When I Write The Book

Here's a broken-down love song in the classic style, from Rockpile:

Nick Lowe: bass and lead vocals
Dave Edmunds: guitars, keyboards, and more vocals
Billy Bremner: guitars and more vocals
Terry Williams: one awesome drummer

This is one of Nick's best songs, in my opinion, and I love the arrangement. The organ part is so sparse through the verse! (That's Dave!) It takes knowledge and confidence to just play a little bit. And there was no shortage of knowledge or confidence in this band.

They weren't short on wit, either. This song is from their album "Seconds of Pleasure", which was subtitled "Months of Touring".

Well I can remember like it was only yesterday
Love was young and foolish like a little child at play
But oh how lovers change, I never dreamed how easily
For now I'm just a shadow of the boy I used to be
Oh yeah

And when I write the book about my love
It will be about a man who is torn in half
About his hope and ambition wasted through the years
The pain will be written on every page in tears
Oh when I write the book about my love

I was a fool to myself when I kept on runnin' around
And I fared little better when I tried settlin' down
Maybe some magic moments have I known but not for long
For all too soon the magic was in a moment gone
Oh yeah, yes

And when I write the book about my love
It'll be a heartbreaking story of bad luck in love
When I get down on the pages all I felt
It will make the hardest-hearted of critics' heart melt
When I write the book about my love

When I was young love was fun and I was so happy
I looked so good, I dressed so snappy
Two-tone shoes on my feet, big old smile on my face
As I grooved grooved grooved all over the place
Now I'm down at heel and my complexion is bad
Because my love life is sadder than sad

But when I write the book about my love
It'll be a pop publication, tougher than tough
When I get down on the pages all I missed
It will shoot to the top of the best-sellers list
When I write the book about my love
[a thousand words a day easily]

And P.S. If you wanted to learn how to play it, you could do worse than this:



Three cheers for James James -- the best guitar teacher on the net, by a mile! ;-)