Make 'Em Cry

"Why are your songs so dark, so sad?" The German journalist across the table was all decked out in black and was wearing sunglasses inside. At night. It all seemed a bit like a bad skit on Saturday Night Live.

Honestly, I had never thought about the idea that most everything that I write deals with heartache, betrayal, loss and breakup. Of course I dabble in murder and suicide on occasion, too.

I've been wrestling with his question since then and that was probably ten or twelve years ago. Others have asked the same thing a little less dramatically since.

I wanted to believe that to a casual listener who primarily spoke a language other than English that my darkish sense of humor just didn't translate well. Most of my stuff has always seemed like comedy to me. In fact, if anyone before that time had asked me what I wrote about I'm sure that I would have answered that I dealt in sarcastic social commentary and anything that rhymed.

My awareness of the sad personal junk that I post on any of the social networking sites comes from all of the sweet responses that I get from old friends, folks that I barely know and even complete strangers. I suppose that it must read like I'm some kind of self indulgent big mouth looking for sympathy and attention. I hope that's not it. I tend to think of myself as the wise guy in the room who is all talk but who has pretty good intentions.

Yeah, I still think of my material as comedy. I know, I know. All of that comedy that we all grew up on is based on sadness and fear.