old friends - not always in the forefront of my mind, and I can't always remember exactly how they go.  But it is good to remember.