My Sweet [Mary Lou] Lord

Once in a while it occurs
You find that you're not where that you thought you were
Or even where you hoped you might be in the field
It sounds like a lie but you know that it's real

And then you came and you reached out a hand
And so you stepped in as a part of the plan
The summer came and went and the leaves turned to red
Tell me were we wrong to believe what you said?

It can't be helped if we get on your nerves
We just wanna touch what you said we deserve
It's not that we don't know what you've done for the cause
It's just that there's a name on the line and its yours

[chorus] Hey hey hey, its another dog day
You never know what's on its way
Till its landed in your old tin tray
Hey hey hey, its another dog day
You never know what's on its way
Till its landed in your old tin tray

We can't say we'll succeed on our own
At least if we try and we end up unknown
It won't be 'cos of you that we're still on the shelf
It's easier to take if you do it yourself

And you know once in a while it occurs
You find that you're not where you thought you were
Or even where you hoped you might be in the field
You know what you can do with your sad little deal

[chorus]

That's "Old Tin Tray" as sung by the indisputably great Mary Lou Lord. I was gonna write about what a kickin' cool songwriter MLL was/is, but then I discovered this was written by her frequent collaborator, Nick Saloman, of the Bevis Frond. What makes that unusual is that, I would assume, that he wrote this song about MLL's specific situation with her record company, her career [busking], the DIY thing. I could be mistaken.

I'm thinking of doing "screwed by the record company" list of songs. This would be one of them.

1. Any number of Aimee Mann songs. "Way Back When". "I've Had It." "You Could Make A Killing." "It's Not Safe."
2. Traffic "Dear Mr. Fantasy"
3. Graham Parker "Mercury Poisoning"
4. Badfinger "Keep Believing", "Rock and Roll Contract"
5. Grant Hart "2541"
6. Nick Lowe "I Love My Label"
7. The Records "Starry Eyes"
8. Tom Petty "Into the Great Wide Open"

9. The Smiths "Paint a Vulgar Picture"

I'm certain that there are tons more songs out there that bemoan the state of record companies. Sad state of affairs, it will be a pity when all the record companies are gone.

Last note: Mike Penner is back, and with a sassy new attitude.