Awaiting Johnny

I pre-ordered the newest Over the Rhine CD, The Trumpet Child, and I resigned to expect its arrival next week. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find the disc in our mailbox yesterday along with a bonus, a bumper sticker which I promptly adhered to our fridge with magnets:



"If a Song Could Be President" refers to the last song on the album and I just love the lyrics, the nods to musical legends:

If a song could be president
We'd hum on Election Day
The gospel choir would start to sway
And we'd all have a part to play

The first lady would free her hips
Pull a microphone to her lips
Break our hearts with Rhythm and Blues
Steve Earle would anchor the news

We'd vote for a melody
Pass it around on an MP3
All our best foreign policy
Would be built on harmony

If a song could be president
We'd fly a jukebox to the moon
All our founding fathers' 45's
Lightnin' Hopkins and Patsy Cline
If a song could be president

If a song could be president
We could all add another verse
Life would teach us to rehearse
Till we found a key change

Break out of this minor key
Half-truths and hypocrisy
We wouldn't need an underachiever-in-chief
If a song could be president

We'd make Neil Young a Senator
Even though he came from Canada
Emmylou would be Ambassador
World leaders would listen to her

They would show us where our country went wrong
Strum their guitars on the White House lawn
John Prine would run the FBI
All the criminals would laugh and cry
If a song could be president

And if I haven't told you already, you must read Linford's letters and his Poem of the Week on a regular basis. He is a fabulous writer. I'm dying for him to publish a book of such writings. Love this band.

Last night I played The Trumpet Child on our living room stereo, loud, twice before Amy knocked on the front door. We listened to a softer volume while munching on dinner in the dining room because I love its soft night light. For after dinner treats we sipped on tea (Amy confirmed the Vanilla Tea is tasty) with a yeast-free brownie; this time I used Ghirardelli unsweetened cocoa. I'm searching high and low for Green & Black's baking cocoa for the next batch. Amy decided the brownies taste more like chocolate cake, but how can that be bad? We conversed, laughed, and yes, I wore pajamas because with close friends you can get away with such behavior.

Now Harley, Milo, and myself are ready for Johnny to open the back door and be home: