Cold on The Shoulder/Court and Spark
Gordon Lightfoot and Joni Mitchell
Music to Muse By
When I was living on Ward Street in Pittsburgh, newly divorced and alone–my mother tried to make me find a roommate but my need for solitude was paramount–I listened to these two records at least once a day, more likely twice a day. I think a lot of people who live by themselves find themselves doing things like this.
I was more attached emotionally to Gordon Lightfoot. I could probably sing that album of his straight through. There was one song, Rainbow Trout, that stood out because it made me think of myself. It was a story of a lost girl in the form of a trout and is overtaken by a current of water. I felt like that then. But this isn’t self-pity–no way. I never, ever felt sorry for myself during those 18 months. I hated my job more than I hated anything else on this earth but I didn’t feel sorry for myself. I accepted the situation even though I hated a part of it. I was on a quest; I wasn’t a victim.
I didn’t like Court and Spark as much. It’s funny but I can barely remember why I liked it at all. Some of the songs were kind of abstract and one of them told a story about a hooker “sitting on her groceries” which I thought was funny.
I’m glad I did what I did, i.e., go off to toughen myself and to see how much I could take. My pleasures didn’t involve other people which is why I felt close to Gordon Lightfoot. His songs were like meditations and stories. It was a good time to be alone; rents in south Oakland were very low and I didn’t need a car. Best of all, on Fridays, when I got paid, I’d cash my paycheck, make sure I had enough for rent, phone, and food–then buy an album on Saturdays when I took my long walk through Oakland. When I left there to move to Philadelphia I gave all my records to my younger cousins. What ever happened to them God alone knows but they would be worth a fortune on e-bay now!!
lgmwriting 