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A Call to Songwriters: I want to know "What Inspires You?" I am compiling an inspirational book for songwriters called "What Inspires You?"

This is my invitation to you to contribute to this project. To qualify for it you need to be a songwriter who has written a song and gotten it cut. If so, would you please help out? Imagine I asked you that very question, "What Inspires You?" please briefly write your answer and forward it to me. This project is a
compilation of encouraging words from songwriters to songwriters. We songwriters need to be inspired so we remain constantly creative and persist through all the obstacles we encounter. This will be a collection
of heartwarming, motivational, sometimes humorous, and inspiring words. Would you please share a few words about what inspires you and then forward them to me?

Please send your contribution to me via email if at all possible to anderasmus@aol.com, in the subject field write "INSPIRE" It's easy as 1 - 2 - 3 - 4

1. Write your message about What inspires you? From the point of view of
Here's what works for me!
2. Include Your Name
3. List a few of the songs you have written
4. Please include a brief bio about yourself including your name, address, phone number, (ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC?) E-mail address, and website URL (if you have them!) Also if you want me to include this information in the book or not. Thank you very much! Anders Rasmussen

~ Lyricist ~
Author of "Ideas that Inspire!"
Compiler of "What Inspires You? What Songwriters have to say"
* * * * Also, please forward this to your songwriting friends * * * *
email: anderasmus@aol.com

Answer to your questions are many, I have a different point of inspiration as I have original tunes, for two instances: a character makes a statement that sums up a memorable encounter ie. Eddy Collins gave us the hook that captured the most vivid moment of the eventful day we spent with him.

Ed Florida

In june of '89, Carol and I chugged into Longview, Tx from the west in
our Home of the day, a Volks wagon bus full of food makin's, camping gear,
guitars and road maps. We came in from Dallas down old hiway 80 and took
a right where it intersects with Fisher street to find ourselves at the
entry gate to a rather sizable ranch belonging to the father of our buddy/
singersongwriter extraordinare, Steve Fisher.

We made tracks toward his rustic yet attractive home, a vintage
faded-crimson box car that set across the dirt-road from a steel-pipe
coral/riding arena. We laughed when we saw the pay phone hangin beside
the long sliding door that contained a note to us from Steve scribbled in
chalk notifying us of the not so severe emergency that had lured him from his
unusual dwelling and our appointment, and an assurance that he'ld return
momentarily.We'd invited him to join us on the last leg of a tour in
which,when finished, would have seen us cover 3000 miles in 10 days and
perform 8 concerts.

That afternoon found us all in Shreveport sharing a wonderful time
with a new-found friend, retired musician and first-class character named Eddy
Collins who accompanied us that evening to view our performance an the
performances of Crow Johnson and Jan Marra.

We bid Eddy an old friends goodby after the show and arrived in
Franklin,Tn. Next mornin where we were greeted by and spent the next
three days as royal house guests in the home of Townse and Jeanine Van Zandt.
We were honored to perform a couple of our favorite Townse tunes as he and
Jeanine attended our Nashville debut at the Bluebird Cafe as our guests.

We arrived home to Newton County the next day with Steve Fisher still in tow.
As the excitement of the week and a half that had just passed began to
wain and as we continued to reassure ourselves that, yes these things all
took place, the topic of conversation kept returning to the look on Eddy
Collin's face as we parted and he said "I'd give good money boys, for one
more dance to play"

This is the story of our encounter with Eddy Collins on that day in June of '*89

ONE MORE DANCE TO PLAY
words & music by Seve Fisher, Ed Florida, Carol Florida

We were settin-up in Shreveport, chechin sound at the bar
While an old man across the room was checkin out my guitar
He stood up 'n walked over, said "shore like 'at guitar's rang,
Say, would you mind if I held her there 's a time I'd make one sang"
Put my guitar in his hands he said "see ya' got new strings"
And as he stretched 'em out like rubber-bands he said "we played Texas
swang, Played with Bob an' Johnny Lee, Leon, Pinkey 'n Tiny
And if I could have my way today the road is where you'ld find me" and
he said,

CHORUS:
I'ld give good money, lord knows what I'ld pay
To be back on the bus with Bob and the boys with one more chance to play
And it might sound funny, to hear this old man say

I'ld give good money boys for one more dance to play

"If I had a nichol now, for every town we played
Or a penny for every mile we drove I'ld shore have it made
Folks would come from miles around, pay fifty cents at the door
And we'ld split the take 'fore day break but it wasn't money I played
for

And I still got that old guitar,the one I made myself
But most of the time that old guitar just sets there on the shelf"
(and he said)

chorus:-------------

Said "I saw you boys unloadin from that new rig ya' drive,
Say, would ya' mind if before I go I took a look inside?"
Outside he took a cigarette 'n lighter from his pants
And as he took a look around our van, his eyes beganto dance(and he
said)

chorus:--------------.
Or a character telegraphs an attitude of how she will cope with a
situation ie. Watch me walk away


Watch me walk away

Many years ago I had a whirlwind puppy-love affair with a young
green-eyed lady who came into my life at a very inappropriate moment for the both of
us for I truly loved someone to whom I had made or received no comitment.
At the time, I was employeed in western movies. A performing stunt-man,
appearing as an extra when the occassion arose, hangin out with and being
awed and frequently disenchanted by stars I had known on the screen since
before I could remember. In return for picking up behind the horses and
tending a small buffalo heard, I received free board in the sound-stage
building on a movie set near where the Nolan River enters the Brazos in
the
beautiful country just west of Rio Vista, Texas. When filming wasn't
happenin I could be found in such foreign coutries as Louisiana, or if we
were in the mood for a fight, in (heaven forbid) Oklahoma with my
Film-Town buddies tryin to earn beer and hamburger money at some rodeo or
bullriding event.

I can't even remember how we met or how many weeks we hung out
together but from day one she knew that I was in love with some "Beach Bunny" I"d
left in San Diego and she always listened with interest when I talked
about Carol and would frequently ask doubtingly if I really thought she'ld be
waitin for me when I got the money to return. I always replied that I
knew I was meant for Carol.

Anyhow, times were fun. Oh, how we laughed and partied. We were a veritable hurricane of "give-a-damn if the sun don't rize again, we got today". She followed me and the crew around like a big-eyed groupy, in continuous disbelief that anyone had the luck, the grit or suicidal tendacies to pull off the antics that frequently saw me challenge death and laugh when the devil missed yet another chance to snatch my arragent spirit. Her admiration increased my thrill factor a thousand-fold.

Then one Friday mornin the banker arrived with the sherriff, a string of horse trailers, an arrest warrent for the producer for which I worked, and a padlock. I was suddenly homeless and unemployeed.

I spent that day collectin money from two guys that owed me and chasin down a third that I poked in the nose for insistin he'ld never pay me and that I was a fool to loan it to him in the first place. That afternoon I met my green-eyed friend as she got off work to tell her it was time for me to head west and I wanted to make sure we had common addresses so we could meet up again some day. She smiled and reached in her purse for a pen and note pad, then stopped dead still and as she looked off into the low afternoon sun for what seemed to be an eternity, I saw the tear that she held back so as not to betray the intensity of the pain that, to my surprise I had just inflicted. She turned back to read my eyes and I
watched her's slowly turn from an affection I'd never witnessed to a cold- hard, impassioned and angy fire red. At last, her attention returned to her note pad and she returned it to it's pocket, lifted her chin, reached to shake my hand, said "Goodby EddyBob. We'll be with each other forever as it is". She turned toward her car and I stood there and I watched her walk away, proud and head held high. Though enlightendly stunned, when I retrieved a few of my senses, I assumed her posture, set my chin and headed west on Hiway 80.


(Ain't it funny how a memory slips into a dream'til we believe what we've been dreamin is real? And ain't it funny how we twist what we wish things would seem'til we believe they are really what we feel?)

YOU CAN WATCH ME WALK AWAY

Words & music= Ed Florida

Lullaby and rock me gently, sing so soft and sweet
Wrap me up inside your arms kiss me lightly on the cheek
Like a bed time story you explain how from now on you'll be gone
You loved me like your baby but now I'll have to stand alone

CHORUS:
So I'll take one, slow and easy step without you
I'll be careful not to fall
I'll just let go, that hand that I been holdin
You can watch me walk away cause I won't crawl

All this time we been together, you've been like a friend
Pick me up and dust me off put me on my feet again
Now your afraid your leavin leaves my back against the wall
Won't be long after you've gone til I'm standin proud and tall

chorus:

Now we're like two old desparadoes facin down High-Noon
Neither one aimed for the heart but we both left ugly wounds
Now you can ride toward greener pastures toward the setting sun
But rest your mind I'll be fine, it's a new life I've begun

chorus: