A little over a year ago, my father in law, Dave, passed away. Due to the still prevalent pandemic, we had a small outdoor graveside service (it was really, really cold). The plan was to gather again for a celebration of his life when things eased up. Well, as much as good old Covid still seems to be hanging around, vaccines and perhaps the beginnings of herd immunity have put us in a position where we are moving ahead with it in about a month. While the “opener” will be a fairly formal church gathering, it will be followed by a more relaxed gathering over drinks and dinner. He and I shared many conversations over the years and almost all involved music and our shared love for reading about all kinds of things. Neither of us was much into formal religion (I have really become agnostic as any usual reader already knows, having shed the doctrines pounded into me by the largely hypocritical roman catholic church) but we both shared a belief in some sort of spiritual surroundings.

I have lots of great stories some of which I’ll be sharing during the celebratory gathering in the evening but the one thing that keeps surfacing is how very open he was to listening to and appreciating all things music and literature (yes, folks again you readers know, our political leanings were very different but never got in the way of our warmth and respect for each other). I know he’d appreciate the following tune from Warren Zevon, and would very much have loved the fact that Warren managed to kid about death, while including in a song references to movies, actors, and classic writers and poets.

Not coincidentally, Bruce, opened his show a few days after Warren passed with this particular song (again for those having followed along you know how Dave appreciated Bruce’s autobiography and asked to listen to some of his music because of it, even though he was more an opera guy). Here it is…hope you appreciate it as much as I do and know Dave would have if I had the chance to share it with him…Here’s hoping the ride was smooth and comfortable.

I was staying at the Marriott
With Jesus and John Wayne
I was waiting for a chariot
They were waiting for a train

The sky was full of carrion
“I’ll take the mazuma”
Said Jesus to Marion
“That’s the 3:10 to Yuma
My ride’s here…”

The Houston sky was changeless
We galloped through bluebonnets
I was wrestling with an angel
You were working on a sonnet

You said, “I believe the seraphim
Will gather up my pinto
And carry us away, Jim
Across the San Jacinto
My ride’s here…”

Shelley and Keats were out in the street
And even Lord Byron was leaving for Greece
While back at the Hilton, last but not least
Milton was holding his sides

Saying, “You bravos had better be ready to fight
Or we’ll never get out of East Texas tonight
The trail is long and the river is wide
And my ride’s here”

I was staying at the Westin
I was playing to a draw
When in walked Charlton Heston
With the Tablets of the Law

He said, “It’s still the Greatest Story”
I said, “Man I’d like to stay
But I’m bound for glory
I’m on my way
My ride’s here…”