Song Facts: This can be found on Just Zoot, Zoot Out and Zoot Locker.

 According to US

 Since the lyrics and sentiment of this song are so sweet, I'll forgive the fact that Rick is not the vocalist. He really needs to re-do this song and add his vocals! I like this one a lot, and consider it one of the better ones from Zoot. 

I love how the music starts out with a gentle guitar strum, and there's another cool sound that I'm not sure about. It may be a triangle, cymbal, chimes (!). I don't know, but it sounds good. I adore how Rick composed the music for this song. It sounds almost `tender' and sentimental. Daryl's vocals are good here, especially in some of the verses where his voice goes almost quiet. Of course Rick's voice in this one would be more pleasing for me. 

I think from early on as a young boy, one who immersed himself in music, Rick KNEW that a beautiful song was a good way to steal a girls' heart! Well, that is certainly true in most cases. He stole my heart at a young age with his songwriting, as he did with so many of his fans. I'm happy to say that he continues to do so. 

His `baby' is leaving him, flying away somewhere and he's asking Mr. Songwriter (himself or someone else? I`m not sure) to write some sweet words to make her change her mind: "Give me a song so sad, that she won't want to go." Rick is a natural at songwriting. I believe that the best songwriters we have/had are born with that gift. And Rick certainly was. He's a poet! I also think that the gift of being an interesting and captivating writer is something that needs to be nurtured and practiced, and it kind of 'grows' with the artist. I do feel that Rick was a good writer when he first started out, but I think that he's come a long way since then. He's now at the superb level! 

Some of the lyrics puzzle me. In the beginning and further along in the song, it seems he`s talking to 3 different people---himself, the girl who's leaving him, and another songwriter. It's as if he is `asking for advice' on what he could say or do to make her stay: "Hey Mr. Songwriter, tell me what to do." Or then there's the first line that says "Hey Mr. Songwriter, write a song today. Sing it to my baby who's going away." He seems to be pleading for help: "I thought that I could change her mind, but maybe I was wrong. Hurry up and wet your pen and please sir don't be long." 

And again…he jumps back and forth with these thoughts, but it comes together nicely and makes sense. (until you really sit down and analyze it that is!) For instance, this line seems like he's telling the "songwriter" (who he's possibly inspired by), that he took notice of "his" songwriting skills: "Now I am the songwriter, and I heard what you said." But then he says, "I'm going to write a song for you, although her love is dead." See how it jumps around? The "you" must be the girl, and it's as if he's telling her he's writing a song for her. But then her talks about her as if she's not there when he says "her." Then it's a strange twist again where he mixes up the person he`s speaking to or about: "I know just how you feel {you? The woman or the other songwriter?} and still I have to say. That if it doesn't make her stop, then I'll just turn away." *sniff sniff* Heartbreaking. He was apparently suffering a broken heart.

This song leaves me feeling kind of sad, but in a good way. (if that makes any sense!) He is longing for this woman to come back to him, and he thinks there may be some magic words that will turn her around and put her back in his arms. Ok, so I'm a sap with a soft heart…a hopeless romantic like Rick! I just find the words and the whole feeling of this song bittersweet.

I know that a lot of musicians are inspired by other artists. I can hear a lot of other influences in Rick's music today and then, that seem to come from the artists he knows and loves. The only part of this song that rubs me wrong is the way Daryl sings the lyric: "I'm going to write a song for you, although her love is dead." Why? For some reason, the way he sings the end of that line reminds me so much of how Bob Dylan sang. I am not a Dylan fan. I realize he's an "icon" in rock music and he's well-loved, but I've never cared for his voice and the way he uses it. I know Dylan was popular around this time, so it's possible that Daryl picked up on that a little bit vocally. Sorry, but EWWW ….I just hate how that "although her love is dead" comes out because I automatically think of Dylan when I hear that. Now that THAT is out of the way…

My favorite part of the song lyrically, vocally and musically is in the chorus when he says, "I'll write the words to make her cry, to make her sigh, a melody, to make her see, tomorrow…but tomorrow, she`ll be gone." That has the most beautiful ring to it. The last time this chorus comes up, he's actually changed it. Rather than saying, "but tomorrow she'll be gone," he's now saying "but tomorrow was too late." This was a relationship that was not meant to be for him, no matter how many pretty words he could write, it was to no avail. He even says that "she ran off and left me now for somebody new." So as much as a woman may love a songwriter and the emotions he pours into his music, there are still some things that just aren't destined to be. 

I would LOVE to see the old footage of this performance. I know it's out there somewhere, because there is a short clip from it on one of the `biographies' about Rick. I'm thinking this was even one of their hits back then. I can see why! It's a Zoot-favorite of mine as well.  -Kelley Pearson