Black Eyed Susan

A song for those we impact on the crooked road to sobriety

I rarely write songs that would be considered a “true story,” but practically every song I’ve ever written is “based on true events.”

Once I’ve experienced something and a pattern emerges, it usually appears as a song, a mosaic of those experiences.

My imperfect path to sobriety is one of those experiences.

I have very few regrets in life. I’ve learned to look at my mistakes as my most valuable lessons, and oftentimes those mistakes saved me from far greater catastrophe. But if there was one thing I could take back, it’s any pain that I caused to those close to me.

Black Eyed Susan is a story that combines many experiences. Some are my own, and some are typical of navigating sobriety, love, and relationships.

Black Eyed Susan

I found the bracelet you gave me on the day
I passed out drunk, and I missed your cabaret
I lost my shoe, now there’s no more tea for two
Just a crescendo of innuendo
From my Jacqueline Bouvier