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Spence & Ed In Dave

This is the final song of the summer songwriting game between Chris and I. Chris offered the word "stable." My mind ran with the idea of a tightrope walker who suffers from narcolepsy. A few weeks later I wrote this song. This character, Spencer, is named after a young man I met this summer in Orange, Texas. Spencer taught me many things about how to love people. It was an amazing relationship. I then created another character named Ed, who, similar to the fictional Spencer, is in a less-than-ideal situation. Ed loves his job of serving lettuce at a soup and salad bar, but he won't quit even after he discovers his allergy to things which are green. I admit in the end that there's a bit of Spence and Ed in myself--doing crazy things without logical justification. However, when all is said and done, we probably take ourselves too seriously anyway; wihtout the unlogical craziness of existence life seems drab. There are some additional subtle tributes in this song to one of my favorite bands, Was Not Was, and a guy I worked with this summer in Orange, Rev. Sam Knight. Sam is from Wales, and one thing I liked about him was his enjoyment of peanut butter and ketchup.

Verse 1
Spencer was a boy ‘bout 12 years old,
And ever since he was a little child he would fall asleep
At the least opportune times. That boy was a narcoleptic.
Yes he was. Yes he was. Yes he was. No he was not Was Not Was.
But he also was a tight-rope walking machine—not exactly your
PB & J combination—more like PB & ketchup.
(Or is it Catsup?) I’m not sure. Some people say PB & K is AOK,
But I digress.

Chorus
Spencer keep it stable, if you’re awake and able.
Keep on walking straight or there could be bad news.
Spencer stay awake as you dangle over fate.
Keep on looking up, and you’ll do just great.

Verse 2
Spencer’s story ends, and another begins with a guy named Ed.
Ed was 23 working in the soup and salad bar in the stripmall on 83.
Ed loved his job of serving lettuce until one day he discovered
His allergy to things that were green. It was bad, bad news.
So you would think that he would quit, but he didn’t.
No, he didn’t quit. No, he wouldn’t quit. He just couldn’t Not not quit.

Chorus 2
Ed! What’s going on up in your head?
Keep on serving lettuce and you’ll wind up dead.
Ed! Please get things right up in your brain.
Lettuce is just not worth the sickness and the pain.

Chorus 3
Oh Dave; sometimes so much like Ed or Spencer.
Did you sell your brain for a PEZ dispenser?
Don’t take yourself too seriously.
It’ll all work out in the end.

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