Exiled on Main Street
April 2003
Music Fiction by Mike Webb

Episode 2 – Shelter from the storm
(Featuring: DJ Shadow, Bob Dylan)

The first two things Tim needed to do when he got home from work were put on DJ Shadow's Private Press CD, and light the second half of the joint in the ashtray. He needed to get in chill out mode and had "Right Thing/GDMFSOB" going through his head because it fit his mood. His "best friend" Lilly told him she thought she was pregnant, but didn't know if it was Tim's or her ex-boyfriend's baby. So he'd spent the day wondering whether he could do the right thing, while being god damn motherfucking son of a bitch pissed off at her.

He sat back, sucked in, spaced out and enjoyed the music. He liked how the song went from a Trio/Da Da Da-esque beat to a high energy, funky mess. The whole album was on point. The head boppin' "Mashin' On The Motorway" segued to the somber "Blood On The Motorway" with a car skid, an ominous church organ, and a deep voiced man who cackles "welcome to eternity." Funny stuff. And he loved the opener "Fixed Income" – a calm, slow groove deconstruction with light keyboards and a hypnotic guitar line that demands an altered state of mind. Yeah, this was the right album to put on after a crap day like this Monday.

And of course, just as his mood started to calm down the phone rang. He debated whether he should pick it up or not. He didn't want to talk to Lilly just yet, but he had a hunch it might be important. It turned out to be Michael Goddard, one of his favorite Tower Records regulars who road managed the Chilli Peppers, Nirvana, Jane's A, and lots of other cool bands.

"What's playing?" were the first words out of Goddard's mouth. DJ Shadow, Tim replied. "Good stuff. Hey man - I'm hitting the road tomorrow and need to come by and pick up some of the Tuesday new releases. Will you be around?....good – these are going on the record company account. And make sure you save one of those Shadows for me…and make sure you have a Blood On The Tracks for me. Our lead singer just broke up with his girlfriend, so I figure that'll be a good tonic to have on hand while he nurses his wounds… Thanks dude, later."

God always did that. He'd buzz in, give a quick analysis of the situation, add his two cents, then disappear; leaving you with the correct answer for the question you never asked. Tim immediately walked over to his 3000+ CD collection, and pulled out Blood On The Tracks by Bob Dylan.

Listening to this album was almost always a mistake. It was a straight short cut to heartache. And upon hearing the words "I've seen love go by my door, it's never been this close before, never been so easy or so slow...yer gonna make me lonesome when you go," Tim shuddered because it echoed his situation with Lilly perfectly. He thought about taking it off since he was tired of thinking about her, but like a car crash, he couldn't help but take more in.

"Not a word was spoke between us, there was little risk involved. Everything up to that point had been left unresolved. Try imagining a place where it's always safe and warm. Come in, she said, I'll give you shelter from the storm."

The combination of the herb and Dylan started to freak Tim out. He'd been friends with her for too long to screw it up now. But he'd made his move and got the go-ahead. He'd been floating on air for the past month, until she quashed it by telling him she'd slept with Tyler, the ex.

Realizing it was time to immediately up the dosage of his pain medication, he called up Wally, and asked if he wanted to go out. They met up at the 11th Street Bar and had the usual sports/music/politics/work conversation over Guinnesses. Around 1am, Jeff Buckley's bootleg cover of Dylan's "If You See Her, Say Hello" came on, and Tim put his head down. "Oh, whatever makes her happy, I won't stand in the way, though the bitter taste still lingers on from the night I tried to make her stay," he heard him sing as he relived last week in his mind. He asked bartender Joe where he got that, and Joe reminded him it was Tim's own mix CD. Doh! Tim asked him to skip ahead and Joe did. The first strums of "Shelter From The Storm" came on next.

"I was burned out from exhaustion, buried in the hail, poisoned in the bushes an' blown out on the trail. Hunted like a crocodile, ravaged in the corn. Come in, she said, I'll give you shelter from the storm."

Somehow, Lilly was in control of the airwaves, and she was using Dylan to channel Tim's thoughts against him. That was it for Tim. There wasn't enough medication in the world to ease his pain. "But nothing really matters much, it's doom alone that counts" were the last words Tim heard Dylan whine as he slouched out the bar.

The fact that he had a lump in his throat pissed him off. That he couldn't get the line "I like the cool way you look at me, everything about you is bringing me misery" out of his mind was making him crazy. How come it never rained when you needed it to? And why did he feel like he was 14 again? Fucking women. Fucking music…

~ ~ ~

Next episode: The truth may set Lilly free one day, but for now she's finding comfort in the arms of two familiar female friends.

(Mike Webb is a volunteer staff writer for 2 Walls Webzine and has never worked at Tower Records.)