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Saturday, September 7, 2019

"TOTE THE LOAD" Story Behind The Song


                                                                           

Recorded 9/6/2019 by Steve Craigo

I've been honored to be in the Key West Songwriter's Festival seven times. It sounds like a quaint little island songwriter's event to any outsider, but in reality, it's run by BMI Nashville, with local co-ordination assistance from Smokin' Tuna Saloon, here in Key West and it is the largest festival of it's kind in the world.

After the first couple of events I was in, I was paired with my dear friend Misty Loggins, who is based in Nashville, for virtually all the rest!

One October I had a phone call from her and she was excited to say she was coming to Key West in November. This was a surprise. Her trips here were usually in May for the festival, but she was hired for a week to play Smokin Tuna!

I suggested maybe we could cut a song together, which she thought was a great idea. I quickly wrote a song with a Patsy Cline/Willie Nelson Country Blues feel to it, “Island Blue”. We managed to cut the song while she was down and it turned out fabulous!

As I said, Misty and I had played a bunch of the Key West Songwriter's Festivals together and after the 2015 event I had the idea and inspiration to record another song with her. Right after the event that year finished up I sat down and wrote a new song with the aforementioned in mind.



This song would be a duet. The protagonists in the song were two Nashville based singer songwriters, who were a couple as well, albeit on different schedules.

The song starts out with the woman charging out the door, having received a sudden, off the cuff gig in Savannah. In this last minute haywire run off to Georgia, she laments on how she misses her man who is “...somewhere down the road”

In the next verse, it's the male and we learn that he's on the road in Houston. Like his significant other, he laments being on the road and away from her, but understands the hardships of living the life they lead.

A note: Both of these verses end with the exact same line:

THE ONE THING IS THAT I MISS YOU
AND YOU'RE SOMEWHERE DOWN THE ROAD

This is by specific design, In between the lines it says two very important things about their relationship.

A) They are very much in love

B) They have a very, very well established relationship to the point that they think alike.

Next is the chorus, which again, between the lines, hammers A and B home as again, they are thinking the same and share the same work/reward values, even though at the moment he's in Houston and she's in Savannah

SOMETIMES WE'RE LIVING HIGH

AND SOMETIMES WE TOTE THE LOAD

And in this song at the moment they are toting the load, without question.

While that settles in with the listener the opening guitar riff plays again.


The next verse the male returns and this time he's traveling through a blinding rainstorm. More of the ytrials and tribulations of being on the road. “I see your face in that misty haze, my heart's on overload” (Yes, the use of the word “misty” was intentional :-) )

The female comes back for the next verse suggesting as it's raining in Savannah as well, maybe they could rendezvous in sunny Key West?

Again, reverting back to A and B, as these two are in love to the point that they think the same, the verses end with virtually the same line

I SEE YOUR FACE IN THAT RAINY HAZE
MY HEART'S ON OVERLOAD

The song ends with a repeat of the chorus, instilling their love, they think alike, their values, work ethics, and the rewards that come with them:

WELL I WAS THINKING BACK IN HOUSTON TOWN

AND I WAS THINKING ON THE ROAD

SOMETIMES WE'RE LIVING HIGH
AND SOMETIMES WE TOTE THE LOAD

AND SOMETIMES WE TOTE THE LOAD

AND SOMETIMES WE TOTE THE LOAD



And that's how the song ends. The emphasis being that they are toting the load, if you will. Someone once asked “Well, do they get to Key West?”.

The answer to that is found in the gist of the song. She suggests that they go to Key West. Not forgetting that they think alike, the implication is obvious. That will be the follow up song. :-) 


Misty and I never had the opportunity to do “Tote The Load”. Dani is here and we play over 300 gigs a year together, plus she sings the heck out of that song! It only makes sense that she sings the woman's part of it!

To begin with, Misty Loggins is based in Nashville and her stays were mostly during the Key West Songwriter's Festival, so time was not a good commodity. Then, major complications arose for her after a small medical procedure over a year ago and she's been very ill since. Please keep her in your prayers.



TOTE THE LOAD

1)

I LEFT NASHVILLE ON A MIDNIGHT FLYER
GOT NO TIME FOR BUTTONS AND BOWS
SUDDEN CALL TO SAVANNAH
LAST MINUTE, OFF I GO


THE ONE THING IS THAT I MISS YOU
AND YOU'RE SOMEWHERE DOWN THE ROAD

2)

I'M ON THE ROAD IN HOUSTON TOWN
HIT THE BRICKS AND YOU STAYED HOME
SUDDEN CALL TO SAVANNAH
THE PRICE YOU PAY WHEN BUSINESS CALLS


THE ONE THING IS THAT I MISS YOU
AND YOU'RE SOMEWHERE DOWN THE ROAD



WELL I WAS THINKING HERE IN HOUSTON TOWN

AND I WAS THINKING ON THE ROAD

SOMETIMES WE'RE LIVING HIGH

AND SOMETIMES WE TOTE THE LOAD


3)

RAIN OFF THE TIRES IN FRONT OF ME
THERE'S FLOODING AHEAD SO I'M TOLD
FORTY MILES STUCK BEHIND THAT BUS
AT LEAST I KNOW I'M ON A ROLL

I SEE YOUR FACE IN THAT MISTY HAZE
MY HEART'S ON OVER LOAD

4)
WHAT DO YOU SAY WE RENDEZVOUS
AS WE'RE SO FAR AWAY FROM HOME
RAINING HERE IN SAVANNAH TOO
I HEAR IT'S SUNNY IN KEY WEST

I SEE YOUR FACE IN THAT RAINY HAZE
MY HEART'S ON OVERLOAD

WELL I WAS THINKING BACK IN HOUSTON TOWN

AND I WAS THINKING ON THE ROAD

SOMETIMES WE'RE LIVING HIGH
AND SOMETIMES WE TOTE THE LOAD

SOMETIMES WE TOTE THE LOAD
SOMETIMES WE TOTE THE LOAD

© 2015 Christopher R. Rehm BMI

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