Sunday Evening Post by Tim Jones

My friend Mike Farmer suddenly got a gig booking acts at this new marina bar on Old Hickory Lake in Hendersonville called Piranha's. 

He asked me if I could play 4 hours worth of covers. It's a daunting task for anybody I'd say, but I scrounged my brain and put together a monster list of songs I kind of know. I like to say I can play half of every song. Not necessarily the good half...

Well here's what I ended up coming up with. I threw some TSCo. songs in for good measure and even some from The Chevy Downs Band, a country outfit I had in Bloomington/Indianapolis. Here's a feature "hit" from each of the 4 50-minute set lists.

  

Set 1

Family Tradition-Hank Williams Jr.

Can’t Hardly Wait-The Replacements

Silver Wings-Merle Haggard

The Man In Me-Bob Dylan

Oh Lonesome Me-Neil Young

Into the Mystic-Van Morrison

Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow-The Shirlles/Carole King

Heart Like a Wheel-TSCo.

Dock of the Bay-Otis Redding

Time is on My Side-Irma Thomas/Rolling Stones

You’re in My Heart-Rod Stewart

That’s Alright Mama/One Night-Elvis Presley

Island-TSCo.

Ol’ 55-Tom Waits/The Eagles

Set 2

Jesus, Heal My Hangover-Chevy Downs

Under the Boardwalk-The Drifters

Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain- Willie Nelson

Just Like Tom’s Thumb Blues-Bob Dylan

Hail Hail-TSCO

Sweet Virgina-The Rolling Stones

Roll Another Number for the Road- Neil Young

Bartender’s Blues-George Jones/James Taylor

Them Jeans-TSCO

Save the Last Dance for me-The Drifters

Life’s Little Ups and Downs-Charlie Rich

I Can’t Be Myself When I’m With You- Merle Haggard

All coming back-Tim Jones + Zach Broocke

Don’t Let me Down-The Beatles

  

Set 3

Out on the weekend/ I Shall Be Released-Neil Young/Bob Dylan & the Band

Back In Your love-TSCO

Pick Up My Pieces- Willie Nelson

You Ain’t Goin Nowhere-Bob Dylan

Whisky Cards and Women-Chevy Downs

Overboard/Tracks of My Tears/I’m Your Puppet-Tim Jones/Smokey Robinson/Spooner Oldham/Dan Penn

You make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman-Carole King/Aretha

Crying-Roy Orbison

The News-Old Pike

Lost Highway- Hank Williams

Tennessee Blues -Bobby Charles

Everyone Needs a Hand to Hold On To- John Cougar Mellencamp

Games People Play-Joe South

Set 4

Country Time-Chevy Downs

Little Ole Wine Drinker Me-Merle Haggard

The Weight- The Band

Ooh La La- The Faces

Against the Wind-Bob Seger

I’m not your Boyfriend-TSCO

Old Piano-TSCO

Lay Lady Lay-Bob Dylan

And It Stoned Me- Van Morrison

Breakdown-Tom Petty

Some Guys Have All the Luck-Rod Stewart

Here Comes a Regular- The Replacements

You Ain’t Going Nowhere-Bob Dylan

Family Tradition- Hank Williams Jr. 

"Into the Mystic" is one that a ton of people play and Van gets flack for becoming the background music to many a yuppie's suburban dream, but the Celtic magician hits a deep place in my soul and this song always sounds right...especially near water.

"Bartender's Blues" in set 2 is amazing if for no other reason than the fact that James Taylor wrote it and George Jones made it famous. It is a perfectly written song and feels best when played at a small bar where all the bartenders can hear it and sympathize. Having had many a job in the service industry, it is the ultimate empathetic comfort and inspiration to move on at the same time.

"Tennessee Blues"

This is a newer favorite that I just started playing with my friend Foster Timms when he was last in town. It's odd because it's hard to tell if the writer, Bobby Charles, has the blues because of TN or because he misses TN. Certainly the beauty he describes -- "valleys and streams, birds in the trees, lakes that surround me" -- define what TN has been to me in the last year. Something that I think I'll always long for wherever I am.

"Here Comes A Regular"

If somebody asks you to come play covers at their bar, you just gotta throw this one in there. The small twists in the lyrics are incredible: "Everybody wants to be someone here / Everybody wants to be someone's here"

Paul Westerberg is hands down one of the greatest American songwriters that ever lived and I think an incredibly under-rated singer as well. You know he's been every where and every person and every line he sings about. It's real. Too damn real at times, but oh so good.