Feb 5, 2009

I was driving home from my parents tonight while NPR reviewed the movie "Fan Boy."  I found myself thinking; "I never truly embraced my inner fanboy when I was young."   The other night this was confirmed by my utter mystification while my new roommate and another local songwriter talked TNG--"The Next Generation"**   It seemed like a loss in a way, like I was a social outcast even among Trekkies.  Poor Me.   So what did I do?  Go to the Deisel Cafe and unwittingly confirmed what a complete nerd I am.  

Have you watched the movie WordPlay? 

I saw it two years ago.   By the end of the movie I was a crossword convert.   John Stewart does crosswords.  So does Bill Clinton.  But I got hooked because the Indigo Girls went on about how much crosswords have in common with songwriting.   Sadly, I'm both finicky  and only moderately bright.   I fell in love with the cleverness of the NY Times Crossword but could only make any headway on Monday puzzles.  The first few months of my infatuation I was jittery waiting for Mondays to role around so I could work on another puzzle with moderate success. 
Then this January I finally caved and just subscribed to the online crossword archive at the Times.   Now I get all the Monday puzzles I can handle.   Sometimes I even finish them.   Sometimes I use them as a jumping off place for songs as well.   Thus the song "Don't Cross Your Words" was born.  This song is the apotheosis of that--and oh how my inner nerd is jumping around doing the PeeWee Herman dance having created it.    

**If you're wondering; "the next generation of what?" then you don't have inner fanboy.

The Crossword.  Nov 10th is my sister's birthday by the way.



The Notebook Page:


The Lyrics:

Wearing a suede suit
Yawning in his boots
Rene swung into town
On Misty his horse
Won in divorce
From a wife who never frowned

He had a cheese clothe heart
Was a yes sir sort
Was born in Salem, Oregon
It was Gman Pete
On whom his wife got Sweet
And made the Drama for this song

Cross your T’s boys
Dot your I’s
Hold firm a sturdy alibi
Lovers and fighters
Sheath your swords
If you cross your hearts
Don’t Cross your words

Now Gman Pete
Was a shade Efete
He lived in a chalet
So when Rene’s Wife
Sewed at Pete’s one night
He said, “Yes sir!” That man’s gay.

But Rene’s Friend Dan
Was suspicious man
He hid with a camera outside pete’s spot
And through a window he taped
While his mouth was gaped
A problem much deeper than he had thought

Now Rene’s a man
Of simple plans
He knew how he’d atone
His role was cast
And he acted fast
When he saw pete’s Onion Dome

So he hired Seth
A sage of death
Who worked with a nail file
And the story ends
With the point he sends
Don’t you skid after walking down the aisle