I Corinthians 10:23 Everything is permissible – but not every thing is beneficial…
It’s 5:30 PM and we’re done for the day on account of a big birthday bash that’s gonna go on tonight. Mine. It’s a black balloon occasion to be sure, but it promises to be an evening of great revelry…and I’m looking forward to seeing my wife in that black dress!
This morning on the way to pick up Tim and take him to Derri’s, I was thinking about how much trouble these little ones can be…and such joy. They really make their presence known! I was thinking mostly of Shane, the Daugherty’s youngest, when I came up with the chorus, "Cherry bomb, cherry bomb, with a face just like a cherub, cherry bomb, yeah she makes her presence known, cherry bomb, cherry bomb, with a face just like a cherub, yeah she’s sweet as anything I know". When Tim and I walked into the studio, Derri was strumming a nice, medium tempo progression on his acoustic, to which I was readily able to sing my "Cherry Bomb" lyric. Derri put down a scratch guitar pass, and by the time I’d finished the drums and percussion (a good bit of racket), the lyric was complete in my head. I’m usually not that quick, but things seem to be going fairly luckily! Next, Tim disturbed us pleasantly once again with a bass guitar performance that might well bring to one’s mind a crazed elephant. Tim has two small children also, and his musical interpretation of the lyric is indicative of his acute awareness of the chaos these "cherubs" bring to our homes.
Then, Tim had another idea to show us. He’s only here for the week end, so we want to work on everything he’s got. It’s an up-tempo, noisy, poppy 3 minute bit of music. Tim got a dirty, terrible tone and did a pass on Derri’s Telecaster while I banged out a surf beat (big silver African drum to the right, snare on case with snares off to the left, gong on lap…same ol’ same ‘ol). By the time Tim did another electric guitar pass and the bass, I was pretty much done with the words. The chorus goes, "At two o’clock in the morning I’m more alive than you. At four o’clock in the morning I’m more alive than at two…" The verses are really ridiculous! I think we’ll call it, "Noon ‘Til Whenever".
Actually, it’s 6:25 in the evening, and I’ve gotta get to my party! Hopefully, we’ll work (and play) all night tomorrow. That’s the plan!
Steve H. 11/27/1999
