A few years earlier I went to friends wedding in Florida. On the plane ride down there was a grandfather with his grandson in his lap reading a children’s book. It was one of those books with the cheap electronic buttons that make noises. One of the buttons was for a train and when it was pressed it would go choo-choo-chugga-chugga-chugga-chugga-chugga. The boy liked this button more than the others and would press it so that it made a regular rhythm. It sounded funky to me so when I got back to my guitar I imitated it, which became the basis for this song.
The rest of it was just blues. There really was a blind man named Jim that I hung out with for a while. And he did seem to want something from me, although I couldn’t figure out what it was. The reference to his blindness and the mud are actually more spiritual than physical. The mud is a reference to Christ restoring the sight of a blind man, and Jim didn’t believe, which is what I meant by could not see.
Actually, I think I like my wife’s version of the chorus. In this recording I am saying, “You’re not me and I’m not you.” My wife thought I was saying “You’ve got me and I’ve got you.” I think I like it better. Maybe if I ever sing it again I will just change it. I don’t feel the need to be so overtly philosophical anymore.
