Ok, so I'm driving down I-75 today minding my own business listening to the absolutely hideous soundtrack CD from the movie "Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man." A movie that "starred" Mickey Rourke and Don Johnson (of "Miami Vice" fame).
Why am I doing this you ask?
I'm doing this because . . . it's my job.
It's . . .
what I do.
Occasionally when I find a used CD to sell on eBay and it's a bit scuffed up or has a tiny bit of "digital rot," I have to give it a test run to make sure that it plays smoothly. Normally these CDs are fairly old and out-of-print, and as luck would have it, quite often they suck. Unfortunately, I have to play the CDs at high volumes so that I don't miss any possible defects, which means that many of these CDs not only suck, but they suck very loudly.
Well, the soundtrack to "Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man" was no exception. It was sucking right along as I headed south on I-75 this morning.
The opening number was the vacuum-inducing 7 minute and 15 second epic sleazefest titled "Long Way From Home" by the band Copperhead. Then Roadhouse ratcheted up the suck quotient just a smidgin more when they unleashed the phallic-driven "Tower Of Love" like some chordless not to mention tuneless Dirt Devil pecker-upper. Then it was Shooting Gallery, L.A. Guns, and The Screaming Jets upping the suckfest ante with their contributions "I Mess Around," "C'Mon," and "Wild Obsession."
It was at the end of this barrage of collective suckage that the vacuum ceased to suck. And irony of ironies - I fell in love.
With a dead man.
Out of nowhere, on the "Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man" soundtrack of all places, a slow, beautiful ballad that I had never heard before began to unfurl.
And then my skin.
My very flesh.
Commenced to make goose.
And as my eyes began to well-up with tears, I heard the most wonderful voice.
And I knew that it was none other than the late, great Waylon Jennings.Holy shit.
I mean - I knew the guy could sing the hell out of a song but . . . *damn*
I grabbed the CD case, scanned the track listing, and saw that the song was titled "Hardline" and that it was written by T. Kimmel/D. Morgan.
When I got home I immediately went online and discovered that Tom Kimmel wrote quite a few songs for such varied bands and individuals as The Byrds, Rodney Crowell, The Band, Tammy Wynette, Johnny Cash, and others. I also found out that the song was performed by 60s folkie Richie Havens on the motion picture soundtrack "Navy Seals." Apparently, Waylon's version is the keeper however, and since it doesn't show up anywhere else in his extensive catalog, there is a demand for my otherless dreadful soundtrack CD.
But enough already with my story, let's cut to the chase and hear the song.
[Note: YouTube indicates that the song is over eight minutes long but it's actually only a little over four. The song plays twice because I guess they figure, just like me, once won't be enough for you]:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLUoBNegZJU
" . . . sigh . . . "
(k. smith)
HARDLINE
(T. Kimmel/D. Martin)
Midnight, street light,
Shadows, touch your face
Whisper, goodnight,
Though I want you so, to stay.
I'm standing on the hardline,
Taking my sweet time
Praying that you'll see why,
I'm slow to change.
Been fighting on the front line,
Victim of a heart crime
Just can't let you steal mine, away
Listen, reasons never will explain.
Freedom, is just to save time,
'Til I'm strong enough,
To bend and not break.
I'm standing on the hardline,
Taking my sweet time
Hoping that you'll see why,
I'm slow to change.
Well, I need your trust,
Don't give up, don't shut me down,
I'll open up,
If you just try love my way.
I'm standing on the hardline,
Taking my sweet time
Hoping that you'll see why,
I'm slow to change.
Been fighting on the front line,
Victim of a hard crime
Can't just let you steal mine away.
.
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