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"Southern Man"
VERSE 1
I was born down in MS - the state they call 10 years behind
I was told that all men were equal - I was taught to treat all men kind
My mother raised four healthy children - my father he raised cotton up from the ground
he worked long hard hours so we could live wealthy - but I'd rather have had less, and had him around

BRIDGE/CHORUS
And I will never really understand - how a man can give his heart to the work of his hands
I swear there's soil in his veins - and he hides his tears so well in the rain
Southern Man

VERSE 2
I remember riding out to the country - the side of the roads they looked like snow
I'd ride back to town in the back of a cotton trailer - knowing the freedom only a child can know
But as time moved on and those times they moved behind me - I began to see the tarnish on that Delta Gold
You see time with the kid's it got lost, to time in the field - and that time that we lost cannot be bought or sold

BRIDGE/CHORUS
And I will never really understand - how a man can give his heart to the work of his hands
I swear there's soil in his veins - and he hides his tears so well in the rain
Southern Man - I want to undertand now

VERSE 3
Now I'm older, out on my own - seeing just how ignorant I've been
It's getting harder and harder for me to point my finger - cause it's pointing back at me again and again
Now I'm starting to see just where my father comes from - as I'm starting to see what he's already seen
You see love gets lost, so we strive to replace it - and for men hard honest work is the closest thing

BRIDGE/CHORUS
And I am starting now to understand - how a man can give his heart to the work of his hands
I still swear there's soil in his veins - but his tears are not alone, no his tear are not alone, in the rain
Southern Man - I think I undertand now

© circa 1991 F. Riddell

southern man cover

FROM THE CD "Southern Man"

• original release date 10/10/2009
•10 songs styled from Solo to Combo arrangements
• available in hard copy ( date T.B.A. soon )
• & in digital format at CD Baby, iTunes and other digital sales stores
• administered by BMI - unauthorized duplication is naughty
"""""""
SOUTHERN MAN  Project Notes:  BY SONG

 1) SOUTHERN MAN.  A young man's journey and perspective of his Father over time.  Basically written from the heart, with very little revision ever done.  The child simply enjoys life, oblivious of being protected and provided for.  The coming of age green eyed dragon slayer is quick to find fault in the adults, and knows how things could have been better, though never having been in their shoes.  The growing young adult begins to see things differently as life slaps him around.  In the end a new appreciation is found for those going before;  an honest revelation that they have done the best they could do with what they had. 
    2) STAY PUT (Foot in the Door) is a song that started with just one line.  I was thinking about the music business, and how I may never make it Big.  I've come to accept this fact, but have not stopped trying to get my "Foot in the Door".  This somehow turned into the little humor about a relationship desired, found & regretted.  This song has found great live response from day 1.  I'm not going to hold my breadth, but do have hi hopes for this song.  It very well may have increased my Lottery odds.
    3) B RIFFED.  This is just one of those -it happened- songs.  I was messing with this RIFF that happened to be in the key of "B", and one day decided to cut it on my 12 string Larrivee, put it on my mac book in Garage Band, make a loop out of it, put that loop down, and then build the song around it.  So I did, and B RIFFED was the result.  I got a gut feeling that some folks will really like this one.  Heck, even my wife made good comment on it, and that only happens so often.  I've been told by some that they like the bass guitar line.  If I ever get to re-cut this one, I'll try and call in Jake Byers of Hayseed Dixie.  Jake and I worked together years ago in a little original project in Nashville.  To my joy, Jake and I hooked up recently on FaceBook, and I was much surprised to find he was touring with a band of whom I have admired much. 
    4) CROWN, WANNA WEAR THAT.  A simple gospel song, unlike anything I have written in the past, that cuts straight to the heart of my faith, hope & love.  One day - no sorry and no pain - just hanging out and jamming with guitars, harp, tambourine, spirit, love, etc......  Christ won't let me alone, and in this I have hope.  I sometimes wonder if Jesus may have taken up guitar in the past 2000 years.  This is one of those early morning songs, and 'coffee' has to get some of the credit. 
    5) GO MAX GO is a song inspired by our miniature dachshund Max.  When very young, he was in the living room one day and I was playing some guitar.  Susan was dusting the living room table/floor/shelves and organizing things (some basic OCD activities).  So anyways, Max is sitting there trying to get me to open one of the closed doors.  Our living room/dining room/front door area has 3 doors.  The one he wanted me to open went the same place as the one going into the other side of the kitchen - and it was open.  We are talking 12 feet here.  He could go 12 feet and take the open door right to where he wanted to go, but instead sat there wining for a long time (I think our cat was on the other side of the door).  He could have been to that place he wanted to be in 5 seconds simply by taking the "open door".  I thought about this, and how I do the same thing at times, and that's basically where this song came from.  And yes Beth R., I did eventually open the door for Max.  I'm sure God has done the same for me more than I realize. 
    6) ADAM AND EVE.  This song was written in the mid 90's.  For some reason I had never put it down on tape; only played it live here and there.  I played it live one day at a Rotary Club meeting.  You know you've made it big, in your small town, when you get the Rotary Club Special Guest gig.  The local A.M. DJ Jerry Lousteau said to me, "Have you recorded that song?  If not, you need to."  Well I did so.  And with fond memory, this is the only track to date where the drums were literally placed in an old Cotton Gin (our family place New Paragon Gin).  The drummer was given just 2 microphones and let loose.  I hope to do some more tracks like these, utilizing this huge space to create feel and depth, that no reverb unit in the world can quite exactly give.  Jerry proceeded to play this recording of Adam & Eve quite a bit on our local radio station.  Through this song I gained a new respect from many local Gospel & Blues fans. 
    7) POOPIE IN THE POT is, at this point, the only Potty Training song I'll ever write. (never say ever?)  My son Evan is probably glad this was not written many years ago for him.  Instead this one was written just a few years back and given to my niece Kimberly Taylor Pratt for my great nephew Taylor, who was in that 1-3 year old Potty stage.  He, and a few other kids his age, got a Great Big Kick out of this song, as well as many adults.  If you would please, tell others with "potty aged" kids about Poopie in the Pot.  I would thank you much, and those parents might also thank you. 
    8) IT'S A MYSTERY.  I wrote this song for a song writing club.  The club did not last that long, but it did motivate me to write in a period when I was not writing at all.  Thanks Adam.  I wrote this song and recorded it for submission to the club.  Not much time taken on it, but fun anyways, especially the electric guitar tracks utilizing a $99 retail zoom effects pedal.  I have garnered some local fans on this recording.  I can just hear Beth, Chandra & Susan goofing around and singing "It's a Mystery" in that hi pitched giddy, 'girls drinking wine' voice.  Problem is, that's the only lyric they can remember.  Maybe if it's in with this batch of songs they will remember the words a little better.  Maybe?  Not! 
    9) MISSISSIPPI (lost mix).  I did not really loose this mix, but it got put aside for version 2 (found at CD Baby and iTunes on the 2006 release MISSISSIPPI - track #9).  This particular recording is a quick mix done at the same location the first version tracks were cut, at Lake Naomi just outside Canton MS.  Chris Hall was on drums and Tom Atkinson on Bass.  I never could get happy with this version, and opted for the finger picking electric guitar version on the MS CD.  One day BRUCE (friend and repair person) heard this 1st version by accident and said "I think that is really good".  So, I decided to include it on this project.  And speaking of other versions, this leads to the last song. 
    10) 20,000 REASONS (ver. 2 take 1).  This is the first song I wrote after moving my business, SMALL TOWN MUSIC, down to the old family place in the Holler.  This songs' first inspiration was a vintage guitar I ended up selling for someone.  Sale price was 13,900.00, and that was in total dogged condition.  One a little nicer would have easily brought 20,000.  This song will mostly be perceived as a male/female relationship song, and I will confess that I did draw from such mental images to help in the writing.  This recording is totally different than the "as yet unreleased original version".  Like totally different groove, chords and structure.  The words are the same accept for "so many reasons, so many rhymes" tagged anew at the end of each verse.  The original version had 6 chords and this version just 3.  (yes Derek Hawkins, Frazier changed a song and took out the C chord). 
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off this page		 L.U. 01/19/2011

Copyright1999-2011 F. Riddell d.b.a. SMALL TOWN MUSIC & CMC ® RECORDS



southern man back cover

Frazier Riddell - Canton Ms Native.  Mississippi original music song writer schooled in Oxford Ms at Ole Miss, that being the University of Mississippi.  Graduated in 1984,  John F. Riddell, owner of small town music, singer song writer, writing songs from personal experiences in the south, and hoping to change things not only in the south, but the world, finally made it back to Oxford in 2010 to sing on the Thacker Mountain Radio program.  Smiles of the heart were huge, when Frazier met Jim Dees for the manieth (not knowing that though & thought it would be 1st) time.  Jim was a mainstay at the HOKA.  Riddell spent lot's of time at the Hoka in the early 1980's.  It was a blast that night, as Riddell billed the show along with Cindy Wolff and her friends Big John on upright bass guitar and Emily Bakker on baritone ukelele.  After Thacker, those 3 and Riddell performed on the square in Oxford to a fine enthusiastic crowd at Roosters Blues House.  If you go to look up Cindy, remember the spelling.  I always want to put Wolf or Wolff instead of Woolf.