"Blue Sky" - The Allman Brothers Band
"Don't fly, mister blue bird, I'm just walking down the road,
Early morning sunshine tell me all I need to know"
"Blue Sky" holds a special place in my heart as sort of a theme song for Tuscaloosa. I find it impossible to drive to, from, or around that city without hearing this song at least once. The things this song brings to mind are the things I loved most about Tuscaloosa. The beautiful weather, ancient oaks, tradition rich University, and the old southern heritage. Sure there are certain aspects of that heritage that I could do without, but the basic idea of a simpler time, with simpler people appeals to me. Dickey Betts writes about the things I would think were important to him: the river, the sunshine, God, and, of course, those blue skies. For me, it all correlates directly to Tuscaloosa, a place I made home for 5 years of my short life. I suppose I miss it all quite a bit, and as this song seems to embody the entire experience, the guitar solo always makes me a touch bleary eyed. The climax for me arrives at the 2:08 mark of the album version (2:13 in the video linked at the top) where the solo is coming off its highest point yet and begins to descend with a series of notes that, for some reason, I just love. I can't explain it but that point in the song breaks my heart and makes me long for Tuscaloosa.
So if you decide to listen to this one, I would suggest a car ride, windows down, on a warm spring day when the sky is bright blue and you're willing to let yourself forget you ever had any worries.
