songnotes: borrow the dog

I found Paul Gordon.
From time to time I'd Google him. He is such an amazing cartoonist I was sure I'd track him down somewhere, at some point...
His is the dog I'm borrowing in "Borrow the Dog".
Here we were, twentynothings. I was living on snickers bars I bought with change found between the cushions of the sofa and he was taking care of a dog. To have your own dog that you had to feed and care for... well, to me, that made you a man. It started me thinking about a man and his dog.
And while the original version is scribbled somewhere in one of those notebooks in that box under that other box in the closet, the version that survived speaks to those basic needs in a changing world, some simple notions: Friendship. Sustenance. Protection...

Borrow the Dog

Hey, can I borrow the dog
she needs attention and
I need some company
Hey, can I borrow the dog
there's a bird that I'd like to try
still flying in the sky
my aim has gotten cold.

I shoot to kill
right between the eyes
she smells the blood
brings our supper home

Dog gets the bones
King finds his throne
man takes a life
to save his own

Hey, can I borrow the dog
these streets have gotten hard
she'll help keep harm away
Hey, can I borrow your gun
once I thought peace and love
now I don't trust no one
nothings before
in this changing millenium

I shoot to kill
right between the eyes
she smells the blood
brings our supper home

Dog gets the bones
King finds his throne
man takes a life
to save his own

I don't really like words all that much. I'd rather use as few of them as possible.
I suppose that's why I'm a songwriter and not a novelist. of course writing, in and of itself, is awesome; cathartic, therapeutic, a fantastic way to spend some solo time. And finding the right combinations in the right order fulfills me to no end. Tenses and point of view are cool - did that just happen? is it going to? did the omniscient third person witness that or did I? Love grappling with this stuff.
But words...there are just, too often, too many that don't mean anything. pesky little buggers. At the end of the day its not really about the words anyway. Its what they evoke: tears, laughter, rage, inspiration. Words are all right, I suppose, but we need to be careful with them. They're mightier than the sword, after all.
Don't need a bunch of unnecessary swords all over the place, let alone objects even mightier. Kids might hurt themselves.
This post has way too many words for my liking. Existence is a conundrum.
talk to you later...