I'm not really sure what genre this belongs in. The feeling is country, but no country station would ever play it - maybe Alternative Country, or Americana. Who knows?
Mulitple influences from Elvis to Jimmy Buffett, to James Taylor and John Prine, to Bruce Springsteen and Paul Thorn have shaped my songs into a style that ref
HB Beverly, located in the Grand Strand area of Myrtle Beach, SC is primarily known in Jimmy Buffett's fan circles, but has his own original songs which start in that genre, and expand into Country, Bluegrass, Folk/Rock, Rockabilly, and Jersey-style Rock.
Story behind the song
My father was a self-employed machinist, and foundry man for 52 years, and was a local legend with the surrounding community of Smyth County, Virginia by helping out everyone from big multi-milllion dollar corporations, to the little old lady down the street with a broken ironing board, and fix their everyday problems with his skills in working with metal. He loved what he did for a living, and loved impressing his customers with his enduring and high quality work, and featured cheaper than normal prices for his long hours of labor for them... From everyone's account that he dealt with he was a genius, and when he died, I knew I had to write a fitting tribute to his life, both for his customers and friends from all those years, and from my childhood memories of when he'd take the whole family out on Sunday drives of up to 100 miles or more... One drive that fits in that category was to Salem, VA., where there was a little pink burger joint along Hwy. 11, that served these huge Cheeseburgers, and the world's richest and best chocolate milkshakes! Eat one of those, and you'd go out like a light, and the next thing you know, you'd wake up in your driveway at home - safe and sound. These are my childhood memories of him....
Lyrics
I can still remember the ringing of his hammer.
He was fearless in the face of foundry fires.
And he never was too busy, to take time out to listen.
He'd say "You can learn from 'em, no matter who they are."
And we'd all ride in that Chrysler, on Sunday afternoons,
And he'd drive that car til we fell sound asleep...
And we'd get burgers in Salem, on Highway 11,
And that's a memory, that I'll forever keep...
His overhauls were dirty, and the rich folks,
They'd all whisper,
Til they'd all break down, and he'd take up the slack.
And he'd smile when he was finished,
Maybe charge a couple dollars for something,
That could go to hell and back.
CHORUS
BRIDGE
But the years, they wait for no one, and aging took it's toll, and arthritis filled both his hands and feet.
I last saw him in Salem, strugglin' against the morphine, and that's a mem'ry that I'll forever keep...
We laid him to rest ... it was cold,
And it was snowing,
The preacher's eulogy was short and sweet....
And my thoughts turned to an old song,
"Will the Circle Be Unbroken"?
And that's a question that still burns inside of me...
But nowadays I drive that Chrysler, on Sunday afternoons,
And I swear sometimes I can feel him right next to me...
And what I'd give if I could listen,
To him tell me just one more story.
That's a mem'ry that I'd forever keep....
Lord, that's a mem'ry, that I'd forever keep...
