In the universe of my frequent characters, Reggie has an obsession with this woman who he can't shake. This is her song to him:

Hat & Keys, by John C. Rodriguez
Reggie, honey, reach for your hat ‘n keys.
Come on back to where you long to be
Leave your busy city ‘n all yer cares.
Lemme be your heaven in the middle o’ nowhere.

		O, come to me, my restless traveler,
			Come to me, come to me tonight.
		O, Come to me, my hungry traveler,
			I’ll make everything all right.

Hang up yer hat.  Slip off yer boots.
Unsnap yer shirt.  Let it hang loose.
Kneel right down before this cross dangling on my chest.
Prepare yourself for the sweet glory of what ya know comes next.
O, come to me, my hungry traveler,
			Come to me, come to me tonight.
		O, Come to me, my weary traveler,
			The rest will do you right. 

Wake on up now, Reggie. Collect yer hat ‘n keys.
Sun/Son is coming, gotta let you free.
Keep yer eyes on the road; remember me.
Go on back… Go on back… Go on back… 
Go on back to where ya need to be.

Aqua Net & Cigarettes

Hat & Keys

Hat and Keys

Coyote Creek(Find My Peace) 

Wind my way through Pacheco Pass
Cut through Gilroy’s garlic fields	
Look for the cutoff road
Just beyond Morgan Hill

There’s a clearing by a stream
Shaded by black walnut trees
I go there to be alone
Alone in Coyote Creek

Find my peace, find my peace
In at Coyote Creek
Find my peace, find my peace
Blend into the whispering
Of Coyote Creek

Here in the clearing by a stream
Shaded by black walnut trees
I come here to be alone
Alone in Coyote Creek
	
Found my peace, found my peace
In Coyote Creek
Blend into the whispering
Of Coyote Creek

Wade in the water with rolled up jeans
Feel my feet on the mossy rocks
I come here to be alone
Alone in Coyote Creek

Found my peace, found my peace
In Coyote Creek
Blend into the whispering
Of Coyote Creek

Aquanet & Cigarettes

Coyote Creek (Find My Peace)

Coyote Creek

(Early demo, rewrote the second verse)
Influenced by Andy Just, Willie Dixon, Junior Wells, and Sonny Boy Williamson, I challenged myself to write and produce a song with a bass guitar without a six-string rhythm. I have been into playing the harmonica since the 80's, but since I'm usually too busy playing guitar, most people don't know.

Settle In

Can't Have That

VERY ROUGH DEMO. This song is posted for a limited time, just to give my band a chance to practice along with it for our show 8/2/22.

PMSW

There It Is

She's Amazing

VERY ROUGH DEMO, This song is posted for a limited time, just to give my band a chance to practice along with it for our show 8/2/22.

Lean Into Me

(Updated demo track, 1/6/24) In the middle of Long Beach, CA, is a city called Signal Hill. It was the epicenter of the major oil boom for the region in the 1920's. This song is the story of a young man taking a big risk to make his way in the world.

Lyrics:
Signal Hill, I Seek Your Lights, John Rodriguez (Red Jug Horizon Music 2023)

Dearest Mamma, I’m sorry to say in a letter that I moved on, this time for good.
I know it’s not the plan that you had in mind
But there comes a time… your boy becomes a man.
Cousin Junior wrote to me… about this opportunity,
They struck oil in California, where a farm used to be..
I know what you’re thinking, there’s danger and uncertainty
The truth of it is.. Well, that’s what is calling me. 
 
[Chorus]
O, Signal Hill, I seek your lights. Here I come, offering my life.
I’ll use my hands, and my back and I’ll work ‘til it rains black.
O, Signal Hill! Signal Hill, here I come. 

You raised me well, in the hills, among cedar and and pine
It’s all I’ve known, that country side.
Their streets are named for trees, Junior tells me,
In a year or two, we can build ourselves a home.

[Chorus]
In a couple days, I’d say, I’ll settle into town.
I’ll camp out nearby at Sunnyside.
I know you’ll pray for me, and all will be well
I’ll miss you Mamma… please tell Dad.

O, Signal Hill, I seek your lights.
Here I come, offering my life.
I’ll use my hands, and my back and I’ll work ‘til it rains black.
O, Signal Hill! Signal Hill, here I am…

At A Standstill

Signal Hill, I Seek Your Lights V2

This is what happens while drinking your morning coffee, waiting for all to be revealed.

Coffee Stain on Paper

Recorded with my Long Beach coffeehouse folk rock band "the Almost." for the "Live at Linnaea's" record in 1998.

Tyler Cartner plays harmonica.

Lyrics:
I’ve got this shoeshine box, set your self in front of me. / I’ve got all the accouterments. Sit yourself in front of me. / I’ll take you with pumps, boots or sandals; I might even do you for free.

I’m your shoeshine man, spit polish and shine. / Hey, I’m your shoeshine man, spit polish and shine. I’m gonna rub-a-dub-dub you, and I’m gonna take my time.

I’ve got all the right colors: brown, navy, red, and tan. / Gray, black and white, and even cordovan. / I’ve got exactly what you need, baby, let me be your shoeshine man.

(Spoken) Yeah, it’s true that I’ve shined a few shoes in my day, and I’ve worked hard to earn a reputation of full-service customer satisfaction, and that makes me qualified to say that you can tell by the way a woman walks if she’s been taken care of by a real shoeshine man.

I’ll take my special brush: wipe on, wipe off. You know what I mean. / Side, side, side, round, round, round, you know what I mean. / Then I’ll work it in deep for a shine you’ve never seen.

Come again tomorrow, woman, I’ll treat you right. / Same time tomorrow, baby, oh yeah, I’ll treat you right. / I’ll bring just enough polish to… / I’ll bring just enough polish to buff you all night!

The Almost. Live at Linnaea's

Shoe Shine Man

From the upcoming EP "Raymond Street Tapes"
This song was written in 1996 for the Long Beach folk rock band "the Almost." (Not to be confused with the Florida same-name rock band of this century.) On this EP, I'm collecting my solo versions of the songs from our coffeehouse rock days.

Lyrics:
Maybe I went too fast. I got caught up in the race to get the love to light up your face. I get too attached to the idea of having you around me while your arms stretch out and surround me. Yeah, I was brash to put so much time in a losing game; pieces were missing and the rules had changed. So blame me for my blindness! Curse me for my kindness! But, forgive me, my dear sweet Highness.

Just watch me walk away. I know I can do it, I’m strong, but then again, I could be wrong. I can’t stand to talk this way without giving you a chance to defend. Who am I kidding and why pretend? – ‘Cause I can no longer stay hiding offstage in my own play. I’ll take a bow and be on my way.

So blame me! Blame me! Blame me for my blindness! I could not see through your bright lights. Curse me! Curse me! Curse me for my kindness while you put up your little fight.

And forgive me! Forgive me, my dear sweet Highness, as I say one last time “Good night.” Good night, good night, my dear sweet Highness. One last time… One last time… Good night.

Raymond Street Tapes

Good Morning To Me

Good Morning to Me

Inspired by the vibe at an RT Valine show (RT 'N the 44's)

Lyrics:
Send You a Drink (3/2016 John Rodriguez)

I’m drinking my beer and—hey!—what have we here: a vision at end of the bar. / She’s a tall drink of water, a busty farmer’s daughter, with a voice I can hear from afar.

Darlin’, I’ll send you a drink, before you can think of a reason to get up and go. / Enjoy the daiquiri, and send somethin’ back to me, like a smile, or a wink, or a show.

What a healthy young lass, my eye’s on your… glass. / The refill is comin’ from me. / I’ll send you a drink before you can think of someplace that you’d rather be.

Her charms are prodigious, profile callipygous, and worth every $10 word. But as I sit here gawkin’, my I.Q.’s a-droppin’ and I fear my request won’t be heard.

I’m quite captivated, a lil’ ‘nebriated. Oh, I got no cause to complain. / Slide me a martini, and unlike Houdini, I could not break free from your chains. / Darlin’, I’ll send you a drink, before you can think of a reason to get up and go. Enjoy the daiquiri, and send somethin’ back to me, like a smile, or a wink, or a show.

Red Jug Horizon

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