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I Got What I Wanted

from Lay It All Down by Mike Lawson & Friends

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about

This is the final track I wrote for the album. The chorus idea was stuck in my head, and I could not go to sleep until I got up and sketched the song out. The next day it was off to Leeds, and Joe happened to have a window and turned it in a day for me. I played electric 12, bass, and acoustic guitars and put down my vocals. Then I sent it to Scott Guberman for Hammond organ, but this song needed more in my mind.

I called on my old friend Pete Sears, and absolute jewel of a man, who I met when he was with Hot Tuna in the mid 90s, but before that he was with Jefferson Starship during their post-airplane heyday, and he played piano on songs like Maggie Mae on Rod Stewart's first four solo albums. Pete took it to another level with his piano parts, like he always does. Thanks Pete, you're the best.

I'd wanted to have something for Gary Talley, from one of my favorite Memphis bands, The Box Tops, to play guitar on, and sent it to him. Phil was recovering from a shoulder injury and out of whack for a few weeks, so I pushed on and sent it to Denise Stewart Bates, who once again gave me my Clydie King vocals I so love from her. By the time all that was done, Keaggy was ready to play again and got his parts down, and it all just fell into place.

lyrics

My early years were navigating steep, bumpy, dark, and twisted roads
Hauling love and misery, pulling on some heavy loads
I pushed the stone right up that mountain top
‘cuz I love to watch it roll back down
Picked up some hitchhikers on my way
I dropped them off downtown

I went up to the corner bar, played some songs on my guitar
I packed it up at 2AM, and when I get up tomorrow you know I’ll do it again

Well lookie here man yeah, I’m living my dreams,
But lemme tell you brother that it ain’t what it seems
Maybe I’ll never ever get when I need, but I, I got what I wanted

Like a rubber soldier on the front lines, shoving off the living dead
Running from the demons chasing me all up inside my head

You know I talked to gods, I talked to men
I’d talk to anyone who would hear
Now I just leave it to the universe, I know I got nothing to fear

I setup for another show, and when I get started it, well it’s time to go
I never gotten over the fright, but when the songs start playing it’s always a delight, yeah…

Lookie here woman well I’m living my dreams
But lemme tell you sister that it ain’t what it seems
Maybe I’ll never ever get when I need, but I, I got what I wanted

Be careful what you wish for, you know you might just find
Yourself standing in another town
On a beautiful stage for the deaf, dumb, and blind

Well, all the way around I go, far away, far away from the Gulf of Mexico
All the way to the promised land, the golden gate of San Francisco
I found love and joy out on the Haight
And when my demons came back lord I just couldn’t wait
To get back to my home in Tennessee, you know I hate the road

I went back to that corner bar, played some songs on my guitar
I packed it up at 2AM, and when I get up tomorrow you know I’ll do it again, well

Well lookie here man yeah, I’m living my dreams,
But lemme tell you brother that it ain’t what it seems
Maybe I’ll never ever get when I need,but I, I got what I wanted

Well lookie here woman well I’m living my dreams
But lemme tell you sister that it ain’t what it seems
Maybe I’ll never ever get when I need, but I, I got what I wanted

Words and Music by Mike Lawson
© 2022 Psychotronic Music - BMI

credits

from Lay It All Down, released October 7, 2022
Mike Lawson - Guitars, Bass
Scott Guberman - Hammond organ
Pete Sears - Piano
Gary Talley - Guitar
Phil Keaggy - Guitar
Joe Montague - Drums/Percussion
Denise Stewart Bates - Backing Vocals

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Mike Lawson & Friends Nashville, Tennessee

Mike Lawson has, over 30 years, recorded and/or performed together with Merl Saunders, Vince Welnick, Vassar Clements, Pete Sears, Gary Talley, John McEuen, Bob Welch, Dennis Robbins, Joe Louis Walker, Jorma Kaukonen, Phil Keaggy, Jack Casady, Scott Guberman, Dianne Davidson, Noah Wall, Tyra Juliette, Bill Vitt, Rob Wasserman, Michael Cleveland, Phil Madeira, and a host of other amazing friends. ... more

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