Crucial Minutiae

Last night, I enjoyed the fantastical song stylings of Austinite and whimsicologist Southpaw Jones at his CD release concert. At first, I wasn’t sure what to make of his oddly honest humor, but then I heard his song “Manminism” (it’s hard to explain) and I was smitten. He wields sharp wit, word-play, a guitar, and harmonica all with equal generosity and humor — his Texas-sized heart shines through all his songs. If you have $15 and a desire for some quirky music, I recommend bringing Cruelty into your life.

Here’s “Everyman” (album track #7) as performed last night. (Lyrics and a bonus song behind the cut!)

Southpaw Jones’ “Everyman” from CRUELTY, on Vimeo.

EVERYMAN
From “Cruelty”

I’ll be there when you need me
Like rivers wriggle to the sea
I’ll dig a trench with constancy and patience
Before your car begins to sputter
When your toast needs jam or butter
You’ll never find another man like me

I’ll be your everyman
Your back-up plan
Your biggest fan
For as long as I can

I’ll be there when clowns attack
And when your high school calls you back
To tell you that you never passed geometry
And I’ll be there to hold you in
When slow metabolism sets in
I’ll be your lift and tuck procedure
As well as your

Everyman
Your catamaran
Your VW van
Your luxury sedan
For as long as I can

I’ll be there when toil and trouble
Pop or burst or blow your bubble
I’ll excavate you from the rubble
And I’ll arrive when slippery slopes
And radioactive isotopes
Come callin’ fer to dash your hopes
You can count on me

I’ll be your everyman
Your cotton candy
Your mocha grande
Your daily brandy
For as long as I can

Now with this song I don’t refer
To how we are or how we were
But rather how we’ll be as long as you’ll have me
I see a brilliant future coming
Trumpets trumpin’, drummers drummin’
You are my every woman
Glory be

And I’m your everyman
Your Peter Pan
Your Steely Dan
The wind beneath your wingspan
Your open-air CAT scan
Your sunless tan
Your wireless LAN
Your Orphan Annie
Your pan and scan
Your Aykroyd, Dan
Your Margret, Ann-
Your Margaret Cho
Your Martin, Steve
Your lifetime ban on the Ku Klux Klan
Your Mexican flan
Your everyman
For as long as I can
I’m your everyman
I’m your everyman

~ ~ ~

Bonus track: LONG HOT SHOWER (not on “Cruelty”)
Featuring wildly synthetic Yamaha KEYTAR!!

Southpaw Jones’ LONG HOT SHOWER on Vimeo.

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Beauty in a Wicked World is a weekly column by Jennifer Gandin Le. It appears on Wednesdays.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 30th, 2008 at 5:45 pm and is filed under Beauty in a Wicked World, Music, Pop Culture. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.