3. Khakis

I had a boyfriend once. We went out for about a year. He is a musician. He has also done a 2 page ad in Rolling Stone. But not for computers, for pants. I went out with him years before the pants ad but I would have to say that he too was selling out for his big spread in Rolling Stone because although he can claim to wear pants, I believe he would not have, at that time, been one to wear khaki pants.

Bad Career Choices
I do love this old boyfriend’s songs quite dearly but here is a guy who just seems to choose to emphasize everything but the right things in his career. I think he will someday be quite famous because he really wants it. People that “get it” can hear what there is in his songs but he has yet to make the beautiful record he could make. He meets and greets every fan as his best friend. So they, as his friends, make the big effort to hear his records. But in the grand scope of things noone knows who he is yet. He can sing beautifully and heartbreakingly and yet records his (most beautiful) songs with a raucous voice and ugly drum sounds and trying to rock but not really rocking. I believe strongly if he could make a few good choices, he could be considered great by many.

I don’t like it but couples get all on each other at his shows. I’ve heard of girls breaking up with their boyfriends after going to his shows. But his records...Ok maybe he’s in it for the money and that two second blurb on those tv shows brings in some good dough but I know he wants to be known. Him of all people. But he has to get to his insides one of these days and capture it on tape.

Fond
I, as an ex-girlfriend, have never experienced that side again since we broke up. For me, someone I have gone out with is on the top of my list even if we aren’t close anymore, we once were. In my mind promises are made. For him, the girl you told everything to and spent every minute with for months on end goes to the absolute bottom of the heap below relatives, guy friends, and those all important best-friend pure-strangers called fans. I do not feel completely estranged as I imagine myself as an often-used character in his songs. And this imaginary thought keeps me fond of him in some way.

The thing is, whether his songs are sometimes about me or if that is just in my imagination, I wish he could get himself famous for more than wearing a pair of pants.

11/7/03