Brian - Keith May 2003

You're special, at least that's what you told me the first time we met.

Now you're hanging off the balcony five feet to your death.

A fan, a real disaster that is just happening.

I'm not your doctor, nor your daddy, should I stay or should I go?

Will you shut your eyes and let your grip give away?

When you drift down, how do you think that will play?

It's business as usual, I don't think I can stay, but Brian

we both know you'll only break your leg.

Oh that ego draped beneath that hair of brown, green and red.

I'm just try'n to be some kind of real friend.

Oh, your pushing and I know this

must come to some kind of end.

Will you shut your eyes and let your grip give away?

When you drift down, how do you think that will play?

It's business as usual, I don't think I can stay, but Brian

we both know you'll only break your leg.

Keith May-Guitar, Vocals

Greg Hall-Guitar

Jon Comes-Drums

James Kesler-Bass

Suesan O'Connor-Organ

Dana Disney-Background Vocals

Recorded at Action City Records and Fly Monkey Fly Studios

This song is about a dramatic friend I had when I first moved to the Dayton area.  Besides being a big music lover and a good guy to hang out with, Brian was one of the earliest supporters of my music. It wasn't hard to sense that I did not know his full story and Brian may have had some troubles I was not privy to.  One evening he threw a great party at his apartment and everyone was having a blast.  When it was time to leave, my wife and I opened the door to find Brian on the other side of the balcony rocking back and forth as if he was trying to build momentum (probably physical and mental) to toss himself down.  Why would he need momentum?  Because he was on the second floor and above the shrubbery.  The details are fuzzy after that; I know he did not make the jump and that we went home puzzled.  As I remember it, Brian became hot and cold, and eventually stopped returning my calls.  This probably only led me to ponder my strange friend more than I did that night he was punishing himself for what I now believe were his high standards for hosting a party.  Years later I saw him standing in line at Kroger, I wanted to go up and say, "Hello", but he looked much healthier than before and I didn't want to disturb whatever peace he had found.  Seeing him years later gave me peace also. Up until that point I was sure he he had some horrible fate involving a rose bush and a bottle of Manischevitz.

Playing this song is a great way to start ANY show.  My friends and I have this game when going to to a concert where we try to guess the opening number.  My theory has always been that it needs to be a song that starts out with a single instrument and then somehow explodes into a full band "rock out".  "Brian" definitely fits that description.  When I play it out solo, it is jazzy and melancholy (you are familiar with my music right?), but when the band is involved it really grooves.  Greg came up with the "slinky" little guitar line that plays over the main rhythm.  The always versatile, Jon and James, morphed into the R & B combo the track needed.  The organ solo is provided by Suesan O'Connor who was kind enough to lay the solo down early one Sunday morning before going to a dollhouse show.  I ran home and added my best "Santana-like" solo to the end.  It's been a crowd favorite for so long, its great to finally have it available on CD.