by Tom Hebert (Nigeria 1962–64)

T A MID-80s PEACE CORPS REUNION in Washington, D.C., I met up with David again after some 20-odd years. I hadn’t seen him since a Free Biafra/Committee of Returned Volunteers meeting in 1969. He mentioned his music. Like everyone else I knew, I had seen and used his film Give Me A Riddle, so I was interested. A week later he sent me a 45 RPM with “Jack” on the A side. In 1986, “Jack” helped me transition my career back to freelance consulting as I wore out the little 45 playing it every morning, steeling myself for the lone life ahead. A piece of “Jack” :

Jack is true as the day is long
an honest man in his hooves
he don’t tell lies he just takes what
little the lord bestows you
and folds it under his cap
flap your innocent angel wings
hosannas sing
it don’t mean nothing to Jack

so say your prayers if you must do
keep those beads in spin
but when he crooks his finger
just give him your
watch and wait by the window
fold your hands in your lap
he take everything his hand can hold
but your heart your soul
but won’t take none of your crap
cause it don’t mean nothing to Jack

     Beyond that 45, one of my life treasures is a 1987 cassette of Volume Four (of five), entitled “Everything.” The songs on it all have complex orchestrations with multiple tracks, David on leads with harmony vocals, reeds, drums of all kinds, pedal steel guitars, cello, harmonica, etc. Professionally recorded. But, as you can tell from “Jack” above, how tuneful they are! And some really, really swing, hosannas sing, in a mighty big way. I whistle them when I am out riding my Spanish pony. Accessible.
     The songs grew from David’s richly poetic lyrics, often written for his friends. They’re filled with heroes, outlaws and mavericks, death and danger, lovely and lonely women, weird strangers, ramblin’, horizons and away places, blues and aloneness, portraits of old friends, and one about a magical saloon:

. . . the place just made me feel at home so
it’s kind of hard to explain
unless you’ve spend a night in old Ibadan
at the West End Café