About
Key of G, tempo 110
1979
Another song I wrote back when I was a teenager. It is a nostalgic lament for the city of Frankfurt, Germany, after our family moved from there to College Station, Texas, in early 1979. As I mentioned in an earlier episode, this move was very traumatic for me. I was 16 years old, very sensitive, and traumatized by the experience of making friends and establishing my high school identity in such a strange and seemingly unfriendly place. The Eagles had a song called “New Kid In Town“, that I was convinced was written about me…
When I found it these lyrics recently, it seemed to fit the emotions I felt as we moved from San Antonio, our home for 33 years, to our ranch in Fredericksburg. Verse 2 was written this year, documenting those feelings. I like the idea that moving is always difficult, but remain optimistic because “Over each horizon awaits another city of dreams…”
Musically, it is a very simple piano chord progression. Its one of the guitar songs I wrote, and enjoyed playing it for years, so did not want to change it too much. Early listeners told me it was “boring”, so I tried to add some flourishes to it, such as the flute riff and the guitar solo (one of the few in the set).
In the video, all the photos are original, and most were taken from the balcony of our condo east of downtown San Antonio, a city I truly love, and for me I will always consider my “City of Dreams”.