honea byrne

...then there are some songs that are created by trying to learn cover songs. One day around three years ago, I decided I wanted to learn Poison's "Every Rose has its Thorn." After all, that's a great crowd pleaser. I wasn't at patient enough to learn it on guitar.. I laugh, as I write this, thinking about how it's one of those cheesy heart break songs. One of those songs you listen to over and over again. thus carrying the angst longer than you should. I remember twenty years ago, when I'd think I was playing it on a kids keyboard that one of my friend's gave me. I drank a lot. An in the meantime, the days go on and you find yourself. Find yourself able to want to live life again to the fullest. Yet,unable to because you have a fear of being hurt again. I looked into the audience and wondered how many more were out there trying to fill that part they think is missing. Then the hook verse came, "I been watching all these crazy things you say and...

...an I revisit songs that  I wanted to learn to play, but I wasn't at that guitar playing skill level. Well, more truthfully, I didn't take time to learn some songs because I didn't want to face the emotions associated.  Years ago, I had the Neil Young cassette in my car tape deck playing the song "Out of the Blue Into the Black" while my friend, Ed, and I were getting breakfast from Burger King. Hours later, we would be on a bus going to the pentagon (911). We were in the US Army,  the 54th Quartermaster company. Our job was to care for the dead. I slowly practice strums going to the c chord to the e, to the a, end on the f chord as  I sing the verse to the Neil Young song, "...and once you're gone you can't come." Eighteen years ago, most of us had never done our military jobs in a real life. The Pentagon clean up effort, known as 'Operation Noble Eagle.' Many of us have ptsd from that experience, and also from the wars that foll...