The lyric project - Blue Baby

Finishing off the lyrics from the second and third Throttle Body m/c releases, For The Few and Marley's Chain, is the song, Blue Baby.

Gertrude Stein, in The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas, wrote, “After a while I murmured to Picasso that I liked his portrait of Gertrude Stein. Yes, he said, everybody says that she does not look like it but that does not make any difference, she will, he said.”


This song didn't look like me at the time I wrote it, but it was unfortunately accurate of what was to transpire in my life seven year later. Maybe as artists, God allows us to tap, however unknowingly, into his own omniscience, to make us aware of what might come if we don't pay more attention. I didn't pay attention, but the lesson of this song isn't lost on me.

Blue Baby

Storm clouds ahead
On my blue horizon
My love is gone
The water is high
I'm swept by the wind
My world unwinds
and
All I do is think of you
I'm so lonely
And you're half a world away
I dream of you all night, girl
Everyday
You're love forever is all I pray for

Blue baby
Flowering cherry love I feel for you, baby

All I do is think of you
I'm so lonely
And you're half a world away
I dream of you all night, girl
Everyday
You're love forever is all I pray for

Once with love
you have more than enough
You're king for a day
But the court's comprised of thieves
Once without
Full of doubt
With a paper heart pinned to your sleeve
Begging, "Please"


Blue baby
Flowering cherry love I feel for you, baby

All I do is think of you
I'm so lonely
And you're half a world away
I dream of you all night, girl
Everyday
You're love forever is all I pray for

All songs Copyright Jerry Hammack, used by permission, published by Really Real Music, BMI

The lyric project - Red Light

This is a song that I started writing in about 1985, but didn't get to properly recording until the "Marley's Chain" release. The red light was a metaphor for "attention" more than anything else; a spotlight; but I guess in my head it was also a warning light. Lyrics always have these internal layers - especially if you don't think about them too much. I always remember a quote of Paul McCartney's, talking about "Hey Jude":

In Anthology, it is recalled that when McCartney introduced Lennon to his new composition, he came to "the movement you need is on your shoulder" lyric and told Lennon "I'll fix that bit." Lennon asked why, and McCartney answered "...it's a stupid expression; it sounds like a parrot." Lennon parried with "You won't, you know. That's the best line in the song."

So, I tend to leave things alone that sound good, but don't necessarily make sense to me at the time. It worked for Paul, after all!

Red Light

Ooo you've got that red light shining on you
Breathing on you
Leading on you
You're such a nasty little, tiny little brittle girl
Oh, aren't you?

Once in awhile think you've got it all figured out
It took me awhile to get control of myself
But the river is deep and I've been losing sleep
Red lights on you

Ooo you've got that mist
It hangs about you
Drifts around you
Whips about you
Oh don't you want?
I've got to have, I've got to have it
But in the mist I lose you
Misconstrue you


Once in awhile think you've got it all figured out
It took me awhile to get control of myself
But the river is deep and I've been losing sleep
Red lights on you

Once in awhile you think you've got it all made
You've made some space between real life and yourself
But the river is dry
Like the wastelands by the highway tonight
With nowhere left to hide
The red light is shining

All songs Copyright Jerry Hammack, used by permission, published by Really Real Music, BMI