The other day, I was talking with my daughter Sarah about the ending of the book I wrote last year. I told her it really doesn’t end; she has to wait for the sequel, or maybe a prequel. I haven’t figured it out yet completely, but I’m thinking it should be like the Godfather trilogy and Al Pacino should play me in the movie. Or maybe Robert DeNiro. I like them both. Seeing as it's my legacy at stake, I don’t want to mess it up with a less experienced actor.
Legacy seems to be a big thing these days, especially the past month. With David Crosby’s passing came a huge number of tributes and videos praising his music and the recognition that he was living on borrowed time for a long time. Ol’ "Cros" was trying his hardest in recent years to make amends for a long life of debauchery and making virtually everyone he ever played music with hate his guts. I don’t know whether or not he found peace with himself (or the others), but at last check, he wasn’t resting on his musical laurels or playing his hits from the seventies. He was cranking out new and very listenable music at a rather furious pace, right up to his death at 81. I admire that. While my musical catalog isn’t quite in the same league as his, I hope to be able to write new and respectable music right up to my departure, whenever that may be.
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| (Not) The Cover Of The Rolling Stone - Photo by Heather Rousseau © |
Retirement planning software is another thing that makes you face your own mortality, and I’ve been playing with that lately also. You use it to model your projected life, lifestyle and longevity against the backdrop of accumulated savings, market trends and predictions, inflation and health. Talk about a guessing game. I should probably do a lot more writing and gigging if I plan on living for any extended period past retirement, just to be on the safe side. It’s hard to envision being 85 years old if I can’t be like Willie Nelson – touring endlessly, recording a couple new albums per year and generally defying the laws of aging (among several others). Maybe I’ll grace the cover of the Rolling Stone, as the old song goes. Or AARP for that matter. It’s a good goal and hopefully my tip jar will be full and I won’t be fighting our two cats over a bowl of cat food, should I live that long.
In all seriousness, I’m grateful for life’s journey so far. I’ve circled the sun enough times to know I’ve had it pretty good. Unlike Ol’ Croz, most of my family and friends still speak to me and while there are no gold records on my wall, I’m happy with the songs I’ve written and anticipate the songs that are still to come. I don’t think I’ve peaked too early and still find the process of creating new stuff both challenging and rewarding. If God calls me home tomorrow, it’s been a great ride. If God chooses to put it off another twenty or thirty years, I hope that those extra years will be blessed with a passion for music and the ability to go on making it. Either way, I’ll look forward to playing “Sitting Here With Jesus On A Cloud” for a long time to come. I wrote this one as a tribute to John Prine after his passing in April of 2020 from COVID-19.
“Sitting Here With Jesus On A Cloud”
© Bob Schmucker 2021
I’m sitting here with Jesus on a cloud
Singing to you from the great beyond
There’s John Prine on the left, Steve Goodman on the right
We’re sittin’ here with Jesus on a cloud.
When I was travelin’ on the earth like you
Pickin’ my guitar like any fool
God said he had a better plan
I’d pick and sing in the heavenly band
And my guitar would always be in tune!
So, we’re sitting here with Jesus on a cloud
Singing to you from the great beyond
There’s Guy Clark on the left, and Elvis on the right
Just pickin’ here with Jesus on a cloud.
I never knew that Jesus picked guitar
But I saw him pickin’ bluegrass like a star
Then Abraham picked up the bass
And everyone sang Amazing Grace
Yeah I never knew that Jesus played guitar!
Yeah, we’re sitting here with Jesus on a cloud
Singing to you from the great beyond
Johnny Cash is on my left, Glen Campbell’s on the right
Just pickin’ here with Jesus on a cloud.
The Apostles are the featured band tonight
Paul and Peter are gonna do it right
They like to jam on Twist & Shout
With John & George, they’ll play it loud
They’ll rock the heavens, just like dynamite!
Now we’re up here in paradise, and all us pickers feel alright
Pickin’ here with Jesus on a cloud.
Want to hear a bit of this one? Click here!
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