In Stevie Wonder’s delightful “Sir Duke,” off of his masterpiece double album, Songs in the Key of Life, you’ll find a terrible marriage of lyric and melody in the second verse.
Not only is the line itself a bit nonsensical, you have this weird accent on “the,” which is a big no-no. And a line that begins with “be,” separated from its helping verb.
If it had been my song, I would have changed it. I wouldn’t have let it see the light of day with a lyric like that.
Read MoreYou’re wondering why you have to do this.
Why this painful, uncomfortable work was chosen for you.
All around you, it seems like other people have it easier. A fraction of the responsibility and double the reward.
More free time, more fun.
Read MoreThere were a number of years where I dreaded opening my email inbox.
I just never knew who was going to have a problem that was my fault.
The fear went away — but the emails demanding my attention didn’t. There is almost always someone upset with me now, and I’ve learned to live with it.
Read MoreOne of my favorite restaurants is a fluorescent-lit paradise called Little Bangkok, in Atlanta.
The restaurant doesn’t have enough parking, so people double-park and you can’t leave until the guy behind you comes out and moves his car. Their color scheme is soft pink and baby blue — with bright red booths. The decor is kitschy. They don’t take AMEX. The neighborhood is not that great. What’s more, their website is generic.
And yet, I go to Little Bangkok every chance I get. I love the food, the people, and the experience. I don’t need them to have a fancy website.
Read MoreA band that I listened to obsessively in my twenties was Belle & Sebastian.
By the time I discovered them, standing mesmerized at a listening station in a Tower Records store in Nashville, the Glaswegian band was already well into their long career. Back then, you had to actually buy the music you wanted to hear; I made a deal with myself that I could buy another Belle & Sebastian album only when I felt really down. For better or worse, I amassed their entire back catalog within two years.
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