Insider Info

Red Headed Love (For The Better) : Well, I don't really have any insider knowledge to share about this song. It's pretty staightforward.

I married a red headed woman. End of story.

Okay, fine... it's not the end, every day is a new beginning, after all. This love story has been going on for many, many years and it'll continue for as long as I live. I can tell you from experience, though, that you've got to be careful if you fall in love with a red head.

Jim Croce said you don't tug on Superman's cape. I say, "Tug away." Superman is a cream filled cupcake compared to a red head. You'll be a better person if you have a red head in your life, but never, ever, ever try to tame a red head. Red heads are wild. They're meant to be wild. Trust me on this one.

Read the lyrics, below. They'll clue you in.

I hope you enjoy the song at least a sixth as much as I enjoy my red headed wife. That would be a lot! :o)

The Recording: I acquired a couple of AKG small diaphragm microphones this month, so I was able to record Angel (my acoustic guitar) in stereo. Ooh! I like it! It was actually just a "first take placeholder dummy guitar part," but it felt right so I kept it. Same with the vocal. It was a practice vocal, but it seemed to work so I kept it.

For the arrangement, I had a distorted blues guitar in there, but took it out. I had drums, too, and took 'em out. Shakers? Out. Claves? Out.

In the end, I played only Angel and a bass, then added an electric guitar lead break, but with what I think of as a sort of haunting tone versus the gritty blues tone I originally envisioned.

...Oh, and some vocals. I added some vocals, too.

Fun fact: This is the first song in all of my GtSD recordings where I sang some "Oooooh" parts for harmony.

Well... it was a fun fact for me, anyway. <Jedi mind trick: May your ever so lovely brain now insert a smiley face here>

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Red Headed Love (For The Better)

Words & Music by Ron Hall - All Rights Reserved Worldwide

Like a freight train rollin'
Like a wildfire glowin'
Like a hurricane blowin' a panama hat

Like a lion at supper
You just gotta love her
'Cause a red headed woman is subtle like that

But don't you get snared in her siren song
Don't you dare linger long on those eyes
She will laugh, you can't help it, you'll laugh along
You'll want to cozy right up to her side
Where there will be no place for your heart to hide
The next thing you know you'll be changing inside
For the better

Like wild horses runnin'
Like a Humvee that's hummin'
Like a marching band drummin' in a New Year's Parade

Like a cub with its mother
You just gotta love her
'Cause a red headed woman is crazy that way

But don't you get snared in her siren song
Don't you dare linger long on those eyes
She will laugh, you can't help it, you'll laugh along
You'll want to cozy right up to her side
Where there will be no place for your heart to hide
The next thing you know you'll be changing inside
For the better

Like the sun when it's warming
Like rain when its storming
Like the birds in the morning giving song to the day

Oh my heart starts to flutter
And I can't help but love her
'Cause my red headed lover affects me that way

'Twas my prayer to be snared in her siren song
So I lingered long in her eyes
Now she laughs, I can't help it, I laugh along
And I like to cozy right up to her side
Where there is no need for my heart to hide
The next thing I knew I was changed inside
For the better

It's red headed love, you can't fight it
So take a match to your heart, and light it