I find it interesting how music, especially at a jam, mimics life. One is never sure what the next song will be or in what key it will be played. Yet, we do our best to play something nice and enjoy the result. We make mistakes, but both life and the music goes on. Yet all too often folks tend to dwell on the mistakes and overlook the small victories along the way. I know I am guilty of this and if you are not, I probably got your share. In some cases folks are afraid to try for fear of making mistakes. The ensuing anxiety about “What will I do if asked to take a break or sing” becomes all-consuming and turns something that should be fun into drudgery. Perhaps we have a break worked out for a song, but it is always played too fast for us to keep up. Sometimes we plan to sing this song or that one, but forget when it is our turn or maybe even forget the lyrics in the middle of the tune.
Speaking of forgetting the lyrics, I was at such a jam when some folks voiced their concerns about making mistakes. I was reminded of the song “A Hundred Years From Now”, but all I could remember was “I won’t care a hundred years from now”. So I proceeded to use that last line to encourage folks to try based on the precept that nobody will care a hundred years from now. Please trust me when I tell you that I have heard many of the things teachers and coaches tell folks like: “Play with enthusiasm”, “Be decisive, play decisively”, “If you make a mistake just keep going” etc. Yes, as you probably suspect at this point, I have made some decisive mistakes quite enthusiastically on many occasions and quite loudly too. Yet, the world did not stop and nobody said, “You are no longer welcome to play with us” as a result, even though I have questioned if it was something they were pondering, but never got around to vocalizing. I have survived said mistakes and have found that the advice is good; so I pass it along.
Yet, it still bugged me that I could not remember the lyrics to “A Hundred Years From Now” so I had to go look them up. I was reminded it was all about love gone wrong and even listened to the Bluegrass Album Band’s rendition in Volume 3, “The California Connection”. The original lyrics are as follows:
Chorus:
Well a hundred years from now I won’t be crying
A hundred years from now I won’t be blue
And my heart will have forgotten that she broke every vow
I won’t care a hundred years from now
Verse 1:
Oh, it seems like only yesterday you told me
You couldn’t live without my love somehow
Now that you’re with another it breaks my heart somehow
I won’t care a hundred years from now
Verse 2:
Now do you recall the night sweetheart you promised
Another’s kiss you never would allow
That’s all in the past dear it didn’t seem to last
I won’t care a hundred years from now
Perhaps I had extrapolated the content of the song in my head to apply to life in general so long ago that the original content was obscured. I am not sure. However, I was so disappointed and fretting over the mistake I made about the actual substance of the song relating to life in general that I had to rewrite some of the lyrics so that they could apply for folks who want to jam. My variation follows:
Chorus:
Well a hundred years from now I won’t be crying
A hundred years from now I won’t be blue
And I will have forgotten that I couldn’t remember how
I won’t care a hundred years from now
Verse 1:
Oh, it seems like only yesterday I played it
It sounded so perfect on my couch
Then I went to the jam and could not remember how
I won’t care a hundred years from now
Verse 2:
Now I keep working on these tunes every day
Mistakes at a jam I won’t allow
That’s all in the past cause they always play so fast
I won’t care a hundred years from now
If unfamiliar with the cadence and meter of the tune, Youtube it; the California Connection version is there among others.
So yet another mistake made, but the world did not end. So go out to the jam, support the others in the group, don’t be afraid to try and to even make an enthusiastically loud mistake, but keep going anyway. Please don’t construe this to mean disregard etiquette; jam etiquette exists so that all can have fun even though ALL will make mistakes. Most importantly have fun and enjoy the music. After all you are likely playing music to have fun so stop worrying about things that won’t matter; don’t let it bother you now. If you ever find yourself getting nervous about it just think about a hundred years from now, smile, and have some fun.
