Doc Stevens

Tondeleo: When I was in the States in October, Doc was fit to be tied because he learned that a friend of his who lives more than a thousand miles away left his wife and kids for another woman. Doc and Marilyn were very close to the whole family and could not comprehend the madness of this man leaving his wife and kids.

When Doc gets touched emotionally, he has the gift of writing a song about it, and I have been there three times now when he was writing a song. The first two times, I was unaware, because something happened that I knew made him upset and he went back into the back room with one of Marilyn's notebooks and came out a few minutes later looking relaxed and said he just had to get something off his chest. He wasn't gone five minutes, but had written an entire song.

For this song, I was there. He got word from his friends' 11 year old boy about their Daddy leaving them for another woman. Doc was furious, upset and fit to be tied. Marilyn kept saying, "Oh, No" over and over again. Doc got Marilyn's notebook and a pen and started writing feverishly. He was writing as though taking dictation.

When he was finished, he shoved it at me across the table and said, "Here. Put that on my blob." I did do some spelling corrections.

A Song For A Cheatin' Piece of Trash

By Doc Stevens 2008

v1) You had a good life, and a good wife, but you threw them both away

your kids loved you more than you could know, but you just walked away

You left your home, your wife's alone, she cries both day and night, You've left it all I hope you fall - and pray you'll see the light

v2) A man can't hope for very much, in this short and hard life

but somehow life had smiled on you with a job a home a wife.

But all you had weren't good enough for a big man such as you,

You met that whore and walked out the door - I hope she humbles you

CHORUS:

You would not be happy with all the good things that you'd have

You lived your dream and fell for schemes of

a woman that was trash

We tried but you wouldn't listen, you just had to go your ways

Now lose it all and when you fall I'll laugh in your poor face

{Break}

Chorus again

v 4) Your children cry and wonder why their dad's left them alone

your girlfriend's kids are livin' large, now Big Man's in their home.

You're a hero now, in your own eyes with your brand new family

But the one you left was God's own best and before too long you'll see.

v5) I hope your wife can find the strength to fight for what is hers

you made a vow to love her so, for better or for worse

You're worse than what she took you for, I'm glad she'll soon be free

From a selfish fool who left his jewel for that W - H - O - R - E.

You would not be happy with all the good things that you'd have

You lived your dream and fell for schemes of

a woman that was trash

You got coke up your nose and blood on your clothes, and when you're moneys gone she will be too

So lose it all and when you fall I'll laugh in your poor face

Chorus and ending.

I have seen Doc write another song in the same time frame, about 5 minutes when he was touched, moved, sad or mad. In fact, as soon as he handed me this one to put on his blog site, he said he wasn't through yet, and wrote another one, on the same subject, and with more aggressive lyrics than I thought we ought to put on this blog. I am holding it for him for "later."

The tunes seem to come just as fast, and he sits down and plays them immediately afterwards. Now I am wondering which of the songs I have heard him sing are originals and which ones are just what he remembers of old country songs from his boyhood. But, this is one he specifically wanted on the "inner web, so that sorry excuse for a man can read it."

Tondeleo: I have hours and hours of video of Doc pontificating and solving the world's (and America's) problems. In fact, I have found that it is quite common for American working class people to think in black and white, and to feel that the world's problems would be pretty easily solved if one had but common sense.

In this video, we were finishing up the evening meal and I set up my camera for an evening of interviews and recording, and asked Doc if he'd mind talking a few minutes on raising kids, specifically raising a boy to be a "man." Doc tells me regularly that there is more to being a man than just not squatting when one "takes a pee."

This video will also give you insight as to how these blogs are created and what an editorial challenge it is to make a written document from Doc's speaking. You can hear his dogs barking outside, and other sounds. Anyway, I hope you enjoy getting to hear firsthand what I have to deal with in order to get these blogs together.


Click below to watch and listen.

Tondeleo: Doc just rang me up to report on his trip to Dallas, Texas and some surrounding towns. Between his pronunciations and my not always being able to suss out exactly what he is actually trying to say, our conversations are comical sometimes.

Actually, this call made me realise that I ought to just post some of my footage of my interviews with him and his comments and advice on YouTube rather than try to decipher it all. He is serious, but is also VERY funny, and I am never quite certain if he realises how humourous he actually is.

Doc: Tondy - This Doc down to Texas over in Dallas somewhere but it ain't Dallas right now it is somewheres near Dallas about more than a hour from the airport which I am going to tomorrow. I come up here yesterday and played last night and slept this morning and today helped a man at his ranch for because he is putting me up with him and his wife and feeding me and tomorrow we are going to the airport.

Tondeleo: Doc, do you have any clue at all where you are?

Doc: Yes, Tondy in Texas where there is a college A and M what is here. They is a real good chinese restaurant called Panda with a cute little chinese waitress what is working there to go to college. She will be good at it. I want to go back tomorrow and get a picture with her. That man Doug where I am staying brought me here and then I told him I have been in Texas since last week an seen nothing but roads, hotels and parking lots and that is all I will think is Texas unless he shows me more Texas.

He drove me around his town here and showed me the college and then some old houses and a cowboy church with a bullpen outside and then to the Wal Mart. I aint buy nothing but he bought something. I walked around and looked at camo shirts and hats and pants and boots and chairs and dog tents and gloves. Looked but not touch lessened they try to 'cuse me of shoplifting and put me in a mexican jail and then where would I be?

But that aint the point Tondy. Now I can do inner web like you and like a little blob over at a blues innerweb place. Called this (I can hear papers shuffling around and Doc trying to figure out how to read a url) Tondy are you there? It is called www.livebluesworld.com and I have my own Doc Stevens blob or webspace and Marilyn showed me how to put pictures on there and those VCRs from YourTube what you put up there. Now I got some friends from cyberspace and they are real nice folks. One of them, Mike, wrote something what made me write a hymn on it. He made a tear roll down my eye.

Tondeleo: So Doc, I'm glad you're getting so refined and getting to be able to travel again! I heard that Marilyn made it back from Pennsylvania so Nanjemoy will be repopulated fully by Wednesday. I know that must warm your heart, Doc.

Doc: Yeah, Marilyn done called me already an said she is safe at home and fed the dogs. I need to get back home and in the garage and guess what? Get some checks cashed up the store. They was real good to me an fed me good an put me in a Marriott in Dallas and then a small hotel in Palace Teen ["Palestine"] and I stayed at some peoples' house with a lot of money up in a place called Grape Vine and now am on a ranch. They got money too and beds with cloth roofs on em. Like in the old timey movies. But I can't wait to go home, like Dorothy said, Tondy, there's no place like home, there's no place like home. Is that true even if you're a Brit? No place like home?

I assured him that it is true even for Brits that there is no place like home, and that I would see him in a couple of months or so, but to keep in touch.

Tondeleo: Doc, you probably haven't heard, but California has voted to make it so gays can't get married anymore there. What do you think about that? I KNOW you must have some thoughts on it. Come on and tell us.

Doc: Tondy, first off, these ain't pot plants. They's weeds. But, I know when you're jerkin' my chain and when you talk about homo's wantin' to get married you figure you already know what I'm gonna say and you're tryin' to get a rise outta me, but you ain't gonna do it.

But here's what I think. I got a sister down Kingsport and she's shackin' up with a guy she ain't married to an' she and he don't wanna get married. They been together 'bout three years and she's been married twice already. So that's one thing. They aint gays. And they don't wanna get married. That' something to think about ain't it?"

You got straight folks, that's the name for folks what ain't gay, an' they just want to live together and not get married. People used to cry the blues over that one. But now you got homo's, both men and women ones, what you say want to get married. That's a new one out here, at least to me!

Homer Rathwell's boy, I think he's a gay. I ain't never asked him, but you can sort of tell. He ain't sissy like YOU, Tondy, but that's because you're a Brit and a office boy. He's American and he hangs with girls, always has but don't never date none of them. Every now and then he'll bring some sissy looking boy over for a sleepover and you can hear 'em giggling back there if you're visitin' Homer.

Now what if he wanted to marry one of them boys what he might be having gay sex with? Well, Tondy (laughing) that'd be the end of the sex - if they got married!

But I ain't care WHO he has sex with as long as it aint me an' as long as I don't have to hear about it. That's between him and the Lord. From what I hear, though, the Lord don't go for it at all.Ain't never did. But them folks ain't exactly carin' what the Lord wants and don't want. They care about what THEY want, so totin' out the Bible ain't gonna make none of them change their ways what don't want to.

Tondeleo: Doc, a lot of people think that gay marriage and homosexuality in general is a threat to straight marriage. I bet you have some thoughts about that, too!

Doc: Tondy, you're a piece of work. Gay marriage ain't never threatened none of my friends' marriages! And I ain't never been tempted to kiss a man! There's too many women out there for a man to go after another man. 'Cept in prison but I aint talkin' about that. Aint no one want to go to prison no way, and it is all about the punishment, aint it. I try to stay away from them places.

Naw, I think the biggest threat to marriage ain't gays, it's cheatin'. Cheatin' an drinkin' too much and drugs. They's a big threat to marriage, if one or both is smokin too much reefer or smokin' rock. Spendin' too much money'll threaten a marriage, too. Lot's of folk break up over one of 'em spendin' too much money. But, Tondy, cheatin' an adultery's the biggest threat to marriage, in my book. There, an' you aint got a rise outta me.