I Know a Guy

‘I Know a Guy’ comes along as track no. 7 on the ‘Running Behind Time’ album. When originally thinking about the lyrics for the song, it was in the back on my mind how often we use the phrase ‘I Know a Guy’ to begin sentences with.

Usually, it’s when we’re in a conversation with someone, who maybe describes a situation that needs to be addressed, and we think of someone else we know who could help. Or our conversation partner is describing a person and their particular traits, and it reminds us of someone else we know.

Or any number of similar examples that prompt the phrase in our minds.

In each of the three verses (two before the guitar solo, and one after), I described a different stereotype of person that I've come across over the years, leading into each verse with the phrase ‘I Know a Guy’.

In verse 1, that person is affluent, middle class, with family, nice house in suburbia, two cars, and an all-round textbook lifestyle. They like to flaunt their lifestyle to others and promote their image for all to see.

But behind the public persona, the person has his/her human flaws, unlike the image of perfection they like to project.

In verse 2, the one described is the fixer, the wheeler dealer, or the ‘used car salesman’ stereotype, typified by smoking fat cigars and being the show-off. As long as the price can be agreed, he can arrange anything.

In verse 3, the person represents a friend of ours, the one of our friends who is more outgoing and extrovert than others, and who talks before thinking. They are the one who tells entertaining stories when in company. These stories are often about friends (i.e. ourselves), and are liberally embellished for the listeners' amusement.

However, friendships can become strained when the person in question can’t discern between what should and shouldn’t be said, when talking about friends.

Musically, the song is in a straight, mid-tempo, 4/4 time signature. It has a bright, bouncy vibe, and I played the drum pattern using ghost notes and off-beats to give it a funky feeling. The musical texture is underscored by a Fender Rhodes keyboard sound.

There is a middle eight break just before the guitar solo, in which I played a military (or marching) pattern on the snare drum, along with some fills over the toms.