All posts by marilyn jaye lewis

writer, editor, publisher, thinker -- all-around joyful gal!

Already A Great Day!

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And it’s just getting started — and even though I have to do boring stuff today, I’m still just really happy.

I’ve decided to go to the shooting range on Thursday, when I don’t have anything else planned, because today I have to go get that work done on my Honda, which could take 15 minutes or 3 hours…. and I don’t want to be late for that.

And then I have to go to a mandatory semi-annual event that the Agency is having this evening. And I want to be DON’T want to be late for that…

Me — no, wait — someone else at an entirely different boring meeting…

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Okay!

Not only did Sandra and I get some great work done on the script yesterday afternoon — but we also got my plane ticket!!

So it is official! I’ll be in NYC from July 6th through July 10th, to work primarily with Sandra, the Music Director and the dramaturge. I can’t wait!!

However.

The moment I got off the phone with Sandra, Valerie in Brooklyn texted me to tell me that Sly Stone had passed away.

It’s just not something you ever think of happening, right?

What an icon from my wee bonny girlhood!!

This is how I remember him best —

— in 1974, when he got married at Madison Square Garden, in NYC, in front of thousands of fans.

It sort of typifies those wild days in the 70s.

He had way too many songs that I loved to be able to pick a favorite, but certainly, this one is way up there! “Everyday People”, 1970. What a classic! (I used to play this song over and over and over…)

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So I have some shuffling around to do on the script — nothing too major. No actual re-writes.

And then the rest of my brain is focused on my novel, The Curse of Our Profound Disorder.

I can’t tell you what a feeling this is, gang. When I read over what I wrote 26 years ago, I am usually just astounded by the images I was putting on paper back then. And I have to say that, even though this is fiction, it is — as usual — based on stuff that either happened to me, or someone in my birth family, or to girls I knew in the 70s and 80s.

Life was so fucking harsh. I just can’t believe it sometimes. The book is so raw. But I am just so glad I put it down on paper while I still remembered it all.

Of course, reading over it, it all comes back to me. But I don’t think I would have ever remembered most of this stuff if I hadn’t put it down all those years ago.

I’m going to be posting some more excerpts to my Substack page, starting today, but I won’t post too many more, since the idea is that I want people to actually buy the book…

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All righty!!!

What starts today??? [HINT: In Switzerland!!]

Yes, that’s correct. Nick Cave’s Solo Tour of Europe, with Colin Greenwood on bass. It is sold out but a few tickets for other shows are still available HERE.

And I guess this will be my final photo from my desktop stash. After tonight, I’ll post new photos from the tour!!

His T-shirt says “My best friends are Smith & Wessons”.

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Okay. I’m going to get on to other things here before I have to go visit the delightful guys at the Honda dealership.

Have a terrific Tuesday, wherever you are in the world!

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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Our Daily Feature continues!

Gifts Keith Richards gave me when I was a wee bonny girl!!

Wherein I regale you with “songs Keith loved, that he would talk about in an interview in some magazine, and then I’d go out and try to find the record and then buy it with my babysitting money, and then I’d listen to it alone in my intense little room, playing it on the portable record player that my dad bought me, and the song would change my life. “

Today’s selection!! 

This one is sort of a two-for-one. A Sly Stone song and — yes! — sung by the incredible Ike & Tina Turner!! Boy, did I love them!!

I first saw photos of Tina, specifically, backstage with Keith & Mick at Madison Square Garden when Ike & Tina were the opening act for the Stones. And then I immediately went out and bought the double-album: The Ike & Tina Turner Revue LIVE at Carnegie Hall, 1971, and, honestly, it just blew my mind. I was about 12 going on 13.

Below, they are live at Carnegie Hall, singing a HUGE hit by Sly & the Family Stone, “I Wanna Take You Higher”. I just can’t state enough how incredible all this music was to me back then. Okay, enjoy, gang.

Oh, Happy Day!

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Well, yesterday was almost nonstop cleaning around here but I did it!!

And guess what??

Yes!! That’s correct — THIS will be arriving tomorrow:

After 5 years of nonstop cat hair and cat litter, my vacuum cleaner essentially died yesterday. But I was on the final room, so I was at least grateful for that.

And the specific brand and model I really like (above) was actually on sale yesterday, so the blessings are mounting up!

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AND!!!

I wish I could quote her verbatim on the blog, but it would not be professional to do that (just yet) —

However.

Yesterday afternoon, I got an email from the publisher at the small press who’d shown an interest in perhaps publishing my unpublished novel from 1998, The Curse of Our Profound Disorder, and she had finished reading the sample chapters I sent her and she loved it.

And assuming the rest of the novel keeps up with the first part of the novel, she is interested in publishing it.

I can’t tell you how happy this makes me, gang.

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And guess who’s having a birthday today??

Yes, that’s right !! Johnny Smoke is something like 62 today!!

And here is one of my all-time favorite photos of him — from yesteryear:

Happy Birthday, Johnny Depp!!!

Someone once told me that the jacket he’s wearing in the photo above had once belonged to Jack Kerouac.

I have no clue if that’s true or not. However. That said–

THIS was a great movie!! I loved it!! (from 1999)

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Here’s some more good news!!!

Loyal readers of this lofty blog will no doubt recall that I was hoping to be re-assigned to a client I’d had back in the fall — a woman who had been a chaplain before she retired and had several Theology Degrees from Yale Divinity School, and she and I had such wonderful philosophical conversations!!

She is back from Florida and since I have a huge hole in my schedule right now (awaiting 2 clients to come out of rehab), I got assigned to her for one shift next week. I was just thrilled to see that on my schedule.

I hope it will lead to more shifts with her as the summer unfolds. I missed her so much and thought of her often.

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All righty!!

It’s almost time, gang!

Tomorrow, Nick Cave’s solo tour of Europe, with Colin Greenwood on bass, begins in Switzerland!! There are not many shows that have tickets left, but you could get lucky!! Check here.

And here’s this!!

From my desktop stash:

And now I want to go water my flowers and then get ready to work with Sandra this afternoon!

Enjoy your Monday, wherever you are in the world!!

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

***************

Our Daily Feature continues!

Gifts Keith Richards gave me when I was a wee bonny girl!!

Wherein I regale you with “songs Keith loved, that he would talk about in an interview in some magazine, and then I’d go out and try to find the record and then buy it with my babysitting money, and then I’d listen to it alone in my intense little room, playing it on the portable record player that my dad bought me, and the song would change my life. “

Today’s selection!! 

Otis Redding!!

While I knew this specific song because it was a huge hit on AM radio, but I was only 8 years old at the time. I didn’t really learn about Otis Redding’s work until Keith.

Otis Redding, “(Sittin’ On) the Dock of the Bay”, 1968. Such a great song. Enjoy, gang.

“(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay”

Sittin’ in the morning sun
I’ll be sittin’ when the evening comes
Watching the ships roll in
Then I watch them roll away again, yeah

I’m sittin’ on the dock of the bay
Watchin’ the tide roll away, ooh
I’m just sittin’ on the dock of the bay
Wastin’ time

I left my home in Georgia
Headed for the Frisco Bay
‘Cause I’ve had nothing to live for
And look like nothing’s gonna come my way

So, I’m just gon’ sit on the dock of the bay
Watchin’ the tide roll away, ooh
I’m sittin’ on the dock of the bay
Wastin’ time

Looks like nothing’s gonna change
Everything still remains the same
I can’t do what ten people tell me to do
So I guess I’ll remain the same, listen

Sittin’ here resting my bones
And this loneliness won’t leave me alone, listen
Two thousand miles I roam
Just to make this dock my home, now

I’m just gon’ sit at the dock of a bay
Watchin’ the tide roll away, ooh
Sittin’ on the dock of the bay
Wastin’ time

c- 1968 – Otis Redding, Stephen Lee Cropper

Wow, What A Terrific Sunday!!

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Even though it’s raining — and will rain most of the day — I have already had a morning full of absolute bliss.

I managed to get all the nematodes out yesterday when I got home from my shift — on all the flowers and flower beds and all the ground that runs along all 4 sides of the house, and especially under all the windows. So I’m not expecting any fleas this season!! Yay!

It’s not hard work at all, it’s just sort of laborious if you don’t have a garden hose and need to use a sprinkling can and have to keep going back inside to the kitchen… But it’s done!!!

So that got done, and all the flowers and plants are out on the porches — so that got done.

And I made that appointment at Honda to get that other stuff done on my car — I’m going on Tuesday, after I spend about an hour at the shooting range! Yay!

So everything is done, scheduled, arranged — and today starts my first of 3 days off in a row.

Hence, waking up in a really great mood this morning! Yay! Yay! Yay!

Today, I’ll be reading over some revisions of our play, “The Guide to being Fabulous” and then tomorrow, I’ll be working on them with Sandra over the phone, but most of today I will FINALLY get to clean my house!!!!

Yay!!!

I can’t tell you how happy I am to finally get this stuff done. It’s really only a little dusting and then a bunch of vacuuming, but I never feel really comfortable when my house isn’t completely clean. It’s mostly because I have a thousand and 5 cats and I never want my home to seem like I have a thousand and 5 cats…

But, to be fair, they do help out in whatever way they can:

In no way is this an accurate depiction of how they help out…

So — my blissful morning.

When I got out of bed at 5AM, it was raining. But it was a light rain. No wind whatsoever. No thunder or anything like that, which would trigger my PTSD. Just summer rain.

And when I stepped out onto my kitchen porch to feed KonTiki, it just felt so peaceful out there, that once all the other cats inside were fed, and breakfast dishes were washed and put away, I took my cup of coffee out onto the porch and sat with KonTiki and just watched it rain as the sun sort of “came up”.

It’s interesting how KonTiki really loves to stay on the kitchen porch now that all the flowers and plants are out there. She got up onto the chair next to mine and we both just sat there together like old times — and it felt like I was finally going to have a good summer again.

After 2 summers in a row that were sort of “from hell”, with last summer being particularly close to hell.

And just FYI — while not related, this is a really great movie!! Johnny Depp:

But we are moving on over here!! And not only that, I will be going to NYC twice this summer! To work on pre-production of an Off-Broadway show!!

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It has been a really, really, really long journey.

In fact, this is the third house I’ve lived in since Sandra and I began working on this play together. And during the first few years, I thought I was moving back to New York — to Rhinebeck , where Sandra lives– and resuming a relationship with a guy I’m still crazy about:

He’s the chef there at the back of the photo, and this is his restaurant on the lower level of his home in Rhinebeck:

If you are ever in Rhinebeck, NY, you MUST visit his restaurant– The Tasting Room:

It is small so you must have a reservation. But Chef Daniel is an incredible chef!! {Read about him here.}

Anyway. It seems we are destined to be eternally “friends” (40 years and counting, although those first few years were memorably wild…)

But, long story short, I did not end up moving to Rhinebeck!!

Okay!!

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Happy Heavenly Birthday to my best friend on Earth!!

Paul would have been 66 today. He’s been gone 26 years now.

Here is a selection of photos I took of him a long time ago, mostly in my apartment on E.12th Street, although the photo with the huge flowered sofabed is in the Camelot Building on W. 45th Street, when I was married to Chong Foun Kee.

You’ll note that even back then, there was no shortage of photos of Keith on my bedroom wall… (and Bowie, John Lennon, Jim Carroll, Lou Reed, Patti Smith, Franz Kafka, etc., etc.).

My bedroom, E.12th Street 1983
My bedroom, E.12th Street 1983
Same bedroom, but more like 1984 or 1985
Kitchen on E.12th Street, Thanksgiving 1987
Late 1981, W.45th Street apartment in the Camelot Building

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Well, I’ve managed to get 2 loads of laundry done while I typed this! And now I’m going to actually start cleaning!!

So here’s this and then I’m off!

From the desktop stash!!

And there are now 3 days until Nick Cave’s Solo Tour of Europe (with bass player) begins!! (There are 3 venues with tickets still available, but everything else for the rest of the tour is sold out.)

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And now I’m gonna scoot!!

Enjoy your Sunday, wherever you are in the world!!

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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Saturday in the Hinterlands!!

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Okay, well, no, that isn’t really my life pictured above.

At least, not these days. (But oddly enough, that does reflect summers throughout my childhood.)

Okay!!

Prior to my childhood…

73 years ago, on this very day!! At this very synagogue:

Tifereth Israel Synagogue, Columbus, Ohio
In the sanctuary

My adoptive parents were married! And even while they ended up really really REALLY not liking each other at all as the years went by…. (I can’t tell you how mildly I am stating that)…

On their wedding day, they were truly in love (and for several years afterward).

When I was growing up (while they were still married, that is), I loved when June 7th, their anniversary, rolled around because my mom would bring out their huge wedding album and I just loved looking at all the old photos from their wedding day. I especially loved my mom’s wedding gown.

June 7, 1952
Leaving for the Honeymoon, after the reception

Once my parents got divorced, the wedding album came into my possession (my mom wanted to throw it out but I rescued it from the trash) and I still have it. And I still love looking through it.

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Okay. Here’s this!!

This photo was taken on Thursday night, but I saw it yesterday (Friday) morning and I immediately sent it to Valerie in Brooklyn!!

This is one of Keith’s daughters that he had with his wife Patti. And during the time when Keith and Patti’s daughters were really young, Valerie was hired by the renowned interior designer (and wife of Ahmet Ertegun, founder of Atlantic Records), Mica Ertegun, to do a bunch of specialty painting and murals inside Keith and Patti’s (at the time) new home in Connecticut.

Everyone in the universe LOVES Valerie. I cannot emphasize this enough. She is the most likable person on planet Earth. Even her dealers — not to imply that she ever got anywhere near any sort of illicit substances that would require some sort of “dealer” — however, even her dealers love Valerie and can’t wait to just hang out with her.

And when they met her, Keith’s daughters were crazy about her, and called her Big Val, and invited her to have tea with them in their tree house. So she did!

Okay. That, alone, has always amused me because Valerie is 6 ft. 2 inches tall, and always weighs in the vicinity of 190 lbs. I cannot imagine a little kids’ treehouse supporting her weight long enough to “have tea”.

Anyway!! I totally digress!

I sent this photo to Valerie because I couldn’t believe how much Alexandra looks like Keith in this specific photo! (She usually looks more like Patti.) (This is a selfie she took on her way to an event, then posted to Instagram.) I just love it!!

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So, as luck would have it!!!

I discovered that “Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories”, that show I recently loved on Netflix, was a continuation of a show that ran for 3 seasons on Japanese television, before it was picked up and produced by Netflix Japan for 2 more seasons.

The original show is also carried on Netflix.

So now I get to keep watching the show!! I can’t tell you how happy this makes me. And the 3 previous seasons are just as good — and have the same characters — as the final 2 seasons that I fell in love with.

(Honoring the original show in Tokyo, back in 2015.) (2 minutes)

Wow.

I just looked at the time. And I seriously gotta scoot!! So, here’s this!!

Seriously, this is truly one of my “absolutely all-time favorite Nick Cave photos of all time”. I actually have TWO of these photos (of different sizes) stuck to different areas of my wall…

And FOUR more days until Nick Cave’s Solo Tour of Europe (with bass player) kicks off in Switzerland! (If you’re lucky, you might be able to buy tickets for the tour here.)

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And here’s this!

Part of my front porch with flowers yesterday — and KonTiki of the Great Outdoors!!

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And now I gotta fly!!

Enjoy your Saturday, wherever you are in the world!!

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

***********

Our new Daily Feature continues!

Gifts Keith Richards gave me when I was a wee bonny girl!!

Wherein I regale you with “songs Keith loved, that he would talk about in an interview in some magazine, and then I’d go out and try to find the record and then buy it with my babysitting money, and then I’d listen to it alone in my intense little room, playing it on the portable record player that my dad bought me, and the song would change my life. “

Today’s selection!! 

I was a little older when I first heard Keith talking about this guy, but I really loved Jimmy Cliff’s music after that, as well as the film of the same name, “The Harder They Come”.

Jimmy Cliff, “The Harder They Come”, 1972. Enjoy, gang.

“The Harder They Come”

Well, they tell me of a pie up in the sky
Waiting for me when I die
But between the day you’re born and when you die
They never seem to hear even your cry

So as sure as the sun will shine
I’m gonna get my share now, what’s mine
And then the harder they come
The harder they fall, one and all
Ooh, the harder they come
The harder they fall, one and all

Well, the oppressors are trying to keep me down
Trying to drive me underground
And they think that they have got the battle won
I say forgive them Lord, they know not what they’ve done

‘Cause, as sure as the sun will shine
I’m gonna get my share now, what’s mine
And then the harder they come
The harder they fall, one and all
Ooh, the harder they come
Harder they fall, one and all

And I keep on fighting for the things I want
Though I know that when you’re dead you can’t
But I’d rather be a free man in my grave
Than living as a puppet or a slave

So as sure as the sun will shine
I’m gonna get my share now, what’s mine
And then the harder they come
The harder they fall, one and all
Ooh, the harder they come
Harder they fall, one and all
Hey, the harder they come
Harder they fall, one and all
What I say now
What I Say now

What I say now
What I say, one time
The harder they come, the harder they fall, one and all
The harder they come, the harder they fall, one and all

c – 1972 – Jimmy Cliff

“It wasn’t a pretty sight, but she did it.”

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It’s raining right now, otherwise I would go downstairs and grab a photo of what my porches look like now with the flowers on them!

I’m really happy, gang. But, wow, what a ton of work. I was so hot and sweaty and covered in potting soil. And really just exhausted by the time I was through. (About 5 hours.)

Mostly because it was really hot and humid out.

But I got everything done and put away about 3 seconds before it began to rain. So it worked out really great.

Another thing that worked out great (after it stopped raining) —

Yesterday evening was the start of what they call “Homecoming Weekend” here in the village. Where they close off most of 2nd Street and there are amusement rides and carnival food, live music, games.

2nd Street is one block over from me and the whole area gets filled with people and kids. So I was really happy that all my flowers were out, since it feels really festive around here and a lot of people walk by.

2nd Street

It’s called “Homecoming Weekend” because anyone who grew up around here and moved away, comes back to visit everyone.

And I was doubly happy about being ready for this because last year, right at Homecoming, that awful tornado hit and destroyed several businesses, dozens of homes, our Veterans Memorial Park, and it uprooted just a ton of beautiful trees.

This (below) had been one of the most beautiful homes in the village — it was the second oldest home, over 200 years old. It was huge, with a big double-veranda in front. And every Christmas, they had a big beautiful Christmas tree lit up right in the front window.

It was just heartbreaking to see, especially since it was the first house you’d come to when entering the village, so I had to drive past it twice a day. It’s completely demolished and gone now.

It feels good to be a part of moving on.

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Okay, here’s another thing I love about living out here.

The Honda dealership where I’ve, so far, bought or leased 4 Hondas in the last 8 years — they are really nice and really funny out there. Their Instagram page usually cracks me up. They post short videos that are just really, really sarcastic or just plain silly/stupid.

Anyway.

They are in the next county, where the police department has a volunteer Christian Ministry at the station. If you or someone in your family has been arrested or is the victim of something awful, there is always a minister on duty to counsel you or pray with you.

Just yesterday, the owner of the Honda dealership “got arrested” and wasn’t going to come out of jail until people donated $3500 to pay his bail. (The donations go to the police department’s volunteer Christian Ministry). There was a really cute video on Instagram to publicize it. I donated $20.

And by this morning, they already had $2350 in donations! Less than 12 hours later.

I just find that kind of stuff so cool.

Guys in the Hinterlands who work on cars

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And of course–

My favorite 94-year-old Japanese man was friends with Mr, Honda back in Tokyo. The real Mr. Honda. Why wouldn’t he be???

Sōichirō Honda

And Hondas are his favorite cars. (Mine, too (!!), but of course I never knew Mr. Honda!)

And once, several decades ago, when my client was a successful electronics engineering executive in Tokyo, he and Mr. Honda took a huge group of Boy Scouts on a campout at the base of Mt. Fuji. It was Japanese Boy Scouts/ US Boy Scouts, “the war is over let’s all be friends” kind of thing. There were about a hundred Boy Scouts in one giant tent!

Stock photo camping at the base of Mt. Fuiji

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Okay!

Meanwhile…

Sandra and I have only TWELVE PAGES of revisions to finalize before we head into pre-production in NYC!! This includes 3 musical numbers.

So, rather than needing to have the entire script revised by July 7th, we are doing it in segments, for each of the times we’ll be meeting up in NYC before the staged reading happens in mid-October.

Much more manageable!! Yay!! (And we’re almost done with those 12 pages, actually.)

And since I have 4 days off next week (I am trying hard to focus on getting writing done and cleaning the house, etc., rather than freaking out about the loss of $$$), this means she and I will have no problem being ready by July 7th.

It’s really happening, gang!! Yay!!

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From Ronnie Wood‘s newsletter today:

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And from my desktop stash!!

And you have FIVE days to buys those 3 remaining tickets to Nick Cave’s Solo Tour of Europe (with bass player)!! Most of the tour is sold out.

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Also — if you follow Phil, his livestream last night was very interesting!

Kayfabe – June 5th, 2025 (1 hr):

And I think that’s it for now, gang. I gotta scoot.

Enjoy your glorious Friday, wherever you are in the world!

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

**********

Our new Daily Feature continues!

Gifts Keith Richards gave me when I was a wee bonny girl!!

Wherein I regale you with “songs Keith loved, that he would talk about in an interview in some magazine, and then I’d go out and try to find the record and then buy it with my babysitting money, and then I’d listen to it alone in my intense little room, playing it on the portable record player that my dad bought me, and the song would change my life. “

Today’s selection!! 

Gram Parsons. A dear friend and inspiration of Keith’s. (2 mins):

I knew of the Flying Burrito Brothers, but did not know anything about Gram Parsons util he died (1973) and Keith spoke about it.

This is a photo that is forever on my wall — Keith, Anita, Gram Parsons (and I think Gram’s girlfriend?) at Keith’s home, Villa Nellcote, in the South of France, during the making of the legendary Exile on Main St double-album. Photo by Dominique Tarle. 1971.

Below is a beautiful cover of the Rolling Stones’ “Wild Horses”.

Gram Parsons & The Flying Burrito Brothers – “Wild Horses”, 1970. Enjoy, gang.

Finally!!

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Okay, gang!

I finally got all the flowers, potting soil, etc., and today I’m going to be able to get all the flower boxes filled and out on the porches.

Sadly, due to Trump’s tariffs on petunias and impatiens, the price of flowers was really high this season. So I couldn’t buy as many as I usually do.

I am of course JUST KIDDING.

But I couldn’t buy as many as I usually do, only because I usually buy flowers over the Memorial Day holiday, when they are always on sale.

But this holiday season, as perhaps you recall, the Agency had me working like a crazy person. Plus, it was cold and rainy.

Anyway, better late than never and at least I have enough to put a few flowers on each porch. And the weather today is still beautiful, so I’m excited.

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On an interesting note–

I have a husband & wife client(s) that I usually see at least twice a week.

Over the past 2 days, for very different reasons, each of them has wound up in the hospital and both are heading to rehab for the rest of the month.

Yes. That means at least 7 shifts, gone. And right before I’m taking a week off to go to NYC.

But you know what??? I mean, I’m sorry that they are both having to go through rehab (again — 2nd time for each in the past 6 months), but I am so excited to finally have some unexpected free time to get the house clean and ready for summer, plant the flowers, work on the novel and the play. AND get back over to the shooting range. It’s been a month since I’ve been able to get back over there.

I am a little bit in shock to suddenly have all this time, but I am really, really happy. Everything will finally get done around here. And I can start keeping up with my neighbors!!

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Here something that’s disturbing…

It seems that THIS place–

— has switched who they buy their fortune cookies from!! They are now just the regular kind of fortunes you can get in any Asian restaurant across the country.

Gone are the uncanny fortunes at the end of a meal!! No irony whatsoever.

Gone are the reasons to save the little fortunes, take photos of them and post them to the blog!!

It’s a good thing that the staff their is really friendly and that the food there is great, otherwise there would be no point in going there anymore…

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Okay!!!

I really don’t have much else I can post about right now. There is some major stuff happening, but it’ll be awhile before I can blog about it.

Meanwhile, I want to get started on the flowers.

So here’s this!! From my personal desktop stash!!

And 6 more days before Switzerland!!! (Buy tickets here, if there are any left in the tour!!)

And now I gotta scoot!

Enjoy your Thursday, wherever you are in the world.

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

****************

Our Daily Feature continues!

Gifts Keith Richards gave me when I was a wee bonny girl!!

Wherein I regale you with “songs Keith loved, that he would talk about in an interview in some magazine, and then I’d go out and try to find the record and then buy it with my babysitting money, and then I’d listen to it alone in my intense little room, playing it on the portable record player that my dad bought me, and the song would change my life. “

Today’s selection!! 

Although Keith has had nothing too flattering to say about the times he worked with Chuck Berry in later years, Chuck Berry was still a huge influence on Keith’s sound when he was young.

And even though it doesn’t sound like Chuck Berry was a very nice person, I loved a lot of those early songs he wrote — especially this one!! — and I know them all by heart. And it was Keith Richards that first introduced me to his music.

Chuck Berry, “Maybelline”, 1955. Enjoy, gang.

“Maybellene”

Maybellene, why can’t you be true?
Oh Maybellene, why can’t you be true?
You done started doin’ the things you used to do

As I was motorvatin’ over the hill
I saw Maybellene in a Coupe de Ville
A Cadillac a-rollin’ on the open road
Nothin’ will outrun my V8 Ford
The Cadillac doin’ about ninety-five
She’s bumper to bumper, rollin’ side by side

Maybellene, why can’t you be true?
Oh Maybellene, why can’t you be true?
You done started back doin’ the things you used to do

The Cadillac pulled up to a hundred and four
The Ford got hot and wouldn’t do no more
It then got cloudy and started to rain
I tooted my horn for the passin’ lane
The rainwater blowin’ all under my hood
I know that I was doin’ my motor good

Maybellene, why can’t you be true?
Oh Maybellene, why can’t you be true?
You done started back doin’ the things you used to do

[Solo guitar]

Oh Maybellene, why can’t you be true?
Oh Maybellene, why can’t you be true?
You done started back doin’ the things you used to do

The motor cooled down, the heat went down
And that’s when I heard that highway sound
The Cadillac a-sittin’ like a ton of lead
A hundred and ten half a mile ahead
The Cadillac lookin’ like it’s sittin’ still
And I caught Mabellene at the top of the hill

Maybellene, why can’t you be true?
Oh Maybellene, why can’t you be true?
You done started back doin’ the things you used to do

c – 1955 – Chuck Berry

Holy Moly — Back Again!

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Sorry I couldn’t post yesterday, gang, but life got seriously intense.

I will go into it another day, but meanwhile — life is back on track and I am in another incredibly happy mood!

The weather is glorious, for one thing — finally feels like summer!

And I cannot WAIT until I can tell you the details of all that is going on with pre-production for the staged reading of “The Guide to Being Fabulous” in NYC. As soon as I can, I will. But I am so excited!

And, meanwhile, I have a ton of stuff to take care of around the house before I leave for a week in NYC in early July — leaving a very good-natured cat sitter in charge of many kittens and thousands of cats.

But yesterday, my favorite 94-year-old Japanese man and I ran a couple of quick errands –including stopping off and buying most of my flowers to put out on my porches!!

I’m almost there, gang. My little happy paradise in the Hinterlands.

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Today, he and I are going out for sashimi and sake! (Or sushi and sake, if hell freezes over again…)

And here’s this!! We uncovered it the other day while looking through really old photos — his dad, doing a pilgrimage climb up Mt. Fuji in the early 1930s:

We also found a 71-year-old handwritten letter in MINT condition, which my client’s mother had written to him from Tokyo while he was in Divinity School in Kansas in 1954!!!

Entirely in Japanese. A very fragile letter, on that old-fashioned “Air Mail” stationary. Incredible! It was in such good condition.

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And here’s this!!!

Wendy and Kara and I had dinner here, in Granville, on Monday evening:

I got this on the internet– I don’t know the person in the photo

And I wore one of my new sundresses and it was a HUGE hit, gang. It really was:

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And here’s this!

Taken yesterday — Bobbie Jo, Bettie Jo, and Billie Jo.

Billie Jo, the grey one, is the one who is missing her 2 back feet. She’s still really tiny but she does great getting around — except that she can’t climb.

And here’s this!! (But don’t tell Little Blackie!!)–

I’ve finally chosen a local vet — only 15 minutes away, instead of 45. This is where Little Blackie will get spayed as soon as it’s safe for her to get it done (yes, you know you’re in the hills when you see a vet’s office that looks like this):

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And here’s THIS!!! Yay!!

It is finally available to view for free in the USA (click the LINK to watch it on YouTube):

Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds LIVE – Accor Arena, Paris – ARTE Concert (2 hrs 31 mins):

And only 7 more days before Nick Cave’s Solo Tour of Europe (with bass player) gets underway in Switzerland!!

Most shows on the tour are sold out but buy remaining tickets here!

And here’s this!!

Another fave “yesteryear” photo of Nick Cave from my desktop stash!!!

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And other than that — every spare moment I can find, I am going over my unpublished novel from 1998, The Curse of Our Profound Disorder, in preparation for its possible home with a small press in Pennsylvania.

And just FYI:

Fall 2001: The Curse of Our Profound Disorder, Top 10 Winner (4th Place) New Century Writer Awards
 
The Curse of Our Profound Disorder, Finalist, novel-in-progress, William Faulkner Writing Competition, New Orleans

October 1998: Honorable Mention in the 5th Annual Writer’s Network Screenplay & Fiction Competition: Curse of Our Profound Disorder, Chapter One

Okay!!

I gotta get ready to head to town.

Have a wonder-filled Wednesday, wherever you are in the world!!

Thanks for visiting!

I love you guys. See ya!

***********

Our new Daily Feature continues!

Gifts Keith Richards gave me when I was a wee bonny girl!!

Wherein I regale you with “songs Keith loved, that he would talk about in an interview in some magazine, and then I’d go out and try to find the record and then buy it with my babysitting money, and then I’d listen to it alone in my intense little room, playing it on the portable record player that my dad bought me, and the song would change my life. “

Today’s selection!! 

(And FYI — Little Richard blew my wee bonny little mind!! I loved him!! And here’s a cool story — when I finally found my birth father, he told me a story about being 15 and how he and his older brother Earl, jumped a freight train in Greenfield, Ohio, and went to a small club by the railroad tracks in Cincinnati to see Little Richard. They had to sneak into the club because they were underage. And then they hopped a freight train back home, in the wee small hours, and never got caught. My dad said that Little Richard was incredible. The club was packed. And Little Richard was totally flying, totally fucked up, and at one point he even threw up on his piano keys but kept right on playing!!)

Okay!!

Little Richard, “Good Golly Miss Molly”, 1958. Enjoy, gang!!

“Good Golly Miss Molly”

Good Golly Miss Molly, sure like to ball.
Good golly, Miss Molly, sure like to ball.
When you’re rockin’ and a rollin’ can’t hear your momma call.

From the early early mornin’ till the early early night
You can see Miss Molly rockin’ at the house of blue lights.
Good golly, Miss Molly, sure like to ball.
When you’re rockin’ and a rollin’ can’t hear your momma call.

Well, now momma, poppa told me: “Son, you better watch your step.”
If I about Miss Molly, have to watch my dad myself.

Good golly, Miss Molly, so like to ball.
When you’re rockin’ and a rollin’ can’t hear your momma call.

Good Golly Miss Molly, so like to ball.
Good golly, Miss Molly, sure like to ball.
When you’re rockin’ and a rollin’ can’t hear your momma call.

I am going to the corner, gonna buy a diamond ring.
Would you pardon me a clip if it’s a ting a-ling a-ling
Good golly, Miss Molly, sure like a ball.
When you’re rockin’ and a rollin’ can’t hear your momma call.

Good golly, Miss Molly, sure like a ball.
Good golly, Miss Molly, sure like a ball.
When you’re rockin’ and a rollin’ can’t hear your momma call.

c – 1958 – John Marascalco, R. Blackwell

“I’ve heard that thing about a day making a difference and all, but this is like night & day…”

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Wow, gang!!

I slept great. My wee bonny peepers didn’t pop open until 5:28 AM!! The sun was coming up! It felt incredible, knowing I didn’t need to spring out of bed; didn’t need to go anywhere or do anything today unless I wanted to…

And it turns out — I want to!!

Me and Wendy and Kara are meeting up in Granville, later, to either have a late lunch or an early dinner and I am so excited!!

Downtown Granville

Not only because I get to hang out with them (yay!!), but also the weather is going to be fantastic!! Sunny. Upper-70s Fahrenheit. Which means I get to wear one of my new sun dresses. And sandals. So I’m finally going to paint my toenails!!

I usually keep them painted from May through September, but it’s been so cold and rainy this Spring, that I haven’t bothered. Until today… Yay!

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Okay.

A Happy Heavenly Birthday to Charlie Watts!!

I know people really like Steve Jordan, and I know Keith loves playing with him a lot. I have nothing against Steve Jordan, but for me, it’s just not the Stones sound without Charlie.

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Another happy thing about today, gang — I’m gonna go outside for a bit and pull some weeds, and then get the pots and stands and flowerboxes out of the barn and ready for when I buy the flowers and put them all out on the porches.

One step closer, gang! It makes my heart sing.

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Oh, and speaking of making my heart sing…

The other day, when I was in Rural King, there was a guy working the register that I’d never seen before, but it was clear he’d worked there a long time, just not on the register.

I was going to his lane but the customer in front of me had a lot of items, so I moved to the next lane, instead. But his lane freed up right away, so he actually called me back over.

“Come on, ” he said, waving. “I’m free.”

You don’t usually see that kind of enthusiasm in a checkout lane, least of all from a guy. So I went right over.

Let me say here that I am absolutely 100% old enough to be his grandmother… but, wow, was this guy totally my type.

The kind of long-haired, tall, dark, skinny guy that you can tell is nothing but trouble when he’s not on the clock. The kind of guy who would have driven a race car way too fast back in the old days. While smoking. You know, a wild thing.

And when he asked me what my “rewards” number was, and I told it to him, he stared right at me, while entering the numbers into the register — he never had to look down at the keyboard once and he got it completely right. “Marilyn?” he said. And then he sort of flirted with me … but not too much.

And , yes, my heart sang!

Shit! I couldn’t believe God still made guys like him!!! Wow. What a great day at the Rural King.

[Tom Petty & the Heart breakers, “Wild Thing ( You Make My Heart Sing)”, 1982]

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Nick Cave sent out a really beautiful Red Hand File this morning, affirming the value of having children, regardless of the state of the world at any given time. In part, he said:

“...I think that if we are to attribute any value to the future of the world and invest in its continuance, we must keep on populating it. Children are indicators of our faith in the world itself, they are emissaries of optimism, charging into the future with their pockets full of hope…“

You can read it in full here.

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And what finally happens one week from tomorrow???

That’s right!! A mandatory meeting at the Agency to get new uniforms NO!!! Nick Cave’s Solo Tour of Europe (with bass player) begins!! It is mostly sold out, but buy those few remaining tickets here!

And here’s another one from my desktop stash of fave photos of Nick Cave!!

And I think that’s going to be it for now.

I turned in all the revisions to Peitor yesterday afternoon and until I hear back from him, I get to sit here and work on my novel!! Yay!!

Honestly, such a great day around here. So different from yesterday.

Enjoy your Monday, wherever you are in the world.

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

***************

Okay!!!

Our new Daily Feature continues!

Gifts Keith Richards gave me when I was a wee bonny girl!!

Wherein I regale you with “songs Keith loved, that he would talk about in an interview in some magazine, and then I’d go out and try to find the record and then buy it with my babysitting money, and then I’d listen to it alone in my intense little room, playing it on the portable record player that my dad bought me, and the song would change my life. “

Today’s selection!! 

Howlin’ Wolf, “Little Red Rooster”, 1962. Enjoy, gang!!

“Little Red Rooster”

I have a little red rooster
Too lazy to crow for day
I have a little red rooster
Too lazy to crow for day
Keep everything in the barnyard
Upset in every way

Oh the dogs begin to bark
And the hound begin to howl
Oh the dogs begin to bark
Hound begin to howl
Ooh watch out strange kind people
Cause little red rooster is on the prowl

If you see my little red rooster
Please drag him home
If you see my little red rooster
Please drag him home
There ain’t no peace in the barnyard
Since the little red rooster been gone

I have a little red rooster
Too lazy to crow for day
I have a little red rooster
Too lazy to crow for day
Keep everything in the barnyard
Upset in every way

c- 1961 – Willie Dixon

What Is It About June??

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Or perhaps I should ask, “What is it about September?”

Is it a particularly frisky month? Because I know more people who have birthdays in June than in any other month of the year.

Well, I don’t actually “know” all of these people — but still.

A very happy birthday today to Wayne Lewis!! A previous husband and a dear friend!

These photos are kind of how I still think of Wayne — in the kitchen! We were both really good cooks and had dinner parties all the time. He’s in the kitchen in our apartment on West End Avenue here, preparing for a Christmas dinner party, early 90s (photos by moi!):

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And a very happy 78th birthday to Ronnie Wood!!

Officially, the first song he played on with the Rolling Stones was in 1974, “It’s Only Rock & Roll (But I Like It)”. And his first live song with them was on May 1st, 1975, “Brown Sugar.”

But here’s one of my favorite Ronnie Wood songs — with Rod Stewart and The Faces. (I think I posted this song here on his birthday last year…)

It is so hard to believe that I was listening to this stuff back in 1973 (and earlier)… I was still just a girl. But I didn’t feel as young as I was. Anyway, back then, music was my life.

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Okay!

I am moving really slow here today. I think I’m actually depressed. I am just ridiculously overworked these days. And I can’t keep the house clean, and haven’t even planted my summer flowers yet that I put out on my various porches every year. And that alone really depresses me.

I feel like I don’t have time to stop and focus, or enjoy my own life because of all these caregiver jobs that take so much out of me. And this is, allegedly, only part-time!! Because I’m semi-retired!! Whatever the fuck that means. Anyway.

It won’t last forever, but for now, I need the work.

Peitor’s expecting me to send him over the revisions of Acts 1, 2 and 3 of Episode 2 of the TV project by noon, and I still have about 15 more pages to edit, so I better scoot.

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But first!

I think I should have an entire category called “My absolute favorite Nick Cave photo of all time” because I don’t think I can narrow it down to just one photo–

So here’s another “absolute favorite of all time”!

Okay, enjoy your Sunday, wherever you are in the world.

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

*************

Meanwhile…

Our new Daily Feature continues!

Gifts Keith Richards gave me when I was a wee bonny girl!!

Wherein I regale you with “songs Keith loved, that he would talk about in an interview in some magazine, and then I’d go out and try to find the record and then buy it with my babysitting money, and then I’d listen to it alone in my intense little room, playing it on the portable record player that my dad bought me, and the song would change my life. “

Today’s selection!! 

Jimmy Reed, “I Ain’t Got You”, 1960. Enjoy, gang!

“I Ain’t Got You”

I got a Eldorado Cadillac
Wit’s a spare tire on the back
I got the charge account at Goldblatt
But I ain’t got you

I got a tavern and a package store
Don’t matter where I go
You keep the ring in my nose
But I ain’t got you

I got a tavern an’a package store
I hit the numbers, four-forty four
I got a mojo and don’t you know?
I’m all dressed up, no place to go

I got a-women to the right of me
I got a-women to the left of me
I got a-womens all around me
But I ain’t got you

I got a-women on the right of me
I got a-women to the left of me
I got a-women all around me
But I ain’t got you
But I ain’t got you
But I ain’t got you
But I ain’t got you

c – 1960 – Calvin Carter

Home Again!!

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About 11 years ago, (3 houses ago), one of my feral kittens, Doris, accidentally got out of the house. She was “missing” for almost a week and it broke my heart.

I put signs up in the neighborhood. No one had seen her.

Doris, in this current house, back in 2020

I found a Facebook group back then that was all about cats. And they had the most accurate advice imaginable.

They said that since Doris was a house cat and had never been outdoors before in her life (she was born in my basement), she hadn’t gone far from the house. She was likely out hiding in the bushes, too scared to even move.

What my yard at that house looked like — she could of been hiding anywhere. I looked, but couldn’t find her:

They recommended I go outside at 4AM, with some food for her (tuna, so that she could easily smell it) and that she would come out of hiding.

For some reason, it had to be around 4AM. I think that was the time that most of the other critters (racoons, etc.) went back to their little nests.

Anyway. They were absolutely right. Doris had not gone far, even though she was gone for a week.

And at 4AM, when I brought out some tuna for her, she materialized from the bushes — absolutely starving and terrified and full of fleas.

So, long story short–

As much as I was freaking out yesterday about Saffie, one of the grown foster cats, getting out of the house and not coming back. And even though I looked for her everywhere, I knew she wouldn’t have gone far; she’d never been outside before. I knew she was nearby and scared and would not come out of hiding until dark.

So this morning, at 4AM, I got out of bed, brought a bowl of food for her, went around to the front of the house — and there she sat; on the ledge of my neighbor’s front porch. Scared, hungry, ready to come back home.

Saffie, a few minutes ago, back in her favorite spot in the linen closet:

What a relief.

I really can’t tell you how stressful it is around here with all these cats.

To think that there was once a time when I had 3, and it seemed like a lot. Most days, I just try not to think about it.

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Okay.

I’m at long last making progress revising the revisions of the revisions of the first 2 acts of Episode 2 for the TV series. I should be caught up by tomorrow. Then, only about 30-ish more new pages will be needed to complete the episode.

So we’re almost there. Two episodes will be complete, and we can focus on the pitch deck — but to be honest, gang, we have gotten such an incredible reaction from producers so far (in Europe) without anything close to a pitch deck yet. (We do have tons of backstory and 3-season character and story arcs, though. We have mounds of material, just not a pitch deck. Yet.)

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And yesterday, I spoke very quickly with Sandra while on my shift, and was then able to formally put in for time-off in July to go to NYC to begin pre-production of the staged reading of “The Guide to Being Fabulous”!!

That felt incredible, gang. One step closer to it being real. Wow.

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And here’s this!! In honor of the 50th anniversary of Ronnie Wood joining the Rolling Stones–

The Folio Collection, by Ronnie Wood, is now available for sale! A limited printing of 200. I cannot even fathom what the price is on this (my guess is that it’s already sold out) (40 seconds):

Back in the early 80s, when Ronnie was making a lot of solo albums, I bought a signed lithograph — a limited printing, based on art from one of his album covers.

Obviously, if I was able to buy it in the 1980s, it was not outrageously expensive.

I loved that print but I have no clue what happened to it. The last time I recall seeing it was around 2015. I can’t imagine what it would be worth these days.

It was from this era — 1981:

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Anyway.

I’m out of time here so I gotta scoot!

Enjoy your Saturday, wherever you are in the world!! (I know I will, because by midafternoon, 7 shifts will be behind me!! What a week…)

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys.

See ya!

*************

Okay!

Our new Daily Feature continues!

Gifts Keith Richards gave me when I was a wee bonny girl!!

Wherein I regale you with “songs Keith loved, that he would talk about in an interview in some magazine, and then I’d go out and try to find the record and then buy it with my babysitting money, and then I’d listen to it alone in my intense little room, playing it on the portable record player that my dad bought me, and the song would change my life. “

Today’s selection!! Even though I obviously knew who Elvis was by then, a lot of his early songs were brand new to me.

Elvis Presley, “Heartbreak Hotel”, 1956. Enjoy, gang!!

“Heartbreak Hotel”

Well, since my baby left me
Well, I found a new place to dwell
Well, it’s down at the end of Lonely Street
At Heartbreak Hotel

Where I’ll be, I’ll be so lonely baby
Well, I’m so lonely
I’ll be so lonely, I could die

Although it’s always crowded
You still can find some room
For broken-hearted lovers
To cry there in their gloom

They’ll be so, they’ll be so lonely baby
They get so lonely
They’re so lonely, they could die

Now, the bell hop’s tears keep flowin’
And the desk clerk’s dressed in black
Well, they’ve been so long on Lonely Street
They’ll never, never look back

And they get so, they get so lonely baby
Well they are so lonely
They’re so lonely, they could die

Well, now, if your baby leaves you
And you got a tale to tell
Well, just take a walk down Lonely Street
To Heartbreak Hotel

Where you will be, you will be so lonely baby
Well you will be lonely
You’ll be so lonely, you could die

Although it’s always crowded
But you still can find some room
For broken-hearted lovers to cry there in their gloom

Where they get so, they get so lonely baby
Well they’re so lonely
They’ll be so lonely, they could die

c – 1956 – Elvis Presley, Mae Boren Axton, Tommy Durden