WHAT HAPPENS NEXT

1991 that makes 31 At the St. Rose of Lima out on Bayou Rd That’s where our story begins So sweetly to unfold Thru the tough times the crazy times Where does the time go tell me where does the Mississippi river flow After it reaches the Gulf of Mexico We shoulda stayed in our first house on laverne st in Algiers That was the coolest house shotgun beams and piers But we moved On to Mandeville and Meterie When Katrina chased us she couldn’t catch you and me Do still wanna go with me Over mountains to the sea Where we can feel the music flowing under our feet I still wanna go with you do you wanna go with me What happens next is gonna be magic what happens next was meant to be Tell me where does the Mississippi river flow After it reaches the Gulf of Mexico Do still wanna go with me To the mountains to the sea Where we can feel the music flowing under our feet I still wanna go with you do you wanna go with me What happens next is gonna be magic what happens next was meant to be Just like me and you and you and me I still wanna go with you…. I was sitting alone, one night working on this tune. I got a message from a fan, Leslie Roppolo, asking me if I could write a song for her and husband, Steve’s 31st wedding anniversary. The tune I was working on, this tune, I had no idea lyrically where I was going. It was orginally called Lake Of Fire. So I asked her to send me the basic story of their life from marriage until now. She sent back 4-5 snapshots of their milestones in life from their marriage at Saint Rose of Lima on Bayou Road in New Orleans, to their first house that they loved, but wasn’t big enough. As their family grew they moved out to the suburbs of Mandeville, then Metairie. When Katrina hit, like a lot of New Orleans evacuees they went to Houston, Texas, and never returned. The original version I gave to them had lyrics about their pets and their children. This version I edited those details out and it has become a universal meditation on old love and how that feels to look back at the journey while simultaneously looking ahead at the unknown. I like to think of this song as a love letter to my own life, career—To my wife and family—to friends and fans who have been in long relationships and to the great city of New Orleans, that I owe so much to, a city that we all love and cherish. To me the song feels cinematic, as if the credits are rolling at the end of a love story. But there is no end to this love. There is no end to the state of mind that is New Orleans. There is no end, there is only What Happens Next and I’m here for it! Join me, won’t you Here is the demo Lake Of Fire This post has bonus content for paid subscribers. Upgrade to get full access. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shinyribs.substack.com/subscribe