Intimate delivery, wry humour. John Geggie, one of Canada’s finest bass players, played his part in one take and then didn’t want to touch it. His moody upright bass provides the acoustic foundation to this slice of Americana. Even before he put his part on, he said the song was “beautiful”, so that tells you something. René Gely’s arrangement avoids some of the cliché traps and well-worn ruts artists can fall into with this type of song.

DNO – vocals, marimba
John Geggie – upright bass
René Gely – guitars, drums, piano

Lyrics

Lyrics
I bought a black Trans-Am ‘bout a year ago
Every school boy’s dream
That seemed so out of reach for me in my teens
But I just kept believin’
I would not let it go
Though lately I’ve been treated like an enemy by the Greens

Financial independence is coming into view
I can finally do just what I please
In winter time I’ll find the sun
Or get away to ski
Though I can’t do too much on these achin’ knees

Well look at my dreams all coming true
Isn’t it just grand?
How everything is working out
Just the Way I Planned.

Shannon was my heart’s desire
When I was in high school
But some other guy came and swept her off her feet
But I swore in my teenage heart
She’d be mine some day
And that from that moment our world would be complete

Well we tied the knot last summer
I’d won her wrinkled hand
Now everything is working out
Just the way I planned

As young men watching our heroes play
I’d made up my mind
That I’d meet up with mine
And we would jam as equals one fine day
Well we made it down to Oklahoma
And in that dingy bar
From his wheelchair, Leon watched us play

I’d told him “We’re 91 with a bullet,
Me and my geriatric band
And everything is working out
Just the way I planned »

©2021 David Nelson Ostrosser