The Joy of Music with Friends
Gregg Allman, Matt Wertz, Oasis, and old friends
“The truth is
We're all gonna take a last breath
That's not the only sad death we are meant to fear
If you need a friend to do some dying with you
I will”
—Andy Gullahorn, I will
Friendship gives value to our survival (C.S. Lewis). And music is a common value-add to many friendships. This week we’re getting ready for Thanksgiving by giving thanks for old friends (Bonus Track) and sharing three songs about friendship.
All My Friends by Gregg Allman (Adam)
“Someday we'll find, we should have relied on time”
Gregg Allman released his first solo studio album, Laid Back, in December of 1973. His brother, Duane, had passed away a year and a half before the release and the album gives a real glance into Gregg’s mourning process. The album has several incredible tracks like Multi-Colored Lady and These Days, but the song that stands out to me is All My Friends. This song highlights the importance of friendship, especially in times of tragedy. You gotta rely on time with friends to help you get by.
The Tedeschi Trucks Band has extensive connections to Gregg Allman (I could go on and on about that) and they recorded this track for their 2019 EP, High and Mighty. If you’ve never heard Susan Tedeschi you are in for a treat!
Also available on Apple Music.
Everything’s Right by Matt Wertz (Kody)
Adam gave us a song about friendship in a time of tragedy. My song is about the joy of seeing old friends and the nostalgia it brings - thick as the August air. This week I’ve been in San Antonio seeing some friends for the first time in a while. As we shared meals over Tex-Mex and Texas BBQ, to my surprise, I heard some of my favorite bands playing in the background - Turnpike Troubadours, Deer Tick, and Gregory Alan Isakov. What a treat. There’s nothing like seeing old friends:
Smiles light up as we walk in
Old conversations begin again
Nostalgia's thick as the August air
It takes us back to a time when we didn't care, we didn't care
Also available on Apple Music.
Champagne Supernova by Oasis (Mat)
Some songs remind you of old friends, but some songs feel like an old friend. I can remember listening to this CD on repeat when I was a kid. I have never gotten over my love of Oasis. Every track here is a banger, but “Champagne Supernova” has to be my favorite. I still haven’t ever felt as cool as I did listening to this track on repeat in my bedroom. Great friends always make you feel like you’re cooler than you are.
Also available on Apple Music.
Bonus Track: Old Friends by Casey Smith
The Starlight Theatre, Kansas City, May 10, 2022. I cried like a baby. I laughed, too. At times, I found myself dancing with my wife and friends as we sang along to all the songs. And at other times, I found myself fighting back tears (the good kind, of course). This is what Ben Rector did to me.
Let me clarify. This wasn’t just a concert. It was an experience—a wild ride of very real emotions. Like a heartless thief, the social isolation brought on by pandemic lockdowns had stolen the joy of live music from my life and the world. But this night was different.
There’s nothing quite like experiencing the joy of live music with friends. And on this night it was Ben that took us there.
What makes Ben so special is not that he was born on the same day in the same city in the same hospital as me (though all of that is true); it’s that he brings you in and shares his story from a place of vulnerability—he’s a friend. He goes through a very ordinary life, acknowledges the humanity in those things, and then proceeds to write, sing, and pour out the beautiful poeticism in them.
“Old Friends” is one of those powerhouse songs that not only reminds you of “days gone by” but reignites in you a passion to bring that beautiful past into the present. The waves of nostalgia and gratitude roll as you listen to a man reminiscing of simpler times with childhood friends. There’s a sense in which that freedom was lost in the naivety of childhood and is somehow gained in the wisdom that only comes when we reflect on the passing of time.
It is easy to take for granted how special and unique old friends really are. The environment where these friendships were forged is something that can never be repeated. Think about it: during school years everyone has the same schedule and runs in the same social circles. But those days are numbered and kids are too busy being kids to realize it. Many won’t realize it until much later. And once you do, there’s no replicating it no matter how hard you try. Nostalgia is a heckuva drug.
Here’s the deal: “Old Friends” is a lighthearted, piano-driven pop tune that Ben wrote after a conversation with his mom about keeping up with his best friend from high school. Toward the end of the call she said to him, “You know what they say, ‘You can’t make old friends.’” Mom’s are the best (she may have been inspired a bit by Dolly).
There’s really nothing flashy about “Old Friends.” And that’s beautiful.
A few thoughts and notes:
The bike sound heard at the beginning of the song is a nice touch that transports you immediately back to the joy and freedom of riding a bike as a kid. There’s nothing like it. Nerd alert: if you listen carefully there is a 1/16th note thing on the piano that the chime matches perfectly. It's also in the key of the song (Ab).
The first note you hear (Ab) is a drone that is kept throughout the entire song, sometimes bold, sometimes subtle, always there, just like a good friend.
The lyric "And I've got some good friends now. But I've never seen their parent's back porch," really hits home. Great songwriters know life.
The music video is shot in Ben’s parent’s garage and the band are the dudes from his old band in high school.
I didn’t listen to Jimmy Eat World much or have a friend named Blake, but I hope listening to this song makes people want to call their old friends. It does for me.
Other songs I think of when I think of friendship and what it means to be one:
Rut by The Killers (reminds me of my friendship with my spouse)
Hold the Light by Andrew Osenga (reminds me of my dearest, lifelong friends)
Hello Old Friends by Rich Mullins (reminds me of my church friends)
Friends in Low Places by Garth Brooks (reminds me of my third grade choir friends. Yes, we sang this for our elementary school choir concert. God bless Oklahoma.)
Brothers in Arms by Dire Straits (reminds me of a time I got fired alongside a few of my friends and we played this song as we cleaned out our offices. Everybody has a “I got fired to this” song, right?)
You're my best friend by Queen (I just love everything about Queen.)
—
Casey Smith lives in Wichita, Kansas. He’s a talented creative and, more importantly, a good friend. He prefers Spotify 1000% over Apple Music. His favorite show all time is the Ben Rector Joy of Music Tour show he mentioned in the Bonus Track. If he were in a cover band, his go-to song would be Rosanna by TOTO.
—
Thanks for reading the Music Swap. This thing started with friends sharing music. Go share some music with friends this weekend! And share the Music Swap if you enjoy our weekly emails.