My friend Daniel Whited came to Blacksburg as a freshman in the fall of 2002. He was from Burlington, North Carolina which was where some of my grandma’s family lived. He got involved with the Baptist Student Union, had a great sense of humor, and was a gentle giant type of guy. We became good friends that fall, especially with the Burlington connection.
Like I said in the post for “Mary On My Mind”, it’s remarkable how many songs I wrote the few days surrounding leaving Blacksburg for fall break in the fall of 2002. As I recall, Daniel was slipping out of town earlier than I was going to leave, maybe the Thursday of the week before Thanksgiving if I remember correctly. I was walking down Washington Street toward the BSU when I saw Daniel on the other side of the street walking toward The Cage, a large parking lot that was surrounded by a chain link fence. It was where most freshmen and those who lived on campus had to park their cars. I hollered at him from across the street, and he responded that he was headed home for the break. I yelled back, “Tell Carolina I said hello!”. I chuckled to myself at first, then started writing a song. What a perfect line!
Like most people, I was eager to leave home in high school. It’s a rite of passage to venture into the world on your own. As a teenager, your family is a drag, even if you come from a wonderful family like I do. It’s a fight for independence more than anything. I wanted to hang out with my friends. It seemed cooler and more fun at that time than doing something with grandparents or great aunts and uncles. The sad part for me is that, when I reached a point in life where I realized how much of a treasure my family was, it was really too late. My grandfathers were old and life was moving me further and farther from home. By my junior year at VT, that realization about the value of my family was starting to grow. That’s probably the other big reason why I scrapped the possible trip to Sarasota – I genuinely wanted to see my family and eat some great Thanksgiving meals with them.
The first verse speaks to going “home” to Carolina where my mom’s parents and extended family lived. Thanksgiving Day would be spent with them on the farm. The second verse turns to my growing affection for Mary and describes our first date. As I said in the earlier post, I had closed my heart off. But Mary had torn the walls down in one fell swoop. When we were putting the puzzle together, it sounded like it had started to rain outside. I got up and opened the glass door to the deck of my apartment. It was a mild evening for November in Blacksburg, so I left the door open. And for a few minutes, Mary got up and stood beside me as we listened to the rain. I remember looking at her in disbelief. She was perfect, and I couldn’t believe it was happening. I was getting way ahead of myself, I suppose. But, if it’s right, it’s right. And everything with Mary felt right. 3 and a half years of dating and 16 years of marriage later, I now know she is not perfect (and she knows the same about me). But everything with Mary still feels right, even in those moments and days where it’s difficult and hard.
One of my biggest regrets as a musician was not trying out for the jazz band in 9th grade. I had been playing guitar for less than a year, so I was afraid I was going to completely embarrass myself. I say try out, but I would have been the only person who went for it. I likely would have made the jazz band by default. But I got the piece of music for the audition and assumed I couldn’t do it. I regret it because it’s taken me a long time to learn just the basics of all I would have learned and picked up being a part of that group. So, this song was probably my first attempt at something in the ballpark of jazz.
Like “One Foot In The Door”, this song was also an attempt to emulate James Taylor’s October Road record, specifically the song “Caroline, I See You”. I’ve never heard the exact story, but I assume this song is about James and his wife Caroline “Kim” whom he married in 2001. As Mary was starting to steal my heart, this song really touched me, especially his line “Caroline, I love you, though I’m late to say so, hesitate to tell you.” That’s how I felt in those early days with Mary, for sure. I was scared of her walking away and me having another broken heart. I was very hesitant to give my heart away, but she certainly undid all of that bit by bit. If you listen to James Taylor’s song, you’ll definitely hear his strong influence on “Tell Carolina I Said Hello”.
Mary and I were part of a group of folks who planted Northstar Church in Blacksburg during my junior and senior years. That’s how I met Adam Hall. Adam is a phenomenal saxophone player. I had never led worship with a horn in the band. It was so cool! And Adam was great. When I decided to make the record, I knew that Adam’s saxophone would be an awesome addition to this song. It would help get me more into the jazz ballpark. And boy did it ever! I remember the night we tracked him with Mike Snow – it was one of those special moments for me as a musician and as a songwriter. To hear the sound you’ve dreamed of in your head become a reality is truly amazing. I am blessed to have known so many great musicians who have been willing to play on my songs, and Adam is certainly near the top of that list. In fact, I would have him record from a distance a few years later when he tracked his saxophone parts in Pulaski County, VA for “Welcome To The Five O’Clock World” on the It’s Better Out Here record. Let me know what you think about the story and the album version of “Tell Carolina I Said Hello”!
