I wrote the music to "Come Back, Marie" a couple of summers ago when Brent Bourgeois, Lyle Workman, and I were playing with the idea of writing a new "Bourgeois Tagg" album, and I recorded a demo -- with Lance on guitar -- on my 4-track. When Brent had second thoughts about the collaboration and bowed out, I had this quirky tune laying around with no lyrics, and I forgot about it, thinking no one would ever want this weird child. Then I met Chris Rodriguez. Our publishers introduced us, thinking we might do something interesting (this is what publishers do, by the way -- sit around and dream up "matches" of writers they would like to see work together). Chris, as it turned out, had spent some time with the "Yoyo" album. As an ice-breaker, he recited the lyrics to "Waiting for the Worm to Turn" to me over the phone the first time we talked. I was intrigued, of course, and frozen with fear as usual about how in heaven's name we were going to write a song. Then I remembered the quirky tune in the "trunk," got it out, dusted it off, and sent it to Chris.

Chris heard what I was getting at: the power-pop, "ugly-into-pretty" thing, we called it (it's a genre; Andy Partridge lives there). We got together in Los Angeles and batted the lyrics back and forth all afternoon in a room at the Warner Chappell building, pretty much stream-of-consciousness style. The next day we drove 50 miles out into the desert to Brad Bailey's house and Chris sang it over my 4-track,with me on harmonies.

That was my introduction to Chris Rodriguez, whom I immediately fell in love with and who remains one of the best people I know on earth. Since that recording, he "flew in" the solo, recorded at his house in Nashville. I added Bruce on drums. But that's still my original 4-track recording at the bottom of it -- I didn't want to lose the feeling on the original run-through.

She's a free-fall, risk-it-all
Bird in the middle of flight
She's a big cherry-red guitar
A sky-high shooting star
Who had to fly far away
I wish she would stay
	Come back, Marie
	I'm looking for a stairway up to your cloud
	Come back, Marie
	Don't give up on me now
	Shine down on me, Marie
	I'm earthbound, crying out loud
	Come back, Marie
	Take me up to your cloud
She's a thoroughbred, way ahead
Of the pack lagging far behind
I feel so small, feather-light
Moving way too slow
Since she had to go away
I'm missing those days . . .
		I no longer want to be
		A prisoner in a world
		Where dreams are furled
		And she's the kind of girl
		Who puts it all behind me
I want to be a sky-high shooting star
And learn to fly far away
Show me the way . . .

Tagg -- lead and harmony vocals, bass, and keyboards
Chris Rodriguez -- harmony vocals, guitar solo
Lance Taber -- guitars
Bruce Spencer -- drums
Recorded at:
Larry's house by Larry Tagg,
Chris's house by Chris Rodriguez,
Brad's house by Brad Bailey, and
David's mom's garage by David Houston
Mixed by David Houston