Tag Archives: Nick Cave

“Oh what a beautiful day!”

August 2, 2025 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

Really kind of unbelievable, how beautiful the morning is around here. (Oh, and if you’re curious, and if you know the lyrics to the song “Oh What a Beautiful Morning” — the corn is indeed as high as an elephant’s eye here in Crazeysburg!) (Our town is pretty much surrounded by cornfields.)

Okay.

A beautiful day.

And I have the whole day off — and Sandra still hasn’t sent me the files I need to get back to work on the play. That’s frustrating, of course, but also — it means I don’t have anything else that I actually have to DO!!

Yay!

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On a sadder note–

The legendary accordionist, Flaco Jiménez, has passed away. He played with many, many Country and Tejano musicians over the decades and had his own solo career, too, but I will always remember him best as part of the equally legendary Texas Tornados!

Wow, what a great band they were!! Wayne and I saw them play live in a small club in NYC, over 30 years ago. What a great memory. And then we played their CDs in the car constantly, on our road trip across the country on our honeymoon.

Here’s one of my favorite songs of theirs that heavily features Flaco– “Is Anybody Goin’ to San Antone?” 1991. RIP, Flaco.

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On a similar note–

On this day in 1997, one of my all-time favorite writers and inspirations also passed away.

Realizing that this morning, caused me to sort of drop everything and dig out all his old paperbacks that have followed me through every apartment and every house for the last 40 years.

So here’s this! I bought this paperback (new) in NYC, back in 1983! I remember reading this on the subway, and in my hellhole apartment on E. 12th Street, like it was yesterday:

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Okay.

I loved this! From Charlie Ward’s newsletter this morning:

“A groundbreaking new study has revealed that the human brain emits a faint glow—known as ultra-weak photon emission (UPE)—that may be closely tied to our mental state, and possibly even to deeper bioenergetic phenomena like vibration and frequency.

Researchers from Algoma University and Tufts University placed participants in total darkness and used photon detectors and EEG to measure the brain’s natural light. The occipital region, responsible for vision, glowed most during eyes-closed states, with photon activity fluctuating in tandem with neural rhythms, particularly in low-frequency brain waves.

Though invisible to the eye, these light emissions suggest the brain is radiating energy that could reflect its internal processes. This energy pulse—waxing and waning at sub-hertz frequencies—has drawn attention for its possible links to vibrational medicine, frequency-based healing, and even auras, which some traditions describe as subtle light fields around living beings….”

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Another great video from James Tabor–

“…the thousands of followers of Jesus who fled across the Jordan from Jerusalem, just north of the Dead Sea, in the year 66 CE, to escape into the Decapolis area south of Pella. James the Just, eldest surviving brother of Jesus had been brutally murdered in 63 CE by Annas, son of Annas, of the Mafia High Priesthood that also had instigated the murder of Jesus. Simon his brother took over the leadership of the movement. This flight is mentioned in Mark 13:14-20 and Revelation 12:13-17, and reported by Eusebius, Church History Ecclesiastical History (Book 3. 5.3) and Epiphanius, Panarion (29.7.7–8 and 30.2.7). They settled in the general region of Beroea near Coele-Syria and in the Decapolis near Pella, and remained there into the 2nd and 3rd centuries, and scattered south as far as Arabia over the next few centuries. Remnants of the group, including Simon and other Desposuynai, or members of the extended Jesus family, returned to Jerusalem around 73 CE and rebuilt the “Synagogue of the Apostles” on Mt Zion, as Bargil Pixner has documented….”

The Ebionites: Heretics or Original Followers of Jesus? (18 mins):

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And–

As we continue to wait for the return of Nick Cave and Colin Greenwood’s Solo Tour in Norway in 4 days!!

Here’s this!

Nick Cave, waiting for something in bed, about 30 years ago…

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On the Home Improvement front–

All the quotes are in from the various contractors, and now all I need to do is print everything out and then mail it to my local USDA RD office , and then wait and see!!

These specific loans are incredible, gang, because they are only available to people over age 62, with low incomes, who live in certain rural areas. The interest rates on the 20-year loans are close to zero.

My currently 126-year-old home, about 6 years ago, when my beloved maple tree still existed:

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Okay.

Yes! On the eHarmony front!

It seems like we have our first “song”! (As in “they’re playing our song”!!)

We both realized the song completely captures what’s going on with us and it left us both a little dumbfounded.

“Hello Sunshine”. 2019, Bruce Springsteen. We have both been playing it like crazy since yesterday:

“Hello Sunshine”

Had enough of heartbreak and pain
I had a little sweet spot for the rain
For the rain and skies of grey
Hello sunshine, won’t you stay?

You know I always liked my walking shoes
But you can get a little too fond of the blues
You walk too far, you walk away
Hello sunshine, won’t you stay?

You know I always loved a lonely town
Those empty streets, no one around
You fall in love with lonely, you end up that way
Hello sunshine, won’t you stay?

You know I always liked that empty road
No place to be and miles to go
But miles to go is miles away
Hello sunshine, won’t you stay?

And miles to go is miles away
Hello sunshine, won’t you stay?
Hello sunshine, won’t you stay?
Hello sunshine

c – 2019 Bruce Springsteen

And — YES! — I have permission to post this!!!

I mentioned the “Desperado” tattoo early on, and here it is (and, yes, you can’t really see him too well, but that’s him):

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And I’m thinking that’s probably it for now.

I’m going to work on the novel until I hear from Sandra.

Enjoy your Saturday, wherever you are in the world!

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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I leave you with another great one from Flaco Jiménez and the Texas Tornados!!

“Who Were You Thinkin’ Of?”, 1990. Really fun! Enjoy, gang!

“Who Were You Thinkin’ Of?”

Who were you thinkin’ of
When we were makin’ love
Last night?
Was it a good-lookin’ stranger
Or a close friend of mine?

You didn’t wanna quit
When we was into it
Last night
Who were you thinkin’ of
When we were lovin’ last night?

Who were you thinkin’ of
When I was makin’ love
To you?
There was a smile on your face
I ain’t seen in some time

You got more out of it
Than I put into it
Last night
Who were you thinkin’ of
When we were lovin’ last night?

Who were you thinkin’ of
When we were makin’ love
Last night?
There was a smile on your face
I ain’t seen in some time

You didn’t wanna quit
When we was into it
Last night
Who were you thinkin’ of
When we were lovin’ last night?

Who were you thinkin’ of
When we were makin’ love
Last night?
Was it a good-lookin’ stranger
Or a close friend of mine?

You didn’t wanna quit
When we was into it
Last night
Who were you thinkin’ of
When we were lovin’ last night?
Who were you thinkin’ of
When we were lovin’ last night?

c – 1990 C. Pelletier, J. Glaser, P. Gauvin

A great day in the Hinterlands!

August 1, 2025 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

Can you say “58 degrees Fahrenheit”??!!

Wow, gang. What a great night’s sleep I had here. No AC. Not even any fans. I even had to close some of the windows because it got chilly! Yay!

And this morning — the sun is shining and it will only be a high of 78 degrees. And it’s supposed to stay this way for the next few days.

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I have a weird schedule this weekend. A double shift today and a double shift on Sunday, but I have all of Saturday OFF. And I will spend that working on updates to our play, “The Guide to Being Fabulous”!!

And the sooner I can get the updates on the play finished and sent back over to Sandra, the sooner I get to have another date with my eHarmony guy! Yay!

I’m not sure when I’m going to stop calling him my eHarmony guy and give him a name. I guess we’ll find out. But for now, gang…

Wow, yesterday was perfect. Even though the minute I arrived at Tequilaville, the sky let loose with a torrential downpour. And for some mysterious reason, every single parking spot in front of the restaurant was already taken — even though it was only noon. It usually doesn’t get busy there until later.

So, yes, I had to park in the side parking lot. And yes, I was wearing a sundress and flipflops, but I also had a little denim jacket on and I had an umbrella, so my feet got really wet, but that was the worst of it.

And my friend was already there, waiting for me, staying dry under the roof overhang. And he had brought me a FLOWER!!! Picked from his property.

Loyal readers of this lofty blog no doubt recall how much I love flowers. So, that right there — greeting me with a flower when he doesn’t even know yet how much I love flowers — made me so happy.

We really had the best time. We were at the restaurant for 2 hours. And then, since it was raining and we couldn’t go to the park, we went to the local mall instead, and sat inside and talked for another hour and a half — and then walked around inside the mall a little bit, holding hands.

Is that too cool???

And everyone was sort of smiling at us — you know: Look at those cute old people. But, honestly — emotionally –it was truly like we were teenagers again. (And teenagers from the 1970s, no less!) It was just so perfect.

And then he had errands to run in town. And I had errands to run in town. So we said our farewells (and kissed (!!) goodbye in the parking lot).

And, YES! We spent last evening talking for 3 more hours on the phone!

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Okay. Before I forget —

From the Copyright Alliance today:

“On July 21, Copyright Alliance CEO Keith Kupferschmid had an opinion piece published in DC Journal, titled A “Win-Win-Win” Path for A I, as part of our AI and Copyright campaign. In the piece, Kupferschmid dispels a number of false narratives that are being perpetuated by tech fear mongers, including the notion that AI will only win if IP and copyright protections no longer exist…”

“”The United States has a long and storied tradition of strong protections for intellectual property. These protections have led the United States to dominate the world in technological and cultural progress … AI developers insist that licensing is impossible given the enormous volume of copyright works they seek to use, but that claim doesn’t hold up to scrutiny. Most of the big AI companies already license a vast volume of creative works for their consumers, and digital markets for music, books, films, and television programming are robust and mature … Contrary to claims that these AI training deals are impossible to make at scale, a robust free market is already emerging in which hundreds (if not thousands) of licensed deals between AI companies and copyright owners have been reached…”

[full article here]

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Also!

Here’s Freddie this morning! The kittens are now 4 months old.

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Okay.

There’s still another week before Nick Cave and Colin Greenwood resume the Solo Tour of Europe, so here’s THIS while we wait!!

Nick Cave, waiting for something, 30 years ago…

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Oh, and here’s this!!

George Harrison in London in 1970!

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All righty!!

The Summer Sale over at Smashwords is officially over now, and I want to say thank you, again, to all of you who downloaded my eBooks that are published over there.

Also, just a head’s up– the cost of printing paperback and hardcover books over at LULU.com has increased, so the prices of all of my print titles published at LULU.com have officially gone up today. Sorry about that, gang!

Prices of eBooks remain the same, though.

[Also, please remember that if you search for any of my books at either site, you have to click that you want to be shown explicit content, otherwise some of the books won’t come up.]

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And I’m thinking that’s it for now, gang.

Have a fantastic Friday, wherever you are in the world!

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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Okay! Here’s this!!

I’ve posted it before, but here it is again! (Yes, okay, it’s for my new friend. Rumor has it that he sort of likes this song…)

From the fabulous 1970s! Neil Young’s classic, “Heart of Gold”, 1972.

Enjoy, gang.

“Heart Of Gold”

I want to live
I want to give
I’ve been a miner for a heart of gold
It’s these expressions
I never give
That keep me searching for a heart of gold

And I’m getting old
Keep me searching for a heart of gold
And I’m getting old

I’ve been to Hollywood
I’ve been to Redwood
I crossed the ocean for a heart of gold
I’ve been in my mind
It’s such a fine line
That keeps me searching for a heart of gold

And I’m getting old
Keeps me searching for a heart of gold
And I’m getting old

Keep me searching for a heart of gold
You keep me searching and I’m growing old
Keep me searching for a heart of gold
I’ve been a miner for a heart of gold

c- 1972 Neil Young

Okay! Back at it!

July 30, 2025 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

I tell you, gang, 2 days off in a row and I feel like I never want to work again….

To think that for something like 15 years, all I had to do each day was sit at my desk and write. I miss those days. Those heady deadlines.

However.

Back at it!

My favorite nearly-95-year-old Japanese client and I will be heading out for sushi and sashimi today. And I’m sure we will have great conversations. Laugh a lot. Revisit his amazing past a lot. And have a pretty great day. So, once again, I can’t really complain!

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Then I’ll head home, have my dinner while watching wonderfully silly reruns of” Frazier”, take my shower, head into the air-conditioned bedroom — and probably talk all evening on the phone with the eHarmony guy!

We chatted for 3 1/2 hours last night!

And it’s not like we ever have a moment of awkward silence or anything. We just talk on and on and on, and it’s been like that since the very first time we talked on the phone!

So here’s hoping, gang.

Tomorrow of course is the big day — we meet in person. We’ll have lunch at the glamorous Tequilaville. And if lunch goes well, we plan to take a walk in the park. Weather permitting.

I know I’m not allowed to write about him, but I’m guessing it’s okay to say that, even while he and I have had completely different types of lives, when we were both teenagers (we’re practically the same age), we lived in Columbus. So we have so many cultural memories in common from back then. And that feels so cool. I am so accustomed to being around people that I literally have nothing in common with from the past.

Okay. So I better stop right there before I start “writing about him”!!

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Wow, okay!

So yesterday — the Nick Cave and the AI thing was all over Instagram. And almost everyone was just as opinionated as I was, for the most part.

But what I forgot to say in my post yesterday — even though I linked to the Red Hand Files, I didn’t mention that Nick Cave’s post was about having a different perspective now — regarding AI images, at least — after seeing what his friend had done with the “Tupelo” AI video. (You can read it in full here.)

A few people on Instagram were actually really nasty about Nick changing his mind about (perspective on) AI. There are always those few who, no matter what topic Nick is writing about — they just go for his throat.

At that point, I always click the handy “unfollow” button!! (I am so totally NOT impartial when it comes to Nick Cave…)

Anyway!

This was really cool! The original lyrics to “Tupelo”, posted yesterday by RossAWaterman:

And here’s another photo from Arles, when Nick received his literary medal:

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And on a totally different topic!

I’m still awaiting one final quote regarding the home improvement loan, but I got the carpenter’s quote last night and, if for any reason, I can’t get the loan until next year, his quote was actually affordable so I might pay for it out of my own pocket — fixing the very ancient and very-giving-way-now basement stairs. In an effort to avoid THIS some day soon (wouldn’t be my best look, even if I were wearing a sundress!):

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Okay.

Just a reminder that tomorrow is the final day of the Smashwords Summer Sale.

You can download 4 of my older eBooks for free. The details & links are on my substack page HERE. (Adults ONLY.)

And another huge thank you to all of you who have already downloaded them!!

And don’t forget that since my books and eBooks are no longer in one handy place on the internet, you can always visit MarilynsRoomBooks. The prices might not be up-to-date all the time, but the links are.

And don’t forget!! If you need a deck of playing cards, my “1954 Powder Blue Pickup ” cards are really, really cool!!! Yay.

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All righty!

That’s it for now. I have time for one more cup of coffee before I gotta scoot.

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

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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Am I allowed to post this?? Hmmm….

“Someone” sent this video to me yesterday and, wow, I just LOVED it!!

Enjoy, gang.

Happy Days, All Around!

July 27, 2025 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

Okay, lots of cool stuff today!!

I’ll start with this:

Alice Cooper participated in a tribute concert for Ozzy Osborne in London on Friday, and Johnny Depp made a surprise appearance! (They are both, of course, bandmates in the Hollywood Vampires).

From Johnny’s Instagram page:

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And after I posted to the blog yesterday, Keith Richards posted a Happy Birthday post for Mick’s birthday on Instagram. Here are some of the photos!!

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And in AWESOME news!

I saw this while I was with my favorite 94-year-old Japanese client yesterday and wanted to post it right away!! But I’m not allowed to fool around on my phone when I’m with a client…

Anyway!

Awesome news.

Yesterday, in Arles, France, Nick Cave was awarded the Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres — for his significant contributions to the arts and literature of France!!! (I think that’s what it’s called — I had to piece that together from several different Nick Cave fan accounts on Instagram.)

From Susie Cave’s Instagram account yesterday:

So how beautiful is that, gang?? He seems to be having a TERRIFIC summer!

And from the sold out Arles concert last night — not many photos to choose from, but the outdoor venue looks like it was really cool.

The Solo Tour will continue in early August, for 3 nights in Bergen, Norway, but they are sold out.

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Okay!

In the eHarmony department….

Truly sad news for you guys!! But he and I chatted on the phone again last night and he told me — in no uncertain, no vague or hard-to-understand way — that he doesn’t want me writing about him. He really values his privacy.

I think I said something like: “Oh nooooooo!!!”

So there you have it!!

But, wow, gang. At least on the phone, he and I get along spectacularly! And it’s looking like we are going to try to meet in person later this coming week.

But OMG. even while we have had entirely different lives, our personalities are so similar.

And he actually listens to me when I’m talking to him. And he also makes me laugh.

AND–

He also makes me CRY. In the best way!!

This video was waiting for me on my phone this morning. He could not have picked 2 more perfect singers. I adore them both — and they are also both connected to my birth dad, in the best way.

When I watched this video in my bed, first thing, my little heart beamed with JOY and I started to cry.

Merle Haggard and Marty Robbins – Today I Started Loving You Again (1969) (5 mins):

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And if you will forgive me for perhaps jumping the gun a little — but I can’t help it…

The chorus to THIS wonderful song from 1987 keeps popping up in my head here this morning, REALLY LOUDLY (play it loud and sing along to the chorus, gang!!):

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And I think that’s it for now.

I have a few hours here before I have to head out to see the retired Minister and his wife. So I want to get some writing done.

Tomorrow, the carpenter comes to give me an estimate for replacing the 126-year-old basement stairs… and then I think I’m working with Sandra on the play. We shall see.

Have a blessed Sunday, wherever you are in the world!

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!!

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James Tabor is starting a new series — one that is really, really close to my heart– how any mention of Jesus’ family rather quickly gets removed from the New Testament in the various gospels.

The Fading of the Jesus Family–Phase One (17 mins):

What a Glorious Day!

July 22, 2025 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

Yes! It is my birthday today!

Officially on Medicare — the big 6-5!

And, of course, tomorrow would have been my dad’s birthday. There were tons of photos of us sharing our birthdays together as I was growing up, but for some reason, this is the only photo that remains.

I’ve posted it here before, but here it is again! In our first house in Cleveland. I’m 2. My dad is 32. Summer of 1962.

And later today, I’m heading into town to meet up with my favorite Q-following girlfriend and we’ll be going out to dinner. I can’t wait.

It is another STUNNING day! And it was only 59 degrees Fahrenheit when I woke up this morning!

Wow, gang. Usually, on my birthday, it is ungodly HOT. But I guess God had other ideas this year. I’m so happy.

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Well, the plumber was not able to get here yesterday so he’s supposed to get over here before I have to leave for town. We shall see! But the HVAC guy came and his quote was indescribably reasonable. I kinda couldn’t believe it!! I am so hoping that I can get all this paperwork turned in before the USDA RD runs out of funds for the season.

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Okay!

So. On the eHarmony front —

The guy I mentioned briefly the other day — the one who sounded interesting and who only lived about 10 minutes from here?

Wow. He wrote again yesterday. And we texted on the site for quite awhile — even while I was out taking a walk in yesterday’s gorgeous weather. I’m sure I looked like one of those people I always feel sorry for — they can’t just enjoy a nice walk, they keep stopping to text someone on their cellphone…

Anyway. Yes, well, that was me! And then eventually, we moved the texting off of the site and onto our own phone numbers. And we texted on into the evening.

He is so cool!! About a year older than me. With a lone “Desperado” tattoo that was also quite cool (even though I’m not a fan of tattoos. It was totally old school. I loved it!)

Well, I don’t want to violate his privacy so I won’t say more. But I hope we meet! And I will add this!!

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And speaking of Desperados!!

Here’s this– more cool photos of Keith in aviator shades!! Late 1960s.

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In case you didn’t see this yet —

More documents on Martin Luther King’s assassination are going online at DNI.gov. You can read all of it HERE.

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And here’s this!

The swimming pool and jacuzzi this morning at Wayne’s hotel in Siem Reap, Cambodia!

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And my friend Roger in the Netherlands sent me this article from The Guardian last night!

Nick Cave fans swarm charity bookshop in UK after musician donates thousands of books

“Nick Cave fans have descended on a charity bookshop in Hove, in southern England, after the musician donated 2,000 books from his personal collection….” [full article here]

(So, what is up with Nick Cave??? First, that amazingly HAPPY guy in Lucca, Italy? Then he unloads thousands of his books??? Hmmm….)

Meanwhile–

In Rome, yesterday, at the sold out show!

Nick Cave and Colin Greenwood continue to move people beyond belief.

I wish I could embed some of the videos I saw on Instagram from the end of the show. So many people got onstage with them!!

They return to Rome tonight, but is is also sold out.

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And I’m thinking that’s it for now.

So far, no word from Best Buy regarding my window AC unit. But since it’s right by the restaurant where we’re having dinner later, I’m going to stop in the store anyway.

Another heatwave is coming this week…

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Okay!!

Enjoy my birthday, wherever you are in the world!!

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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I leave you with this!

Hank Snow’s classic, “The Golden Rocket”, 1950. Enjoy, gang.

“The Golden Rocket”

From old Montana down to Alabam’
I’ve been before and I’ll travel again
You triflin’ women can’t keep a good man down
You dealt the cards but you missed a play
So hit the road and be on your way
Gonna board the Golden Rocket and leave this town

I was a good engine a runnin’ on time
But baby I’m switchin’ to another line
So honey never hang your signal out for me
I’m tired of runnin’ on the same old track
Bought a one way ticket and I won’t be back
This Golden Rocket’s gonna roll my blues away

Hear that lonesome whistle blow
That’s your cue and by now you know
That I got another true love waitin’ in Tennessee
That midnight special is burnin’ the rail
So woman don’t try to follow my tail
This Golden Rocket’s gonna roll my blues away

Hear her thunder run through the night
That Golden Rocket is doin’ me right
And that sunny old southland sure is a part of me
Now from your call board erase my name
Your fire went out you done lost your flame
And this Golden Rocket is rollin’ my blues away

That old conductor he seemed to know
You done me wrong I was feelin’ low
For he yelled aloud we’re over that Dixon Line
The brakeman started singin’ a song
Said you’re worried now but it won’t be long
This Golden Rocket is leavin’ your blues behind

Then the porter yelled with his southern drawl
Let’s rise and shine good mornin’ y’all
And I sprang to my feet to greet the new born day
When I kissed my baby at the station door
The whistle blew like never before
On the Golden Rocket that rolled my blues away

c – 1950 Hank Snow

An Actual Breeze!!

July 18, 2025 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

I know. My life seems to revolve around the weather these days, but this is just awesome. An actual breeze is filling my bedroom! There isn’t a single fan on in the entire house right now.

It’s only 69 degrees Fahrenheit out there, and only expected to go as high as 77 today!! Yay!!! With light rain all day!!

And it’s supposed to stay pretty cool until later next week. (Including on my birthday, when I should be out galivanting in town with my Q-following friend!)

And all these cooler temperatures, just in time for me to have that new AC unit and then not use it, but I don’t mind. I feel like a human being again.

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I don’t really have a whole lot to post about today.

Yesterday, I got nothing done on the novel. I chatted for a while with Valerie. But mostly, I made whatever phone calls I could to try to find contractors to bid on the work I need done to the house, for my home improvement loan application.

It’s coming together, gang. It would be so nice if this all works out. I just need to “nail down” a carpenter (!!) and I should be ready to send in all my paperwork.

And today I’m getting a new iPhone!!

I hate upgrading phones. I always put it off as long as I can, but now some of my apps are telling me that really, really, really SOON, the app won’t work on my system anymore. So I gave in.

I have an 8+ and will be getting a 16e. But the cool thing — I lowered my monthly data usage plan and the monthly charge for the new iPhone will end up costing me exactly the same as what I’ve been paying every month with the higher data plan.

So, if you look at it my way — I’m getting an upgrade for “free”!! Yay!!

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On other happy fronts —

Wow, I don’t know what it is about Lucca, Italy, gang, but Nick Cave looked SO HAPPY yesterday!! He’s not, generally, the kind of guy who goes around looking “happy.”

Here are a few shots from the show yesterday:

Maybe he’s really happy because today is the day that the Grinderman re-issues are officially released??? Hmmm. Not sure.

Regardless. It is so cool to see him so happy!!

Over the next several days, he and Colin Greenwood continue to play shows in Italy, but all of them are sold out.

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Okay. Today I go back to see my favorite 94-year-old Japanese client, and we will be going here for our usual sushi/sashimi lunch!!

And next week, if the weather is as beautiful as they are predicting, we will go back to that incredible clubhouse at the golf course that has that incredible view!!!

Oh, and here’s something I forgot to mention — about that other favorite client of mine, the woman who is back from Florida now; the retired Chaplain who has all those Theology Degrees from Yale.

It turns out that when all her lady freinds were still alive (she has outlived all of them, heavy sigh), they used to meet for lunch at the same clubhouse at the golf course!! It was their favorite restaurant!

AND…

When I was talking to her about going to NYC to rehearse the play, and I mentioned to her that Sandra lives in Rhinebeck…

It turns out she LOVES Rhinebeck! Not only does she love Rhinebeck, but at one point in her life, she was planning to move there but something else came up!

So weird. I mean, that’s exactly like me. I love it there and I was, indeed, planning to move there and something else came up.

What are the odds, gang? I don’t know a soul out here who has ever even heard of Rhinebeck, let alone been there and fallen in love with it.

Anyway.

Okay!

I gotta scoot.

Have a terrific Friday, wherever you are in the world.

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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Grinderman – “Palaces Of Montezuma” (RAK Sessions), 2011, Enjoy, gang!

A Perfect Morning, All Things Considered

July 14, 2025 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

I slept TOTALLY alone in the guest room last night, the windows open, the door closed, a couple of fans going.

Complete peace.

No cats or kittens disturbing me. At all.

And I slept for 8 beautiful hours.

AND…

This morning — a really gentle, wonderful RAIN. For several hours, already. It’s 72 degrees Fahrenheit right now, and only expected to reach 82 today. Yay.

AND….

I have the next 2 days off (as of right now, anyway). So I get to sit at my desk and work on all the various nips & tucks we made to the play last week in NYC.

So it’s a perfect day.

Of course, losing Little Blackie so unexpectedly yesterday hangs over us, but oddly enough — I think she was here with her kittens this morning because they suddenly reached a turning point in their independence.

Even little Billie Jo! The kitten who’s missing her 2 back feet.

This morning, I went into the family room to set the food bowls down for my own cats — meaning the dwindling colony of rescued ferals who’ve been with me now for 13 years — and who did I spy in the family room???

YES.

ALL 4 of the kittens had finally come down the stairs and were leaping about, darting happily around the room.

I could not believe that even Billie Jo had made it down the stairs, all by herself. All 4 of them raced all over, exploring everything, and even had their own breakfasts downstairs in the family room, too.

The other cats were not thrilled with this development, but I am so glad this has happened. It means that, little by little, my room will be my own again and I will be able to do things like yoga, without having kittens all over me. Yay!!!

So this is a great day for all of us, and I can’t help but feel convinced that Little Blackie’s spirit was part of this sudden shift today.

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

Even though, yesterday, I was just a bag of frayed nerves and raw emotions, I still had to work my shift. But it went really well.

I was with the retired Minister and his wife again — I hadn’t been there in 2 weeks and it seemed like he has continued to make such great progress. He was alert, focused, and in such good spirits the whole evening.

With this particular client there’s nothing I really need to do except chat with him and provide companionship, because the wife does all the “caregiving” work. (It’s complicated medical stuff that I’m not legally allowed to do.)

So I sat there in their air-conditioned family room and chatted with them, and then watched the entire NASCAR Sonoma race. And then left.

And I got paid for that. Not only paid, but it was Sunday, so I also get paid the “Sunday” amount, which is higher than the weekday pay.

So I can’t really complain, even though, emotionally, witnessing the whole aging thing is still a lot for me to process. On top of feeling all that grief over Little Blackie, yesterday, that I couldn’t talk about.

It was still okay. But I am really, really rejoicing in this rainy Monday morning, day-off thing here today.

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I forgot to mention this, regarding my trip to NYC….

Remember those sundresses??? Wow, were they a big hit. So many compliments.

And just in general, I have to say that everyone — especially the men, regardless of age, ethnicity or religion — treated me so nice on that trip. I especially loved the men, holding doors open for me, saying hello, smiling.

This was everywhere I went. NO ONE AT ALL treated me like I was their grandmother!! Yay!! (Yes, I’m old enough to be a grandmother and yes, most of my friends from high school are grandmothers now, several times over, but I’M NOT ONE!!!!!)

Anyway.

So different from how things are around here in the Hinterlands. People are really friendly around here, but everyone basically regards me as “old”. So it was a really incredible change of pace.

I have to add that this dress, in particular, was probably the best thing I’ve purchased all year!! This dress, in real life, is just incredibly pretty. And it’s like wearing a flowing piece of air!

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On a more somber note–

Today marks ten years since Nick Cave’s son Arthur died. His Red Hand File today was devoted to his thoughts and feelings about that.

For some reason, it has not been posted on the web site yet, so I can’t link to it. But I can quote the email —

“These days, I am neither distrustful nor suspicious of the world, even though my heart breaks for it, and I am not despairing, depressed or embittered. Indeed, I see heartbreak as the most proportional response to the state of the world – to say I love you is to say my heart breaks for you, and this sentiment resonates within all things, bringing a clarity to both the world before us and the world beyond the veil. Sorrow becomes a way of life, part laughter, part tears, with very little space between. It is a way of conducting oneself in the world, of loving it, of worshipping it….”

And Wednesday, Nick Cave’s Solo Tour with Colin Greenwood on bass resumes — in Mantova, Italy. Tickets are still available for this show only. You can buy them here.

And here’s this! From Instagram.

From the Bad Seeds show in San Francisco , back in May.

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And I just wanted to give a quick “thank you” again to everyone who’s downloading my eBooks over at Smashwords, during that Summer Sale!!

I really appreciate it (Freak Parade seems to be outpacing the Muse Revisited Collection!)

Details are on my substack page, if you’re interested in the sale. All of my eBook titles with Smashwords are FREE to download for the month of July. ADULTS ONLY. Graphic erotic literature.

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Okay, gang. I’m going to get started around here.

Enjoy your Monday, wherever you are in the world! (It looks like the value of silver is already inching up this morning, so this could be the start of a wild summer. We shall see!!)

Thanks for visiting, gang.

I love you guys. See ya!!

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Me! And a New York City from long ago!! Enjoy, gang.

Try It Real Slow

Driving in the dead of night
Coasting through a traffic light
Aiming for a back road
Where we could park it for the night
Thinking we would make it sober and
Try it real slow.

There’s music on the radio
Screaming bunch of white boys
Churning out the Black soul
But turning it to white noise
Well, we could learn to make it sober by
Trying real slow.

CHORUS
Any disappointed stranger will tell you
Love is just a ball & chain
Oh but baby you’re the kind of man
That I like to talk to

You can play the wine & dine
Pick yourself a pretty wife
Gather all that you can hold
Then drag it round your whole life
Or you could learn to make it sober by
Trying real slow

REPEAT CHORUS

I turned it over, round and round
Chasing it the hard way
Until my dreams were just a white line
Sailing down the Interstate;
Well, love was gonna shake me sober
But I didn’t let it grow.

REPEAT CHORUS

Oh, but you and me will be all right
By letting every yesterday
Go fading with the taillights
Sailing down the highway
And we can learn to make it sober
By trying real slow.

Yeah, we can learn to make it sober
By trying real slow

© 1984 Marilyn Jaye Lewis
First of May Songs, BMI

Totally NOT Me Today!

July 5, 2025 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

Jeepers McCreepers, gang. The kittens just won’t quit this morning.

Can you say:

“Jesus fucking Christ, do NOT tell me you just knocked over my ENTIRE cup of Coffeeee!!!!”

“Jesus fucking Christ, will you STOP chewing on my phone charging cord??!!” (times 4)

“Jesus fucking Christ, who the fuck just THREW UP??!!”

That’s a little bit of what it’s been like around here this morning — in my room. The rest of the housecats are as quiet as little mice.

I had so much extra time this morning and I was planning on really just relaxing in bed with my cup of coffee before heading out for my shift.

But I had to switch over to Plan B and I have no real clue what Plan B is…

**********

Anyway.

Yesterday turned out to be reasonably okay, regarding having to work a double on the 4th of July.

My 94-year-old Japanese man and I will go get sushi/sashimi today, because Peony Bistro was indeed closed for the holiday yesterday. But we had a nice time just hanging out in his air- conditioned living room, chatting about Hong Kong, Tokyo, NYC — and all his many memories from the past.

And, as always, my shift with the woman who has returned from Florida flew by in a nano second. I left there just as fireworks were getting ready to start all over the place. (And I even got to see some fireworks as I was pulling up into Crazeysburg — one of my neighbors was putting on a really impressive show in his backyard.)

So, I’m just trying to face forward, you know? And hope that things come together soon and I can stop having to work on holidays, and I can start just sitting at my desk again and writing everyday.

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

Nick Cave sent out a Red Hand File yesterday about his songwriting process. It was very interesting — and very different from any songwriting process I ever experienced. He said, in part:

“The hard part for me, the most agonising and uncertain part, the part that keeps me up at night and makes me a complete pain in the arse through the day, is in the initial creation. That is, the unpredictable arrival of those first two lines….”

You can read it in full here.

And don’t forget!!

Tonight and tomorrow night in Paris!! TWO sold out shows, neither of which can you attend if you don’t already have your precious ticket!! Alas…

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Okay. I don’t have much to post about today. I’m not only focused on trying to get my suitcase packed as minimally as possible, I am also a little out of sorts mentally, since my prized morning Cup o’ Joe ended up all over my night table AND all over 3 brand new books!!!

But here’s what I’m grateful for– the coffee didn’t spill all over me in the bed, and the coffee mug didn’t break… because I only have about 17 million other coffee mugs to choose from…

I’m going to be out of here early tomorrow morning, in that Uber heading to the airport (an hour from here), but I will probably post something from my hotel tomorrow evening.

Enjoy your Saturday, wherever you are in the world.

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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

Not me this morning… but it’s something to aim for.

A song I have LOVED since the very first moment I heard it on my AM radio.

Enjoy, gang!

The Eagles. “Peaceful Easy Feeling”, 1972.

Finally!! Heatwave Truly Over!

June 29, 2025 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

I once again have this thing called a BRAIN. I can BREATHE. I can actually walk across the room without feeling like I’m going to faint!!

Yay!!

And it occurred to me, gang, this home improvement loan that I’m at least going to apply for — I guess I will add getting Central AC in with the things that should get done around here.

I really never wanted AC in this specific house because of all the great windows and the usually great cross-breezes. But when I first moved in, I did get all the duct work done so that Central AC can be easily installed. And after what I just went through this past week — at least having the option to turn on AC would probably be a really smart thing to do.

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

Yesterday was a really good day. Not only was it FILLED with rain and thunderstorms out here in the Hinterlands, I also had a really wonderful time with my favorite 94-year-old Japanese man.

We talked a lot about his past, his incredible father, his life in Hong Kong, in Tokyo, and the years he attended a small college in Kansas for his Ministerial Degree — we talk about this stuff all the time, because his long-term memory is fantastic. However, this time, through a sort of heroic mental effort, he said to me as I was getting ready to leave: “Without you, Marilyn, I would have no reason to remember what a wonderful life I’ve had. I appreciate you so much.”

It is kind of astounding that he was able to express himself in that specific way, since his short term memory is extremely faulty, to say the least, and using his brain in the “present” is very difficult for him. To be able to help someone give the gift of his whole life back to himself, is, well — I don’t know. It overwhelms me, but in a good way.

And this evening, I’m back with the former Minister and his wife, and I’m really looking froward to that. I had such an interesting time with them last week.

And, luckily, ALL my clients have Central AC, so I at least have a brain when I’m working…

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

Okay, so I am officially getting myself into “going to NYC” mode around here. Even though I have 7 shifts between today and next Sunday, when I leave for the airport, I’m trying to focus more on that feeling of freedom I get when I am in NYC.

Add to that, the feeling that Sandra and I are finally going to get the version of “The Guide to Being Fabulous” that we had always envisioned — I would really much rather dwell on that than on all the shifts I have to work this week!!

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This was really, really worth listening to, gang. If you have 22 minutes, check it out. FYI — Warren G. Harding was another President from Ohio who was allegedly and/or officially murdered. [Direct link gives you more control over the ads!]

Mike King’s “Show & Tell” — Who Killed President Warren Harding? (22 mins):

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

Okay!

I saw this great photo last night. It’s from the show they did in Rochefort, France on Wednesday — Nick Cave and Colin Greenwood:

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

And I think that’s it for right now! I want to actually try to do some yoga today, before heading out for my shift.

Tomorrow morning I have to leave the house around 6:30AM, so I won’t be posting to the blog.

Enjoy what’s left of your weekend, wherever you are in the world!!

Thanks for visiting!!

I love you guys. See ya!!

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

Okay. Bear with me!! I’m on an Annie Murray kick around here!!!

I love this song, gang. I’ve posted it here before, but I really just love it. It’s been filling my kitchen the last couple of mornings. And, truthfully, I would love to be able to sing a song like this for somebody, someday. We shall see… I’m not dead yet!

Anne Murray, “You Needed Me”, 1978, from her album Restoring The Past. Enjoy, gang.

“You Needed Me”

I cried a tear, you wiped it dry
I was confused, you cleared my mind
I sold my soul, you bought it back for me
And held me up and gave me dignity
Somehow you needed me

You gave me strength to stand alone again
To face the world out on my own again
You put me high upon a pedestal
So high that I could almost see eternity
You needed me, you needed me

And I can’t believe it’s you I can’t believe it’s true
I needed you and you were there
And I’ll never leave, why should I leave, I’d be a fool
‘Cause I finally found someone who really cares

You held my hand when it was cold
When I was lost, you took me home
You gave me hope when I was at the end
And turned my lies back into truth again
You even called me friend

You gave me strength to stand alone again
To face the world out on my own again
You put me high upon a pedestal
So high that I could almost see eternity
You needed me, you needed me
You needed me, you needed me

c – 1978 – Randy Goodrum

Happy Dad’s Day, Everybody!

June 15, 2025 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

Unfortunately, it is rainy and humid today in the Hinterlands, so dads around here are not going to get to do what they do best!! (i.e., work really hard out in the blistering hot sun all day, then cook over a blazing fire…)

Here is a photo of my dad that I really love. It hangs on the wall in my family room.

This was taken of him before he got sick, right after he moved into his new Senior Living apartment building, after my stepmom had passed away:

***********

And this has nothing to do with Father’s Day, but it will finally explain to you why printers were created!

Today’s going to be a big day for them — I’m moving the kitten playpen thingie out of the bedroom. Mostly, I want them to get used to it not being in here anymore, even though they love climbing all over it. But it will be easier for the cat sitter to feed them and clean up after them, without the playpen getting in the way.

Meanwhile, all 4 of them have already started trying to get out of the room the minute the door is open. But as soon as they encounter one of my full-grown curious cats out in the hall, they come running back in.

But we’re getting there… They are 9 weeks old already. They need to explore. My main concern is still Little Blackie (the mom) getting out and attacking my other cats, so I’m taking everything a moment at a time.

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

Well.

Yesterday was sort of a weird day for me. And it all stems from my novel, The Curse of Our Profound Disorder.

As I read over it, I’m astounded that it essentially needs no revising, and there have been an absolute minimum of typos. Clearly, I had already spent a ton of time editing it, 26 years ago.

And even though I certainly remember that I wrote this book, I have no recollection of actually sitting at my desk in our apartment at 777 West End Avenue–

Our apartment was the 5th building in on the left — the shorter building

— and literally writing it. Whereas, I have clear memories of every aspect of writing or editing all of my other novels and books (a total of 38, including stories I wrote specifically for other editors’ books).

So I find it really odd that I have no memories like that for The Curse of Our Profound Disorder. I can remember submitting it to the various writing competitions back then and how happy I was when it would win something (it actually won something in each competition I entered it in).

But, as I said in a recent blog post, it is a little unnerving to read over it and readily see who certain characters were based on, and which events were from my own life, and which from other girls I knew — often a very long time ago.

What made yesterday difficult was coming across a few passages where I was clearly contributing my own feelings, about something that had happened to me, to one of my characters. So it was like unexpectedly encountering myself in a novel that I don’t remember writing.

And yesterday was the 50th anniversary of me having seen the Rolling Stones in concert for the first time and, even though it was a HUGE event in my life, I found that I was unable to really even think about it yesterday — because a couple of weeks after the concert, I had my first suicide attempt and was then committed to the mental hospital.

And so all of the characters in my book, and all of my experiences of my early life, have been converging. Some of it is devastating.

Meanwhile, I’ve also been listening to Exile on Main St. — a lot. Which is kind of the soundtrack to all of this stuff, since it was my first Rolling Stones album and it absolutely blew me away. (The summer I turned 12.)

It’s hard to pick a favorite song from it now, there are so many I love, but I remember clearly that when I very first bought it and started listening to it on the record player up in my room, this was the song I loved the most. I played it over and over and over:

When I listen to it down in the kitchen now, while either making breakfast or dinner, I still remember every single word (to every song) — and it seems sort of amusing to me that I knew all these words when I was twelve (!!), for Christ’s sake. Although I really didn’t understand, yet, a lot of what they were singing about.

I sure do now.

And, obviously, I also have memories of my own life now. And now I know, from experiencing it, how (mostly) unhappy it was.

And then I wonder to myself what it would have felt like at the age of 12, if I knew I’d be listening to this same album alone in my kitchen when I was 65, still knowing every word…

Anyway, yesterday, a lot of this converged. And then add to it that I knew today was going to be Father’s Day.

And The Curse of Our Profound Disorder deals a lot with who I was and what life was like before I finally found my birth father (at age 28).

The novel is fictionalized — but not too much.

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

It is fascinating to read it and I am determined to just not flinch and let it all see the light of day, finally.

And it helps SO MUCH, knowing that a publisher (a woman, no less) is out there, waiting to read it. Wanting to like it. And also wanting to see it reach the light of day.

It’s an incredible incentive. An incredible feeling. So I keep at it, from the moment I get home from my shifts in the late afternoons, up until the early evenings, when I sort of collapse and make dinner — and listen to the Rolling Stones and remember my whole effing LIFE…

Well, yesterday, after I closed down the laptop for the evening, feeling sort of jumbled up inside, a little raw, but also really glad that I was doing this, I quickly checked my phone before heading downstairs and there was an unexpected email from the publisher, simply saying that she is really looking forward to seeing the whole manuscript.

Which, of course, makes everything feel like it finally makes sense.

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

In case people are wondering — I won’t go into it on the blog — but 2 weeks ago, I left the TV project behind. It had become just an enormous amount of nonstop typing, it wasn’t creative for me, and I had no life left and no time for the play or the novel, which both need my complete creative attention.

So I do feel right now that everything in my world is finally making sense.

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

Okay!

I think that’s it for now!!

Even though Nick Cave is Australian and lives in England, so it isn’t officially Father’s Day over there, I was going to include a photo of him with his sons. but trying to find a photo that included all 4 of them just became sort of really sad.

So here’s this!! Nick Cave with his grandson, Roman!

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And of course, here’s this! Although there are quite a few more babies in the bunch now!

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

Okay!

Enjoy your Sunday — or Father’s Day — wherever you are in the world!

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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

I’ll skip the daily feature for today, but I leave you with this!!

James Tabor posted this video to his private group several days ago.

Joan Baez’s version of Steve Earle’s song, “Jerusalem.” Beautiful. Enjoy, gang.

“Jerusalem”

I woke up this mornin’ and none of the news was good
And death machines were rumblin’ ‘cross the ground where Jesus stood
And the man on my TV told me that it had always been that way
And there was nothin’ anyone could do or say

And I almost listened to him
Yeah, I almost lost my mind
Then I regained my senses again
And looked into my heart to find

That I believe that one fine day all the children of Abraham
Will lay down their swords forever in Jerusalem

Well maybe I’m only dreamin’ and maybe I’m just a fool
But I don’t remember learnin’ how to hate in Sunday school
But somewhere along the way I strayed and I never looked back again
But I still find some comfort now and then

Then the storm comes rumblin’ in
And I can’t lay me down
And the drums are drummin’ again
And I can’t stand the sound

But I believe there’ll come a day when the lion and the lamb
Will lie down in peace together in Jerusalem

And there’ll be no barricades then
There’ll be no wire or walls
And we can wash all this blood from our hands
And all this hatred from our souls

And I believe that on that day all the children of Abraham
Will lay down their swords forever in Jerusalem

c – 2002 – Steve Earle