Self-taught on guitar, fiddle, piano, banjo, organ and harmonica, James Wayne Stafford did alright for himself.
Best known for a trio of 1974 hits, “Spiders and Snakes”, “My Girl Bill” and “Wildwood Weed”, his true musical talents enabled him to parlay his relatively brief comedic country success into a 30-year headlining gig at his own theater in Branson, Missouri.
From the “Any Which Way You Can” soundtrack comes “Cow Patti”, probably a parody of Lorne Greene’s “Ringo” from 1964. (Also “Ringo” was a gunfighter ballad which had nothing to do with the Beatles’ drummer.)
Shame that over the years a parody song can be like a stick of gum that loses its parody flavor when the original object of parody has faded from memory.
Actress/singer-songwriter Emily Kinney wrote “I Went Looking For You” about the 2018 funeral of her “TV dad”, as she called Scott Wilson, who played Kinney’s character’s father on The Walking Dead.
Beyond the particulars, though, there is a universal idea most of us can relate to–that of looking for a loved one who is no longer there…or perhaps still is in some way.
I thought I felt you, and the sun was burning my skin As I climbed the stairs to handshakes and embraces I thought I saw you in the screens, or heard you in the speeches Or maybe in the tears running down your best friends’ faces
Take it in, one last look We all hesitantly stood Take a view, past the church pews I was just staring at my shoes But as expected, at the last second Paper skin and bright white hair I went looking for you, my friend But you weren’t there
I guess you’re in the heavens I guess you’re in the sky I guess you won’t be coming back to say goodbye More questions than answers Your guess as good as mine And though you’ve lived such a beautiful life It doesn’t seem fair When I went looking for you, my friend You weren’t there
There were whiskey shots and dancing Handouts with your name We all kept our composure Though the world would never, ever be the same In this life, the hits keep coming Oh, our bodies wear and tear I spent the evening circling, looking For you, my friend But you weren’t there
I guess you’re in the heavens I guess you’re in the sky I guess you won’t be coming back to say goodbye More questions than answers Your guess as good as mine And though you’ve lived such a beautiful life It doesn’t seem fair When I went looking for you, my friend You weren’t there