The Blues

Ain't Gone 'N' give Up On Love
--by Stevie Ray Vaughan
I ain't gone 'n' give up on love
Love won't give up on me
I ain't gone 'n' give up on love
Love ain't gone 'n' give up on me
Every tear that I've cried
Only washed away the fear inside
Now I, I ain't gone 'n' give up on love
Every beat of my heart
Pounds with joy and not with pain
Every beat of my heart
Pounds with joy and not in vain
And although those are painful memories
Only brought me to my knees
I was just given up on love
Little Johnny Taylor told us so long ago
What about the midnight cryin'
Wo that cheatin' and lyin'
What about the price that will
Oh surely be paid
Those that gave up on love
Love will have it's dayI ain't givin' up on love
I ain't gone 'n' give up on love
Love won't give up on me
I ain't gone 'n' give up on love
Love won't give up on me
Every time I cry
Love just won't let me be
Won't set me free

This song, probably more than any other, made me truly love the blues. Being a child of the 80's, and having three older siblings, gave me a vast musical pallette. As far back as I can recall (maybe I was five years old), I have memories of music in my home. Either it was my mother making her old, green upright piano sing... or the sweet sound of my father strumming his Gibson flat top. Sometimes the music came from my younger brother.

His musical tastes greatly influenced mine because he spent so much time with me. Six years his junior, I was the proverbial kid sister...but he didn't seem to mind. I rolled happily for miles with my brother in his Olds Cutlass 442, all the while getting a crash course in what would one day be known as heavy, classic, punk, metal and just plain ole' rock and roll. My fave of all time? The Canadian power trio Rush, without a doubt. Others include Jimi Hendrix, Led Zepplin, Ted Nugent, Peter Frampton, Cream (and Eric Clapton), Foghat, Bad Company, Scorpions, Aerosmith, Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, Blue Oyster Cult...and the elusive yet beloved and rare Frank Marino and Mahogany Rush Live. The latest technology involved the humble eight-track player and tape, and anyone who ever owned one knows that familiar clicking sound. We were beside ourselves when the cassette became popular! We could conveniently rewind the tape and hear our favorite song over and over without having to play all the way through, what a convenience, ha.

I spent a lot of time with my sister as well. She married when I was just five years old. I missed her terribly, and would stay the night with her every chance I got. There I heard Chicago, Marshall Tucker Band, Allman Brothers, Molly Hatchett, ZZ Top, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Doobie Brothers, Black Oak Arkansas, and later Boston (Brad Delp, awesome vocalist), Foreigner (Lou Gramm, one of the best all-time rock vocalists, period), Journey (Steve Perry, one of the best all-time rock vocalists, period), Whitesnake. That isn't nearly all, but I must post and go for now. I will continue my story of the blues later. Peace and Love always...