I keep waking up in the morning trying to remember what I am supposed to be writing about this week!  I’ll admit that it is a relief to have the week off, although I almost don’t know what to do with myself.  I’m sure my wife and daughter are appreciating the extra time and attention though.  As we near the end of Project M, I have to say that it has been a real pleasure to be part of this.  It has been great to be writing, to be getting feedback, to be able to share songs, but most of all, it has been fun and inspiring to meet a bunch of other local musicians and songwriters.  The variety in styles and strengths among the 9 of us has driven me to think about writing songs in different ways, and I feel lucky to have met all of these folks.  And despite what you might expect from a contest of this nature, and despite what you might read on the sound off page, the tone among the contestants has been nothing but positive from day 1.  Mark occasionally makes comments about hitting me with his car, but I am at least 75% sure that he is joking.   Everyone has supported each other, and I think we have developed a mutual respect for one another.  I know that I have, and I look forward to seeing people playing out in a more natural setting.  It has often felt less like a contest and more like a collaborative project.  Hearing great songs every week just makes you a better writer, and I am hoping that no matter who wins, we all will come out of this thing better than when we started.

I think there is a similarity between this and the civility in a potentially high-pressure environment that characterized the protests downtown.  I was amazed to be walking around in a crowd of thousands, with virtually no visible police force, and to see nothing but positivity and purpose despite the anger and frustration people felt about the budget bill.  Being down there with Kerry and Molly felt like being part of something truly special.  That feeling was something I tried to capture in this song, and I hope you enjoyed it.  As always, thanks for listening.

The Day the Tractors Came to Town

I woke up with a feeling

And the feeling wasn’t good

I put you in the car

And drove as fast as I could

Downtown the crowd was growing

You could hardly even move

But everybody stepped aside

To let the farmers through

Get up on my shoulders

Take a good long look around

I hope you will remember

The day the tractors came to town

The firemen are marching

There are bagpipes in the air

The nurses and the teachers

Are filling up the square

They’re fighting for your future

To protect what you deserve

And one day when you’re older

You can find your way to serve

Get up on my shoulders

Take a good long look around

I hope you will remember

The day the tractors came to town

What is the sound of freedom?

It’s the voices in this crowd

When people ask you where you come from

You can stand up and be proud and say…

I was born in Madison

It’s a friendly little town

Unless you try to take our rights

Then we will take you down

We know what we stand for

We know what’s right and wrong

And if you govern us with greed

Then you won’t last too long

Get up on my shoulders

Take a good long look around

I hope you will remember

The day the tractors came to town