Guy Clark, the great singer-songwriter from Texas, passed away May 17, 2016 at the age of 74. It is hard to select a favorite song from his vast catalog of wonderful songs. We have previously written about such songs as “Dublin Blues,” “Out in the Parking Lot,” “Homeless,” “Desperados Waiting For a Train,” and “Stuff That Works.” But I have to say goodbye with the song that first led me to his music, “L.A. Freeway.”
“L.A. Freeway” is a wonderful song about escape, but not the running-away-from-a-woman escape type of song. It is in the vein of Springsteen’s “Born to Run” about going somewhere new with someone you love. Springsteen’s song captures a young man’s joy of leaving for a new adventure and of leaving behind a “death trap, a suicide rap.” By contrast, Clark’s “L.A. Freeway” is about an older man looking forward to the escape but recognizing the bittersweet feeling of leaving something behind.
Oh Susanna, don’t you cry, babe;
Love’s a gift that’s surely handmade;
We’ve got something to believe in,
Don’t you think it’s time we’re leaving?
I hope Clark found that joy he was searching for in the song. He certainly gave us a large catalog of great songs to help us find something to believe in. RIP.
What is your favorite Guy Clark song? Leave your two cents in the comments.
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