Man With Three Mules

This morning at around 10am I was reading Metafilter, and I came across this post. The moment I saw the headline, "There is a man wandering around California with three mules", I knew I'd have to write a song. Fortunately, today I had the morning completely free. So I wrote the song, and recorded it, and now, here it it, four and a half hours from the original inspiration (woulda been four hours only, but, damn, I was hungry, and HAD to eat lunch), uploaded, for your listening pleasure.

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posted by flapjax at midnite (8 comments total)

Man With Three Mules

there is a man wandering round California
with three mules
nobody knows where they come from
or why they roam
just an old man and his mules
making their slow steady way
the highways and byways and dirt roads
that's what they call home

heard they've been seen as far north
as Red Bluff and Alturas
and they sure know the way to ol' San Jose
and to Porterville
Laguna Niguel, San Luis Obispo and Carlsbad
will they make it back safely from Needles?
I sure do hope they will

so if you see them passing by
please do not scorn them, friend
just tip your hat and say hi
and give them a dime
for although at first glance
they might appear to be useless
in fact they've got something to teach you
about the nature of space and time

that old man and his mules
wandering around California
they might be coming your way
and passing on through
remember they don't mean no harm
so do not disturb them
that old man and his mules will bestow
all their blessings on you

Copyright 2013 Samm Bennett - All Rights Reserved
posted by flapjax at midnite at 10:41 PM on September 11, 2013 [1 favorite]

This song rates the full 3 mules! I think this is my most favorite MetaSong yet!
posted by a humble nudibranch at 12:57 AM on September 12, 2013 [1 favorite]

Three mules up!
posted by BlueHorse at 1:47 PM on September 12, 2013 [1 favorite]

Sounds great. I love those times when inspiration hits from a strange angle and a whole beautiful thing comes out the other end.
posted by edlundart at 9:33 PM on September 17, 2013 [2 favorites]

This is sweet, makes me think it's about time I need to buy a banjo. Your voice sounds great on this.
posted by greenish at 3:45 AM on September 18, 2013 [1 favorite]

Really captured it - just perfect... I live in Big Pine, Ca, a tiny town in the Owens Valley, in between the Sierra and White Mtns. On this long stretch of highway (395) I've seen quite a few older men traveling alone or with critters, on foot and bicycle.

I'm a transplant from the east coast and still awed by this place and what it does to the mind. We have free access to gazillions of miles of dirt roads, camp wherever you'd like, remnants of indian and white guy settlements here and there. I never want to go home. Even though home is a far cry from even a small city or town...

Cheers man,
~ Lauren
posted by svetafriend at 9:22 AM on September 29, 2013 [1 favorite]

Nice strumstickin', I like the songwriting, and greenish is right--your voice sounds great on this.
posted by umbú at 1:13 PM on October 21, 2013 [1 favorite]

Thanks for your kind comments, listeners!
posted by flapjax at midnite at 5:03 PM on October 21, 2013