Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

As lyrics go, these are very close to the top of MY list...

Leader Of The Band Lyrics
Artist(Band):Dan Fogelberg

An only child Alone and wild
A cabinet maker's son
His hands were meant For different work
And his heart was known To none --

He left his home And went his lone
And solitary way
And he gave to me A gift I know
I never
can repay

A quiet man of music
Denied a simpler fate
He tried to be a soldier once
But his music wouldn't wait
He earned his love
Through discipline
A thundering, velvet hand
His gentle means of sculpting souls
Took me years to understand.

The leader of the band is tired
And his eyes are growing old
But his blood runs through My instrument
And his song is in my soul --
My life has been a poor attempt
To imitate the man
I'm just a living legacy
To the leader of the band.

My brothers' lives were different
For they heard another call
One went to Chicago
And the other to St. Paul
And I'm in Colorado
When I'm not in some hotel
Living out this life I've chose
And come to know so well.

I thank you for the music
And your stories of the road
I thank you for the freedom
When it came my time to go --
I thank you for the kindness
And the times when you got tough
And, papa, I don't think I
Said 'I love you' near enough --

The leader of the band is tired
And his eyes are growing old
But his blood runs through my instrument
And his song is in my soul --
My life has been a poor attempt
To imitate the man
I'm just a living legacy
To the leader of the band
I am the living legacy
To the leader of the band.

The video

http://youtube.com/watch?v=cy3GHCy49Dw

Thanks Charly. That's a great tune. I had not heard it before. It would appear that DF is a very good singer.

He had a bunch of hits in the mid seventies to early to mid eighties..

Part of the Plan
Auld Lang Syne
Run for the Roses
The Power of Gold
Longer
Missing You
Heart Hotels

to name a few....

"You have a tattoo of Dan Fogelburp? I don't even know who Dan Fogelburp is, but I suppose I can get by this. Where is the tattoo?"
"That's the other scandal"

(trying desperately to remember this scene from my all time favourite comic strip, Bloom County)

I remember his name...and that all Charly. It's strange how the memory function of the brain can filter stuff like this out and discard it, at least until someone like you comes along and brings it to the fore.

He's also a superb guitar player, something that he rarely gets credit for. We used to play folk festivals and record low-budget albums sponsored by a coffehouse on the University of Illinois campus. Even at 19 years old, you could tell that Dan had "the touch" in a way that very few guitarists have. Unfortunately, he was diagnosed about three years ago with advanced prostate cancer and his music was put on hold while he battles the illness. I still occasionally hear from some of the other folks who played on those albums, but there doesn't seem to be much concrete info floating around about Dan's current condition.

He sort of got a reputation for writing and recording mellow love songs, but trust me, you wish you could play guitar like Dan Fogelberg.

How about The Leader of the Pack?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qla2XY1_kgU

Lola Granola has a tattoo of Dan Fogelberg's face in a "scandalous" place.

http://www.berkeleybreathed.com/pages/favorite_strips.asp

Agreed, Todd. His hits were mellow...and, no offense, but I'd be okay with never having to hear "Longer Than" ever again in my life, despite the fact that it is a good song. But there are some ripping good songs in his collection. He was all right.

Besides, back in the 70's, learning the song "Looking for a Lady" definitely got me laid. Oops, too much information. Sorry, again.

Bloom County was the best... helped keep me sane through college. Well, relatively so.

Mark, you should have seen how well that song worked for Dan!

Yes, all that action and then prostate cancer... Ah well, the price we pay.

Thanks for letting me know a little more about Dan, Todd. I loved his lyrics more than anything, although Missing You rocks pretty good. I guess I classify him as a balladeer. Pretty Much. Kinda. Sorta.

And he's a Peoria, Illinois, native like me. But I'm not quite so talented musically ...