In the Key of K

The new album, Out of Time Out of Tune, will be streaming everywhere on April 17th, 2026. However, you can buy an advance copy right now here. Also, you can buy or stream it on Bandcamp.

This is another re-release, originally from 1998 but re-mixed and re-mastered for the digital age. This is one of those songs that is a germ of an idea for one second and then, in less than ten minutes the concept of the song is done. This was the second song on side one of the original cassette tape “Out of Time Out of Tune.”

What is the song about? Mostly my aversion to sunlight. I get sun poisoning. I used to be excused from marching band camp in high school because spending hours in the direct sunlight with or without sunscreen would leave me burned and blistered (at least the sunscreen we had in the 90s, it’s better today–I wear 100+spf). Back then, my face, ears, and neck would get completely covered in giant blisters. One time in my 20s I went on a float trip and had, literally, second degree burns on my shoulders (a float trip in Missouri is when you lay around in a small boat that seats 2 to 4 people and float down a creek all day–usually drinking beer–it’s not my scene but people around here love it–for the record I am opposed to toxic alcohol culture). Anyway, use sunscreen, wear a hat and long sleeves, protect your skin!

The song also doubles as a story about someone who likes all things melancholy and is a cautionary tale for problematic relationships.

Lyrics:

//
Whether/Weather
Bring the rain.
Bring the snow.
Keep the sun.

Time and time and time again,
I try to feel your warmth
But every time I hold you close,
I blister and I burn.

Bring the rain.
Keep the sun.
It just burns.

Time and time and time again,
I try to feel your warmth
But every time I hold you close,
I blister and I burn.
//

How do you play it? First there is some really tasty but sloppily played bass with fun drums. Then distorted guitar kicks in.

The bass is something like this around a D minor-ish chord:
—-8-7——————-
———5-5-7-8-7-5——–
-5————————7—-
—————————

Guitar this:
|E5_E5_|E5_G5 G#5 A5| repeat

Then there is a measure of 3/4:

———

———

-5-6-7—

-5-6-7—

————

————

The next section is just E5 palm-muted with a few weird licks. Not gonna re-learn the licks right now. The guitar licks were all improvised.

It ends with more tasty bass. 🤤

I love this song–it is definitely one of my favorites from this era. It has a lot of my favorite musical quirks—time changes, chromatic lines, fun bass, pounding drums, screaming–you know, FUN!