A couple of years ago, i began saving all of my old guitar strings and
hanging them up on the wall in my studio. As i was finishing my
recording of this CD, and while changing my strings outside one April
afternoon, this song was written. That same afternoon, still sitting
outside, i recorded it for this project. While it is ostensibly about
rusty old strings, it's a song about rusty old people too. …  And, just
to make it authentic, i recorded the song on a very old set of strings.
If they sound a little less bright than the guitar on other songs, be
kind.  ..  Special thanks to D'Addario for making good strings for
people like me to make music with.

Ode to the Rusty Strings

When i change the strings on my guitar
The new ones sound so sweet
But what shall i do with these rusty ones
That are tangled at my feet
Though they no longer resonate
Though they no longer ring
'Twas they that made the sacrifice
When i needed help to sing

They've known the tension and the strain
but they never took one bow
They rode those awful airplanes
How dare me leave them now
Their ends are bent and twisted up
they've lost their youthful shine
i've pulled and picked and made them fret
but they're still good friends of mine

So i'll roll them up in groups of 6
and i'll hang them out for show
Hundreds of them side by side
my songs from long ago
When i am old and bent myself
Lord, don't throw me away
There may be songs still left inside
That You have yet to play

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