Little Boy Blue

Little Boy Blue falls asleep at his desk--
Too many late nights have scattered his rest.
With his thumb in his mouth and his dreams that come true,
No one looks sweeter than Little Boy Blue.

Little Boy Blue dreams of being a king
In a castle of stone, with an endless purse-string.
And the coins of the realm all show off his side view,
Nobody's strong as King Little Boy Blue.

Little Boy Blue strings the ladies along.
When you're a king, love is yours for a song.
If one leaves you there's always one more to pursue:
No one romances like Little Boy Blue.

Little Boy Blue's waking up with a start--
Somebody's calling to plead for her heart.
He brushes her off, says he's been misconstrued:
Nobody's words sting like Little Boy Blue's.

Little Boy Blue feels so sad and alone,
Trapped by the sobbing that comes through the phone.
Does he really deserve this? He wishes he knew.
Nobody suffers like Little Boy Blue.

Little Boy Blue's got a fire in his head
Fueled by the these visions that fill him with dread.
In a paranoid rage, he does what he must do:
No one burns bridges like Little Boy Blue.

Little Boy Blue takes some time to reflect,
Take in these big lessons and be circumspect,
But the long-distance lady says, "I love you too"--
No one's as hopeful as Little Boy Blue.

Nobody kisses like Little Boy Blue.
Nobody sweettalks like Little Boy Blue.
No one's as lonely as Little Boy Blue.
No one can hurt you like Little Boy Blue.

Notes: This is another song about that relationship I was talking about in the notes to Common Land. It's a bitter song. I remember I had written so many songs about that relationship that when I showed this one to Brenda Sutton, she read the lyrics, looked up at me, and said. "This is good. Are you done yet?" This was the song that got it all out of my system, and it was written in about 45 minutes, partially while waiting on a friend I had a lunch date with. I had been reading The Songwriter's Idea Book, which I recommend, and this song came out of a desire to complete one of the exercises in the book that talked about songs written around a repeated line or idea. I was thinking of repetition, and that led me to nursery rhymes, and then I was thinking about this relationship I couldn't get out of my head, couldn't let go of, and I said to myself, "Hm. Which nursery rhyme character is most like this person I can't get out of my head?" Little Boy Blue, come blow your horn. The sheep's in the meadow, the cow's in the corn. Where is the boy who looks after the sheep? He's under a haystack, fast asleep. I thought about that nursery rhyme, and about how the person I couldn't get out of my head was like that-- elsewhere when the sheep needed a shepherd, and wrote the first three verses right there while waiting for the lunch date to arrive. It doesn't hurt that the subject's favorite color is blue. I have been flattered and amazed by the amount of attention this song has received. People are always coming up to me and telling me that they know the guy in this song. I've had a couple of guys come up to me and tell me they are now or used to be the guy in this song. It's a country song. A respected musician friend heard it and said frankly, "That's a hit." And it may be as close to a 'hit' as I ever get, but it's my 'hit', and I love it.

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