Duets and B-flats

"Why are you Broken?" is a duet.

It just is.

I can't tell you why or how I know it. I haven't got much beyond the first few lines, which I won't bother to share yet because they are bound to change.

I don't have a true melody line, a bridge, or a chorus.

Just a title and an idea.

The title came from Calvin. The idea came from a friend.

A good friend. A loving friend. A lifelong companion who called me up way too late at night.

She asked me what I thought of starting a band.

Remember now, it was late . . .

I told her that it was a terrible idea.

She plead her case anyway.

Knowing that it was too late for me to even think about thinking about it. I told her to call me back the next afternoon and pitch me her idea.

Then I went back to sleep.

Sure, it was only 10:20pm, but I'm freaking old.

The next day I mulled the late night idea around in my head and decided that I was still right.

It was a terrible idea.

See "This is Spinal Tap" for a full disertation.

But I loved the idea. I miss playing with other musicians. I dream about the production possibilities that could come from not filling in all the space myself. I even kind of miss yelling at the drummer to stop playing for jut a moment.

But the real reason I loved the idea is because I want to hear my wife sing again.

It pains me to think of how much of her life has been sucked out of her because she has no place to sing.

In fact, if I were to point to any tension in our relationship, the root cause would be that she has no opportunity to express herself beyond work and motherhood.

So that's it.

"Why are you broken?" isn't just a line fed to me by the three year old. It's not just about the phisical pain I'm am feeling, but the emotional pain between two people who are both broken.

It's a duet.

and I'm gonna make my wife sing the girl part.

also, its a piano duet.

This has a much less esoteric reason.

I pulled my guitar out today for the first time since the show. Calvin saw the case a ran into his room to get his guitar.

On his tippy toes none the less.

"Play with a pick daddy, play 'booty fool girl' daddy."

I began playing "Beautiful Girl"

A little uncomfortable at first.

A little achy,

oh yes

even a little breaky.

Until I hit the b-flat.

(Its a bar chord, nothing as tricky to learn as F-major, but you need a little stretch)

and then something popped.

Like "Holy Sh*t, don't let the boy see me cry" kind of pop.

"It's break time sweety" I said.

"Can I play Mario Kart now?" he asked.

"Do you mind if I play the piano?" I asked

"No, just don't be too loud."