The Goot Blog

Phewwwww! I just turned 59, an undistinguished age if there ever was one. But what a surprise: this year, my typically lost-in-the-New-Year's-celebration-shuffle birthday has lasted nearly a month, thanks to an unusually gracious and party-loving group of friends. The festivities got kicked off back in mid-December with a surprise pre-birthday dinner and will come to a long-overdue end this afternoon with a long, tequila-infused lunch with members of my Guys' Group. In the middle, I made a couple of cool connections with Chicago, the city of my birth. First off, my drummer friend Rick introduced me to Al Bunetta, who was visiting with his wife Dawn from Nashville. Al, it turns out, heads up OhBoy Records, manages John Prine's career, and was Chicago legend Steve Goodman's manager and close friend. Between Christmas and New Year's we hosted a dinner party for them and were delighted by Al's treasure trove of "back in the day" music stories. Then at my post-birthday party this past Sunday, my friend Mary, perhaps the biggest Steve Goodman fan in Mexico, gifted me with a set of "the esential Steve Goodman" CDs. As we sat in the sun, listening to her favorite Goodman songs, we all agreed his "Ballad of Carl Martin" should be played at every birthday we celebrate in San Miguel. I wish I could find a link to the song on the Internet, but I couldn't. So all I can do is urge you to buy the album (Santa Ana Winds) from the OhBoy Records website, or simply enjoy the lyrics below:

You Better Get It While You Can

(The Ballad Of Carl Martin)

By Steve Goodman

I remember when I met Carl Martin,

It must have been a dozen years ago.

A spectacular gent, he was old and bent,

But his eyes had a fiery glow.

He was born April Fools Day, 1906,

Near Big Stone Gap, VA.

He could play a little fiddle

And some blues guitar he'd picked up along the way.

But once he got his hands on a mandolin,

He lit up like a Christmas tree.

Along with Ted Bogan and Howard Armstrong

They were the best string band I ever did see.

For fifty odd years they played rent parties

Road houses, concerts, festivals too.

At the drop of a hat these three black cats

Would play every song they knew.

It was 'Lady Be Good' and 'The Barnyard Dance"

And "The Ice Cream Freezer Blues".

They'd bring the oldest chestnuts out

And make 'am all sound brand new.

And the little white boys with their shiny guitars,

Would follow right along at their heels.

They learned the words and they learned the chords

But they never did get the feel.

Now I asked Carl once how he got the fire.

He said, 'Boy, you've got to understand,

If you want to be someone, you've gotta have some fun,

So you better get it while you can.'

(CHORUS)

You better get it while you can,

You better get it while you can.

If you wait too long, it'll all be gone

And you'll be sorry then.

It doesn't matter if you're rich or poor,

It's the same for a woman or a man.

From the cradle to the crypt

It's a mighty short trip,

So you better get it while you can.

Now Carl always had a way to make the good times roll

When the rest of us weren't so sure.

He'd just pick out the prettiest woman in the room

And sing every song to her.

One night back East when the gig was done

There was an all night blow-out jam.

We played and we sang and drank for hours,

Till the sun came up again.

It was blues and ballads, Ragtime, Dixieland and Swing,

Some old time show tunes.

And then Carl Martin sang some songs nobody else knew

And some I haven't heard since then.

Right before dawn he did two more songs

Just to separate the strong from the faint.

It was a red-hot rendition of "The Old Pine Tree"

And a double-time version of 'The Saints'.

And when they were done those of us who could still breath

Took off our hats to that man.

Carl played us under the table that night

And he said, 'You better get it while you can'.

(REPEAT CHORUS)

You better get it while you can,

You better get it while you can.

If you wait too long, it'll all be gone

And you'll be sorry then.

It doesn't matter if you're rich or poor,

It's the same for a woman or a man.

From the cradle to the crypt

It's a mighty short trip,

So you better get it while you can.

You know Carl and his buddies never got too far,

When he died Martin didn't have a dime.

He was a little behind on his payments,

And a little bit ahead of his time.

Last week a group of us so-called musicians

Sat up real late and burned one down.

The liquor kept coming and we kept strumming

Till a minute or two before dawn.

There were some who stayed and some who faded,

Till soon I was left all alone.

I don't believe in ghosts - but I could swear

I heard Carl Martin sing one more song.

(REPEAT CHORUS)

You better get it while you can,

You better get it while you can.

If you wait too long, it'll all be gone

And you'll be sorry then.

It doesn't matter if you're rich or poor,

It's the same for a woman or a man.

From the cradle to the crypt

It's a mighty short trip,

So you better get it while you can.

The second song I need to share with you as we careen into this challenging new year, also captures an esential piece of the San Miguel spirit. We dedicate it to all of you intrepid souls who've been down here to visit us... especially our friend Don Howard and Karen's sister-in-law Bonnie. You can enjoy watching Steve Goodman perform it here.

So with the spirit of Steve Goodman guiding us forward, the San Miguel Goots wish you all a safe, prosperous and joyful 2009!