Continuing Education

Self-portrait as Tourgot, Level 56 Undead Rogue

I think you change when you realize that all the desperate schemes you had for achieving deathless awesomeness are not going to work. Most folks are drawn to art, music, sport, thinkin', bidnit and ruthless conquest out of a subliminal sense that it might just work this time. "I'll discover/create/accomplish something so bitchin' that I'll actually ascend into the empyrean to abide within a perfect understanding of space and time." Of course it never quite works out that way, and a big part of coming to that realization is seeing your heroes brought low by the ravages of age and time. Hilarious!!

But, if you're lucky, you get to see your heroes soldiering on to the end but with a hard-won sense of humor about the inevitability of it all, and an earnest appreciation for the here and now. Here's a really nice interview with Dave Wakeling where he talks about being phoned out of the blue by Pete Townsend who wanted to cover Save It For Later. His account of going to see Townsend play the song was really moving and cool. Related in a strange way to this article about Tom Petty phoning his long-ago pre-Heartbreakers bandmates because he wanted to tour with them again.

Anyhow:

The original version of Save It For Later with young Dave

Pete Townsend's live version

2006 accoustic version by Dave Wakeling from the same interview (w/ Andy Capp reference!)

Bonus: For Pop lineage geeks, Pearl Jam oft segue into Save It For Later from "Can't Find A Better Man." Same good ol' D A G chords.

Hmmm, images are not posting. I feel naked. Dang, maybe I should break out some ASCII or something.