Perhaps too honest? The mystery of Lend A Hand

 

"Lend A Hand" was written as the Great Song Explosion was winding down.  It was recorded during the '75 full band overdub sessions the same week as "Fall On Me" and several other songs that may or may not appear here. I have no idea why it was left off the album - I remember it was going to be the leadoff song of the second side. It was mixed and mastered and then set aside. I may have had plans to put it on a single - I don't remember. When I was preparing Won Out for cd I went through the session tapes for songs that could be bonus tracks and found it. We didn't even have to remix it - it was ready to go. Ultimately it was the only unreleased song chosen to appear on both cd releases.

Lyrically Lend A Hand is unlike any of the other songs on the album because it wasn't about the intricacies of love and romance. I was in a reflective mood when the song was written, thinking about  my life up to that point - what I'd learned and what I'd done with knowledge. I had escaped my unhappy, violent upbringing and found myself out the world at a young age with absolutely nothing and find my own way. It's a reflection on life's unpredictability and the many twists and turns the road takes as we travel through it. Some are born into loving families and are cared for and supported through their younger years and provided the opportunity to make plans and pursue the goals they've set for themselves with the support of their families. That wasn't the life I knew. I was own my own from an early age and everything I learned I had to figure out for myself. The only thing I learned growing up was duck and cover. Lend A Hand is kind of a mission statement; Help those you love. Trust must be earned. Don't give away too much. Never let them see you sweat. True love is real, religion is false. There are oblique references to a relationship gone bad mixed in. Maybe it was the unhappy end of an affair prompted the outburst.

I was born with the promise that I'm gonna die

I was raised understanding that I'd have to get by

But life changes so much while you're living it

And love changes so much when you've given it

So come on

And lend a hand, lend a hand, lend a hand

And life won't be so hard to understand

I was taught that the future's not ours to decide

I was taught that we'll never return once we die

But people change so much once you've known them

And feelings change so much once you've shown them

So come on

And lend a hand, lend a hand, lend a hand

And life won't be so hard to understand

It seems like yesterday I was crying

And now I'm trying find a way to deny it

And it makes me sad

Because I'm too scared to decide

Just what I've got left that I'll be able to hide

And love still stands so tall next to worship

And freedom costs so much it's not worth it

So come on

And lend a hand, lend a hand. lend a hand

And life won't be so hard to understand

And life won't be so hard to understand

"Lend A Hand" is unlike anything I'd written up that point. It deserved a spot on Won Out and I'm glad I finally gave it one.

                        I'm surprised there's not a live recording for the 25th anniversary shindig

I've hinted at it before, but there are several outtakes from the sessions - songs that were left in an unfinished state either because I didn't like them or I ran out of time and never went back to them. I mixed a few and will be presenting them along the way to present a fuller picture - to give you the real Won Out experience. Behind every great song there's another song that's not quite as great but still fun to listen to. In the initial sessions I was working with an engineer who kn a lot about the technical side of recording. We grew to be friends and drinking buddies and spent many a night after the sessions ended drinking tequila until we start throwing up, then switching to beer. We'd make prank phone calls and have pizzas delivered to random addresses. There was no caller ID in those days. There wasn't even that dial back thing where you could do a *69 to see who had called you. I think we got our first answering machine around that time. It was definitely the stone age, kids. We were great friends until his girlfriend tried to put the moves on me. I wasn't interested, but things were never the same after that.

Like I said, true love beats religion every time

                                                                        IGLOO!

And now more stuff: Be patient. It's a long way. Stop asking if we're there yet! I've seen lots of videos of people dressed like clowns trying to scare people. Always makes me think of that movie Killer Klowns From Outer Space. I tried and tried to watch it but could never get through the first several minutes. It's so STUPID!. But finally I watched it all the way through and it was actually kinda scary in a stupid way.  Seems like it was a hit in a stupid way, too.I wonder why there's been no sequel - that seems like a drop kick. Or a pie toss. My engineer friend and I thought it would be funny to start a rock group called The Clowns that would come out as clowns in a little car, jump out and do a bunch of stupid clown stuff and the play a set of loud screaming rock 'n' roll while throwing pies and spraying seltzer water (maybe no seltzer 'cause they'd get shocked). Then it happened...sorta... with Insane Clown Posse. They're clowns but they're not funny. They're scary. Like Killer Klowns From Outer Space!