I missed the 90's completely because my son was in those annoying, needy early years of life and I was too monopolized to check into pop culture at all, especially music. However, one thing even I noticed in the late 90s, was that a lot of songs were on the charts about guys "just wanting to fly."

The few times I'd tune into Top 40 radio—how quaint the idea seems now!—I'd hear one and say to myself "Damn! There goes another song about flying! Must be a generational thing. Maybe I should write one...?" I got about as far as scribbling on a Post-It™ the line, "Why should I/ actually fly?/ It can't compare/ to some song on the air/ about flying..." So much for the Generation Grunge in my book: whiners!

I came up with the riff for the song while writing songs for the Comstock Lode demos, reached into my bag of unused lyric bits, and came up with the above-mentioned Post-It™, and so "Song About Flying" was born, as I wrote up the rest of the lyrics on the spot, including sly—I hope—references to songs by Dylan, the Beach Boys and U2.

What a great snappin' beat this recording has, meshing so well with the tangy riff chords. It's not often I leave space to breathe in my arrangements, and it's very nice here. I worried at first that the song was a bit overwrought, but I'm amazed and proud every time I hear it now.

I know it's not cool for artists to listen to their own stuff. It's much hipper to be just allergic to it, but I remember reading an interview with Louis Armstrong where he said he loves to listen to his own albums. Good enough for Satchmo, good enough for me, I says!