'The Ballad of Elliot Fortune' - Greeny Monday for StoryFest

[Greeny]

Takamine acoustic tuned to open Dm, Ibanez bass, tambourine and vocal.

Don't read the lyric if you want to hear the story unfold naturally!

Elliot Fortune Esq, private eye
tailing people's my business - it's not a crime
one day she blew into my office out the rain
droplets all over her shoulders and an exotic name

she wanted me to follow her man
to dig up all the dirt that I can

cause this is my bread and butter - finding affairs
I track them down and take photos unawares
seedy motels - knock and then 'flash'
or the kiss through a restaurant window - easy cash

she wants to know if her husband is playing around
so i staked out his office - got his scent like a good sniffer hound

waiting with my coffee in the downtown sprawl
and then he comes out in his cheap suit - slicked hair and all
to the parking garage then away he sped
to a motel with hourly rates and heart-shaped beds

I watched him check in then sleaze to his room
waiting for the cue to make my next move

then 10 minutes later here she comes
umbrella and high heels - looking for lust
then she turned around and I knew
my wife was stood there, and I sighed as my eyes saw the truth

but in my glove compartment is a snub-nosed .38
it felt cold in my hand in the heat of my rage

[Ferryman_1957]

I couldn't resist reading the lyrics so I spoiled the twist but it's a real storytelling joy. Simple but very effective, the lyrics and the story take centre stage, as they should. Brilliant.

Reminded me a tad of Stan Ridgway's storytelling (Google "Drive She Said" if you don't know his solo work....).

[StephenM]

holy shite...what a great story and that guitar and singing sound so awesome...you are the man!

[boneonbone]

Great story.....love the way the ending leaves the listener hanging on what he actually did with the gun.  The open tuned acoustic is a perfect backdrop on which to tell the tale.....well done!

[guitarron]

Yes. Holy hell Tim. You knocked it out of the park. I've been toying with idea of how to approach this fest. I like the idea of using a simple catchy rhthym throughout. All I need now us a story.lol
I enjoyed the cinematic ending of this. This felt like a movie for the mind. Terrific work.

[Zoltan]

I started to listen to this with the idea of this being a real description of something that had happened to Greeny. As the story progressed i was thinking that perhaps he shouldn't share this story here (or at least should use a weird name like... Zoltan ). After a quick glance at the Storyfest rules everything was fine again

A great story with a killer twist ending! Played with style and sung in the way that makes the listener to believe in what is being sung. One for the Greeny goes Noir album

[TPB]

Always love your ballads so I did not read the lyrics first and glad I did not what a great ending so good.  Playing and vocals are top notch as usual
Tim

[DarrenG / The Devil's Toupee]

Great storytelling, I didn't read the lyrics and I didn't see that ending coming..what a twist. I closed my eyes while listening and could see the story unfold. Love the guitar and the blues melody. Great vocals too.
Darren

[Mike_S]

Yeah brilliant. I read the lyrics at a snails pace at the pace of the song so the ending was not spoiled. Brilliant stuff. The song, feel and that acoustic strumming and even the song lyrical style made me think of some of Rory Gallagher's stuff, although I know that might sound weird as it is very different at the same time. But loved this.

Mike

[Jean Pierre]

What a story!
Greeny you are really very clever to build a captivating scenario...until the final fall very unexpected

as it is a quite tonal ballad, I really want to add a part of Weissenborn guitar (discreet) for my Containment Workshop collaboration collection, do you allow me?