Analysis (Services and Self)

Koan Bremner's view on life as a database and data warehouse professional / addict and non-genetic woman

Monday, April 18, 2005

The Other Kind

It's been a while since I've recorded a new session of VoiceOver, but I'll be doing one in the next day or so (I'm just waiting on a permission to use a particular song). But, today (as every Monday) I spent the best part of six hours behind the wheel of my car, which gave me plenty of time to catch up on other people's podcasts, and play some music. One of the tracks that turned up was "The Other Kind", by Steve Earle. This track sits in the lower half of my personal "Top Ten Favourite Songs Of All Time". Actually, I can even remember the day I bought it; it was the day I flew off on honeymoon with my then wife, and I bought the cassette of "The Hard Way" (the 1990 album of which the song in question is the opening track) at Gatwick Airport before we boarded a flight to the Seychelles. The only other cassette I took with me was "Blue Sky Mining" by Midnight Oil; not sure what that (if anything) that says about me... still...

Steve Earle's lived an "interesting" life; and while I'm sure he didn't write this song with someone like me in mind, for me the lyrics are so poignant, so appropriate. And it is a great recording, too (in my opinion); when he was at the height of what I think of as his "shit-kickin', yee haw!" phase. ;-) Actually, I've enjoyed his recordings throughout his career, from his essentially country roots, through the southern rock period of "The Hard Way", up to his current folk leanings.

Anyway, courtesy of "The Original Unofficial Steve Earle Site", and since I played this song about ten times today (and which has been a good day, but more about that another time) I thought that the lyrics are good enough to stand here as vernacular poetry. If you haven't heard the song, I urge you to track down a copy. I think of it as my anthem to freedom; when I turn my own two wheels (Cruella) into the wind, the years (and cares) do indeed fall away with every mile.

The Other Kind
(Steve Earle)

I woke up this morning and I took a look around at all that I got
These days I've been lookin' in the mirror and wondering if that's me lookin' back or not
I'm still the apple of my mama's eye
I'm my daddy's worst fears realized
Here of late all this real estate don't seem all that real to me sometimes

I'm back out on that road again
Turn this beast into the wind
There are those that break and bend
I'm the other kind, I'm the other kind

Now my old buddy, what's his name, says, "Man what the hell are you thinkin' 'bout
Fool, you got two of everything, but you hang your head just like you was down and out"
And I'm damn sure not suffering from a lack of love
There's plenty more where that came from
Ah - but leave it up to me to say something wrong and hurt someone before I'm done

You see it used to be I was really free
I didn't need no gasoline to run
Before you could say Jack Kerouac you'd turn your back and I'd be gone
Yeah nowadays I got me two good wheels and I seek refuge in aluminum and steel
Aw, it takes me out there for just a little while
And the years fall away with every mile

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