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about

Not too long ago I had to vacate a very cool place I had been living in for the last 12 years here on the north shore of Kauai. Places to rent were near impossible to find and what was to be found had sky-high rents that were out of the question at present. I contemplated my options and decided that maybe I would downscale immensely, buy a shed for my belongings, rent a studio space for my recording gear and buy a tricked out camper van and live in it. I perused the great photos of people living in their vans on Van Life on Instagram and even went as far as taking a test drive on a new van while traveling and gigging on the US mainland. All this time I was beginning to write lyrics envisioning what life in a van could be like, and was even looking forward to it. I was ready...and then after almost 12 months had slipped by house-less a special cottage near a stream became available to me on the same land I had been living on previous to moving out, and I didn't hesitate moving in especially as my landlords were such great friends and good people.

After sitting on the lyrics for a year or so I asked my longtime musical buddy, co-writer and associate producer Bryan Kessler, if he wanted to take a crack at writing music for the lyric. I told him maybe we could set the lyric in a reggae-ish groove similar to what Walter Becker and Larry Klein had going on some of Walter’s last solo record Circus Money. Fast forward a week or so and Bryan sent me a demo of the music and melody he'd come up with which I absolutely loved. Soon longtime AT collaborator Michael Ruff (Bonnie Raitt) came on board and added his amazing keyboard grooves, followed by Jimmy Johnson (James Taylor) with his sick bass parts. In no time Keith Carlock (Steely Dan-Sting) recorded his smokin' drums tracks followed by the outrageous singing phenom Olivia Ruff who added her spicy backing vocals.

Bryan and I still felt we needed one more piece to complete the puzzle and we reached out to one of the top LA recording session aces Dean Parks, (Bob Dylan-Steely Dan-Stevie Wonder-Paul Simon) who gladly joined forces with his sizzling guitar chops after seeing who was already playing on the track and after explaining to him that this song was in honor of Walter Becker who passed away not too long ago. Enjoy...

lyrics

words Allan Thomas
music Bryan Kessler

1- Time to go live in a van
Join the tiny home clan
Eat nothing but bread and spam
Living large in my van

2- Take the leap make a stand
Anybody's guess where you land
The rent money no longer can
Off the hook in my van

3- Claim a spot by a lake or a stream
Have plenty of time to daydream
AirPods and some Steely Dan
Keepin ya company in your van

4- The one percent priced the ninety-nine out
The almighty dollars what it’s all about
Be happy as a clam
Chillaxin' in your van

Bridge- So many options to consider
Gas range wifi for twitter
Queen-size bed solar fan
Here’s to livin’ inside your van

5- Tinted windows ladder to the roof
Stash the surfboards and stay aloof
It's anything but bland
Invite your lover on a one night stand

6- Camp out under the Milky Way
Come dawn you might just stay
Sipping lime and grenadine
Off the grid and in between

7- Cross latitudes without a plan
No one to tell you you can't or can
Work on your left arm tan
Social distancing in your van

8- No bills at the beginning of the month
If the tax man comes I’m out to lunch
No time to sit around and hate
That’s how you make America great

Bridge - Sunbathe somewhere in the nude
Nothing but a positive attitude
Life can be oh so grand
Just living inside your van

9- Time to go live in a van
Join the tiny home clan
Eat nothing but toast and jam
Living large in my van
Here’s to livin’ inside your van

©2021 Black Bamboo Music - BMI
Brian Kessler Music - ASCAP

credits

from The Journey, released August 2, 2021
Allan Thomas - lead vocal
Dean Parks - guitar
Bryan Kessler - guitar
Michael Ruff - keyboards
Jimmy Johnson - bass
Keith Carlock - drums
Olivia Ruff - backing vocals

Produced ad recorded by Allan Thomas at Black Bamboo Studios, Kauai, Hawaii in association with Treble In Paradise Studios Kauai.

Associate producer Bryan Kessler

Mixed by Paul Northfield and Allan Thomas at Room With A View Studios Montreal, Canada.

Cover photo Mitch Cox

Graphic art Christel Janssen

Mahalo - Pamela Thomas, Ed Haaker and Jim Kimo West.

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Allan Thomas Hanalei, Hawaii

Aloha and welcome to my Bandcamp Music Store home page. Here you can listen to full-length samples of all seven Allan Thomas albums and three singles. Also to be found are credits, photos, stories and lyrics for all songs. Dig in...

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