Saturday, January 18, 2025

Tugboat Jackson - The Pendulum Swings

 Tugboat Jackson continues to write and perform with passion. He's got more time now that he's semi-retired, and has a few things to say, and not only in his songs :

My playing is getting lots better, now that I can give it a few hours every day to get back my chops. Not braggin' but I used to be top-notch, and it took lots of work to get there. But it takes a lot of work to keep up that level too. I heard a classical piano player say once that technique is like money; If you want it, you gotta work for it. And if you're lucky enough and work hard enough to gather a fortune, it takes a lot of work to keep it too. Well, I got enough money to get me by comfortably, but I want my technique fortune back! So I pass my practice time in my music room, a small bedroom in my house. My sweet wife understands my need to practice, and she don't bother me if she can help it. When my fingers are goin', it can make my mind work too. I've come up with most of my songs while practicin'. Not improvising, but playing scales and exercises I've come up with over the years. Can't write 'em down, never learned how to read or write music outside of chord symbols. I envy those who've had the experience and education that can do that, but I've been doin' it this way all my life, and got no gumption to work that hard now!

Tugboat's artistry has impressed some of our other artists here at Big And Tall Records. Big Marv and The Hodads did a cover of Tugboat's song 'Keep Lovin' , and some of the band are featured on this recent recording. They provide a discreet backing that Tugboat really appreciates! 

The only constant is change 
Yeah, the only constant is change. 
Just as soon as it‘s level 
It goes to the devil 
And falls in another range. 
 
 The pendulum always swings 
The pendulum always swings 
It’ll heads towards another, 
Then swing towards the other,
 It’s usually change it brings 
 
Sometimes swings fast, sometimes slow 
Swingin’ real fast, sometimes real slow 
When it takes a notion, 
To change its motion,
 Can’t always predict the way it’ll go. 
 
If you figure it out, 
You'll have no doubt
 And live your life accordingly. 
Look out and see, 
 the minority 
Got most all the money!
 
 Some people think dead center is best, 
Some think dead in the middle is best 
But you walk and can’t get a ride, 
You gotta pick a side, 
Walkin’ the middle of the road ain’t the best. 
 
I read nature always tries for a balance
 Nature’s laws always shoot for a balance,
 But the scales always a skew, 
If not for me, then for you 
The majority of us ain’t got a chance!
 
 If you figure it out, 
You'll have no doubt
 And live your life accordingly.
 Look out and see, the minority 
Got most all the money!
 
 

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