When I was maybe three or four
The Fuller Brush man would knock at the door
He'd always tell me "Boy you're gonna miss the fun!
Time you're old enough, the honkey tonks will all be gone."
...
And they danced on the rooftops
Let their hearts run wild
Such a sight to the eyes of a child
-James McMurtry, Fuller Brush Man
I get this song on my mind from time to time...
Whenever I smell perfume, bourbon, and cigarettes, I feel like exciting things are about to happen. I had these good looking parents and sometimes they'd go out. And when they did, they got all gussied up and smelled of bourbon, perfume and cigarettes. They smelled like a good night out. I didn't have any idea of what, exactly, a good night out was, but I REALLY looked forward to the day when I got to have one.
To this day, that smell just kills me.
Time I was old enough, the honkey tonks were not, in fact, all gone. I worked at one (sort of). I had a good old time. It wasn't like I imagined, exactly, it wasn't particularly glamorous. But, don't kid yourself, I danced on my share of rooftops. I let my heart run wild.
These days I have a husband who works nights, a small child, a mortgage, blah blah blah. So I don't get out that much. But, from time to time, I do. And I still love it. I still love putting on makeup and jewelry. I love the cocktails and the conversation. Frankly, I enjoy being a grown up.
Don't you?
Do you know James McMurtry? He's in my pantheon of people who write the SHIT out of a song. Here's one of my faves:
