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JUST AN OLD FIDDLER (Jerry Rasmussen) There's wood by the cook-stove long stacked and forgotten, Split log and split log, placed there with care. And a tin cup and saucer set out on the table All dented and chipped from the long years of wear Chorus: He was just an old fiddler come back to the homestead As old as the cabin that stood in the woods, Almost forgotten from times hard remembered Of nights by the fire with friends gone for good Not many noticed when the fiddler came back, Just the squirrels in the rafters and the mice in the bin And when the fire inside finally took him away It just read in the paper no known next of kin. There's nothing as long as a cold winter's night, Nothing as welcome as friends at the door And nothing as useless as stories to tell Or a tune to be played when there's no one to hear. Copyright Jerry Rasmussen. All rights reserved. Comments from Jerry Rasmussen: Like many other songs I've written, this one came from a dream. The first verse was complete, as was the chorus when I woke up. One thing that is great about so ngs coming from dreams is that they are very visual (obviously). In the dream, I walked into the old cabin, and found a yellowed newspaper clipping about the ol d fiddler. When I was a kid, I used to explore a wooded area out in the country, and came across an old cabin. When we were horsing around on the roof, I looked down into the chimney, and there plastered into the chimney lining was a corner of a harmonica sticking out. I got out my jacknife (never travel without a jack nife) and slowly gouged away the plaster until I got the harmonica out. Getting the holes unplugged and the reeds loosened up was another matter. But, with a lo t of careful poking around, and soaking the harmonica in a bowl, I finally got i t loosened up so most of the notes played. It was worth it, just to feel that co nnection with whoever played it, years ago. I have no idea why he would have pla stered into the chimney, up on the roof. It made for a good story, though, and m ay have led to this song.. JR @music @aging filename[ OLDFIDLR WH JR |
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