I do know "The Guitar Man." As a child of the 70's Bread was a staple. I can hook you up with a whole playlist of soft-rock gold from the 70's. Flying Burrito Brothers, Pure Prairie League, Firefall... I've never learned the song but I always sing along when it's served up.
Aren’t people just gloriously weird? The song was kind of lame for my tastes, but man, they defined “soft rock” in the early 1970s, right when I was first tuning into music in a big way.
Do you think this was the first time the guy heard the song? The first time he'd heard it in a while? A song he evangelizes for on the regular? Or something else altogether?
I’ll have to check out this song in a bit. Thanks for sharing this!
Your run-in with this man reminds me of a random guy at the horse races the other day...my wife and I were hanging out with our kids, taking it all in - eating snacks - when this man approaches us with a bag of pretzels. Hand shoved in. “Want some pretzels?” he asks. “No thanks,” we say. “No, for the kids. You know, to snack on.” “We’re okay, thank you though,” we reply. He turns away, disgusted, and walks back to his buddies. He’s visibly upset/venting to them. One or two of them shoot us dirty looks. We kind of just forget about the whole encounter until the car ride home when I turn to my wife and say, “We need to talk about that pretzel guy.” 🤣
By the law of averages the next one you talk to will be a serial killer for sure. JUST KIDDING!
I love hearing about these interactions, but be careful because you may just end up becoming a full-time essayist and striking it rich with your Seinfeld-esque observational humor. I could read these all day long. While I would never walk up to a complete stranger and recommend a song, I do have a tendency to strike up conversations with strangers at an above average rate. I tend to ask lots of questions and get them talking like the weirdo I am.
There’s an old saying that i picked up from some old Christians that ‘your joy is not complete until you share it.’ Something like that, anyhow. Thanks for sharing.
I didn't think I'd heard this tune until those first lofty slides, then some memory from my childhood flooded in. Sitting in my grans house playing with toys on the floor and this was on TV. Thanks for sharing this!
“approach me, please. I am open to whatever agenda you’re concealing under your metaphorical trench coat.” AND " ...jealous...I wasn’t some elite target for his music evangelism.." Great writing, here, Meg. Thanks for the nostalgic song. When I heard it I remembered where I was, with whom and doing what.... urp.
Music, a magic stew in which words and notes each become the other. This, I think, was the first song within which I discovered my own harmonies, becoming another someone else for a heart-stopping moment.
well said! Those are the encounters that linger with us for ages. I would even say that these off-hand encounters can even lead to small steps taken in entirely different direction, perhaps even leading to a whole new trajectory to our lives
Guitar Man
I do know "The Guitar Man." As a child of the 70's Bread was a staple. I can hook you up with a whole playlist of soft-rock gold from the 70's. Flying Burrito Brothers, Pure Prairie League, Firefall... I've never learned the song but I always sing along when it's served up.
Ah yes. Guitar Man! 😌🎶
Aren’t people just gloriously weird? The song was kind of lame for my tastes, but man, they defined “soft rock” in the early 1970s, right when I was first tuning into music in a big way.
I remember it from the my youth. Haven't heard it for many years. Thanks Meg.
Can we have a contest? For the best title of an anthology of your stock fiction to date?
Do you think this was the first time the guy heard the song? The first time he'd heard it in a while? A song he evangelizes for on the regular? Or something else altogether?
Meg, I just have to share this: go check out Guitar Man by Jerry Reed. 😊
👏
I’ll have to check out this song in a bit. Thanks for sharing this!
Your run-in with this man reminds me of a random guy at the horse races the other day...my wife and I were hanging out with our kids, taking it all in - eating snacks - when this man approaches us with a bag of pretzels. Hand shoved in. “Want some pretzels?” he asks. “No thanks,” we say. “No, for the kids. You know, to snack on.” “We’re okay, thank you though,” we reply. He turns away, disgusted, and walks back to his buddies. He’s visibly upset/venting to them. One or two of them shoot us dirty looks. We kind of just forget about the whole encounter until the car ride home when I turn to my wife and say, “We need to talk about that pretzel guy.” 🤣
By the law of averages the next one you talk to will be a serial killer for sure. JUST KIDDING!
I love hearing about these interactions, but be careful because you may just end up becoming a full-time essayist and striking it rich with your Seinfeld-esque observational humor. I could read these all day long. While I would never walk up to a complete stranger and recommend a song, I do have a tendency to strike up conversations with strangers at an above average rate. I tend to ask lots of questions and get them talking like the weirdo I am.
There’s an old saying that i picked up from some old Christians that ‘your joy is not complete until you share it.’ Something like that, anyhow. Thanks for sharing.
I didn't think I'd heard this tune until those first lofty slides, then some memory from my childhood flooded in. Sitting in my grans house playing with toys on the floor and this was on TV. Thanks for sharing this!
“approach me, please. I am open to whatever agenda you’re concealing under your metaphorical trench coat.” AND " ...jealous...I wasn’t some elite target for his music evangelism.." Great writing, here, Meg. Thanks for the nostalgic song. When I heard it I remembered where I was, with whom and doing what.... urp.
Yeah, Bread and the jam shouldn’t be used in the same sentence unless you are making a PB&J.
Music, a magic stew in which words and notes each become the other. This, I think, was the first song within which I discovered my own harmonies, becoming another someone else for a heart-stopping moment.
well said! Those are the encounters that linger with us for ages. I would even say that these off-hand encounters can even lead to small steps taken in entirely different direction, perhaps even leading to a whole new trajectory to our lives