“Tappin My Toes” - a song about monomania
Round two of these sexy knees? I spoil you.
Story Pairing
I was recently playing a show in Panama City Beach. It was this most recent Feb and legend has it one of the colder winters we’ve had in a while. Now this is all hearsay, as I was hundreds of miles away in the sunshine, sweating my ass off and living the luxurious life of a folksinger sleeping in the back of his van with just a battery powered stroller fan from Target hung up on the headrest of the drivers seat that often would run out of charge halfway through the night…. Jealous yet?
So there I was, Panama City, and I got put up in hotel for the night as part of the gig that I was playing. It was an amazing show at Camp Helen State park put on by one of the best couples I’ve met on the road, Lucky Mud. Anytime you get a hotel as part of the show, it’s lovely. The touring life teeters on the edge of possible or not by how you balance accommodations, it’s so easy for them to get out of hand and eat through any profit you might be hoarding. What made this one even sweeter was it was right on the beach. I checked in around 3pm the day of the show, and threw open the sliding door, and was able to change my strings with the sound of the ocean keeping me company.
I left for the show, it was amazing, and then got back to the hotel around 10pm with a half of box of pizza and a giant salad. I was stuffing my face when I hear this tapping above me, metallic and rhythmic. I know it’s common place to joke about upstairs neighbors, “What are you tap-dancing up there"!?” but for real, I think that is what was going on. It was loud, and songlike, and had a blatant rhythm that they were repeating. So instead of getting huffy, warmed up my pizza in the microwave until it was lava and the first bite burned the top of my mouth like dragon fire, sat back, and listened to the free show. It went on for a while and I was imagining what it could be. I’m a traveling musician, so why wouldn’t there be traveling tap dancers?
While they tapped away, I wrote this song, imagining myself traveling across the land bringing the art of tap to the people.
Song Structure
Key of D. Use a G harmonica in cross position.
Entire song: D7 / G / D7 / A / G / D7
Voice Memos
Notebook Page
Feb 2025
Lyrics
I’ve been tapping my toes for suppers
Tapping my toes for brews
God only knows if tapping my toes, will get me any closer to you
Tapping my toes for money
Tapping my toes for tips
Maybe these moves, paired with these grooves
Will get me closer to those lips
Just the way it be
Just the way it goes
Tappin my toes
Tapping my toes for bishops
Tapping my toes for kings
To buy you new clothes, Tapping my toes, kissing on their diamond rings
Tapping my toes for dreams
Tapping my toes for love
Maybe these men, will hire me again
So I can afford my morning dove
Just the way it be
Just the way it goes
Tappin my toes
Tappin my, t-t-tappin my, t-t-tappin my tappin my toes
Maybe something will happen
If I keep on tappin
Tappin my toes
Tapping my toes for months
Turns to Tapping my toes for years
Another you chose, as I was Tapping my toes, You called I was too busy to hear
Tapping my toes to bed
Tapping my toes to sleep
Closing my eyes, trying no to cry
Lost what I was trying to keep
Just the way it be
Just the way it goes
Tappin my toes
Tappin my, t-t-tappin my, t-t-tappin my tappin my toes
Maybe something will happen
If I keep on tappin
Tappin my toes