30-Minute Music Hour

(city traffic noise) It's the 30 Minute Music Hour. I'm Andy Moore. Tonight, from Madison Wisconsin, by way of Ann Arbor, Michigan, Mr. Nick Brown. I'VE BEEN AROUND LONG ENOUGH TO KNOW ALL THAT GLITTERS AIN'T REALLY GOLD GOLD'S NOT NOTHING BUT A METAL IN THE GROUND AND I'M NOT NOTHING BUT TROUBLE BOUND I'M NOT NOTHING BUT TROUBLE BOUND (harmonica sounds) I USED TOO HAVE DREAMS AS BIG AS THE SKY I NEVER DREAMED THAT THEY WOULD ALL DIE EVERYTHING DIES BABY, THAT'S A FACT I THINK IT WAS A SONG WHERE I HEARD THAT I THINK IT WAS A SONG WHERE I HEARD THAT (harmonica sounds) I USED TO HAVE A LOVER WHO CARRIED A GUN FINGER ALWAYS ON THE TRIGGER LOVE ALWAYS ON THE RUN NOW I GOT A LOVER WHO IS PRETTY AS A BIRD FAST AND WILD AND HER MIND'S ALL HERS FAST AND WILD AND HER MIND'S ALL HERS (harmonica sounds) NOBODY BOTHERS LIVING REAL HARD AND FREE I'VE BEEN TRYING SINCE I WAS SEVENTEEN I COULDN'T TELL YA IF YOU'RE BORN THAT WAY OR IF YOU GET CAUGHT UP IN IT LIKE A SUMMER RAIN IF YOU GET CAUGHT UP IN IT LIKE A SUMMER RAIN (harmonica sounds) I FALL IN LOVE WITH EVERY WOMAN THAT I EVER MEET AND I DRINK EVERYTHING PUT IN FRONT OF ME I THROW MY MONEY OFF THE BACKS OF TRAINS AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND NOT LIVING THAT WAY I DON'T UNDERSTAND NOT LIVING THAT WAY I DON'T UNDERSTAND NOT LIVING THAT WAY I DON'T UNDERSTAND NOT LIVING THAT WAY I DON'T UNDERSTAND NOT LIVING THAT WAY I DON'T UNDERSTAND NOT LIVING THAT WAY (applause) Yeah, all right. (applause) IF I HAD THE CLOTH TO WRAP THE ANGELS IN HEAVEN I WOULD LAY THEM ALL DOWN AT YOUR FEET I'M A SIMPLE MAN AND I DON'T HAVE THOSE THINGS ALL I CAN LAY DOWN ARE MY SIMPLE DREAMS DON'T YOU STEP OUT TOO FAR IN THE NIGHT DON'T YOU RUN TOO FAST MAKE YOUR WAY BACK TO CARDINAL STREET WALK SOFTLY YOU'RE WALKING ON MY DREAMS IF I IF I COULD TEACH THE STARS TO LIGHT UP ONE BY ONE MAKE A LITTLE PATH THAT LEADS YOU TO ME ALL I CAN DO IS LEAVE MY FRONT PORCH LIGHT ON HOPE THAT IT'S THE ONE THAT YOU WILL SEE DON'T YOU STEP OUT TOO FAR IN THE NIGHT DON'T YOU RUN TOO FAST MAKE YOUR WAY BACK TO CARDINAL STREET WALK SOFTLY YOU'RE WALKING ON MY DREAMS WALK SOFTLY YOU'RE WALKING ON MY DREAMS

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Yeah, thank you. Thank you. Here's a little song I wrote called "Hold On Windsor." And I guess I'll let it explain itself, even though it doesn't do that very well. HOLD ON WINDSOR I'M COMING BACK I SLEPT ALL NIGHT ON A PILLOW MADE OF CASH I'M GONNA PULL THAT LEVER THEN I'M GONNA ROLL THE DICE I WANNA BURN, BURN, BURN LIKE THE NORTHERN LIGHTS IF I HAD A GUN I'D SHOOT THE MOON PICK UP THE PIECES FALLIN' OUT OF THE WOUND I'D PICK 'EM ALL UP SPREAD 'EM ALL OVER YOUR TOWN USE 'EM TO LIGHT MY WAY WHEN THE SUN GOES DOWN HELLO BORDER HELLO LIGHTS I CAME TO WIN I DID NOT COME TO FIGHT OVER THE DETROIT RIVER ACROSS THE AMBASSADOR BRIDGE BRANSON IN THE REARVIEW THEIR GONNA KNOW THE SHAPE I'M IN HOLD ON WINDSOR I'M COMING BACK SLEPT ALL NIGHT ON A PILLOW MADE OF CASH I'M GONNA PULL THAT LEVER THEN I'M GONNA ROLL THE DICE I WANNA BURN, BURN, BURN LIKE THE NORTHERN LIGHTS I WANNA BURN, BURN, BURN LIKE THE NORTHERN LIGHTS

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Thank you, Nick. - Thank you, Andy. Nick Brown, from Madison, but originally from Michigan. You were born in the U.P., and then Ann Arbor after that? That's right, born in the U.P. and then did most of my growing up in Ann Arbor. Went to college in Michigan and then moved on. Well, you moved on like to the belly of the songwriter beast. You went from college right to Austin, right? Yeah, that was the idea. I wanted to go into the belly, so to speak, and try to get into songwriting down there, which I did 20% of the time. And then 80% of the time I focused on cleaning people's swimming pools. That must have been an inspiring combination. It was hot. But you majored in Journalism in college, right? I did. And sort of took that into your songwriting. I guess you didn't apply that into the pool cleaning, but being in Austin in those years had to mean playing in a ton of bars. And what does a player learn playing in taverns and bars, in front of crowds, that may or may not be altogether present? Yeah, that's a really good way to put it. It's a funny thing, because it's not like a nice venue or a nice place, like this where the people are more coming to you. You have to go to them. That's pretty hard to do if you're just talking about a set up like this, with a guitar. I'm kind of naked up here, you know? So, somehow you have to try to get control of the room. I'm not sure I've mastered how to do that. I've seen you get control of a room. And you have to find that focus somewhere. What are some of the tricks of the trade that you learn when you're playing in those loud bar rooms? I really don't know. I think if you can tell a story, you can get people, but I also recommend staring people down a lot, in kind of a threatening or menacing way. That can be effective. (Andy laughs) What would that look like? - Well... That is terrifying. This is a family show, and there's children. I was laughing as I was doing it. I can see it. It's pretty intense. - It looked pretty deep. Yeah, and plus you're a big guy so... So Austin for about half-dozen years? Yeah, a little shy of that. And then you told me that you went from there, no rest for the wicked, to New Hampshire for a newspaper job. I did. I took a job writing for a community newspaper up there where I was a news reporter covering six teeny, tiny towns where the average story is, 75-year-old triplets are having a birthday party.

Andy laughs

How would you describe the people in New Hampshire? Oh, wow. I wasn't expecting that question. and I don't want to insult the whole state. That means it's bad? No, no, no. How would I phrase this? People come in all forms in this crazy world. New Hampshire's no exception. - Wow. It sounds like you could run for office in New Hampshire. It's a really interesting state. Yeah, but not interesting enough. Not for Nick Brown. Because he's outta there, like in a couple of years, right? And then to Wisconsin. Yeah. Live free or die. Moved to Wisconsin about four years ago, now, or a little longer than that. There's journalism in your DNA. Your father was a newspaper man. Isn't what you told me? That's right, yeah. I don't know if she's going to mind me saying this, my mom actually worked in-- at least worked in radio, and then spent a long time in communications, as well. Well, you've got some newspapering in your next song, if I'm not mistaken. - Yeah. Maybe you can set that up and I'll leave the newsroom. Sounds like a plan. Thanks Andy. Yeah, this is a song, like I said, a lot of the stories that I would be working on would be the birthday party for the triplets, or flooding at the local K-Mart was quite a big issue that kept coming up. Occasionally, there would be some very serious real news. And, I got a call-- I got a fax, actually, I believe it was, from the Attorney General's office one day. And from that, several years later after thinking about it for a while, and what an interesting, compelling story it was, from that came this song. We'll call it "Melanie Cooper." MY NAME IS ERIC WINTER'S JUNIOR I TURN 38 TONIGHT WHEN I WAS 17 I LOVED MELANIE COOPER SHE WAS 15 WHEN I MET HER IN JULY WHEN SHE LAID HER LIPS UPON MINE IT WAS THE FIRST TIME I EVER FELT RIGHT MELANIE TURNED 16 SHE LEFT NEW HAMPSHIRE RAN AWAY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT LEFT WITH HER MOTHER STAYED WITH HER AUNT JENNIFER WHERE HER STEP-DAD DANNY COULDN'T FIND THEM HE WAS A BAD MAN CARRIED AN ANGRY HAND SEVEN LONG MONTHS THEY WERE QUIET WHEN MELANIE COOPER CAME BACK TO NEW HAMPSHIRE SHE WAS SCARED AND I SAID I'D MAKE IT RIGHT SHE TOLD ME SHE LOVED ME THEN SHE WENT QUIET IT LOOKED LIKE SOMETHING MIGHT HAVE CHANGED IN HER EYES SHE SAID SHE MIGHT RETURN STAY WITH HER AUNT JENNIFER I DIDN'T TELL HER BUT I THOUGHT THAT I MIGHT DIE I BORROWED MY DAD'S GUN 700 MOUNT REMINGTON IT WAS SPRINGTIME SO HE WOULDN'T NOTICE I PICKED UP MELANIE IN MY MOM'S CHEVROLET AND SHE ASKED ME WHERE WE WERE GOING I DIDN'T TELL HER WHERE LIKE I DIDN'T KNOW FOR SURE LIKE THE CHEVY WAS DRIVING ON ITS OWN WE PARKED BEHIND A FENCE OF STONE SEPARATED BY A PINE GROVE DANNY WAS STANDING IN HIS YARD HE HAD HIS SHIRT OFF AT ABOUT 100 YARDS THROUGH THE SCOPE I COULD SEE THAT FAR MELANIE DIDN'T MOVE SHE DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING I TOLD HER GO LAY DOWN IN THE CAR 20 YEARS LATER MELANIE COOPER TOLD THE D.A. WHAT I HAD DONE HOW I STARTED SHAKING THERE HOW I SAID I'D DO IT JUST AS SOON AS THE FLAVOR LEFT MY GUM AND HOW AFTER THE SHOT RANG I RUBBED MUD ON MY LICENSE PLATE HOW I TOLD HER THAT THE HARD TIMES WERE DONE IN THE 21 YEARS SINCE I'VE BEEN WORKING CONSTRUCTION MELANIE COOPER MET A MAN AND FOUND GOD SHE MOVED OUT WEST SOMEWHERE I HADN'T SEEN HER IN 19 YEARS 'TIL I SAW HER IN THE COURTHOUSE HALL A LITTLE BIT OF GRAY IN HER HAIR SHE WAS A STRANGER THERE NOT MUCH DIFFERENT THAN A SHADOW ON THE WALL MY NAME IS ERIC WINTER'S JUNIOR I GOT 99 TO LIFE (ends with harmonica sound)

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Thank you very much. I should say that that song-- Actually a lot of these, that I'm playing here today, are on an album that I just recorded. It's called Slow Boat. It's going to be coming out in Summer 2012. I'm pretty proud of it and excited about it. So that's that. Here's one of the first songs I ever wrote. It's call "Kissing Tree." It being one of the first songs I ever wrote and me being a much younger man, actually it's about making out with girls. There were two main subject areas I was into at the time I wrote this. One of them was making out with girls, and the other one was the Detroit Tigers being awesome. A lot of those songs about the Detroit Tigers being awesome didn't really stand the test of time, believe it or not, but this one might have held up a little better. It's called "Kissing Tree." INCREASED TEMPO OF A HEARTBEAT RAISED BUMPS UPON THE SKIN I'M NOT SAYING I DON'T LIKE IT YOU THE REASON FOR THE SHAPE I'M IN I GOT FAMILY UP IN HEAVEN I GOT FRIENDS UP IN THE SKY WHILE I'M UP HERE ON THE GROUND PLEASE DON'T YOU SAY GOODBYE COLORED GROUND COLORED GROUND IT'S BEEN SO LONG I'VE BEEN DOWN YOU ARE THE PRETTIEST THING THAT I'VE EVER SEEN LET ME MEET YOU BY THE KISSING TREE YOU CAN SCREAM AT MIDNIGHT YOU CAN WHISPER IN YOUR SLEEP WATCH THE SUNRISE WITH A BIRD'S EYE PLEASE WON'T YOU COME WITH ME COLORED GROUND COLORED GROUND IT'S BEEN SO LONG I'VE BEEN DOWN YOU ARE THE PRETTIEST THING THAT I'VE EVER SEEN LET ME MEET YOU BY THE KISSING TREE LET ME MEET YOU BY THE KISSING TREE LET ME MEET YOU BY THE...

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I'll do a couple more here. Thank you very much, and thanks for having me, out there in TV-land. This one's called "I Will Be Gone." It's based on certain true events. I WILL BE GONE JUST AS SOON AS I CAN BE SOON AS I GET THAT MONEY TO FIX UP MY VAN IT'S THE SAME ONE WE KISSED IN THE DAY YOUR MOM LEFT YOUR DAD I WILL BE GONE I WILL BE GONE I WILL BE GONE JUST AS SOON AS I CAN BE I WILL BE GONE JUST AS SOON AS WE MARRY DON'T TELL YOUR SISTERS JUST GRAB WHAT YOU CAN CARRY I KNOW THAT WE GOT SOMETHING BUT IT'S JUST NOT HERE AND I WILL BE GONE I WILL BE GONE I WILL BE GONE JUST AS SOON AS WE MARRY I GOT A RESTLESS HEART THERE'S TOO MUCH IN BETWEEN WELL, I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR SOMETHING YOU'VE BEEN LOOKING AT ME I WILL BE GONE JUST AS SOON AS I'M TAKEN DIRT I WAS BORN IN IS THE DIRT THAT I'LL DIE IN YOU STILL LOOK PRETTY EVEN WHEN YOU'RE FORSAKEN I WILL BE GONE I WILL BE GONE I WILL BE GONE JUST AS SOON AS I'M TAKEN I WILL BE GONE I WILL BE GONE I WILL BE GONE JUST AS SOON AS I'M TAKEN Thank you. Here's one more. It's from the album coming out the summer of 2012. This one's called "Smoke is the Thin Stuff." Thanks so much for having me here. SMOKE IS THE THIN STUFF THAT RISES UP TOWARDS HEAVEN SUBTRACTED FROM SOMETHING ON THE GROUND WHEN IT GETS BURNED FLOATS IN THE BREEZE AND IT WHISPERS ABOUT ITS FREEDOM WAITS FOR THE REST TO JOIN IT AMONG THE BIRDS OH, MY LORD LOOK AT THIS OLD HOUSE IT CREAKS AND GROANS STINKS LIKE HELL THE PART ON THE BOTTOM JUST SAYS FARE THEE WELL THE PART ON THE BOTTOM KEEPS GETTING SMALLER AND SMALLER EACH TIME IT FEELS IT FEELS LESS AND LESS THE SMOKE THAT HAS LEFT TOOK SOMETHING IT'S GONE FOREVER TO MAKE A NEW LIFE AND DAMN ETERNALLY OH, MY LORD LOOK AT THIS OLD HOUSE IT CREAKS AND GROANS STINKS LIKE HELL THE PART ON THE BOTTOM JUST SAYS FARE THEE WELL THE PART ON THE BOTTOM JUST SAYS FARE THEE WELL THE PART ON THE BOTTOM JUST SAYS Thank you. (applause)