Ain't Life Grand

LETTER FROM JB

With the song “Ain’t Life Grand,” there are the obvious differences in the recordings; Mike’s vocal on the studio version, along with a fiddle and steel. The version from Wood is a bare bones acoustic romp through the tune. To my ear, the live rendition benefits by the absence of overdubbing; while the studio offers you a chance to pretend to be perfect, a truly live recording is more like real life. That’s what happened in those moments in time, and there’s no going back to change things - a la Bill Murray in Ground Hog Day.

Beyond those differences, Widespread Panic has a nineteen-year-old song that we still dig playing. Simple, universal images enter the music (jobs, Love, money issues, another day after this one). Real Life. While the Band shares writers’ credit equally, this one was all Michael Houser. I think what keeps this song near to our Hearts is that Mike wrote about everyday stuff, and then chose to call it special when he exclaimed “Ain’t Life Grand.” To see the miraculous over the mundane is a choice we all have, and I thank Mike and the boys for that continued reminder.

Then again... Crap! Did you watch the News today?

- John Bell

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