Lockdown Lemonade #57 by Severin Browne

So Many Songs

The first six months of the pandemic were a mix of “What am I going to do?” and “Oh shit, what just happened?” It wasn’t until the beginning of 2021 that I learned to relax enough to let the songs flow. Also in February 2021 I released my new CD, Overdue, which I’d been working on for over a year. But in my mind, the new CD quickly got eclipsed by the excitement of writing so much new material.

So many songs…

There were a few songs about my recent heartbreak, but there were also songs about the various animals in my life, philosophy and meditation, someone close who became homeless, and a fun country song (I believed it when someone told me that I couldn’t write a real country song to save my life). And the real surprise for me was finding myself writing about my first girlfriend and sobbing for a month as I got the words right. But there were some fun ones too.

In one such song written in February, I borrowed the term “Lockdown Lemonade” from Julie Zipperer. And at her request, I offer it here:

Old Folker

I’m an old folker, I’m an old rocker.
  I want to play like James Taylor and sing like Joe Cocker.
I want to write like Burt and Hal, and in my mind I shall,
  but in my mind I’m young and still pay soccer.
I’m an old folker, I’m an old rocker.

I’m a lone ranger, I’m a survivor.
  I wear a mask every day and I’m a high fiver.
I used to stay out late at night and then come home and write,
  but these days I’m in bed by ten o’clocker.
I’m an old folker, I’m an old rocker.

No one better try to take my guitar away.
  I’d wither in withdrawals, that’s for sure.
And with this lockdown lemonade that I drink today,
  I’m afraid there wouldn’t be a cure.

I want to wear t-shirts, I want to wear flannel.
  I want a world of smiling people like Hallmark Channel.
Every day I watch the news; every day I get the blues,
  ‘cause politics these days is such a shocker!
I’m an old folker, I’m an old rocker.
I’m an old folker, I’m an old rocker.

~ Severin Browne

In the 70’s Severin Browne was a staff songwriter at Motown. Since then he’s been a busboy, a baker, a groundskeeper on a Louisiana plantation, a computer analyst, a courier, and a recording artist with 6 solo albums and 5 with the Tall Men Group.
www.severinbrowne.com.

Lockdown Lemonade is FAR-West’s response to the dramatic and drastic shifts of 2020’s global health and economic crises. For many, this cultural reckoning and political upheaval spurred a period of personal reflection and the discovery of coping mechanisms some of us didn’t even know we had. Lockdown Lemonade is a look at the bright side. With this collection of flash creative nonfiction, brief personal essays, recollections, and musings from members of our community, we hope to shine a light on the best things that can and have come out of the most challenging of times. This column will continue on a weekly basis and postings will be released at 10 AM Pacific every Monday, so watch for them! For guidelines and submission details, please contact Julie Zipperer at julieZ@far-west.org or Marlynn Block at marlynn@far-west.org Submissions will be posted based on approval from the Lockdown Lemonade Committee.