It tis what it tis...

Its just me...

Roy Orbison wrote this song with Will Jennings and J.D. Souther shortly before his untimely death in 1988.

This song was written by my friend, collaborator and co-writer Mark Selden. Many years ago we formed a partnership and a Production entity called 2Faced. Over the span of a few years we wrote and produced a number of songs and utilized some of the best talent we knew in Chicago to finish them. Probably some of the best years of my life. Eventually we moved ahead down distinctly different paths, Mark raising a family and me Raising Cain. But years later I was brought back into Mark's life to help him finish one song, this one...

Shortly after I completed it I lost mark due to complications suffered during a bone marrow transplant. Mark had lymphatic cancer but we expected him to survive the procedure, the bone marrow was a confirmed match for him but something went wrong, and he was gone in a heartbeat. He is survived by his wife Janice, daughter Kathleen and son Tommy. Mark's lyrics here are a clear message to them; his family legacy, his love for them and a statement of hope for what lay ahead. "I'll be around, If you wait for me, I'll be there"

The song has intense personal meaning to me, it was played at his wake and a wave of emotions came over me as I listened to it reverberating throughout the massive church. Mark, contemplating his mortality was driven to finish this song, its both heartbreaking and inspiring and I'm both sad and thrilled to have collaborated with him one last time and to help him complete it.

I have shared this song sparingly over the years...but its time for others to have it and it is time I moved on again. 23 years later I'm posting what I believe is Mark's finest composition; he is on acoustic guitar, drums and vocals, I handled the arrangement, wrote and played the string parts and bass and electric guitar.

Mark Selden truly did save the best for last...