Day 15: Throw The Book (with Todd Hawkins)

Lyrics:
Had to start a new chapter, yeah I had to turn the page
It was long overdue, time for me to disengage
Now throw the book, yeah throw the book

I was treated second-hand, I was feelin' kind of used
Well I had to shut the cover, Yeah I had to sing the blues
Now throw the book, yeah throw the book

We were poetry, we were perfect prose
Just like a fairy tale, a story everybody knows

Removed my dust cover just to skim some other stacks
Had to smell the leather bound and touch the paperbacks
Now throw the book, yeah throw the book

Got a hardcover, baby, let me caress your spine
Gonna take you to bed and call it storytime
Now throw the book, yeah throw the book

These were fine, fine tales, but they were all abridged
I need a novel take, yeah I need a new edition

Thought you were history, I thought you were out of print
Last week you're New York Times, this week you're in the discount bin
Throw the book, yeah throw the book

Today I saw you on the shelf just like a long lost friend
You were dog-eared and faded, had to pick you up again
I love the book, yeah I love the book

Details: Last Halloween I wrote an unsettling tune with Todd, so this time we wanted to do something more fun. Todd had recently quit working at a bookstore, so we decided to do something about books-- we sat and brainstormed a lot of different book-related terms and phrases that we could throw into the lyrics.

Once we decided on books as a topic, it made me think of the old Bo Diddley tune "Can't Judge A Book By Its Cover", so we decided to use a Bo Diddley rhythm. Todd had been using an alternately tuned guitar that really worked well for that kind of rhythm. Todd mentioned off-hand that he thought harmonica would sound good on this, and it turned out that I had my old harmonicas in my percussion bag, so even though it's been years since I've played, It was fun to give it the old college try (though I was unable to play harmonica and the maracas at the same time).

This was a fun co-write that took a little over 2 hours to finish, and then about a half hour to record.