Carl Snow – Live, From The Fishbowl - PT III ('Fool')

Carl Snow – Live, From The Fishbowl - PT III (‘Fool’)

The last full song (31, was faded out as the credits rolled, ugh!) I played on that sad and uplifting day to my fallen friends and the crowd outside the ‘Fishbowl’s’ glass edges.

I have written my fair share of ‘confessionals’ but ‘Fool’ has somehow remained a ‘crowd favorite’ (odd as it feels sad) of mine, perhaps because many of the folks who go to my solo shows (the band very rarely plays this one) have screwed up and gotten falling down drunk before and had to crawl home to their wives …Just a guess.

Anyways more than anything it’s a love song, in the truest sense, as we are all ‘fools’ where lady-love is concerned. Beyond that it’s a favorite of mine to play and sing (fun chordal structure) to Cin, my wife of 20 years, who was IN the Fishbowl a few feet away as this happened.

I have included the lyrics (below) because my Cocker/Waits gravel-growl vocals sometimes obscure them when I get emotional, and as has been said, this was an emotional day.

I hope y’all enjoy this last ‘Fishbowl’ video as much as I enjoyed playing it then, and now(for you)

RAWK!
Cs

‘Fool’



‘Fool’ …Lyrics

Love loves a fool
Ignorance is bliss
And cunning …cruel

Its no mystery, I placed the clues so carefully
It’s only when and where and why and how
but its insanity, you forgiving me,
all of these things somehow…

...Love loves a fool
Its high-noon now
and I doubting …duel

There’s no doubt that I am fast
Shooting my mouth off
These dumb, empty, cartridges all fall at my side
But I hit the ground when those tears hit your cheek
By the graves of the gutless ones all gunned-down by pride

But if love loves a fool then surely
Love loves me
…and seeing as I’ve squandered it so foolishly
Send me a message
Could you send me a clue?
You know this idiot-** loves you

Sun comes up
Sun’s gonna fill another coffee-cup

…and those hurt glances
Around the kitchen move
They’re like snakes on vulture wings
And it’s a mystery, how you forgive me
All of these foolish things

But if love loves a fool then surely love loves me
…and seeing as I’ve squandered it so foolishly
I sent you a message
I sent you a slew
And you know this idiot-** loves you

Love loves a fool
And we two know this all to be true

(words/music Carl Snow c/p-Pub ‘Useless Songs’ ASCAP)

Hey Carl,
Another great song! Very honest and self exploring. What I enjoy about these vids most is the opportunity to watch your techniques, strumming etc. In this song I couldn't help but focus on your left hand. Just how many chords are in this song anyway? Yikes, I couldn't keep up. Also I noticed the long sweeping diagonal strums, something I've not tried before. I pick up some interesting ideas when I watch you play so, Thanks.
Phip
P.S. That's Cin (your wife) over your left shoulder?

i think this is my favorite song by you, I agree with phip, it sounded very honest, but maybe i'm wrong and nothing in the song was truthful to you, can never tell haha

I cant believe i havnt said how much I love your guitar yet! man, it looks and sounds so awesome.

and honestly im a little surprised to see you with a pick. I pegged you as a finger strumming man

@ Phip
Nope, not Cin, she was IN the Fishbowl (commercial break) by then, sitting with the crew and the folks from 'Riverdance' (or whatever its called) ... actually THAT girl was/is Rodney's (dr) girlfriend and her friends.
Glad ya like the chordal thang, lol, i read this and picked up the Tele to 'count chords' ... i got to 27 once, 24 once, and some other number once, PROOF that age and Sus/Aug/Dim chords will drive ya mad and something makes/made me wanna count an E or A (the easy ones) twice at times ... ya mean ole man! I'm about cross-eyed from that!
The strums aren't a function i'm aware of these days, on a conscious level, but more of a rhythmic 'feel' in my subconscious(conscious is busy with words & 'reading the crowd' ..ha-ha)
Glad ya liked it Bro!

@ BBT
and thank you as well, BBT, the song is in truth, brutally honest, as all events were autobiographical (all my stuff is rooted in the "real" ...I don't do 'fiction')
as for the finger picking, i played w/ a pick on the other tunes as well that day.
oddly enough (though I DO Travis-Pick a LOT) I seem to save 'finger-picking' (me = NOT the "classical" style, but Travis, or Delta) for Blues, but used to play 'Fool' sans-pick ... thing is, while no-pick has an advantage in 'the delicate parts', the chorus demands a heavy handed pick. (ya were close on that one! lol)

and I'll tell 'Baby' (my '53 o-18 Martin) ya like her :) ... shes a great Plank.

Thanks all! the whole TV/Web solo thang has made me more aware of the fact that i love playing 'outside the band' ... It's so immediate and personal feeling, and there is no safety net, this keeps me connected with my audience as well as (esp. with new tunes) being a great 'proving ground' for the tune(s), as if it can stand alone and sound good to folks, it will transfer well to the band.

thanks for the kind comments and ....

RAWK!
Cs

I like this one a lot Carl! It's got a pretty cool vibe going on.

Rock on!

I truly dig the feeling you've put into these songs! And this one is even more awesome than the previous posts!

That's the first one I listen too and its pretty awesome, 5 stars
plus I like the summer of love logo, who designed it?
You've got something that reminds me of Kerry King.

probably the tats and bald head

Thanks man! … “The feeling” you mention is likely the result of the whole story being a form of Mea-Culpa, delivered by yours truly to his amazingly amazing and astoundingly forgiving wife after a string of late-night over-indulgences. I wrote this after a string of Gigs and such left me looking up from a bottle of Jack and thanking God/Love that she (Cin) was/is till there. Sure, I was in the kitchen being read the ‘riot-act’, but I’m a hapless and hopeless romantic and so ‘the muse’ found me on the front porch with ‘Baby’ (the ‘53 Martin, in Vid) crying like a kid and hoping some of those words would connect and heal the anguish my idiocy constructed. An hour and 30,000 chords later, my foolish song was finished and waiting with me on the front steps for her to get home. I sang it for Cin, and she (knowing I meant every word), forgave me my abundant stupidity(s).


Thanks man! …it’s the “seriously, Hon …I’m sorry” Vibe.



That’s nice of you, Nightmare, thanks! (have ya listened to the whole series?)

RE: Logo:
Scott, my bassist in a number of bands (I think our first shared band was Whitey (circa 89-91/2)) He had graduated UT back in the 80’s with a degree in graphic arts, and has one of the keenest eyes for that sort of thing I’ve ever encountered; he does this stuff all BY HAND and then translates the image to a computer. Great friend, Bassist-extraordinaire and ‘arranger’(as well as Lap Steel and T-Bone). I’ll pass the compliment his way :)





Hahaha!!! An old Bandmate of mine (Koro, circa 1982/4) Dave (Bad Religion, The ***ies, etc) knows him I think, I’ll have to check. But LOL! I Wikki-ed the dude and wow! HE IS my doppelganger! ha-ha…the age is even right! Wild!

RAWK!
Cs

No not really =/ cause my connection is too freakin slow!