Challenge accepted although I was listening to radio with a pretty darn successful songwriter as the DJ.. so that probably wasn’t fair to me! He seems to mostly play very well written songs.

What’s in it for me;

1. Hello Country Bumpkin – Cal Smith (Written by Don Wayne)- What’s in it for me with this one is the story being told taking me right to where it’s taking place, remembering experiences where I was actually in moments just like the song describes. The time warp part of this song is pretty interesting skipping a few weeks then forward 40 years saying goodbye, which sort of transported me to moments when I was saying goodbye to some elders.

2. Galveston – Glenn Cambell (Written by Jimmy Webb) – Since I’ve lived a little more than an hour from Galveston going on 20 years, this one takes an interesting twist as I’m hearing all the beach and geographical references to the point where I almost miss the actual story being told, while visualizing and putting myself on the beach. Being on the beach really has little to do with the story! If I didn’t already know it, doing this exercise, that whole story of the guy going off to war just blows over for me. Cool side note and possible reason for this is that I’m actually going to be in Galveston for a couple of days later this week for a conference.

4. Real Love – Dolly and Kenny – (Written by David Malloy, Richard “Spady” Brannon and Randy McCormick – What’s in this one? The pleasant memories of a relationship when it was happy and new, and the excitement of realizing that it was going to the next level, long term. The search is complete and successful kind of feeling. Aaah though.. good for them is the real thought I have.. LOL!

5. Simple Man – Charlie Daniels – What’s in this one for me is a pep talk to keep up the good fight and know that I’ve got friends fired up enough to have my back when I take a stand against most of what’s wrong with our country right now that could use some fixin’ Musically, I never realized how similar a song I wrote last year sounds like this one.. HMM.. Nobody has ever told me that after hearing it though..? Hmm..

6. Oilfield Dad – Bryan Martin – What’s in this one is knowing that I ain’t the only one struggling (though I’m struggling a lot less than the story at the moment, #tbtG) It’s making me be a little more grateful for the convenience of putting gas in my car at any choice of many gas stations, not having to think about all the people working hard all along the chain from reserves deep in the ground to the gas pump and all the sacrifices made to make that convenience possible. In it for me is an increased gratitude that I was able to spend so much time with my daughter growing up, so far.

7. Throwing Good Love after Bad -(Written by Mike Anthony, Michael Patrick Heeney) Conway – commiseration for short is what’s in this one for me. At the end of a relationship where I’ve got the short end of the stick over and over.

8. Set Em Up Joe – Vern Gosdin, Dean Dillon, Buddy Cannon and Hank Cochran – In this one for me is being taken back to the pretty much extinct old pool halls during the day/week that turned into dance halls on evenings and weekends. The many lunches had at these places while they were empty while I was very young imagining the parties, dances and such that happened in them. Memories of watching Music shows on TV at Maw Maw’s house the Nudy suits in black and white

9. Lookin’ for Love – (Wanda Mallette, Bob Morrison and Patti Ryan) – This one gives me a friend who’s been through almost exactly what I’ve been through several times. Yet at the same time, happy memories from enjoying the Urban Cowboy movie. I think what this one gives me the most is a part to sing along with as a virtual background singer.

Apparently there was also a songwriter lesson in this one as when I was looking up the writers I learned about Wanda and Patti writing this when they were school teachers..? HUH? How did I never know this incredible story? If it’s true.. I paraphrase copy from a “best songs written by non professional songwriters” list; “Lookin’ for Love,” the big hit by Johnny Lee from the Urban Cowboy soundtrack, was basically written by two second-grade schoolteachers, Wanda Mallette and Patti Ryan. They sent their song to a Nashville pro named Bob Morrison, who polished it. Then it was shopped to 21 different places before it was picked up. Voila! A #1 country hit and #5 pop hit with their first published song! Mallette, at least, did some songwriting on a more professional level, notably placing a couple album cuts with Reba McEntire, but it was “Lookin’ for Love” that remained her big hit song.”

10. Down at the Twist and Shout – Mary Chapin Carpenter – What’s in this one for me is HOMESICK! Mary sings about everything I grew up on and where I grew up! I can literally smell the food, and wood in them old honky tonk rooms. I can see the dresses flaring up from being twirled around.. What’s in this will likely be a long overdue ROAD TRIP to the mother land!