This is the 2nd version of Graffiti. The first version came out when I graduated high school. I graduated early and went on to take my high school education into the bars and coffee houses I grew up in. Only now I had a tape to sell. Thanks to Neil Jay Young & Grant Baldwin & all the rest.

There is a four song difference between this and the old version. There was a time I felt I had grown out of a few songs so I changed them. I thought the songs to be too dated. "Video Games" was one of those songs. It was replaced by "Zoo Blues" which wasn't even written when Graffiti first came out. Why call it Graffiti? Well it used to be called "Was Here." Paul Simon once wrote, "The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls." I think I once took that line to heart and wrote the lyrics to "The Boxer" on a park bench.

But none of this has anything to do with why I called this tape Graffiti. I call it Graffiti because it's a random collection of ideas and stories thrown together. Though a lot of thought went into it, there appears to be little connection between subjects and emotions. .

It's all about being a teenager after the 1960's. Learning rock lyrics in English class. It's about my life in coffee houses and bars. Going around with a fake ID. It's about first relationships. It's about wishing you could go back to when the world was in black and white ...just like on TV.

The song "Classified Ad" was written in Az. In '83. I had a shop teacher in S.F. who used to come hear me perform at the Wine Cellar . He used to bring his dates from the Classified's to hear me perform. I kind of felt for him but I was in 10th grade and was scared it might happen to me. Now I look back and wonder what I was scared about. At least they went out with him.

"Dream Machine" is about all the suggestions I was getting on how to write songs. It replaced "Boy In Chicago" From the old Graffiti. "Bartholomew Roberts" is about a Real Pirate who lived in the 17th century. "When Everything Was New", inspired by Lou Tisdale and written in his house May 1983.

"Zoo Blues" inspired by a book on evolution - later recorded by Mary Miche on her "Animal Crackers" for children. "Shot At The World" lyrics written on a S.F. bus in 1981. "Heart In The Wind" replaced "As The Eagle Cries". This song was dealing with some friends passing on and has been linked to Stan Rogers (Canadian folk singer) though it was written before he died.

"Looking Down" is about Twin Peaks S.F. "The Marionette", this song was thrown away and uncrumpled before the garbage went out after I performed it from memory and people liked it in Dec. 1981. "Broken Heart Harbor" written in 1982....The band Amicus from Mill Valley did a long version of this.
"Always That Way" my problem as a teen was feeling the party was going on without me. (it was)

"Johnny Chrome Engine" inspired by Mr. Zinky my 11th grade auto shop teacher and first performed in his class at Central High, Az. I think I got a B or C. "Outlaw Hobo" written in Az. this is another addition to new Graffiti. "Bridge of Wood & Stone" written in Az. in March 1983. This song took a while to write. I was 17. Tough year. Just wanted to play my guitar but the army kept calling wondering what my plans were for my 18th birthday.

Graffiti , Blooming Grove Valley ,and After The Storm sum up from 1982 thru 1984.