About This Song:
Last year my friend, Dan Perry, lost his wife, Mary, when she was only 59. Her passing was sudden and unexpected, and it left an immense hole in the lives of her family and friends. This song is in her memory and in memory of the love Dan and his children have for Mary.
Credits:
Words and music: Rob Talbert
Lead vocals, guitars, bass: Rob Talbert
Backing vocals: Kirsti Call
Steel Guitar: Bill Llewellyn
Drums: Frank Basile at
www.livestudiodrums.com Mixing and Mastering: CosmicDolphin
Side Notes:
This song has been a collaboration from many points, including a lot of advice and comments from Bobby Watson and friends at Echo Project Studio in the early stages. Bill L played a great steel guitar part even though I've never met him and he isn't a member of this forum -- I googled "steel guitar", found another board dedicated to steel guitar topics and persuaded Bill to lay down a part for me. Frank Basile does his musical collaborating as his day job and he was professional and great to work with. Kirsti Call is my daughter-in-law and immently more musically talented than I, but graciously agreed to work up the harmony and sing several takes in my studio. And last but not least, Mark/CosmicDolphin has put in gazillions of hours mixing and fixing the musical material I tracked -- giving me some good advice along the way, but careful never to tread too forcefully on my musical vision. I found out that Mark is not only generous and great to work with, but fantastically talented and blessed with a set of those golden ears you always hear about.
CosmicD is mastering this for publication on my website (
www.soundclick.com/talbertcall) and inclusion in the next TalbertCall CD. He will post an MP3 and APE of the mastered song next week.
Lyrics: His Better Half
c. Robert N Talbert 2006
V1
He was rough around the edges, when she finally said, "I do."
Too young to know much better when it all began.
When work was tough and the road grew rough,
Her faith would pull him through.
He loved the woman, but
She made the man.
Chorus
Spin around in the dance that they both learned by heart.
Waltzing together, now a few steps apart.
Though the music's stopped playing, he can still hear her laugh.
His love,
Her life,
His better half.
V2
There was Utah and Las Vegas, Oklahoma, San Jose.
Living life like builders with a master plan.
Moves, careers, and forty years,
Eight kids along the away.
He loved his woman, and
She made her man.
Chorus
Bridge
Life is made of pieces we divide up everyday.
Some we keep inside us, some we give away.
V3
He's got grandkids coming over, he can almost watch 'em grow.
Nobody tells a story like a grandpa can.
So he'll spread photos out and talk about
Two people they won't know,
And how he loved a woman,
And how she made a man.
Chorus
Ending
She was his love.
He was her life,
She was his better half.
