Last night the UCLA law school had a farewell party for our outgoing dean Mike Schill.
I was trying to think of an appropriate way to blog this sad event, when I got an idea. You see, I like the blues. I like Schill. Mike's departure had me feeling blue. Chicago's cold. Mike's not a natural driver.
Add them all up and the answer was obvious: Albert Collin's fantastic version of the blues song "Snowed In." Lyrics:
Last winter I was in Chicago and the weather was awfully bad
Last winter I was in Chicago, and the weather was awfully bad
They say I was stuck in Chi Town, for the worst winter they ever had
"I'm gonna go on right here
And see if I can get this truck started right quick"
"These old shoes ain't ready for the winter"
"Oh, I'm 'bout to fall an' break my neck here in a minute, buddy
"See if I can get this key in this door here"
"I know it don't lock it, lock, it done froze up on me an'"
"Lock it won't act right, it already half-tore up anyhow"
"Yeah, I got it now, I'm gon get here an' try to crank this old thing"
"An' pat the accelerator a little bit"
"Yeah, I almost got it"
"Pat the accelerator a little bit more"
"It's cold, that wind just whistlin' out there"
"Oh it sure cold weather out here"
"You get frostbite out here"
"Try it one more time"
"Ya'all, it ain't gonna start"
Yeah, I don't mind a little snow, an' I can handle rain
I say, I don't mind a little snow, an' I can handle a little rain
Now I don't mind bein' cold but this winter, man it's sure insane
"If I go now hit this old gas station,
I think I can get me somebody to"
"Walk on down the street here, 'bout a block"
"See if I can, get somebody to give me a boost off here an' get my battery charged"
"Oh man, this stuff is in a mess here!"
"I'm gonna fall, break my neck"
"Oh get on by man, I'm gonna get out your way, I'm in the street"
"I'm tryin' to walk here, ya'all runnin' these damn trucks an' cars an' goin' on"
"Come on by man"
"Oh man, the station is done closed!"
Now the gas station was closed, and the snow was eight feet tall
Now the gas station had closed, hm, and the snow was eight feet tall
The telephone cable was down, an' you couldn't even make a call
You couldn't go out for groceries, hm, nobody would deliver to you
I said, you couldn't go out for groceries, nobody would deliver to you
In a bad situation like that, what in the hell, ya'all, what-a I'm suppose to do?
"Yeah, it's a tough winter, I tell ya"
"I go back out here one more time an' see if I get this, thing started right here"
"Old battery might be done be at the level, I might get it started now"
"Besides, I'm about to fall"
"Man, I'm gonna tell ya, I'm a, whew!"
"Rough, rough here in Chicago!"
"Wanna get on back across that desert in Los Angeles, somewhere"
"Florida somewhere"
"If I can get outta here, I know I'm snowed in"
"Try to crank this damn thing one more time"
"I think I can get it to crank, I hope so"
"Let me see if I can get it cranked"
"Pat the accelerator a little bit"
"Might get it started, now"
"Oh yes, I got that thing together now, boy"
"She's kickin' now!"
"Yeah"
"Yeah, will let her get warmed up"
"Hey!"
"Hey!"
"Hey!"
Video/audio track:
Hopefully this'll give Mike something to think about come February. After all, if Collins can't get his car started in a Chicago winter, Mike's in big trouble. I'm tempted to say it'll serve him right, but I really wish he'll want "get on back" to "Los Angeles."
In the meanwhile, I wonder how Collins got his guitar to sound like a frozen up starter motor. And I'm damn glad I don't have to worry about snow that's "eight feet tall"anymore.
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