[8] I Would Be Surprised

About “Summer of ’77 Keepables” -
“Summer of ’77 Keepables” is a collection of home recordings of some of my original songs, plus one of my favorite Pink Floyd songs. At that time, I transferred the original reel-to-reel recordings onto a cassette tape. Only just a few years ago did I then I make a digital copy from those old cassette tape recordings. In other words, this collection I am now sharing is a collection of poor recordings of some less-than-stellar songs. (But I like them just the same.) Let’s face it, I’m sharing these songs for the sake of posterity.
Well before 1977, at least as early as 1972, I had already begun to amass a collection of my original songs. No, they weren’t very good, but they were my own originals, and that’s all I cared about.
I’ve always had 4 things going against me: (1) as a guitarist, I’ve never been good enough to even play many of my own songs, (2) I’ve never been able to sing even if somebody held a gun to my head, (3) my melodies stink, and (4) my lyrics positively suck. Other than that, I like my songs just fine.
From 1975-1976 I lived in Kihei on the island of Maui. It was there that several of my songs began to take shape, such as “The Pyramid,” and I had big dreams of someday recording an album (remember, “records” in those days were still being made on vinyl, and there was no such thing as digital recording or the internet). So, for years, my sole reason for having a “day job” was so I could afford to pay for whatever recording expenses there were.
It was while I was on Maui that I bought a reel-to-reel tape recorder. I thought it was great. The brand was called Docorder, and it had 2 cool features: you could record what it called “sound-on-sound” (something like multi-track, but not exactly) and you could add echo.
In 1976 I returned to southern California. The Docorder had enable me to create multiple parts for my songs - rhythm guitars, leads, harmonies and bass.
So by the summer of 1977, I finally had constructed some of my songs to the point that I felt would get the idea across whenever I got the chance to have them professionally recorded. In other words, the recordings, though not very good, were at least “keepable.”
About "I Would Be Surprised" -
8. I Would Be Surprised - This is the only one of my original songs with which I actually like my own lyrics (hopefully, you will too.)
I remember exactly where I was when I made up the lyrics. I might have already been working on the chords before then. But I was living in Long Beach California in late 1976. I was trying to find ways to get my songs published. Somehow I came across an offer from one of the music publishing firms. This one was apparently written by either Paul Stookey or Peter Yarrow, of Peter, Paul and Marty fame.
I remember it said something to the effect of, “You could be the next Bob Dylan! Your songs could speak to the world of today just as his songs did!”
I thought to myself, “You’ve got to be kidding! Bob Dylan was phenomenon. Bob Dylan was a poet of exceedingly high caliber. Plus, that’s not all he had going for him. There were a combination of things going in his favor at the time. He was at the right place at the right time. Could anybody be another Bob Dylan?! I would be surprised!”
Basically, that’s how “I Would Be Surprised” was born.
Wouldn’t I be surprised if tomorrow I was told
To make a judgement on the lives of all the young and old.
Yes wouldn’t I be surprised if they all came to me
And all at once laid down their lies and said most sincerely,
“We have all been kidding one another much too long!”
And then they all got on their knees and asked me what was wrong.
And wouldn’t I be surprised if I really knew,
And made the problem realized and got the message through.
They’d all begin to laugh and shake each other’s hand,
Then pretty soon someone would say, “Put him in command!”
And I would be elected as the Master of the World,
Money, mansions, flowers, flags - my head begins to swirl!
“You are all indebted to me. This is your payment:
Get to work and rectify my environment!”
And they’d be glad to do exactly as they’re told.
Then they would give up all their wealth and bring me all their gold.
I’d have the leisure time that I’ve never known
For hobbies, food and lots of sleep - the list goes on and on.
And people would become to me like shadows on the ground -
Equality without ability to make a sound.