Mike Zecchino Music
Boy Howdy - Diffrnt!
Boy Howdy is a ride through the country with my rambunctious friends. It's a celebration of crazy families, finding satisfaction, and getting up in the morning to be our own damn selves.
"Country" is one way to call it...especially if you like your country with a little John Prine or Lyle Lovett. It's none too serious, but it gets down to something, and that makes it pretty special for me.
I hope you'll grab a cider and a bowl of vichyssoise, kick back on the porch swing, and give this a listen! And thank you for your Diffrnt'ness...sang it loud!
Lyrics
Boy Howdy
Greetings all and salutations
and aloha shalom and hi
y’all might be wondering, Who’s this guy?
that’s fine, I don’t really mind
well, back in the day I loved to play
then I lost the fun and I lost my way (lost my way)
well howdy boys! Boy howdy,
we’re back and doing it again tonight!
Well me Ed and Sam
had a basement band
and a jam on Sunday night
I faked my way, I could really play
I thought I oughta try to do it right
I learned 7/8 and flatted fourths
from Jobim’s Book of Elbow Chords
(elbow chords elbow chords (play ‘em with your elbow) )
Well howdy boys, boy howdy
It’s good old 1-4-5 tonight!
Yeah, howdy boys, boy howdy
we're back and doing it again tonight!
well I’m glad to be glad to be glad to be back
Roz, get ‘em a beer!
Stepping on cracks, jamming on decks
oh damn I missed it here
Well, I read the date, it was getting late
I wanted to make it all mean somehow
I went veggie on the mountain, smoked on the water
and clapped one hand (tao, tao, tao, tao)
I hit manopause with a righteous cause
And a brimming bowl of vichyssoise
(vichyssoise, vichyssoise, leek ’n cold potatoes)
Well howdy boys, boy Howdy
it’s chili for me tonight!
If you’re thinking whoa! I’m getting slow
and life ain’t on my side
Believe me dude, I’ve been there, too
but we’ll make it out alive
So now, grab a bass and get up here
we’re clanging hard and drinking ciders (ciders, ciders!)
Yeah, howdy, all, boy howdy
it’s good to still be here tonight
Yeah, howdy, all, boy howdy
so glad to be back with you tonight!
Lyrics and music: Mike Zecchino
Mike Zecchino: All instruments and vocals
Family Bramble
Sisters, cousins, the whole place buzzin’
two deep and double wide
my uncle with the tooth and my two step brothers
and the cats on my mother’s side
Cousin Igg married early
and again a little later
once removed and twice put back
Aunt Asitania came here on a Lusitania freighter
now she bunks with a tar named Zach
Grandma Tuzzins’ Marriage by the Dozen
has a rose in every wedding plan
and my youngest daughter's daughter
and my cousin MaryAnne
MaryAnne, MaryAnne
my youngest daughter’s daughter
and my cousin MaryAnne
Aunt Bebe queued a record
Uncle Gril went up in flames
it’s a match made in lighter fluid
my third string cousin
still pinin’ for a pinup
he says is 'shudda wudda cute'
Two-time Wintergarten hook shot captain Ed
does his head of hair
while my three ring state champ over-does-it sister
roasts her peanuts for the county fair
and ain’t Aunt Ange all Betty Crocker
making Ed’s likeness out of marzipan!
with my youngest daughters daughter
and my cousin Maryanne
MaryAnne, MaryAnne
my youngest daughter’s daughter
and my cousin MaryAnne
Thread in the needle
hay in the barn
shot of tequila
KY charm
stank of molasses
bird in the hand
and no one questions questions
or supermarket specials
or either of my daughters or my cousin MaryAnne
Cast iron, flat iron, gridiron
are the metals in our family crest
our foredads lacked some chutzpah
but mom’s latkes are the best
The cross stitch at our table says,
“Bless this masticating clan"
and my aunts and sons and cousins-coz
and second dads and thirteen dogs
and kids and cats and sacks and wives
and both my lovely daughters
and my cousin MaryAnne.
Down in the bramble, whoa boy!
The family bramble.
Lyrics and Music: Mike Zecchino
Mike Zecchino: All instruments and vocals
Big Train
Big train! So long.
Big train! I'm gone.
Big train! Go home.
Lyrics: Sam Herman
Music: Mike Zecchino
Dave Zientara: Drums, percussion, harmonica
Larry Denneau: Organ
Erik Herman: Vocals
Mike Zecchino: Guitars, bass, percussion
Ever Be Texas
Hell if I know
I was watching the road
I guess I thought you knew where in all the Oklahomas we were going
strung out on road food
had it with rain
In the dark the lines are kind of blurring up on me
What do you say when you’re way out here
And what all was fine is now just flat
And there’s no point in going on
And no good reason to go back?
What do you say?
There’s nothing to say
Just double down, dog dare
Fill it up, and get a Coke from the back
Damn if I care
it’s all pretty much the same
these windshield wipers…we missed another exit
will it ever be Texas?
will we ever see day?
Sometimes I go so low the old souls cannot soothe me
What do you say when there's just one lane
And all the fast times slam down flat
now we'll be stuck all night
between a diesel and another one
What do you say?
There’s nothing to say
Just double down, dog dare
and think it through…again…
But I ain’t pulling over
I won’t pull over
'cause love and stubborn are two sides of the same
didn’t fold in Tallahassee, didn’t call in Kankakee
now I’m gonna go just where my tired soul will take me
yeah, I’m gonna go just where my tired soul will take me
Lyrics and music: Mike Zecchino
Tricia Gonzalez: Vocals
Dave Zientara: Vocals
Mike Zecchino: All other instruments and vocals
Purple State
Monday, go shopping with my ma
Tuesday, watch the kids for pa
Wednesday, get my nails did
so Friday, Friday, Friday
I go dancing with my friends
Saturday, glamping with ma
Sunday, Madden with pa
Monday, Cody says hey!
and Friday, Friday, Friday
we go thrifting at The Pen
Yeah, the fun never ends
I think about him all the time
gotta keep my mind busy
make it day to day
Though that boy don’t make it easy
Cody is a holler yeah Cody is fire
but I wish that boy could learn to hold a job
oo wee
I hate to pay for everything
But he fills a pair of jeans
Well my mother likes him fine
‘cause he said he likes her fake job
but my dad don’t trust him none
‘cause he can’t do a brake job
Cody wasn’t fired, no, Cody had to leave.
Doesn’t anybody ever see his side?
oh sigh
I think about him all the time
Ma-bound, I rock out to the Cure
pa-bound, Johnny and June
homebound, got the radio on
Revival, revival, revival!
Cody hates the way they sing
and dad hates the whole thing
aw, hell, I’m gonna end up like my mother
in a purple state
Lyrics: Mike Zecchino and Melinda Bullaro
Music: Mike Zecchino
MC Lopez: Vocals
Dave Zientara: Drums
Mike Zecchino: all other instruments and vocals
Yeah Yar
Yeah yar
Naw I ain’t
Yeah yar
Naw I an’t
Yeah yar
Opa!
Yeah ya did
Naw I din't
Yeah ya did
Naw I din't
Yeah ya did
Opa!
Are you fixing to go?
'Cause you can’t get there from here.
Tell you what
Couldn’t tell ya
Tell ya when
When I do ‘er
Why'd'ja go?
'Cause I wanna
How fur?
A fur piece
Where yat?
In the holler
Sure ’nuff?
Might coulda
Yeah buddy, boy howdy
Well bless your heart
Tell you what
Couldn’t tell ya
Tell you what
Couldn’t tell ya
Tell you whaaaaaaaaaah
Opa!
Lyrics and music: Mike Zecchino
Dave Zientara: Vocals, drums
Mike Zecchino: All other instruments and vocals
Tell Your Sister I Said Hey
Your sister and I, we were doing fine
we had our yacht rock and our favorite wine
but lately something’s changed, it ain’t hard to define
I started singing country
Well, I didn’t know what to call it, but “country” was handy
I said “it ain’t Toby, more Lyle or Randy”
but I wish that word had never left my face
your sister just split the place
She couldn’t hang with the twang
Well what could I do? Mike will be Mike
and it all came as easy as falling off a bike
it’s the first I’d felt real since I don’t know when
I wish she’d listen again
Tell your sister I said hey,
tell her I don’t wear a hat
tell her I’m really still me
tell your sister I said hey
no ukelele or snaps
no banjo on my settee
I really hope that she's OK
tell your sister I said hey
I said, “Let’s not call it country then. How ‘bout Americana?”
she said, “It’s beer and dogs, you can call it what you wanna”
“happy nonsense" she wrote from some hostel in France
She said “go write something real”
Tell your sister I said hey
I know she’s had it with the muse
I know she’s had it with me
tell your sister I said hey
maybe she’ll come see a show
maybe she'd get in my key
I’m playing Friday at Le Pain
tell your sister I said
I didn’t plan on no country
I just followed the riff,
but art is art, twang is blind, and cool is fluid
And this is my story, and I’m sticking to it
Tell your sister I said hey
tell her I’m still on her side
tell her we’re two of a pair
tell your sister I said hey
tell her I wrote one for her
if’n I see her somewhere
I call it, “While You're Away”
tell your sister I said hey
Lyrics: Mike Zecchino and Krista Joy Niles
Music: Mike Zecchino
Mike Zecchino: All vocals and instruments
Diffrnt
Everybody down at the Food Hut wears a ball cap
I don't wear a ball cap DIFFRNT
and everybody golfs
I don't really like golf DIFFRNT
And god help me if I need to back up a trailer
or get out of a DUI, or talk knots with a sailor
‘Cause I’m diffrnt
Thank all the god-amighties
Made me diffrnt
I bring the party to the party
Chia hair and hobbit feet
I like mangoes more than meat
you’re gonna want me in the shelter
‘Cause I’m diffrnt
Everybody in this city loves Nick Taco’s
I’ve never tried Nick Taco’s DIFFRNT
and they all watch the Birds
I’m pretty sure that’s football DIFFRNT
God help me if I ever need to fix a mower
or shoot down a crow for dinner
or push leaves with a blower
‘Cause I’m diffrnt
thank all the god a-mighties
made me diffrnt
I have a custom cup for Yahtzee
I can scrabble like a fiend
and I know what offsides means
you’re gonna wanna me on the pub quiz team
‘cause I’m diffrnt
Every time I wear a collar
or smell like good soap from a shower DIFFRNT
every time I drive the limit
or bet the underdog to win it DIFFRNT
But no one writes a verse like I do
or jams a howdy jawn like I do
or gets you singin’ ‘long like I do
or bangs a righteous gong like I do
nobody loves their Arkansas Oklahoma Colorado East Bay Attleboro
San Antone 911 Linkn Tucson Iggles Upstate
curly headed baby like I do
‘Cause I’m diffrnt
thank all the god a-mighties
made me diffrnt
I’m a pink house in the winter
I’m the neighbor you want to know
I can reap and I can sow
you’re gonna want me and my solo show
‘cause I’m diffrnt
Lyrics and music: Mike Zecchino
Mike Zecchino: All instruments and vocals
Ain’t Got None
Troubles? Ain’t got none
Cares? None of them neither
Intentions? Too few to mention
Regrets? What the world for?
My world is small, I know it fence to fence
I mow it once a year if I have the chance
My roof is bowed, my hot is cold, but it’ll stand the test
Troubles? Ain’t got none. I’m living. Screw the rest.
Mortgage? Ain’t got none
Debts? None of them neither
Resentment? Don’t know what that meant
Invest? What the world for?
My world is wide, you know I dream the dream
I close my eyes and listen to her breathe
My brain is slow, my eyes are tired, they’ve done the job, I guess
Troubles? Ain’t got none. I’m living. Screw the rest.
Go on with your schemes
Make a load of things
Tell yourselves it’s progress, that’s a good one
Buy high, sell higher
Whatever fills your diapers
I’ll be sitting here watching the snow fall
til the buds fall
til the leaves fall.
Good wife? Got the best one
Friends? by the dozen
Blessings? Can hardly count ‘em
Satisfaction? Off the scale!
Banging on the mailbox
Clanging on the cowbell
Stomping on the porch boards
Sanging near to that key
Troubles? Ain’t got none.
Mistakes? None of them neither.
Intentions? Too few to mention.
Regrets? What the world for?
Lyrics and music: Mike Zecchino
Luca Zientara, Arlette Ricauld, Lori Chiapperi, Joe Chiapperi, Tricia Gonzalez, Darrin Costantini, Krista Joy Niles, Dave Zientara, Totti: Vocals
Mike Zecchino: all other instruments and vocals
Almost Every Day
I’m parting out my old Impala
jacked up down in the holler
pull your own for thirty dollars
leave the cash right in the car
A face cord from Mrs. Deezen
a screen door to let the breeze in
catch and keep, in reason
I’m looking for reasons to stay
Groundhogs, Fords, and hay bales
a new feed store in Versailles
they finally graded the lake trail
Moss in the trees like tinsel
Watch the dogs from the porch swing
mind the log under the rope swing
Fly cast down in the shallows
I’m searching for reasons to stay
I used to love it every day
I used to love it every day
Bloodlines, hounds, and dirt bikes
lightning bugs and fright nights
a road map and a flashlight
a root cellar in a storm
Birch trees black with sparrows
tangled lines in the narrows
geese point south in their arrows
not enough reasons to stay
That’s honeysuckle blowing in, that
May’s gone, June is in, that
sign says Wrong Way, they don’t mean that
we go that way all the time
I love it almost every day
I love it almost every day
If I could only get away once in a while
I’d love it almost every day
But I’m trying to see past the gas flares
The rail spur and the skid steers
grassfires, and bonfires,
and Mae, she’ll never leave here
Trying, but it’s the dry wells
the sucker punch on Fridays
the backwards caps and church fires
engine brakes in the night
That’s winter corn coming in, that
June’s gone, July won’t be back
They sign the cross, they don’t mean that
They say those things all the time
If I could ever get away
If I could ever get away
If I could only get away
once in a while.
Lyrics and music: Mike Zecchino
Mike Zecchino: all instruments and vocals