On the sofa :-

She: “that needs to be in DADGAD”

I: “what?”

She: “DADGAD. It doesn’t sound anything like it otherwise”

I: “like what?”

She: “like ‘May You Never’. Almost unrecognisable.”

I: “YOU recognised it.”

She: “well, yeah but..it’s kinda…the spaces…isn’t it? the rhythm in the gaps. You know like when Les Dawson played things wrong but you still knew what it was?”

I (frostily): “so it sounds like it would if Les Dawson were playing it?”

She: “yeah…er…no…um..not quite..ah..I love you?”

I: puts guitar down and sulks.

I’ve been playing guitar for about 20 years but recently realised what I was playing wasn’t what you’d call “songs” so much as “exercises” or “a bloody annoying racket”. In an attempt to justify the stupid amount of time and money I’ve spent on guitars over the years, I’ve been trying to learn some songs the folks can merrily sing-a-long to.

So far, I can just about barge my way through “Don’t think twice, it’s alright”, hack lumps out of “Caledonia” and win by two falls and a submission against “Folsom Prison Blues”

It appears that “May You Never” needs some work.