There’s a bar in town. An old school place grandfathered into the restrictive zoning laws. It sits on a pond in the middle of a residential neighborhood. All neighborhoods should have a bar close by.

This song started as a piece of a fiddle tune. I don’t have a clue where the idea came from from, but it just materialized. It isn’t the greatest song. I’m not sure it’s even a very good one. The D minor key puts the notes a little bit higher than I would ideally like, but with a mandolin the voice is only one consideration so it stays in D with is lovely available drones in the fifth tuning. And I sing a little bit higher than I think sounds good.

It is a fever dream. Protagonist gets drunk at a bar, decides to walk home. 2 miles. I can’t actually walk 2 miles right now, so that’s an ironic bit of the dream. My protagonist, a woman, walks alone in an isolated spot. On the aqueduct. If you live in town you know exactly where I am talking about. Protagonist has a run in with a devil/ god straight out of Blake’s Marriage of Heaven and Hell. He has some things to say. Protagonist continues home, perhaps a changed person.

Side note this is a song that requires some vocal fire power. It asks for it. It is really tough getting that first phrase out right. Figuring out where it sits in the voice. I did the best I could with it.

Only The Wild Things

Lyrics:

We had played a real lovely set

Celebrating at the bar.

And I might have got a bit upset

No way could drive my car.

2 miles home

Isn’t real that far

Back cut roam

I (we) can gaze out on the stars.

It’s a cold clear night

Cut your fingers to the bone

The stars my only sight

As I stumble toward my home

2 miles home…..

Oh night Embrace me!

Oh night Replace me!

Oh night Erase me!

Oh night Embrace me!

Alone the evening take me in

A trespasser in the night

Absolves me of my every sin

The thrill, delight, the fright.

As I come up to this lovely bend

Looks out on Dudley ponds

The waters silver surface

Tends to make my heart grow fond.

2 miles home…….

Only the wild things

Are out here in the night

The coyotes, the koi dogs

Are barking in the moonlight

The raccoons are playing

Just out of my sight.

The owls the guardians

Of the returning night

In the dark a figure standing there

A wild dog at his feet

I know he’s waiting for me there

Can’t make my feet retreat.

He says girl you got a lot to learn

Everything you heard was wrong

And I hope you will not return

To the days before this song

Cause the greater of tricks

You don’t see coming

Stuck in your little life

They got you afraid of running

Out in the night with the wild things you will discover

That your heart already know the way back to its lover

Only the wild things…….