Liza Jane keeps visiting me.

It's surely no secret that I'm a music buff. I guess many people are. However, country music has been a slow acquired taste for me over the years. Popular stuff in not so distant times seemed to be more about identity politics than anything else (we do this, we like that..). Was a turnoff, even though I knew the more classic stuff wasn't like that at all. I found stuff like Johnny Cash, who seemed kind of heavy and different... Flatt/Scruggs and their amazing musical abilities... Jerry Reed for the funny stories... Stringbean for the showmanship and for setting off my pedar just a bit... that king of the road guy.. I dunno. Still learnin'.

But there's a song that keeps finding me, and it has, as any classic standard should, a few variations. Liza Jane (or Lil Liza Jane). It's been covered by many, I guess Vince Gill being the most recent, though those lyrics seem more carefully toned down.

Some recent posts mention things like poor girls or Poe, who has connections to Baltimore, which is mentioned in some versions (though not all).

For me personally, there's the line about her being barefoot. I like barefoot girls:)

Then there's the play on the word cherry, and a rose. Rose petals resemble other things to me. Just a little curiosity.

Many songs that sing love for a "little girl" seem absolutely obligated to later insert the word "woman" into the song somewhere out of guilt, perhaps. This one doesn't do that. It holds no shame for adoring a "pretty little girl" and is nevertheless as wholesome a song as there could ever be.

I long for times like that.