Being Mrs. Arnow

A few months back, I was traveling to PA to see Grant’s family and meet my new family, and I wrote this. I must have forgotten to publish it, so the dates don’t add up, but the story is the same. 🙂 

I heard my wedding present on a plane somewhere over the southern part of the country. There’s nothing better than being the “she” in a song written just for you, to mark your journey in the eyes of the one who loves you… Till Kingdom Come.

Since I moved away for work, Grant’s been home, tirelessly working on the new Beta Wolf record for the Japanese release. For the first time in our 5 1/2 years together, he wanted to wait until the recording process was finished to let me hear anything; something I fought all along the way, but am now grateful for. After 8 months of being separated, 6 months of writing, 1 month of recording and 1 week of mixing/mastering, he called me late last night to tell me that the new completed record was sitting in my email, waiting for me to download it so I could listen to it front to back on the plane to Pensilvania for the weekend. Though I was already asleep and only had a few hours until it was time to head to the airport, I got out of bed anyway to download the record. Then he also told me that one of the songs was my wedding present.

I am now sitting on the plane, somewhere in the sky, fighting the tears of pride, excitement, separation, love, longing and the overwhelming belief that this is the record we’ve all been waiting for. And there’s a song on there just for me. The guy next to me has NO idea why the train-wreck is here, but I think he might be scared.

For years, rock music has been slain by the hands of the corporate American fear of “new”, strangled in the deathly grips of a changed and hurting industry, willing only to promote what has proven to be “simple minded music”. It’s disallowed complexity in modern or alternative rock, stubbornly holding that rock music has to contain simple structures and mindless lyrics, to be popular with the masses. Other genres flourish with their poetic and poignant stories, but rock and roll has remained swept under the rug and anyone who listens to rock radio, is either forced to listen to 90’s rock, or some dimensionless version of what used to be considered good. There are “Sunset Sleaze” bands, mimicking the 80’s rock scene from Hollywood, and Indie Bands making non-indie salaries, but when it comes to good, modern, sing-able rock tunes, written and sung by people who aren’t committing their reputations of scandal, or on the contrary, hippie beards, we’re a starved generation.

Enter the Wolf. The Beta Wolf. It’s here to take over for the once vivacious and fearless Alpha Wolf leader who has been defeated. I’m more proud than ever to be a part of this journey, with these particular musicians, and more excited than ever to see where this record, track after timeless track, will make it’s mark in music history.

Long live Rock and Roll. Long live the Beta Wolf.

Tags: beta wolf, japan, kingdom come, love songs, music, rock and roll, rock music