This song has been rattling around in my brain for four decades. “If that’s true,” you say, “why isn’t it a better song?” Fair question.
It may have originated in a music theory class, where the professor was discussing whether major is happy and minor is sad. He made an off-handed comment about the irony of blues being in major keys. Of course, I felt compelled to show up the next day with a minor blues by Roy Buchanan, and began writing a minor blues of my own.
Originally named “Prayers of Desperation,” it is the unhinged rants of a person sinking into chaos, depression, and general malaise. In any case, some of the Psalms I’ve been studying and turning into songs have a whole lot of shaking going on. For example, Psalm 99:1 “The Lord reigns, let the nations tremble; he sits enthroned between the cherubim, let the earth shake.” It reminded me of this unfinished song; suddenly my day was derailed from psalmody to maniacal rockabilly. You’re welcome.
1. Oh Lordy, Lordy,
I feel like my head’s gonna break
You know I’m barely holding on,
and I don’t know how much more I can take
2. Oh Lordy, Lordy,
I’ve been feeling like I’m gonna crack
The pressure has been building
And at some point I’m gonna snap
3. O Lordy, Lordy
I feel like my mind’s on the brink
I gotta heart of concrete
and 50 ways to sink.
4. Oh Lordy, Lordy,
I feel like my back‘s gonna break
I’m going down for the last time
And all I can do is shake