This song kicks off "LifeLongLove" -- a collection of songs that will unspool the saga of how JackBrown met a girl half a lifetime ago and how he almost blew a perfect thing. The chronicle starts here. Chapter 1:  Where Do I Begin?

Setting: A walk-in closet. Smells like leather & old Polo. The big anniversary party starts in about an hour.
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i’m gonna tell a story and it’s a good one too 
i think the time has come 
to sing about me & you, you & me 
how we came to be 
i wanna tell the tale and put all the good stuff in 
but where do i begin? 

after all this time it’s hard to remember now 
just how this whole thing started 
how it came about so long ago, many years ago 
we’ve got an old love story that needs a fresh new spin 
so where do i begin? 

so i’m thinking back to our early days 
but the memories are in a haze 
what was i like before we met? 
well, it’s been so long that i forget 

i know that it’s not over, our best is yet to come 
but i think it’ll do us good to remember where we came from 
i’m going back, way way back 
i’m gonna tell our story and feel it all again 
I’ll be smart and use my art to chart out my heart 
and I’ll start with the part before you come in 

that’s where I’ll begin 
so let’s just dive right in 
now it’s time to 
begin . . .

======
Next Up Chapter 2:  Reminiscing about the first time I ever seriously considered the possibility of . . . you know . . . love.

Where Do I Begin? (Chapter 1 of LifeLongLove)

This is Chapter 2 in my collection of songs LifeLongLove.

Setting: The big anniversary party starts in about an hour and I should be getting ready but here I am reminiscing about another party long long ago. I see myself holding a 16oz. red plastic SOLO cup that's half full of flat beer. Smell of smoke from the bonfire. My buddy Ray  (I'll tell you all about him some other day in my “Flashback” playlist) displays a rare moment of seriousness by posing some surprising questions . . . 
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i was 17 when my best friend came to me and said 
“do you think that some day you’ll fall in love? 
will you end up getting married, pushing babies in a carriage? 
can you ever see yourself all grown-up?” 

and i said: i don’t think about it but i could live without it 
who says that’s how life is supposed to go? 
i know you believe that “love is all you need” 
‘cause you listen TOO much to the radio 

you’ve heard too many love songs 
they’re filling your head 
you’ve heard too many love songs my friend 
i’m not ready yet 

i won’t be tied down 
i won’t lose myself 
my life won’t be bound 
to someone else 

think of all those cheesy movies and silver screen beauties saying, 
“now that I’ve found you, my life’s complete” 
we know it’s fabricated or at least exaggerated 
they’re selling the same old lame fantasy 

you've heard too many love songs 
they can’t all be true 
you’ve heard too many love songs, my friend 
it's fine for you 

but i won’t be tied down 
i won’t lose myself 
my life won’t be bound 
to someone else 
i don’t wanna drown 
in some wishing well 
my life won't be bound 
to someone else 

i sound like i’m a cynic but hang on just a minute 
it was all a future scene that i couldn’t see 
i never said ‘never’ but, love? come on whatever 
it was last thing on my mind when i was 17 
when i was 17

= = = = = 
Next up:  Chapter 3 in which I continue rummaging around my past looking for clues as to how I got here . . . Ah yes, college. In the dorm. The first rumblings of romance.

Too Many Love Songs (Chapter 2 of LifeLongLove)

This is Chapter 4 of of my collection of songs: LifeLongLove. 

Setting: Our guests arrive in less than an hour -- but I’m still strolling down this romantic memory lane. I'm remembering another near-miss when i dated a songwriter. The following went down in the music building on campus. I can practically smell the rehearsal room we were in - old baloney sandwiches, instrument polish and dust on the strings of the out-of-tune piano. 
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you just looked in my eyes and said, 
“it seems like something’s wrong” 
so now you’re off to write 
another heart-breaking song 
and i’ve seen this before 
you get bored so you start this tug-of-war 
this phenomenon is a little odd 
it’s . . . it’s relational sabotage 

i just looked in your eyes 
and the penny finally dropped 
yeah, it’s taken awhile but now I'm catching on 
you tear things apart, you make it hard 
so you can suffer for your art 
but it’s a crock, yeah it’s a con 
it’s relational sabotage 
‘cause you’re the type 
who needs some drama every night 
yeah, you go and pick a fight 
so you can write about love gone wrong 

oh you sing about pain and rejection and hurt 
but all your inspiration leaves me in the dirt 
and it’s easy to see 
it’s not me who’s to blame for this misery 
you bring it on and then camouflage 
your relational sabotage 
‘cause you’re the type 
who needs some drama every night 
yeah, you go and pick a fight 
just so you can write about love gone wrong 

now you wanna make up 
well that’s tough ‘cause i have had enough 
i swear to god, you gotta stop 
this relational sabotage 

okay, alright 
you want some drama here tonight? 
you can write another song 
about love going wrong 
because now i’m gone 
go and write another song 
about love going wrong 
because now i’m gone
= = = = = 
Next Up -- Chapter 5:  Crushed.  No more near misses.  When it hit it hit like an asteroid cratering into the earth.

Then I Dated A Songwriter (Chapter 4 of LifeLongLove)

This is Chapter 5 in my collection of songs called LifeLongLove.

Setting: The shop was called “The Asteroid”. Out of this world. The smell of cheap incense. Posters and stacks of CD’s like some kind of altar. Racks of vintage vinyl LP’s waiting to be flipped through. The power&possibility of it all was intoxicating.   (note to younger listeners:  in the olden days you actually had to go to a PLACE to buy music)
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i walk through the door at the record store 
and i see her there 
the girl who runs the place has such a face 
that i stop and stare 
she’s so attractive 
one look and i am crushed 
she’s radio-active 
rock & roll pixie dust 
she could change my life from Lo-Fi to stereo 

oh no -- she is way too much 
oh no -- don’t wanna say too much but 
one look at her and i am crushed 

i try to catch her eye but i’m feeling shy 
and i blow my chance 
so i look for my disc but i have to risk 
just one more glance 
she’s so attractive 
i sneak a peek and i am crushed 
she seems distracted 
i don’t how we’ll hook up 
but if it’s meant to be, i’m gonna meet this dynamo 

oh no -- she is way too much 
oh no -- i can’t say too much ‘cause 
my tongue is tied and my heart is crushed 

she walks up to me and i get to see 
her pop-rock smile 
the cd in my hand is her favorite band 
she says, “I like your style” 
she’s so attractive 
one word and i am crushed 
we interact 
and i think i see her blush 
now it's the first time in my life 
i feel like i could play Romeo 

oh no -- girl, you are way too much 
oh no -- forgive me if i say too much but 
one look at you and i was 
crushed

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Next Up - Chapter 6:  What's It Gonna Take?

Crushed! (Chapter 5 of LifeLongLove)

This is Chapter 15 of my collection of songs called Flashback.

Simple really. We grow close. We grow up. We grow apart. And, hopefully, grow up again.
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lyrics

little Jackie Brown is the new kid in town 
heading out to his first day of school 
somewhere on the way he meets a boy named Ray 
they're 2 second graders trying to be cool 

though he says he don't care 
Jackie's feeling pretty scared 
'til Ray tells him, "it'll be alright!" 
by the time class ends, Jackie's got a new friend 
had the best day of his life 

but now it's over, it's over 
and he can never go back again 
'cause when it's over, it's over 
he can never go back again 

(tick tock tick tock) 

10 years go by and it's graduation night 
Jack's new adventure is about to begin 
Ray says, "we've been through so much, 
That we can never lose touch..." 
But they never see each other again 

'cause when it's over, it's over 
they can never go back again 
'cause when it's over, it's over 
they can never go back again 

never go back 
they can never go back 
those days together, well they're gone forever 
we can never get 'em back again 

well little Jackie Brown was the new kid in town 
about a million years ago 
now his kids like to say, 
"dad, tell the one about Ray, 
the boy you used to know" 

but now it's over, it's over 
and he can never go back again 
'cause when it's over 
we can never go back again
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credits
living room Garageband demo

Little JackieBrown (Chapter 15 of Flashback)

This Chapter 1 of my collection of songs called Flashback.

It begins here. I'm on the verge of a big change. And i mean BIG.  Mostly I'm fixated on the future.  But then, unexpectedly, I'm drawn back in time to an unfinished story… Can a childhood friendship survive a broken dream and a couple dozen years of silence?  

=======

lyrics:
i've got a u-haul in my driveway 
packing boxes for moving day 
i stumble on this old photograph 
catch my breath and i start to laugh 

a funny SNAPSHOT from way back when 
of me and my old best friend 
wow, look how those styles have changed 
in this photo of our big day 

i remember now 
it's all coming back to me 
yeah i remember now 
and the memories are bittersweet 
all those childhood days 
when our lives were intertwined 
now we've gone our separate ways 
and we've left the past behind 

but i won't forget you 
though i know we've both lost track 
in a flash our times were over 
but the feeling's still there when i flashback 

i spend the night down on memory lane 
digging out old keepsakes 
our boyhood plans have all come & gone 
but i wanna look back before i move on 

i remember now 
it's all coming back to me 
yeah i remember now 
and the memories are bittersweet 
all those precious days 
when our hopes were intertwined 
now we've gone our separate ways 
and we've left those dreams behind 

but i won't forget you 
though i know we've both lost track 
in a flash our times were over 
but the feeling's still there 
when i flashback 
- - 
oh i remember now 
it’s all coming back to me 
yeah i remember now 
and our story is incomplete 
i don't want to keep moving on 
and miss this chance to finally reconnect 
i don't want to keep moving on 
and miss this chance to reach out to my old friend 

but did you forget me? 
it's been years since we lost track 
in a flash our times were over 
will the feelings be there if we flashback? 

i close up the moving van 
picture still in my hand 
find his number, dial and wait 
i'm hoping it's not too . . . late
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Next Up -- Chapter 2:  Carnival/Friend Like You.  Rewind the timeline. I'm remembering what is was like for a silent yokem like me to meet a rambunctious kid like him . . .

Snapshot (Chapter 1 of Flashback)

This is Chapter 2 of my collection of songs called Flashback.

Setting: So I’m standing next to the moving truck with the phone against my ear waiting to see if he’ll pick-up. We haven’t talked for years. Like, dozens of years. 

The first ring takes me back to those earliest days. Rewind the timeline. I'm remembering what is was like for a “silent yokem” like me to meet a rambunctious kid like him . . . 
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lyrics
hanging ‘round you is like a free day at the carnival 
with thrills & chills & spills, you know, metaphorical 

hanging ‘round you is like a wild ride on the Ferris wheel 
or a tilt-a-whirl where the bolts are loose 
and the risk is real 

it’s the vibe you create 
like a chance is there to take 
and rules are there to break 
in your carnival 

you clown around - whoa oh 
get my heart to pound - whoa oh 
never safe & sound 
but I stay amused 
with a friend like you 

your daredevil stunts teach me to think fast on my feet 
like how 'bout that night we had to hide from the police? 
we were in the clear 
and then “hey coppers--over here!" 
there is a dash of fear 
in your carnival 

you clown around 
get my heart to pound 
never safe & sound 
but I stay amused 
with a friend like you 

you’re cooking up schemes 
i wouldn’t dream of doing on my own 
'cause you love to see me 
stepping out of my comfort zone 
and i'm not just entertained 
i will never be the same 
you showed me life can be a game 
a carnival 

so we clown around 
get our hearts to pound 
never safe & sound 
but we stay amused 
stay amused 
yeah i stay amused 
with a friend like you
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Next Up -- Chapter 3:  Catchphrase.  This was sort of kid who would dream up his own original slogan -- and actually hope that it would "sweep the nation".

Carnival/Friend Like You (Chapter 2 of Flashback)

This is chapter 6 of of my collection of songs: LifeLongLove. 

Setting: The Uptown 2 train, I'm packed in with the other commuters, tourists and oddballs 30 feet underground -- but my head is in the clouds. 

Yeah, we had a great interaction in the record store (Chapter 5 #Crushed) and then . . . radio silence. The next time I saw her it felt like everything had cooled off. She seems so guarded. So many questions I wish I could ask. 
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(i wanna say. . . ) 
hey - what’s it gonna take to win you over? 
hey - what’s it gonna take to get through your defense? 
(i outghta say . . . ) 
hey - how do i get your heart to open? 
what’s it gonna take for you 
to give a guy like me a chance? 

if i climb a jagged mountain 
plant a flag upon its stony peak? 
if i sail a stormy ocean 
make the trip across with lightening speed? 
well would it be enough 
to make you think i’m tough 
how do i crack the code? 
well i just got to know 

hey - what’s it gonna take to win you over? 
hey - what’s it gonna take to get through your defense? 
hey - how do i get your heart to open? 
what’s it gonna take for you 
to give a guy like me a chance? 

should i chisel out a sculpture 
carve a heart of granite just for you? 
do i have to paint a tragic picture 
pour my blood onto the canvas too? 
well would it be enough? 
to make you think i’m tough 
how do i crack the code 
‘cause i’m on overload! 

what’s it gonna take for you 
to give a guy like me a chance?
 
(WOW!  - look who just walked onto this train! i kid you not…OMG!?!)
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Next Up -- Chapter 7:  Somebody

What's It Gonna Take? (Chapter 6 of LifeLongLove)

This is chapter 7 of of my collection of songs: LifeLongLove. 

Setting: The Uptown 2 train, I'm packed in with the other commuters, tourists and oddballs 30 feet underground. I’ve been in here thinking about you-know-who (Chapter. 6: “What’s it Gonna Take?”) and, OMG! look who just got on the train  - i kid you not!  A wild coincidence?!?

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lyrics
"Hi, wow!" 

what are the chances we’d meet like this? 
crammed in the subway, the end of a tough day 
seems like a sign that’s hard to miss 
whattaya think it means? 

on your way home for some peace of mind 
can make a suggestion or ask you a question? 
maybe a friend could help you unwind 
how ‘bout some company? 

uh oh — who is it gonna be? 
somebody’s gotta cheer you up when you feel down 
somebody’s gotta make you laugh and play the clown 
that “somebody” might as well be me! 

so glad i ran into you tonight 
sorry to hear that your day turned out so bad 
now you need someone to treat you right 
how ‘bout some company? 

uh oh — who is it gonna be? 
somebody’s gotta cheer you up when you feel down 
somebody’s gotta make you laugh and play the clown 
that “somebody” might as well be me 
. . . 
somebody’s gotta keep your secrets underground 
somebody’s gotta be your prince and wear the crown 
that “somebody” might as well be me 
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Next Up -- Chapter 8:  Twist In the Plot.  After 2 glorious months together . . . wham!

Somebody (Chapter 7 of LifeLongLove)

This is chapter 8 of my collection of songs Flashback. 

Setting: We had been best friends for more than a decade, from the first day of 2nd grade to the night we graduated high school. We were practically inseperable. When we were little kids we used to sneak out at night and meet at Twin Sister Hill. We would lie on our backs for hours and gaze up at the summer sky. But that was a long time ago and things had changed the way they always do.  And now, we were about to head off in different directions. 
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lyrics
by the time that morning comes 
i'll be gone without a trace 
i'm boosting up a rocket 
taking off to outer space 
'cause i've been stuck here in your shadow 
and it's all i've ever known 
it's my turn now to try to make it on my own 

'cause i don't wanna be the guy who keeps hanging on 
when the past dries up and our glory days are gone 
there's nothing you can say 
that's gonna make me change my mind 
i'm heading out into orbit 
i'm gonna leave this all behind 

---so it's goodbye i'm taking off tonight 
---i'm gonna climb into the sky like a satellite 
---goodbye i'll be a tiny speck of light 
---stealing through the night almost out of sight 
---‘cause if you're shooting star then i'm just a satellite 

yeah, we've got so many memories 
both the good ones and the bad 
and i won't forget the past 
and all those crazy dreams we had 
but our picture perfect plans 
didn't turned out like we thought 
and now we both carry scars 
from the battles that we fought 

---so it's goodbye i'm taking off tonight 
---i'm gonna climb into the sky like a satellite 
---goodbye i'll be a tiny speck of light 
---stealing through the night almost out of sight 
---‘cause if you're shooting star then i'm just a satellite 

we can't hold on too tight 
but it’ll be alright 
maybe i'll swing back around 
and see you again, till then... 

---it's goodbye i'm taking off tonight 
---i'm gonna climb into the sky like a satellite 
---goodbye i'll be a tiny speck of light 
---stealing through the night almost out of sight 

goodbye to favorite places 
and all those familiar faces 
it’s my time to fly 
so keep your eyes on the sky 
you might see me passing by 
like a satellite

Satellite (chapter 8 of Flashback)

This is chapter 8 in my collection of songs entitled "LifeLongLove". 

I've met this amazing girl in the record shop (Chapter 5: “Crushed”) and then I ran into her completely by chance on the train (Chapter 7: “Somebody”) where the sparks begin to fly.  We spend a couple of amazing months together running around.  And then . . . 
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so this girl and i give it a try 
and i get to know her 
things are moving fast and we have a blast 
and we’re growing closer 
then outta nowhere she pulls back and hits the brakes 
she says “wait, I need space 
let’s take the pace slower — much slower” 

it’s a twist in the plot - oh 
it’s a bolt from the blue 
it’s the twist in the plot - oh 
from full speed to sudden stop 
what am i gonna do? 

i’m gonna play it cool, don’t wanna be a fool 
and lose my composure 
i say, “okay fine, you can take some time 
time to think things over” 
just when i thought that the romance was getting hot, 
she flip-flopped, the temp dropped 
it got a lot colder — i got her cold shoulder 

it’s the twist in the plot - oh 
it’s a bolt from the blue 
it’s the twist in the plot - oh 
from full speed to sudden stop 
and it all comes as a shock 
what am i gonna do? 

i didn’t see it coming 
i couldn’t see it coming 
i should've seen it coming 
you pull me close then push me away 

it’s a twist in the plot - oh 
it’s a bolt from the blue 
it’s the twist in the plot - oh 
from full speed to sudden stop 
and it all comes as a shock 
you tie a such a tangled knot 
what am i gonna do? 

does this mean we’re through? 
CTRL - Z undo? 
is this the end of me & you?
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Next Up -- Chapter 9:  Twisted Game.  It's all so convoluted.  And the emotions are running MUY CALIENTE.

Twist In The Plot (Chapter 8 of LifeLongLove)

THE SETUP:  We knew before we began that our mission was all but impossible. But we faced it together - the endless snow, the winds of Thor and the dogs of doom howling, “More!”

Now all the others are lost.  I’m the only one who survived the frigid horrors of the mountain pass to descend to the barren valley below. And now I face the dark enchantments of the Chasm of Evermore,  alone.

I carry the news that must get through.

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The Bridge

I stepped up to the edge and looked down. There was no floor in sight. Just down. 

I had to cross. And the only way over this chasm was an ancient walkway suspended with twine - the Bridge. 

I held my breath and took my first step over the edge. Slowly placing my full weight on the wooden plank beneath my feet. 

It held. 

I took a second tentative step. Then a third. Testing each piece. Dizzy with fear. Fighting to keep my eyes fixed on the other side. 

I was halfway across when it happened. I heard a crack of wood. My stomach plunged as my feet fell out from under me. Everything seemed to move outside of time. 

The rope tore into my clenched fist. I was hanging, spinning above the emptiness. 

I clawed and I fought my way back up to the Bridge. 

Heart and head pounding. I had to keep going. I continued on, concentrating only on the wood beneath my feet. 

Finally, I forced my eyes up. Only three more steps to go.
Two.
Now one.
I collapsed to the solid ground beneath me. Safe. It had taken a lifetime to conquer but it was over. 

I got up. Staggered away from the Bridge in numb celebration. And then it hit me, sucking the air from my lungs. 

I realized that I got turned around out there. And now here I am, back where I started, still needing to go to the other side. 
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I like to imagine this as a companion piece to the song “No Quarter” by Led Zeppelin, a band whose music contains feelings of mystery and ferocity that have inspired me since I was kid. JB
============

Adapted from a story by https://soundcloud.com/mark-klenk

Image by http://MarkKlenk.com

The Bridge (a musical short story)

This is Chapter 3 of my collection of songs called Flashback.

The memories keep coming . . . like the time in Junior High School when my best friend tried to create his very own Catchphrase. He decided the perfect moment to launch it would be the big talent show in the cafeteria. I had been practicing my INSTRUMENTAL guitar piece like crazy and the plan was that in one moment we could debut my song AND kick-off Ray's original enigmatic slogan.   He jumped up and said:
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Here's a confession: my obsession is to coin a new expression 
“Good God, Great Scott, Bad Dog”


From elation to frustration, there's no better exclamation 
Good God, Great Scott, Bad Dog

Now, for perfection add inflection to my handy interjection 
Good God! Great Scott! Bad Dog!

And if my creation's a sensation it could even sweet the nation 
Good God! Great Scott! Bad Dog!

(It'll be slicker, catch on quicker, if it’s on a bumper sticker!)

Good God, Great Scott, Bad Dog
= = = = =
(Sweep the nation? Not exactly. But there were a couple homemade t-shirts and some new graffiti on the walls of the bathrooms of Washington Junior High School as a result.)

Next Up -- Chapter 4:  In high school he dreamt up his biggest scheme yet. One that would forever change the course of our lives . . .

Catchphrase (Chapter 3 of Flashback)

I wrote some songs!  Here are 14 of ‘em. They are my attempt at using guitars and some original high-energy rock music to tell my story . . . one "chapter" at a time.  I sincerely appreciate YOU taking a listen —and please don’t forget to the check out “Behind This Track” button for the lyric’s, stories and other tasty tidbits.  Thanks! - JB, Jan. ‘25
#geezerrock

Popular tracks by JackBrownNYC (storytelling rock&roll) #geezerrock