In Atlanta, Melissa and I liked to attend house concerts, where lesser known but incredibly talented singer/songwriters earn most of their living. It’s an intimate setting, usually in the living rooms of super hosts, who invite friends and neighbors to a covered dish dinner and music.
For a period, it seemed that every singer songwriter we encountered was from Austin. At the time, I had never been to Austin, though I thought of Austin as the mecca of real country music. Country folk and honky tonk and blues all messed into a sound quite distinguishable from NashVegas.
But it became obvious that those from Austin not only thought better of themselves than Nashville songwriters, but they thought better of themselves in general.
It was just a little south of obnoxious.
At this particular house concert, the Austin singer songwriter had played a couple of what I call two-stepping songs (One Day at a Time). At the time, I had dabbled in and around the form, but had never really figured it out.
The next day I decided to write a two-stepping song.
I started strumming, figured out the melodic form and the first words out of my mouth were: “I’ve never been to Austin…..”
This is not a new song. It’s just that I finally got around to making a demo of it. I’ve been playing this song at most gigs for a few years now.
The above is just me and my guitar.
Never Been to Ausin
I’ve never been to Austin
But don’t hold that against me
if I’d had my say
I’d been born in Texas
but as it is I just a runaway
from way down in Georgia
but I’ve been to Nacogdoches and Longview
caught me a case of them east Texas blues
but you can have Dallas if you really want her
sort of reminds me of Atlanta Georgia
(chorus):
yeah I’m just man
whose been displaced
trying to find some saving grace
before it’s all gets washed away
come that heavenly day
it don’t take much
to satisfy me
never been accused of being greedy
but then again I won’t settle for less
than what I need
and I need a gal just like you
I think you know what I’m saying’s true
so come over here let me stare into
those big blue (brown) eyes
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Thomas,
Wanted you know how much I enjoy receiving these emails and hearing your music.
Still playing and enjoying “The Edge of America”.
thank you so much. good to get feedback on the song blog (emails) and glad you are still playing “The Edge of America.” Hope to see you around sometime.
thomas
Wow! really like your songs in this gtr-vocal format! really great song, really like that line about Dallas/Atlanta “you can have it if you want”, a little dig at big-city life. what i call “real” country music. So easy to envision a small wood-floored dance hall in Texas, people on the floor moving with the music!
thanks buddy.
Great “Two-Stepping” song Thomas!
thanks
Durham and I both listened to this when he was at my house and we really liked it a lot
i’m betting durham’s going to be in a band in the near future