Walking, Talking Contradiction

In the summer of 2007, I visited my dear friend Andy in Boston.  Andy and I had played music together going back to the 7th grade; he played music at my wedding ceremony; I was his best man; we are godfathers to each other's children.  You get the idea.  Without getting into too many details, in that summer Andy contracted an extremely rare illness that affected his memory, among other things.  His short-term memory was essentially shot.  That led to the first two lines of this song.  I twisted this situation into one in which the present moment was all that existed.

As for the rest of the song, well, it's a mish-mash of sketches that don't necessarily apply to that 2007 visit.  But the love is real.

"Walking, Talking Contradiction"

Instrumentation: electric guitar, tenor banjo

I can't remember the last ten minutes

Given the shape that I'm in

This moment with you expands without limit

And squeezes the past into oblivion

Love's the one addiction

To get your fix you let go a lot

It's a walking, talking contradiction

Then again, on second thought it's not

Will you show me your cards 

Will you tell me you care

I'd rather hear "no" and fall hard

Than hang in a balloon of hot air

I've been on that balloon ride before

Cut off from the ground below

Can't take that floating anymore

So I'm jumping, but you'll catch me, I know

I don't have holes in my arms

I don't have bloodshot eyes

But my heart's got five ringing alarms

You see, I'm a junkie of a different kind

It's an unfortunate but common pair

What you crave makes you bleed

But the best addictions are the ones where

What you want is what you need