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Sorry Shade of Blue

from It's All Blues To Me by John Lee Sanders

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about

Sorry Shade of Blue was written in Oakland California, 1998, Lyrics by Chris Caswell, and my music. Chris and I had a very prolific writing period in these years. We began writing together after both being part of the Paul Williams band, Paul being one of the most successful songwriters of the 1970s. Most of Chris' lyrics would come to me by fax machine, and for me, ones as great as this one, the music would come to me almost instantly. I had a beautiful Kawaii Baby grand in my living room, that I bought from the San Jose Fairmont Hotel, and I wrote some of my favorite music on that piano. Chris and I have known so many colleagues and legendary musicians, that were sadly lost, to drug and alcohol addiction, depression, and mental illness, and this song deals with that touchy subject, and sometimes difficult profession we have chosen. I became friends with Huey Lewis in our music connection in the Bay Area. He recently did a radio show in Washington DC. He was asked to play some of his favorite blues songs, and he picked this song, it's one of my favorites also. The song was recorded in A minor, but after the rhythm section had left, I realized, it was a bit too fast, so we slowed the tape down and this version is in Ab minor. On my 2014 Big band tour of Croatia, I arranged it for a 20 piece jazz orchestra.

lyrics

Sorry Shade of Blue
Lyrics: Chris Caswell, Kazz Song Inc. Music: John Lee Sanders, Swampmeister Music, ASCAP

I’m in a sorry, sorry shade of blue
I’m feeling sorry for myself
And what I’m going through
I tried to change my outlook
I tried to change my ways
Still I dance my darkest dances
When the music starts to play

I’m in a sorry shade of blue
Addicted to the reckless things I do
And what was once wrong or right
Is no longer black and white
I’m in a sorry shade of blue

You know sometimes my eyes are open wide
And then I make up my mind to get off this ride
Before I know it, I start to blow it
I’m climbing back onboard
And my eyes are closed to common sense
And I’ve got the pedal floored

Chorus

It’s so obvious, the life I lead
Is in now way shape or form
Connected to the life I lead
You know I party much to hearty
To cover up my fears
‘Til one day, there’s no way back
And I’ll just disappear

chorus

credits

from It's All Blues To Me, released October 16, 1999
John Lee Sanders, Piano, Vocal, Tenor Saxophone, Keyboards (strings)
Myron Dove, Upright Bass
Peter Booras, Drums
Garth Webber, Guitar, Recording Engineer
Recorded at Red Rooster Studio, Berkeley, CA

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John Lee Sanders Palos De La Frontera, Spain

Multi-instrumentalist, Composer, Saxophone, Guitar, Piano, vocalist, and Emmy nominated composer, he has evolved a complex musical gumbo, with the flavors of Americana, Rock, Gospel, Pop, Jazz, R&B, Soul, Country, classical, with a deep love of the traditions, and culture of New Orleans. ... more

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