Guy Clark - The Guitar (Eric Clapton's secret)

Guy Clark & Verlon Thompson: "The Guitar" from his album "someday the song writes you". This song reveals in my opinion the wonder of the blues and the secret of Eric Clapton:



"I get seriously attached to an instrument," says Clapton. "A guitar like Blackie comes along maybe once in a lifetime. I played it for 12 years non-stop on the road, and it's still got it. The action is perfect even though the neck is quite worn down and narrow. All you've got to do is pick it up and it sort of plays itself. I developed a lot of trust and security with that instrument." (Eric Clapton)



Full story by Manhattan Guitar Center (c) (2010):

http://bit.ly/dUJWXp



Lyrics:

Well, I was passing by a pawn shop

In an older part of town

Something caught my eye

And I stopped and turned around



I stepped inside and there I spied

In the middle of it all

Was a beat up old guitar

Hanging on the wall.



What do you want for that piece of junk

I asked the old man

He just smiled and took it down

and he put it in my hand



He said you tell me what it's worth

You're the one who wants it

Turn it up, play a song

And let's just see what haunts it



So I hit a couple of cords

In my old country way of strumming

And then my fingers turned to lightning

Man.. I never heard it coming



It was like I always knew it

I just don't know where I learned it

It wasn't nothin' but the truth

So I just reared back and burned it



Well I lost all track of time

There was nothing I couldn't pick

Up and down the neck

I never missed a lick



The guitar almost played itself

There was nothing I could do

It was getting hard to tell

Just who was playing who



When I finally put it down

I couldn't catch my breath

My hands were shaking

And I was scared to death



The old man finally got up

Said where in the Hell you been

I've been waiting all these years

For you to stumble in



Then he took down an old dusty case

Said go on and pack it up

You don't owe me nothing

And then he said good luck



There was something spooky in his voice

And something strange on his face

When he shut the lid

I saw my name was on the case



Pictures @ Shorpy Historic Photo Archive