“I’m Lookin’ for a Good Time” - The Breakthrough Hit Single from “Drunk Guy Downtown”
I went downtown tonight with a little MP3 player I have that has a built-in mic, hoping to record this acoustic guitar player I see playing the street corners from time to time (he’s really good). Well he wasn’t there, but another street performer was in his place. This guy, clearly about half-conscious, had a pair of headphones on and a tiny children’s guitar strapped to his chest — one of those ones with the amp built right into the body, known among guitarists for their crystal clear sound quality. He was singing the blues to everybody in about a 100 foot radius, and I went and just stood next to him and let my recorder run. Every once in a while I’d leave and wander around downtown, only to return to record more. He was there for about an hour, and who knows how long he was there before I showed up…
Here’s a song I recorded, and lyrics that I’ve attempted to transcribe.
I don’t mind
’bout the things ya gonna say, no.
I gave all my money and my tiiiiiiime
Learns dean but I’m givin ya back a dayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyaayy yeahCuz I’ve been on my way
I won’t be back to stay
Grass or move along
I’m lookin for a goooood tiiiime(Wicked Solo)
Come on down the line
Honey I’m startin to get old
Then someone called me somebody
What’s the matter?The worst pain to see yeah
Smoke dome more like me just a
Mother and a father
And a JamaicanBaby I’m a ho
But I tried to make ya happy
You gave me nothin in returrrrrrn
You know, it’s over I say
Cuz the bitch’s gone awayyyyyyyyyyyyayy yay yeahI don’t know way to blue
Tried to be a you
I wonder if ya wanna know
I’m lookin’ for a good time(At this point he turned toward my microphone, and the guitar completely drowns out his vocals, but he’s really into it)
The best part is when he finished, I could hear what was playing in his headphones: talk radio! I recorded a LOT of this guy. Finally after his last song, he went across the street, finished a coffee somebody had left on top of a newspaper machine, and jumped on a train, probably to get inspiration for some new material.
EDIT:
My brother has golden ears. I just got the following text from him:
“He says ‘it was plain to see, a small town boy like me’ not the worst pain to see smoke dome like me. that shits great though. rippin solo.”
So, just out of curiosity, I Googled those lyrics, and it produced an ACTUAL song. “I’m Lookin’ for a Good Time” is actually a cover of The Mountain Goats’ song Sail On. The Mountain Goats are a Portland group. The pieces all begin to fall in place.
Here’s a fun game: Here are the lyrics to Sail On — read along while you listen to “I’m Lookin’ for a Good Time” again, and try to guess what this guy had to drink tonight. He apparently goes into Sail On at 58 seconds.
sail on down the road
’bout a half a mile or so
and i tried to make you stay,
but now you’re going
it was plain to see that a small town boy like me
just wasn’t your cup of tea that was wishful thinking
i gave you my heart and i tried to make you happy
you gave me nothing in return
you know it ain’t so hard to say, ‘would you please just go away?’you come to comfort me
but i don’t need your sympathy
and the way you look at me, well it’s condescending.
i feel my stomach churn
and didn’t you ever learn
not to tell someone something ifyou don’t mean it
i gave you my heart and i tried to make you happy
you gave me nothing in return
you know it ain’t so hard to say, ‘would you please just go away?’sail on.
sail on.
sail on.
November 18th, 2007 at 10:42 am
It’s hard to see how the mountain goats didn’t make it with that guy as their lead singer. Your reaction to it is my favorite part. After he finishes his second solo using nothing but the tuning keys from the sound of it and finally stops, and you go “Wow…” fucking slaughtered me at my computer and then for about two laps around my living room, and then once again back at my computer.
November 19th, 2007 at 7:34 am
Haha, this guy right here needs to be opening for Sweaty Violence.
That was fucking beautiful.
November 19th, 2007 at 11:38 am
more like sweat violence needs to open for him whats up
November 19th, 2007 at 11:50 am
^ That’s what’s up brohymn