The Kitchen Musician ~ May 2024
Hello Friends,
When I told someone that Margo and I have a “jigsaw puzzle love”, I was greeted with a head-tilt and questioning look. I explain this with a new song. Join me in the kitchen!
Index
NEWS:
THIS MONTH’S MUSIC: “Jigsaw Puzzle Love”
UPCOMING SHOWS
FEATURED NON-PROFIT: Ample Harvest
Photo by David Young
News:
I am looking forward to several upcoming shows.
May 24, Friday: Club Passim Campfire Festival, Cambridge, MA (in the round)
June 2, Sunday: Walnut Street Café, Lynn, MA (open mike feature)
June 15, Saturday: One Broadway Collaborative, Lawrence, MA (songwriter showcase)
June 25, Tuesday: The Optimist Café, Jaffrey, NH (dinner and a showcase)
August 24, Saturday: Peterborough, NH (family-friendly solo show)
August 31, Saturday: Rindge Historical Society, Rindge, NH (open mic feature)
All show details can be found at upcoming shows.
This Month’s Music: “Jigsaw Puzzle Love”
© 2024 Tom Smith (ASCAP)
Lyrics in comment below.
A while ago I wrote the song “One More Sail Around the Sun” to celebrate Margo and my 35th wedding anniversary. It is a very thoughtful song, rich in metaphor and symbolism. Now as we approach our 48th anniversary this summer, I wondered how a new anniversary-inspired song might differ from that one. “(We’re Not) The Jet Set”, first made famous by George Jones and Tammy Wynette, seems a bit more appropriate as Margo and I definitely travel in the “slow lane” these days. Another nice version was recorded by John Prine and Iris Dement. The chorus of that song ends with these lines:
No, we’re not the jet set, we’re the old Chevrolet set
But ain’t we got love?
So I suppose it should not be surprising that I would come up with a song called “Jigsaw Puzzle Love”, which centers around an “exciting” evening working on a jigsaw puzzle together. I admit that exciting may not be the right word, but there is something very satisfying about putting a jigsaw puzzle together with someone you love. For us, so much of our puzzle process team work models how we deal with many other aspects of our life together. Furthermore, putting together a jigsaw puzzle is a great way to separate from the toxic news cycle and Internet “noise”.
On the surface, this song is very simple. I was tempted to file it away in a folder labelled “Silliness” and then move on to something more serious; but the more I sang it, the more it grew on me.
I think this song benefits from a little audience participation. I am grateful for the good folks who accommodated me at the Lincoln Library in Lincoln, MA this past Tuesday; and to Steve Friedman who pressed the “record” button on my video camera. I loved performing in this intimate and informal room.
I still don’t know why an audience member thought this song was a little risque. 🙂
Carry on my friends!
Tom
(If so inclined, I invite you to leave a comment by scrolling to the end of this page.)
Featured Non-profit: Ample Harvest
“AmpleHarvest.org is a nationwide nonprofit that is eliminating the waste of 11 billion pounds of fresh garden produce per year. Through AmpleHarvest.org, gardeners connect with their local food pantry and donate their surplus harvests.”
“[We] help America’s 62 million home gardeners learn about the opportunity to share their excess garden bounty with their neighbors in need [and work] to educate, encourage and enable food pantries nationwide to receive excess produce from local growers.”
Join me in supporting Ample Harvest by donating your excess garden food, registering your food pantry, or donating financially.
Tom
May 15, 2024Jigsaw Puzzle Love
© 2024 Tom Smith (ASCAP)
Enjoyment comes in many shapes
A jigsaw puzzle love
Some look for ways to find escape
A jigsaw puzzle love
Some like to hear the disco blast
Some travel far, some travel fast
But in that race we’d come in last
We got a jigsaw puzzle love
(I’ll explain)
We like it when the pace decreases
A jigsaw puzzle love
With a thousand interlocking pieces
A jigsaw puzzle love
Laid on the table, right side up
You sort the colors, I brew us a cup
We start with the edges, and our fingers touch!
We have a jigsaw puzzle love
Slowly the picture comes into view
A jigsaw puzzle love
Good times, hard work, three kids and you
A jigsaw puzzle love
We built it one piece at a time
Patience, persistence, paid in-kind
All of the that and more combine
To make our jigsaw puzzle love
Our eyes meet in the candle light
A jigsaw puzzle love
Don’t you think it’s time we call it a night
A jigsaw puzzle love
I’ve got the last piece, you’ve got the last space
It takes two to put it into place
How sweet the sound, amazing grace!
We’ve got a jigsaw puzzle love
We’ve got a jigsaw puzzle love
Amy Conley
May 16, 2024Love it! ❤️
Tom
May 16, 2024Thank you Amy. It might make a good song for ukulele. 🙂
Nancy Roberts
May 16, 2024Be sure to bring that with you when you come in August.
Tom
May 16, 2024Hi Nancy, I am looking forward to returning to your wonderful community in Peterborough.
Peter Fischman
May 17, 2024Elegant in its simplicity, tasteful, not a wasted word.
Elaine
May 22, 2024Tom,
This song is precious. The last piece, the last space, it takes two to put it into place.
It’s been a rough year for us… But soon, incredibly, it will be Erik’s and my 49th wedding anniversary, and I am sitting here thinking about “ Life” and your precious song.
I also went back and listened to “One More Sail Around the Sun”. Such a lovely ode to Margo and you , and your life together.
Thank you for precious thoughts this morning .
Elaine
PS that’s a great photo of you !