* Small Town - John Mellencamp (song 7)

The album from which this song was birthed is called Scarecrow. The producers to this album are Little Bastard and Don Gehman. Small Town was written on April 17th, 1985 at 12:00 Noon. This is just one day after Gibbons 14th birthday. Did John Melloncamp attend Pat's birthday party or did he just hold off a day to show reverence to our little Indiana buddy?

John Melloncamp is another heartland rocker that could fit nicely with your Bob Segar collection. Two Americana rockers that love to sing about the little guy and the hard life. John has never been known as master lyrics writer, but in the songs Rain on the Scarecrow and Small Town capture the meat and potato intrests of the poeple in America's Heartland. One could easily stand John Melloncamp, Bob Segar, and Bruce Sprinsteen up on a stage and you would have created an instant aid concert for the average out of work blue-collar and red-blodded American.

What I like most about this song is that it talks about his love for the small town. I have a lot of great memories of small towns. I lived in chatfield, Minnesota for a year and it was a great place to live. The tight knit community was something that I greatly admire. I looked forward to getting my haircut by the same guy each month. We developed a small relationship where we would ask each other how projects were going, how family members were, and what plans we might have in the coming week. It was nice to share more than just the superficial bolonga that you pertake in at Cost Cutters. Playing basketball at the only elementary building in town with town officials and local leaders at 5:30 in the morning every Tuesday and Friday were highlights to living in a small town. After work, I would occassonaly decide to go downstairs and around the corner of the block to get myself a pizza and a movie from Hummdinger Pizza. The store logo was a cowboy pizza maker twirrling a pizza while riding a horse. Brilliant! A ton of great memories made in small towns. The best was meeting my wife when living in Chatfield!

The line, "No I cannot forget from where it is that I come from, I cannot forget the people who love me" sparks my root cap (the part of the root that busts through the soil and rocks to allow the tree to dig deeper into its biological purpose) and it gets me thinking about my family and how it is my purpose to be the glue. Holidays and family events are held at my house because it is neutral ground (kind of like a church in the Highlander movies). I love my family and want them to see that we are all here for just a little while, and that the trival things should be forgotten. My sisters and mon remain bitter towards one another and it's a tough rock to crack. However tough it is, I will continue to fight to be the familt glue that leaves the light on for them. It still amazes me how we all came from the same Small Town and how we remain to be close friends even though nobody lives in that Small Town anymore.