// The definitive report from Pittsburg(h), the new survey, more
// lines to live by, and a tad more on Nanci's most controversial
// song. Enjoy...[BP]


_________________________________________________________________


Subject: NN: Oh my 
   From: kenn lippert (lippert@fyi.net>

Hey all,

There are periods in one's musical lifetime where certain artists dominate
your psyche; you buy every cd you can find, you travel outrageous distances
for live concerts, and you play your fingers bloody trying to learn each
and every song.  I don't have room in my small bit of gray matter to hold
more than one or two at a time at that level.  Past loves fade to the
bottom drawer of the cd cabinet and just don't have the impact they once
did.  Oh you still enjoy the music now and then, and the friendships that
the music built, but some of the magic evaporates.  Then Nanci Griffith
comes to your home town and reminds you once again why she has that very
special place in your life, and why she has had the power to lead you to
new music and new friends.

Last night Nanci played at the South Park amphitheater outside of Pittsburgh.

The low pressure areas, cold fronts, and jet stream knew what I did not,
that this would be a night to carry a lifetime, and so cooperated to bring
a perfect day and evening to a late May in the Ohio valley.

I was stuck at work until almost six o'clock, and not knowing exactly where
I was going, I became anxious on the way wondering if I would make it in
time.  Arriving near the amphitheater I could see many people with lawn
chairs and blankets walking towards the hill.  Parking was easier than I
expected, and I began to be concerned that there might be a disappointingly
small turnout, but as it turned out, there were just many late arrivals.
I'm no judge of crowd  size, but from what I could see, once the music
started there was not a lot of room left anywhere on the hill.  Lucky for
me I had unmet friends holding a spot for me right down front.  Steve and
Connie from Michigan, Toni from Columbus, and Kathy and (??? ARGHH Sorry
kathy's husband) had secured as el primo a front and center as could be
without interfering with Nanci's monitors.  As I wandered along the front
Steve hollered out to me right away (must've been the Nanci Blue Roses
T-shirt, I knew it would stand out).  Greetings all around and the small
talk of friends who had never met, what a wonderful situation that is.
Turns out they had been there earlier enough to see the sound check and
talk to Nanci and get autographs. The roses Toni gave to Nanci ended up
right on stage by concert time.

Soon enough the local DJ made the introductions and Nanci and the BMO took
the stage.  She opened with "Flyer" (a Pittsburgh favorite of course).  She
spoke about Kate Wolf and how she had inspired Nanci to work to save folk
music for later generations which lead to the Other Voices project.
"Across the Great Divide" was the first song of the night to moisten my
eyes, but it was not to be the last.  Nanci looked great (GREAAT!  GREAAT!)
and her voice was strong and sure.  Nanci looked around at the band and
asked them all if there seat belts were fastened and their tray tables were
in an upright and stowed position then launched into a rousing "Outbound
Plane".  Apparently Doug Lancio was late getting to the gate, 'cause as the
song started he realized he had the wrong guitar and had to make a quick
switch.  I guess of the less fanatical in the crowd, or even those that
didn't know much of Nanci, this was the first song that many people seemed
to recognize and they really responded.

Two songs written by others, "She's Not Going Nowhere" and "Speed of the
Sound of Loneliness" were both well received.  At the end of SNGN Nanci was
doing her little ad-lib, throw-away lines over the repeated chorus, and she
said something about not going back to Texas "that's for sure".  I wondered
if that referred to her recent trouble with the Dallas paper.

"Trouble In the Fields" brought more reaction from the crowd.  I especially
enjoyed singing along with Lee on the "Oooh"s.  "Going Back to Georgia"
featured James Hooker of course.  What a delightful character he is.  He
looked thin to me, and he wasn't wearing a hat, but his voice was strong
and deep, and quintessentially Hooker.  Darius dreams that he could sing
like James.  Lee tried to get us all finger snapping and many did.  By the
end of the song she was wincing and rubbing her poor fingers.

Nanci described writing the next song with James on the 2nd tour (James
corrected her and said it was probably the 3rd).  She said how many had
sung the duet with her, but as far as she was concerned, and as many others
agreed, no one sang it like James.  "Gulf Cost Highway" found me leaning
back in my chair, watching the stars coming out and wiping my eyes again.

Setting aside the gorgeous blue Taylor so she could "get to play
percussion", Nanci picked up a tambourine without the drum part (what is
that called?) and spoke of how there was one man whose music defined a
genre all it own; Richard Thompson.  "Wall of Death" was much better live
than on "OVOR II".  She really seemed to enjoy herself and did some dancing
on those skinny legs of hers.

The first set ended with a song that all of us "are just born knowing".
After talking about the black listing of Pete Seeger and the paranoia of
the McCarthy era, she said she was glad that we had finally passed out of
the latest version, and hoped  we would never have to go through that
again.  She invited us all to join in on "If I Had a Hammer".  For once the
little kid next to me stopped throwing his football around and seemed to
pay attention to the music.

Promising to return soon, they took their break.

After Kathy and her husband ran to their vehicle for some warm clothes and
I stretched my legs a bit, the BMO soon returned.  Nanci opened by saying
that in any group of that size there is always at least one person who
needs the paramedics, tonight it was her.  Turns out she backed in a
concrete block and cut her heel enough to need serious attention.  I could
see the significant bandage right at the back of her foot sticking out of
her shoe.  It was as if someone had tried to nick her Achilles so that she
wouldn't be able to leave.

"Everything's Coming Up Roses" started the second set followed by the song
that Nanci needed several years and prodding from Sonny Curtis and Doug
Lancio to finish; "Not My Way Home".  "Love at the FIve and Dime" was
dedicated to the Woolworth's stores of course, and being the song that
first "hooked" me on Nanci I was once again lost in the moment.

At one point Steve crawled through the "no-man's land" that separated the
grass seating area from the actual stage to get some good close photos.  He
crawled right up the edge of the stage and Nanci looked right down at him,
just 5 feet from her spot.  She looked to be torn between wanting to smile
for his photos and calling security 'cause this nut might be coming up on
the stage.

"These Days Are An Open Book" and "Battlefield" started rousing things up a
bit leading into "Ford Econoline" which really got the crowd going again.
Nanci then introduced the only song she had ever written on the piano, but
lucky for us James would be playing for the concert, "Late Night Grand
Hotel" was stupendous.  Nanci's voice has that same incredible strength and
emotion that you can hear on the recording of "San Diego Serenade".  She
really seemed to throw herself into every line.  I couldn't help but think
of all the NN'ers that look at that song as a part of their lives.

Nanci talked about her roots in West Texas, and how all she ever  wanted to
be was a Cricket (she didn't call herself trailer-trash this time though).
"Well Alright" had a few people trying to get the crowd dancing, but hey
this is Pittsburgh, we only dance if there is an accordion playing a polka.

The introduction to "It's a Hard Life" was incredibly moving. She began by
saying how this was the favorite song of her grandmothers, one who had just
died in January at the age of 101, because it showed them that Nanci was
listening and paying attention to the world around her. Perhaps the recent
events in schools and Kosovo prompted the emotion, but Nanci expressed the
hope that this song which had been so relevant to this century would become
obsolete in the next.  Amen.  This song had always struck me as powerful
and moving, but it never touched me the way it did this night.  It seemed
to me that Nanci was almost crying the lyrics at times, trying by shear
force of will and strength of voice, to take this message and change the
very fabric of the world.  Here's hoping that she succeeds.

"This Heart" got a few toes tapping again (but it ain't a polka).  And the
BMO left the stage to great applause.  They returned (of course), and after
comfortingly familiar, "Thank Yew", "The Wing and the Wheel (special
edition)" began.  Ron De La Vega's cello work was mesmerizing, and each
musical solo of the BMO's members seemed to say farewell.  Again the BMO
left the stage waving goodbye.  Nanci returned alone saying something about
"union rules" and launched  into acappella "The Road to Aberdeen".  After
almost two hours of singing, her voice was still strong and sweet and I
could have stayed all night.

Kathy and her husband had to travel to Raccoon State Park for their
camping, and  Toni, Connie, and Steve wanted to get back to their hotel so
they could get an early start the next morning.  We said our goodbyes and
wishes for meeting again soon.  I went back to my car and traded the lawn
chair for my guitar.  I knew the chance that Nanci would be signing
autographs on her way from the backstage area to the bus was slim, but I
knew I would never be closer.  So I lugged the old Honer back down the hill
to the side of the stage.  There wasn't much of a crowd, maybe a dozen or
so waiting along side some folding tables.  I took my place at the end of
the line.   I saw Lee heading for the bus and called to her that "she was
fading".  I held up my guitar to show her the back where she had signed it
back in Knoxville at the Blue Moon Jam, but it had since been somewhat
worn.   She came over and signed it again, remembering the first time, and
calling me sweet for saying that we are waiting for her own CD to be
released :)  She said she has to finish it first. After about 30 minutes a
stage hand type came out and said that he didn't want to discourage us, but
Nanci may not be coming out for a while, and even when she did she wasn't
big on signing autographs.  A few folks wondered off. One young man with a
beautiful Taylor guitar asked if we could send objects back to be signed,
the stage hand said he would check.   I wrote a note to stick in my guitar
describing what I hoped Nanci would sign, and inviting the whole BMO to
sign as well.  Just as I closed it up, Nanci came out and walked right up
to the tables!  She had her picture taken with a little baby, signed some
CD and tape liners, and made a beautiful flowing signature on the back of
the guy's Taylor with some sort of "paint pen".  One little boy to go and
it was my turn.  His name was Taylor and I kept making remarks (hopefully
funny) so that Nanci would know that I was a good fan who knew a lot about
her.  She came right up to me and I showed her my guitar.  "Kate Campbell,
Gillian Welch, David Rawlings, that's great" she said.  I told her she had
to complete the trilogy that she started, since it was her music that lead
me to these others.  I asked her to sign it "Always remember Baton Rogue"
because the way she sings that at the beginning of "So Long Ago" always
makes me melt.  She smiled and said ok.  She actually signed "Always recall
Baton Rogue .. Sing Out  Nanci Griffith" but her own touch just makes it
more special.  I shook her hand, how does such power and strength come from
such delicate hands? and thanked her for a special night.  I told her I
hoped that she had as much fun as we did, and she said it was a great
night.

She signed a couple more and boarded the bus.  I made my way back to my
car, finding it much easier to climb the hill since my feet weren't
touching the ground, and was thankful that my dying car started right up.

Once home I couldn't sleep forever of course, the magic of that evening
will resonate in my bones like the electric hum in the power lines after a
storm for all of my days.

Thanks for listening.  Don't miss this lady.  Don't ever put in her the
bottom drawer again.

kenn
 _____________________________________________________________________
| kenn lippert
| lippert@fyi.net
| trfn.clpgh.org/aaap
|
| "Reach me down my Tycho Brahe,  I would know him when we meet...
|  Though my soul may set in darkness, it will rise in perfect light;
|  I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night."
|                                             -Sarah Williams
|
| "See Kate Campbell"
 --------------------------------------------------------------------- 

// This report went to the unmoderated list in three chapters. I'm 
// glad I was able to put it in the digest as one (great) narrative). [BP]

_________________________________________________________________


Subject: NN: Overdue Austin Report
   From: Bill Peete (billpeet@cruzio.com>

Hi Folks,

I'm about 973 messages behind everyone here but when I catch up I will give
a *FULL* report on the Austin happenings of last weekend. 

Right now I will leave you with WOWSA!

Cheers,

Bill


_________________________________________________________________


Subject: NN: Nanci in Central Park.
   From: Mark Tovey (ToveyM@isys.traceplc.co.uk>

Hi all,
         Well the central park show is fast approaching (one week to
go!) and from the raptorous reviews of the Austin show, it sounds like
we're in for a great night out.  So, for all those planning to go, I'm
trying to organise a NanciNet gathering prior to the show for drinks,
eats and chat.  I thought we could meet at the Dallas BBQ house on west
72nd street between Central Park West and Columbus Ave. (thanks for the
recommendation Nancy!) at around 1, then move on to the show at around
3pm to secure ourselves primo seating.  How does that sound?  This is
far from set in concrete, so if anyone has any suggestions let me know.
All are, of course, extremely welcome and the more the merrier so come
along for what promises to be a great Nanci-day :).  Hope to see plenty
of NNers there.

Best of Nanci wishes,
Mark

ps..for identification purposes, we'll be the group wearing various bits
and pieces of Nanci paraphenalia, discussing the merits and meaning of
various songs in the Nanci catalogue, and (depending on the amount being
drunk) siging Nanci songs :)
pps..let me know if you're planning to come along, so i can get a rough
idea of numbers.


_________________________________________________________________


Subject: NN: HERE IT IS: THE unofficial (is anything official?) NANCINET
POLL!!!!
   From: David Lidz (dlidz@legstrat.com>

Please please please pretty please with popcorn and chewing gum on top fill it
out (we gotta have a good sample to get reliable results, ay?)

And Please please please pretty please e-mail it back to me privately so as not
to clog up the list.

Polls close midnight on June 30, and results out by July 4th!!

1) Birthdate?
2) Gender?
3) Where do you live?
4) Occupation?
5) Marital Status?
6) # of children, ages, and are they NG fans?
7) How and when did you hear about Nanci Griffith?
8) How and when did you hear about and join the NanciNet?
9)  Do you belong to other fan lists?  If so, whose?
10) How many Nanci concerts have you been to - please list?
11) Which concert was your favorite?  Which individual song?
12) Have you ever met Nanci - please detail?
13) What's your favorite Nanci song written and performed by Nanci?
14) What's your favorite song written by Nanci and covered by another artist?
15) What's your favorite song written by another artist and covered by Nanci?
16) What's your favorite Nanci album?
17) How much Nanci stuff do you own?
    * Some albums, some videos, maybe a little memorabilia
    * All commercially released albums and videos
    * All commercially released albums and videos and some bootlegs too
    * All of that plus t-shirts, hats, the Book, downloaded Two of a Kind-Heart
chapters, - constantly fighting with the spouse who's got other ideas for
filling up the basement?
18) Do you consider yourself a Nanci purist - i.e., the less production the
better - or do you appreciate all (or at least most) of the
experimentation/innovation Nanci does?
19) Another way to phrase that - do you prefer young Nanci or mature Nanci; or,
which Nanci "period" do you like the most?
20) Have you ever met another NN'er in person - someone you would not have met
without the NN connection?
21) Have you formed any lasting relationships with someone you met over NN. 
Please detail - friendship?? s-courtin'?? marriage?? 
22) How often do you de-lurk and contribute to the list?  Almost daily?
Weekly?  Monthly? Every couple of months?  Every couple of years?  Every
millenium? 
23) What percentage of postings do you actually read, all the way through?
24) Choose one word that comes to mind when you think of the NN "community."
25) Does the world around you (family, friends, workmates):
    * Not know anything about Nanci Griffith and your affection for her and her
work
    * Know a little bit about the artist and your fondness for her and her work
    * Know just what a freak you've become, and worries about you and this
group of cyber-freaks you hang out with?
26) How would you categorize your political philosophy?
    * Way wacky left bleeding heart never left the sixties liberal
    * Moderately liberal
    * Passionately Moderate
    * Moderately conservative
    * Way wacky right card-carrying NRA never left the fifties conservative
    * Politics??  You mean how we're supposed to vote or something??
27) Party affiliation?
    * Hard-core Democrat
    * Democrat when they're behaving
    * Hard-core Independent
    * Republican when they find an agenda
    * Hard-core Republican
    * NOT a back-seat driver from America, in my country, they call me a
________.
    * Party?  Sure - what time and are you buying?
28) Do you believe Nanci's political proclivities:
    * add to her persona and her music
    * detract from your image of her
    * don't really affect your appreciation of her
29) Your pick for the 2000 GOP Prez/VP ticket
30) Your pick for the 2000 Democrat Prez/VP ticket
31) And the winner is -
32) Which Party has control of the House after 2000?  Care to guess a ratio
(It's currently 223 Republicans, 210 Democrats and 1 Independent)?
33) How 'bout the Senate (currently 55 Republicans to 45 Democrats) 
34) World series pick, who's in, who wins and in how many games?
35) Do you believe Nanci ever peeks in on the NanciNet?
36) Do you believe she'd scream (as the cover art suggests) if she ever heard
UPO2?
37) Your cool hobbies/talents?
38) Your favorites:
    * Book
    * Movie
    * Cuisine
    * Vegetable
    * Ice cream flavor
    * Musician
    * Star Wars character
    * 70's television sitcom
    * Beatles song
    * Seinfeld episode
    * Vacation spot
    * American (past or present)
39) Did Lee Harvey Oswald act alone?
40) Is the Government covering up evidence of contact with extra-terrestrials?
41) Is there anything at all you'd change about the NanciNet - rules,
nature/topics of conversation - I don't know, I'm just asking?
42) Complete this sentence:  If a genie popped out of a lamp and granted me one
wish, I would wish that Nanci Griffith ______________________...
43) And (with acknowledgment to our new member, Tracy Applebaum), the Nanci
Griffith lyric most poignant to you and your view of this odd thing we call
"life?" 

// Folks, DO NOT send your replies to this survey to the list.
// Send them to David Lidz (dlidz@legstrat.com>
// [BP]

_________________________________________________________________


Subject: NN: initiations and lines to live by
   From: shuste@rpi.edu (Ted Shuster)

> I was wondering what specific Nanci song might have
> turned people into fans or prompted them to buy their first NG album?

There've been a couple of great threads in recent Digests - compelling
enough to drag me out of deep lurkdom to share a couple thoughts!

For me, it was listening to a Nanci tape of OIAVBM, borrowed from a friend,
while doing field work in the Adirondack Mountains.  I confess to being
hesitant to listen to this 'country' singer (oooh - now there's an old
thread), but I could NOT get enough of the title track!  Even today, to
hear that song transports me back to the back back roads in the mountains
above Lake George... I was hooked big time, despite myself, and have been
head-over-heels ever since.

As for favorite lines to live by -- well, my own favorite Nanci lyrics seem
to crystallize a view of life, rather than preach.  The best for me are
somehow metaphorical.  One of my favorites is

"You can fool yourself and fool your dreams
But you can't fool your heart and you can't fool me.
Love is a sailor sailing out to sea,
One of these days you'll need the harbor in me."

That strikes the chord in me...

Ted "Boy its bright out here - better head back to lurkdom" Shuster

_________________________________________________________________


Subject: Re: NN: "Fool"
   From: Brimpls@aol.com

Ted,

Your fav. Nanci lines are wonderful--as is Lake George!-- but I confess I 
don't know the song they come from. Can you enlighten me please?

"You can fool yourself and fool your dreams
But you can't fool your heart and you can't fool me.
Love is a sailor sailing out to sea,
One of these days you'll need the harbor in me."

What song is this?

Also, I wondered if anybody else loves the way Nanci brings up this word 
"fool" so often in her lyrics. Next to Richard Thompson, who is also very 
attached to that word in his lyrics, I think Nanci does it the most. Examples 
from Nanci that come immediately to mind:

"It takes more than a whisper to wake this weary fool...." (More Than a 
Whisper)

"Oh, anyone can be somebody's fool
Just look at me....I once was a fool for you
So you know it's true
Anyone can be somebody's fool." 

There must be more!

And my favorite Richard Thompson-penned line (wouldn't it be great to hear 
Nanci do this one as a duet with RT?): "I wish I was a fool for you, I wish I 
was a fool for you, Oh, I wish I was a fool for you again!"

Love it--

Sabrina in Mpls.

_________________________________________________________________


Subject: Re: NN: "Fool"
   From: Molly Rae Crawford (yamboreequeen@yahoo.com>

Sabrina,
Hey, I love it!  I hadn't thought too much about that until you wrote
it.  I suddenly thought of a few more examples:

"I've never been a fool when my heart was on the line."

"I've been troubled by a love untrue,
He's a fool who'll drown in his fountain of youth."  

She knows all kinds of fools.  She's been every kind of fool it seems,
and she seems to be saying that it's just human nature.  
I'm sure there are still others. 

> "You can fool yourself and fool your dreams
> But you can't fool your heart and you can't fool me.
> Love is a sailor sailing out to sea,
> One of these days you'll need the harbor in me."
> 
 This is from "Time Alone" maybe?

later,
molly


_________________________________________________________________


Subject: Re: NN: To LIve By Deadline
   From: "Tracy Applebaum" (poohbear512@hotmail.com>

Hi NanciNuts!

Boy, I've been getting some great responses to my thread about words to live 
by!  I'm going to start putting them together, maybe categorizing them for 
what they talk about, like "dealing with a lost love" or "finding inner 
strength" or whatever.  So, what I'd like to do is put a deadline of, say, 
late next week on this.  If there's anyone out there in Nanciland who hasn't 
told me his/her fav. lines yet, please give it some more thought and send me 
(or the list) your contribution to this by the evening of June 4 (next 
Friday if I'm not mistaken.)  I don't know how long it will take me to get 
all this organized and up, but I'd like to finish it in the next couple 
weeks and, of course, will post it to the list.  Thank yew!

While I'm here, let me ask another dumb Nanci-and-John question.  I've read 
little tidbits about Nanci living in Dallas for a litle while in high school 
(???????) and I just noticed today that songs that are about John in some 
sense also tend to mention Dallas.  The two examples that come to mind are 
"These Days in an Open Book", where she says, "Can't remember where this 
toll road goes/Maybe it's Fort Worth maybe it's a heart of gold" and that 
song is about the memory of John, right?  Then, in "On Grafton Street" she 
says, "I hear you live near Dallas now/In a house out on the plains..."  
This may just be a coincidence, but I was wondering if anyone knew if 
there's some special significance to this Dallas area/John connection?

Forever rambling,

Tracy


_________________________________________________________________


Subject: Re: NN: To LIve By Deadline
   From: "Somer Newland" (somervell@hotmail.com>

Well, this one has already been mentioned, but I think the line(s) that has
made the most
impact on how I live my life is (ok, it's really the whole verse):
"Can't you see she needed more
than, 'Oh, what a pretty child'?
You never taught her truth from lie
All you told her was to smile"

There's not a day that goes by when I don't look at my two-year-old and think
about how pretty she is, but I also make a conscious effort to notice all the
brilliant things she does and tell her equally how smart and how beautiful she
is.  I hope that if she turns out as plain-jane as I am that she will know that
that's perfectly wonderful.

Somer N.


_________________________________________________________________


Subject: Re: NN: words to live by
   From: Ed Maier (eddie@flash.net>

This verse is one that made the hair on the back of my neck
stand up the first time I heard it:

I was the forest for love songs
The one who can't love wrong
The one who won't fall
But will still write it down
I'm the one who would understand
Who listens with pen in hand
Everyone's shoulder
Till it's me who falls down
        -Nobody's Angel

Everyone have a safe holiday, okay?
Eddie


_________________________________________________________________


Subject: NN: words to live by
   From: Catelaw@aol.com

I haven't seen anyone mention this one, but "Down 'n' Outer" is a tune I 
can't get rid of.  I spend a lot of time in downtown Atlanta, where the 
sidewalks are the home of the homeless.  I can never pass a homeless person 
without these words rising up unbidden:

"Can you spare the time
Can you spare a dime?
Can you look me in the eye?
I'm down 'n' out and I am lonely...
Do you ever think of me on Sunday?
No, I don't live across the water
hey I live right here on this corner
...just a bank account away from America"

The disparity between the represented lives on those mean streets is sharp:  
lawyers, business people, government fat cats (as it were) mix and mingle 
with the legless VN veteran, the demented woman who talks to herself and 
occasionally swats a passerby with her purse, and the alcoholic who'll sell 
his soul for a bottle of Thunderbird.  What I've found is that the homeless 
will look you in the eye, but the more fortunate find it easier to look at 
the sky, their watch, or the big gold dome on the capitol building...  

For my part, I try to keep $$ in the proper amounts to provide a bus ride on 
Marta to the homeless shelters I know of and directions on how to get there, 
even though I know of a certainty that most will use the money for other 
things.  But there are days when I get annoyed, afraid, or simply don't have 
time or energy to deal with it.  That's when Nanci's words stab my conscience 
the most.

Cate, who wrote her name on a frosted window pane, in Atlanta 


_________________________________________________________________


Subject: NN: Words to Live By
   From: "Terri Stoor" (stoor@bellsouth.net>

I'm on the digest, and don't get to check mail as often as I'd like, so
this is from last week, but still . . .
I find that I am haunted by the lyrics Nanci chooses to sing, whether 
they are her words or others'. They create such vivid photographs. "I 
never did feel lonely 'til I looked in the mirror and all I could see 
was a little bit of you in the corner of an eye in need of a good 
night's sleep," and, "...and I said I was too clumsy, that I broke the 
wings of the loves I'd found."  It's late and I can't think, but I 
wanted to share. My three daughters have all been sung to sleep with 
Nanci songs for years and years, and this past Mother's Day, they gifted 
me with my first guitar, saying it was so that I could play the songs 
they loved to hear me sing. I can chord a couple of Nanci songs, and I'm 
getting better. I think it was the loveliest gift I ever hope to 
receive.

Terri
New Orleans


_________________________________________________________________


Subject: NN: Nanci CD
   From: Marcia Elliott (melliott@remc12.k12.mi.us>

Hi, does anyone know if or where I might find a copy of "Come Spring In
Norway" from 1998? Thanks, Marcia


_________________________________________________________________


Subject: NN: NG and Iris on ACL
   From: "Mark" (catfan@sr.radiks.net>

This is for Iowa list members.  Austin City Limits will be having one 
of those "Songwriter" shows will be on Friday the 11th at 9p.m., 
and of course Nanci and Iris will be on it!  :-)

Mark


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Subject: NN: Old Loves--the Allabama guy
   From: o416@erols.com

Shawn: as you track down Nanci's old flames, let me remind that that 
Alabama Soft Spoken Blues was co-written by Mary Margaret.  So you can't 
be sure which of the two was lamenting lost love.

Reid


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Subject: NN: Re: Hard Life
   From: "Robert Pugsley" (RMP6@leicester.ac.uk>

Dear Bill (and you all),

I hope you'll let a little old digest-reader one more comment on
'Hard Life' thread - I'll keep it short...

I like the way she 'judges', because to me that's real feeling about
something, she's not over analysing, she's just feeling something.
I like things which are a bit irrational, a bit "too" angry, songs like
Masters of War or Tramp The Dirt Down (Elvis Costello's heartfelt
wish to see Margaret Thatcher buried), the rants of Bill Hicks or
Lenny Bruce, a load of old punk records...I know that sometimes I'm
wrong, and sometimes I overreact, and I should look at the whole
person, etc. etc. but if I hear a racist spouting off I just want to..erm...
punch them. Sorry.

It's not big, it's not clever, and it won't win any arguments, but
that's how I feel from time to time, and I feel sure that's how some
of us feel too (even, or especially) Nanci, and that's what that bit
of 'Hard Life' is all about...

Robert (Pugsley)


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Subject: NN: Re: Hard Life
   From: Donate von Bredow-Gardner" (dvbgardner@genelogic.com>

Time to delurk for just a moment. Anyone who has ever written poetry or music
knows that there are times when we need that "extra" word to make it flow. 
Nanci could have called that racist in Chicago a "tall" man, a "thin" man......
it doesn't matter - perhaps some skinny men or tall men might have taken
offense then.  It's merely descriptive of that one person she observed to set
the scene for the audience.   Perhaps the man she saw truly was fat and there's
no easy way to describe him otherwise.   It's A Hard Life was the very first
song I ever heard Nanci sing and it was this very message of the song that
awakened  my interest in her....... every word in that song has meaning to me
and I wouldn't change a thing.   I don't mean to sound radical, but "trash" is
way too mild a word for anyone who wears a white hood at night and teaches his
children hatred, racism, intolerance.   He called black people "trash" -- it's
only befitting to use that exact term for him.

Donate "sometimes you just gotta call 'em as you see 'em"  von Bredow-Gardner


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Subject: NN: Not quite cricket (no direct NG content)
   From: Don Good (good@cncacc.cn.edu>

Did anyone see the special on VH1 on "The Day the Music Died" that's part
of the "Behind the Music" series?  I missed the first part of what seemed
like a pretty good show.  Of course it included lots of stuff about the
Crickets, but didn't say too much about the ones we know: Sonny, J.I.
(although they did interview his ex, Peggy Sue), Joe, and Glen.

Don "East Tennessee Trash" G.


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