Parrish-Hundley Band: Music

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Song of the Year.com Review

"Unique singer/songwriter artistry carries a comfortable strength in the vocal performance and lyrical interpretations. This is a rhythm pleaser with solid musical performances that draw the listener into a state of familiar country delight. Great musical arrangement and instrumentation not overwhelming the production - or the simplistic textures that work so well. What makes "Color Me Gone" attractive to the listener, whether you like country or pop, is the amount of musical warmth, words worth hearing, and the production that compliments the voice that give the music life. Promising."

Mike believes that some songs come so easy it's almost unbelievable and that's exactly the case with "Color Me Gone." Mike was working alone in the studio one day when he heard the catch phrase "Color Me Gone" as part of a script in a movie. The creative juices started flowing as Mike grabbed an acoustic guitar and started hammering out the lyrics to the song.

Sammy had just called the studio, telling Mike that he was on his way for that evening's recording session and Mike told him that he was busy working on a new song. Sammy arrived about 45 minutes later and when he walked in Mike told him, "Man, I think I've just written the best song of my life." Sammy laughed because Mike says that about every song he writes. Mike went over the tune with Sammy and minutes later they were in the studio working on the demo. When they were done, somewhere around three in the morning, they played the tune again and again. "Color Me Gone" was born with a short dreamy Jimi Hendrix-style intro that ran smack dab into what sounded like a wall of dirty guitars and Mike falling in with, "Tumbleweeds, pumpjacks, windmills, train tracks, I ain't never comin' back baby." Talk about havin' a lotta' fun but "Color Me Gone" was great and Mike and Sammy had a great time putting it together. Sammy literally tore up the lead guitar part, which are actually triple-layered guitars in three-part electric harmony paying homage to "The Eagles."

Mike sang, "Ya painted me a picture of a life so grand. Little white house on our own piece of land. Ya' painted in the kids and the dog and the car. Ya' painted in the sun and the moon and the stars. But ya' never told me nothin' 'bout how I'd feel so alone. Ya' never mentioned nothin' 'bout a combat zone. When ya' get around to paintin' me . . . color me gone . . . just color me gone."

The song is really about getting out of a completely bad one-sided relationship and feeling no regret whatsoever. It's about survival or self-preservation, knowing when it's time to leave and live for yourself for awhile. The cool thing about it is that no one's crying in their beer on this tune. This song makes leaving a really fun thing to do.

Lead Vocals: Mike Parrish
Background Vocals: Sammy Hundley
Acoustic Rhythm, Bass, Acoustic Lead, Electric Rhythm & Lead Guitars are all performed by; Sammy Hundley
Drums: Alan Dossett
Mixed & Mastered by Kyle W. Smith

Verse I

Tumbleweeds, pump jacks, wind mills, train tracks
I ain't never comin' back baby
Highways, biways, gotta' do it my way
Only thing that's ever gonna' save me
Gotta' whole lotta' livin' still left to do
And I don't believe I can do it with you
We put our best foot forward but we kept fallin' down
I think you'll feel better when I'm not around
Not around

Chorus
You painted me a picture of a life so grand
Little white house on our own piece of land
Painted in the kids and the dog and the car
Painted in the sun and the moon and the stars
Never stopped to tell me how I'd feel so alone
Never mentioned nothin' 'bout a combat zone
When you get around to paintin' me
Color me gone
Just color me gone

Verse II
Phoenix, Abilene and every place I've never seen
I'm gonna' see 'em all now baby
Gulf Coast, ranch land, maybe join a country band
And sing about the way that you betrayed me
I'm gonna live my life to the fullest I can
Don't have to worry 'bout a battle plan
Put my best foot forward and if I ever fall down
I'll pick myself up and get on solid ground
Solid ground

Repeat Chorus
Interlude / Lead Guitar
Repeat Chorus