Rambl'n' On

The history of my relationships or (more often) love interests that never become relationships often winds up recorded in song. Indeed, when I played at Willamette University's Wulapalooza festival way back in 2000 the theme of my 5-song set was "An Anthology of Russell's Love Life in Song." The set went "A Snowball's Chance in Hell," "The That Girl's Got a Boyfriend Blues," "Natalie Portman," "Amazing Girl," and finished with this song. "Amazing Girl" and "Ramb'n' On" established what was to become a too familiar pattern: the sappy song followed by the angsty song(s). At the time of the Wulapalooza set only four other people had heard the song. The woman it was about was in the audience (not a stunt I'd ever recommend, by the way) and the first time I sang the line "are you going to miss me when I'm gone [I was headed to Ecuador, she was graduating]" she said "yes." She got married a couple years later. Indeed she is so far from alone in this regard that I have enough material to release an album (or at least a long EP) called "Love Songs for Married Women."

Also, I often introduce this song by saying that I'd been listening to too much Ani (especially Not a Pretty Girl and Dilate) when I wrote this...

I knew what you were gonna say
But somehow I had to ask you anyway
The lesson of my lost innocence
Anything worth while doesn't make sense

You told me to find someone who'd be around
But in my short twenty years I've found
That love ain't like shopping for
Twinkies in some convenience store

Chorus: And I suppose it's time I was rambling on
Are you gonna miss me when I'm gone?
This is where we say goodbye
Will I see you again before I die?

Oh you're a wild and crazy one
Being with you is so much fun
I guess the thing that most appealed to me
Is the way you always were so Goddamn free

Chorus

While on the couch you slept
Into the lounge I crept
Prettiest site I ever saw
it left my heart open raw

Chorus

I'll try to put it all behind
Veto my heart with my mind
Good thing there's no two thirds override
'Cause it still wants you by my side

Well I knew what you were gonna say