When I Am An Old Man, I Shall Wear Black

[dbt]

When I am an old man, just any day now,
I shall wear black
And drive a rusty truck that rattles.
But you won’t hear that part
Because I shall be blasting Johnny Cash
Through an eighteen-inch subwoofer.

“How high’s the water, Mama?
Eight feet high and risin’.
How high’s the water, Papa?
She said it’s eight feet high and risin’.”

I shall laugh at the most inappropriate moments
To keep from crying for New Orleans
Where my country turned its back on America.
Where the Right Ones made it out
And the Wrong Ones got to go swimming.

I shall wear black, for it is the color
Of the Death Water that came in search
Of skin that matched its own.
Black, like the night that could not hold
The howls of the dogs abandoned.

Black like the hearts of the white men
Who ate their cake and strummed their faulty chords
While the music died in Jackson Square.
Black like the ashes of Thomas Jefferson’s dreams.
He was a fiddler, you know.

I shall wear black to remember the woman
Whose name I cannot recall, whose skin I cannot forget,
Who held her black clarinet up to Heaven
(Which is only a block off Bourbon, by the way)
And let her soul fly for tips.

Black like the skin of the old men
Who could barely lift their horns anymore
At Preservation Hall, but when they did,
God came down to get His groove on
And lit their joints with His finger.

When I am an old man, just any day now,
I shall wear black,
For it is the color of the future
Of a world that knows no New Orleans.

Yea, though I walk through the Valley of FEMA,
I shall fear no Evil, for it is way too late.
And I shall dwell in The House Of Blues forever,
Listening to the Neville Brothers.
Amen.



Remember New Orleans.

[maxpower]

1. Powerful stuff

Kick

[lateo]

2. Beautiful.

[bpcmxr]

3. that's beautiful, dbt.

"And let her soul fly for tips."

Damn.

[mcscajun]

4. Tell it, brother!

:kick:

[yardwork]

5. Wow. Thank you.

[GreenPartyVoter]

6. Powerful.. haunting..

------------------------------------------------------
Ditch Bu$h and save the Gulf: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=106&topic_id=22507&mesg_id=22507

Then save the nation!
http://timeforachange.bluelemur.com/electionreform.htm

[ElectroPrincess]

7. Thank you ... Excellent ... moves the Spirit. /eom

[BlueJac]

8. I Love it

:kick:

[SalmonChantedEvening]

9. Thank you dbt

:pals:

[peacebuzzard]

10. chilling to the bone. Excellent stuff.

my vote for the greatest.

[dbt]

11. Thank you all!

It is for that woman with the clarinet that I just break down! She was BLISTERING HOT and she played because she had to.

Please, Goddess, may she be alright.

Remember New Orleans.

[soup]

13. Thank you, dbt.

It's beautiful. :hug:

[AmBlue]

32. Tell us the story of the woman...

...with the clarinet, please. And thank you for your eloquent and mournful words. We all mourn with you. :cry:

[dbt]

34. Sunday morning of my first visit in 2002, just before it was time to

catch a plane out, I walked through the Quarter off Bourbon Street and came upon a small group out in the middle of the blocked-off street, catty-cornered from a drugstore. It was about 11:00 AM and they were playing like their asses were on fire.

She was about 5'4", kind of stocky, hair all up in braids and black as the Ace of Spades. She had her eyes closed and was just flat BURNING UP that clarinet. I don't think she even knew where--or who--she was at that moment. What I got off of her just then was that NOTHING mattered except the music. Any fellow musician would stop to respect such as she was putting out that day!

DAMMIT, why can I NOT remember her name! It rhymed with the eenz pronunciation of New Orleans. It was So-And-So and Her Jazz New Orleans. I found her picture two days ago on a Google, but IT IS NOT THERE NOW.

Please may she have survived George bu$h's thinning of the herd!!!!

Remember New Orleans.

[scarletwoman]

12. Wow. Just... wow. (n/t)

[HeeBGBz]

14. That is so real

Beautifully expressed

[riverwalker]

15. thankyou

that is great writing.

[Triana]

16. Beeeuuutttiful! Nominated....

..Passing along too...

[dbt]

17. Please do!

Somebody please take these pitiful words and send them to Ireland. They know all about being abandoned.

Remember New Orleans.

[north houston dem]

18. yes! never forget!

nominated

[lucca]

19. Thank you for such powerful words.

Thank you....Thank you....

[dbt]

21. Hello, lucca and WELCOME to the DU.

Pull you up a chair and break bread with us!

Joy, health, peace and love be all here in this place. --Steeleye Span, 1971

Remember New Orleans.

[JitterbugPerfume]

20. hauntingly

beautiful

[bluedawg12]

22. Bravo! n/t

[oneighty]

23. Excellent dbt

And once when I was there and the white guy played a white violin while rolling in the street and dancing on top the beer bar and his black partner strumming and thumping the warshboard hung about his neck and I hope they are ok too.

180

[titoresque]

24. that got me

cannot stop crying. Thankyou,that was beautiful! May I print this and pass around?

:cry: :hug:

[dbt]

28. If you would do so for that woman with the clarinet, PLEASE go ahead!

I hope my pitiful words get LOOTED. It is the least that could be done for the Musicians of New Orleans--my brothers and sisters!

Somebody please tell me her name. It was "------- and her Jazz New Orleans."

Remember New Orleans.

[titoresque]

31. Im in Az. but..

the ASU LSU game is playing here tonight, we are going to be there with signs and I would love to print this and pass out to people going in and out.

Hopefully someone will come forward with her name, but if not......you've captured her spirit in your heart and have shared her with us, that is more than anyone can ask. Thankyou!

[Zodiak]

56. Is this her?

http://www.doreensjazz.com/index.htm



According to the message in her guestbook, she and her family are fine and are looking for gigs and help to get their music back out there. Maybe we could book her and her band for the 24th in DC.

[dbt]

62. YES, that's the woman I saw and heard!!!

THANK YOU, Zodiak Ironfist, THANKS to all who watched over her and her family! This is such GREAT NEWS in the face of all this death and misery.

Long live Doreen And Her Jazz New Orleans!

:bounce:

[greendog]

25. Thanks n/t

[annabanana]

26. there is music behind your words.... mournful jazz

and it echoes through the mountains of time

[PeacePal]

27. And that's why they call it the blues....you hit the right notes. n/t

[nookiemonster]

29. Nominated!

:kick:

eom

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

30. excellent

[ClayZ]

33. Thank you, Poet!

Bravo!

[crispini]

35. thank you.

:cry: very moving.

[AnotherMother4Peace]

36. Set this to music, & it will be as poignant as Billie Holiday's song

"Strange Fruit" about lynchings. The "strange fruit" were black bodies hanging from trees.

[dbt]

37. You humble me.

If only I could carry her shoes!

Remember New Orleans.

[_ed_]

38. I was listening to this yesterday while driving...

...one of my favorite Cash tunes. It's one of those songs that never loses its importance, even though it was written so long ago. RIP, Johnny.


"Man In Black" - Johnny Cash

Well, you wonder why I always dress in black,
Why you never see bright colors on my back,
And why does my appearance seem to have a somber tone.
Well, there's a reason for the things that I have on.

I wear the black for the poor and the beaten down,
Livin' in the hopeless, hungry side of town,
I wear it for the prisoner who has long paid for his crime,
But is there because he's a victim of the times.

I wear the black for those who never read,
Or listened to the words that Jesus said,
About the road to happiness through love and charity,
Why, you'd think He's talking straight to you and me.

Well, we're doin' mighty fine, I do suppose,
In our streak of lightnin' cars and fancy clothes,
But just so we're reminded of the ones who are held back,
Up front there ought 'a be a Man In Black.

I wear it for the sick and lonely old,
For the reckless ones whose bad trip left them cold,
I wear the black in mournin' for the lives that could have been,
Each week we lose a hundred fine young men.

And, I wear it for the thousands who have died,
Believen' that the Lord was on their side,
I wear it for another hundred thousand who have died,
Believen' that we all were on their side.

Well, there's things that never will be right I know,
And things need changin' everywhere you go,
But 'til we start to make a move to make a few things right,
You'll never see me wear a suit of white.

Ah, I'd love to wear a rainbow every day,
And tell the world that everything's OK,
But I'll try to carry off a little darkness on my back,
'Till things are brighter, I'm the Man In Black.

[bobbieinok]

45. haunting foreshadowing

And, I wear it for the thousands who have died,
Believen' that the Lord was on their side,
I wear it for another hundred thousand who have died,
Believen' that we all were on their side.

[bvar22]

39. Beautiful......Thanks

*

[ignatius 2]

40. Oh gosh, now I am crying again. What has happened to our country,where

has it gone? As Maureen Dowd said,"if we can't take care of our own, then wh are we?"

[flygal]

41. I Love it - thank you

I lived in New Orleans before moving overseas and grew to absolutely fall in love with it - warts and all. Even when we moved in the middle of summer heat I was crying to say goodbye to such an incredible place.

And now being in Germany I would venture to guess at least half the Germans I talk to who have visited the States have been to NOLA for vacation and LOVED it.

Thank you for your words - that was very nice. I changed my avatar to reflect NOLA - Satchmo.:hug:

[bloom]

42. I've been wearing black

whenever I go out.

[patdem]

43. I have been angry and bottled up for weeks..and that poem/song

touched my heart and now I am sobbing...thank you for the release.

[tinfoilinfor2005]

44. New Orleans will not die.

She will sit up and look around and with a great smile, welcome back all her children. And they will come and the music will play once again. She will outlive us all and will tell our children's children about the dark days when we all wore black.

Thanks for your beautiful poem.

[texpatriot2004]

46. Thanks for this post. n/t

[ellenfl]

47. i would like to pass this around as well but i think

the author should be named. even a nom de plume will do.

tia

ellen fl

[AverageJoe]

48. Mighty fine

Kick!

:kick:

[wicket]

49. Beautiful

Thank you for sharing :hug:

[Walt Starr]

50. You just made me cry, and I had to read it for my wife

You made her cry, too.

[Berry Cool]

51. What a wonderful piece of writing!

Just stunning. Thank you.

[femrap]

52. Thank you.....New Orleans is a magical

place that will rise from the waters....

[Momof1]

53. All week, I've been thinking about "WW CASH DO?"

Would Johnny have been on a plane to NO?

Would he have written a song? I think he would of done both. No one ever would of heard of the good he would of done on the streets of New Orleans.

Then he would go back and write a song.

WHAT IS TRUTH? 1970 written by JR CASH

The old man turned off the radio
Said, "Where did all of the old songs go
Kids sure play funny music these days
They play it in the strangest ways"
Said, "it looks to me like they've all gone wild
It was peaceful back when I was a child"
Well, man, could it be that the girls and boys
Are trying to be heard above your noise?
And the lonely voice of youth cries "What is truth?"

A little boy of three sittin' on the floor
Looks up and says, "Daddy, what is war?"
"son, that's when people fight and die"
The little boy of three says "Daddy, why?"
A young man of seventeen in Sunday school
Being taught the golden rule
And by the time another year has gone around
It may be his turn to lay his life down
Can you blame the voice of youth for asking
"What is truth?"

A young man sittin' on the witness stand
The man with the book says "Raise your hand"
"Repeat after me, I solemnly swear"
The man looked down at his long hair
And although the young man solemnly swore
Nobody seems to hear anymore
And it didn't really matter if the truth was there
It was the cut of his clothes and the length of his hair
And the lonely voice of youth cries
"What is truth?"

The young girl dancing to the latest beat
Has found new ways to move her feet
The young man speaking in the city square
Is trying to tell somebody that he cares
Yeah, the ones that you're calling wild
Are going to be the leaders in a little while
This old world's wakin' to a new born day
And I solemnly swear that it'll be their way
You better help the voice of youth find
"What is truth"

[dbt]

63. Hi, Mom! LONG time!

:hug:

[Momof1]

65. Hey yourself

:hug:

Check out the old haunting place. JC.com is redone. Getting ready for the movie premiere on Nov 18th.

[kentuck]

54. Heavy...

I would like to hear it put to music... Perhaps an E chord similar to Luther Perkins?

[Nostradammit]

55. Beautiful and moving

Thank you so much.

I would very much like to try to put this to music.

Heartbreaking.

[Tsiyu]

57. Thanks for sharing this

what sad times we endure...

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

58. Wow! Nicely done

Thanks for posting this. Powerful.

[Pepperbelly]

59. Thank you Home Skillet ...

That was powerful, tragic, and beautiful. And snarky (don't want to leave that out.)

I appreciate it very much.

[dbt]

64. YO, PB!

"Arkie" rhymes with "snarky," don't you know...

Remember New Orleans.

[stickdog]

60. Thanks.

[Peace Patriot]

61. Urgent! Senate committee wants Katrina input - deadline TODAY 9/11

dbt, SUBMIT YOUR SONG as public input...

The Senate H.E.L.P. Committee (Health, Education, Labor and Pensions) has been requesting input on Katrina reconstruction. The deadline was changed from Friday 9/9 to Monday, 9/12 (but presume 9/11, by the end of today) to allow more input. I don't know if DUers are aware of this. It's a great opportunity to help influence the treatment of survivors and the fate of the Gulf coast.

The email for public input is listed below. These emails are going to start being reviewed by committee staff tomorrow (Mon, 9/12). I heard about this on a CNN radio rebroadcast of the Senate H.E.L.P. Committee roundtable (of disaster experts) on 9/8, but could not get this posted until now.

Email: [e-mail]
Senate H.E.L.P. website: http://help.senate.gov /
(The ranking Democrat is Sen. Edward Kennedy.)

My input to the committee is at:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4735625