Friday, November 6, 2009

Guy Clark - Songwriter - Craftsman

Guy Clark was born this day in 1941, he is 68 years old today...and sounding better with every passing year.

Guy loves words. Guy loves wood. His words sound like fine wood that he's carves and moulded and shaped.

One of my "Holy Trinity" of songwriters (along with John Prine and Billy Joe Shaver...Todd Snider is D'Artagnon) Guy is considered a true craftsman on songwriting among song writers.



His wife Susanna once described the kinds of songs Guy writes as the stuff that gets spread around and gains new fans with one "You gotta hear this" to another. Guy's songs are personal to his fans. He wrote 'em for us.





Guy at one time or another worked building guitars in Long Beach, California and building boats along the Gulf Coast in Texas and Louisiana and still works on guitars and does carpentry "for fun". He once wrote a song in praise of the carpenter and woodworking, with a great line "Don't the Lord love a 2 X 4".



His records sound like wood too. acoustic, warm, inviting. You can almost smell the oak and mahogany.

Guy's got a new record coming out this month...I can hardly wait. They don't come fast and furious to this man. Usually 3-4 years between new releases, he says "I wait until I have 13 good songs...then I make a record.".





He doesn't just "have" or end up with new songs...he forms and lathes and sands them like a fine wood carving. Then when their suitably crafted enough to come into the house, they're finally born.


Ready for some "you gotta hear this" and to be passed around by some new folks.

Thanks Guy!

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