Saturday, July 2, 2016

🎶 Baby don't worry 🎵

So I’ve mentioned previously that music was a big part of our relationship and for our future JJ hopes. And this is how essentially that broke down. We both LOVED music, listening to it, dancing to it, singing along (not good...actually poor dancing or singing from my direction), going to concerts (she kept a whole journal just for this kind of stuff), festivals, open mic nights and playing.
Let me share what I mean in detail. Sharry played and sang beautifully and very few people ever had the privilege because she was so nervous of criticism and embarrassing herself. In a lot of ways the classic neurotic artist. We would play together every once in awhile which meant she sang and played some of our favorite songs while I poorly plucked along on my banjo and croaked out some lyrics. Yes I had a banjo which brings me WAY back.
When I was “courting” her trying to get her to agree to marry me she was hesitant for many reasons. Primarily among her concerns was the fact that she was so young and that she always saw herself marrying someone she could be in a folk duo with and unmusical me did not seem to be that person. So we got a banjo and I made a valiant effort for a few months and even proposed at the north rim of the Grand Canyon by playing (poorly) a song I wrote on the banjo. Another fun awesome fact about Sharry, she did NOT want an engagement ring but rather a new Yari Alvarez acoustic/electric guitar. She’s so cool and unique! Anyhow once we were married the folk duo never happened because my obvious motivation kind of slipped and Shar’s confidence never grew. Sometimes I seriously wonder (now and also pre JJ) if she would have married a more talented guy if she would’ve had a more happy and fulfilled life. )o:
Picture from the Grand Canyon the day I proposed with my banjo summer of 2006
She recorded a handful of songs though over the 12 years we were together. We always had very poor equipment that brought plenty of frustration to both of us but I think she worked magic with what we had. We even made some silly and sweet music videos to go with some of the songs. Amazingly she posted those to youtube less than 2 weeks before JJ which she was always very nervous to do. I am so so grateful she did! I probably would not have shared those with the world otherwise and her amazing voice and playing would not be heard. My favorite song is actually one she wrote (most were covers) and it is almost prophetic in its words to me, nine years after she wrote it! Below is the music video and I did my best to jot down her lyrics although there are a few parts where I wasn’t sure so they’re in parenthesis. Powerful, comforting, confusing and heartbreaking stuff that I have been listening to at least once daily since JJ’s birthday.
Baby don’t you worry about a thing
It aint no use
So baby don’t you worry about a thing
Let everything loose
Cuz I’ve tried and tried
To let go of this noose
So stop trying to (worry about a thing)
Baby don’t you worry about me
I’ll find my way
Baby don’t you worry about me
I’ve just gotta stay
I’ve been up and down
And found I’m OK
So stop worrying about me
Crying won’t help a thing
I thought you knew
Crying won’t help a thing
It will just make you blue
Because I can’t fix the past
And make our love grow (too)
So stop worrying about a thing
Baby our lights gone out
Darkness is here
Oh baby our light’s gone out
Don’t think of fear
Cuz our flame was lit
When our eyes were clear
So babe
Our lights gone out
Baby softly close that door
You’ve got to go
Softly close that door
Our loves grown old
The day has grown dim
And the night is so cold
Babe close the door

Also bonus second song, not by Sharry but by an artist we saw three different times in concert (documented in her journal haha) “You are your mother’s child” Love it!!

3 comments:

  1. I was reading through the blog and got to the list of all her fav concerts, and it's pretty much documents our whole young life in a nutshell. I'm so glad she kept lists like that! It's such a treasure for me now. And I am so so so happy we are able to still hear her voice through her videos. I listen everyday.

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  2. i still listen to this all the time.

    this is mostly how you've heard/written it, but here are the lyrics as i hear them:

    baby don't you worry 'bout a thing
    it ain't no use, so
    baby don't you worry 'bout a thing
    let everything loose
    'cause i've tried and tried to let
    go of this noose
    so stop tryin' - it won't help a thing

    baby don't you worry 'bout me
    i'll find my way
    baby don't you worry 'bout me
    i just gotta say
    'cause i've been up and down
    and found i'm okay
    so stop worryin' about me

    cryin' won't help a thing
    i thought you knew
    cryin' won't help a thing
    it'll just make you blue
    'cause i can't fix the past
    and make all of one new
    so stop cryin' - it won't help a thing

    baby our light's gone out
    darkness appeared
    oh baby our light's gone out
    don't think of fear
    'cause our flame was lit
    when our eyes were clear
    so babe
    our light's gone out

    baby softly close that door
    you've got to go
    oh softly close that door
    our love's grown old
    oh, the day has gone dim
    night is so cold
    so babe, close the door

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