From the recording The Emergent Sea
This song came from a dream in which an army of musicians playing telecasters marched on Washington D.C. and changed the government on behalf of Peace, Nature and Equality. I wrote it at the height of the Bush administration but only got to record it this year(2008). I wanted to give it to Obama for his campaign, but the recording took forever as always(having no money or time). But this seemed destined as sadly his grandmother died the week before election. Maybe it was meant for him. See if you can catch all the Hendrix references.
Lyrics
Grandma's Telecaster (The Good Old Days) © Roman Rhodes, 2005
When grandma died, she left me something on deposit. Her will said I would find it in the back of her closet And if I could master it, it would be mine. 'Twas a ruby red telecaster from 1969! I didn't even know that Granny played! But mom said, "son, your grandma really rocked on purple haze. Back in the good ol' days."
My grandma's hair was grey and tied up in a bun. When she let it down it reached her George Washington. She often crossed the Potomac, just for fun. In electric lady land, she was number one! Her guitar strap's red leather with rhinestones all the way Up the front and down the Back to her good old days!
When grandma died I found stashed in her tickle trunk A lotus legged, meditating, wise old Buddhist monk! And despite being folded up and locked away he wasn't in a funk He said the things we think we need are just a bunch of junk, But for a man my age, I got a lot of spunk. I said I didn't even know that grandma prayed! He said, "Son, you grandma was enlightened Back in the good ol' days."
When I was young the world seemed headed in the right direction.But then some greedy fools done gone stole the election. And now the small mindedness that once held sway, Long before, in a time before the good old days, Have armed the church steeples with nuclear bombs. And promise they'll blow us back to Kingdom Come, Unless we pay whatever price for oil that they say. But I know my grandma would have stood up and fought Back in the good old days!
Well now the telecaster's mine and I carry it like a gun. I can play Along the Watchtower in my sleep with my teeth for fun. And I've raised myself an army of the New Rising Sun. And we're going to march on D.C and challenge the illegitimate ones. We've got 10,000 telecasters and man we're gonna groove, For peace, for nature, for equality, we got something to prove. With a wall of guitars, we're gonna blow those bastards away! And bring back the good ol' days!