Front Porch Story
Front porch
Since the guys started recording for their new album, I've felt like that's all Billie Joe ever does and even when he's with me it's all he can talk about. At first I could understand his excitement but it's been a bit more than a month and our conversations are 100% purely about the album.
"It's so exciting! We're even going to have music videos for this album," Billie says happily as he bursts into the apartment.
"That's great," I say as he sits on the sofa and I start kissing his neck in an attempt to get some attention.
"Today we finished recording the seventh song, Basket Case," he says happily.
"That's great?"
"You should really come to the studio and check out how big it is," he says as I go back to kissing his neck. It seems like he's ignoring my attempt to become intimate so I back off.
"Billie, I need to know something."
"Yeah Babe?"
"Do you love me?" I ask cautiously.
"Adie, you know I do," he says raising his eyebrows, "Why do you ask?"
"It's just that ever since you started recording this album it's been all you talk about, all you do and," I pause for a second, "I want to know that I mean more to you then just one of the girlfriends along the way."
"Adie, you know I love you to death, why don't you believe that?" Billie asks which makes me want to burst out crying.
"I feel like I'm just along for the ride, and not something you cherish." I say softly, "I guess what I'm asking for is some sort of commitment to me like you have with your music."
"Adie, why are you being like this?" he asks as he walks into his room, leaving me on the couch alone. I hear a faint strumming of his guitar and I know he's probably writing a song, so it's best I don't disturb him. I decide to spend the night at my Dad's apartment instead of trying to reason with Billie.
The next morning I hear a knocking at the door of my dad's apartment and I see Billie standing at the door. I open the door and let him in silently.
"Adie, I'm sorry." Billie says quietly.
"It's okay, I over-reacted. It's just before you'd always be with me and we'd just have fun and I guess I'm just not used to you being so busy."
"Still, you were kissing my neck yesterday; I was sort of ignoring you."
"Yeah, I'm not used to being turned down, especially by you of all people," I say laughing casually.
"It's just I had a lot on my mind."
"I know," I say wrapping my arm around him.
"Come with us to the studio on Friday, you'll see why it's all I can talk about." Billie says as he kisses my lips gently.
***
Early Friday morning I'm woken up by Billie.
"If you're going to come with us, we have to leave soon," he whispers gently to me.
"Okay," I say as I get up lazily. I make my way to the chair in the corner where most of my clothes are lying. I pull on a pair of jeans and a Clash band tee which could either be mine or Billie's; not quite sure anymore. I look over at Billie who just picked a shirt off the floor and was smelling it, after shrugging he pulls it on. After pulling on my sweater we make our way out of the room into the living room where Tre and Mike were watching T.V.
"Let's go?" Mike asks as he turns off the T.V.
"Yeah," Billie says as he pulls on his jacket and Tre looks under the couch for his shoe.
We get to Warner Brother's recording studio and Billie anxiously leads me to where they've been recording.
"You weren't kidding when you said this place was huge," I say as I look at the mass drum set against the back wall.
"Yeah," Billie says as we move on to where the mixing boards and recording equipment are. "This is Neil, he's the engineering guy."
"Hi," I say casually.
"Hey, who are you?" Neil asks looking me over.
"This is Adie, my inspiration," Billie says hugging me.
"Hopefully not for Pulling Teeth," Neil says laughing.
"Oh no," Billie says laughing.
"So today, we're recording She and if time permits Sassafras Roots," Neil says looking over his clip board.
"Alright," Billie says heading onto the sound studio where Tre and Mike are waiting, I start to follow but Neil stops me.
"Not unless you need to be there," he murmurs, "Take a seat." A couple of recording technicians come in with there cups of coffee and start setting the controls as the guys get warmed up.
"You guys ready?" Neil asks into a microphone. Billie gives the thumbs up and they start playing the song She. "Here Adie, here's the album booklet we were thinking of, we're still going to add photos and stuff but you can take a look." He hands me a booklet with little cartoons and the title "DOOKIE." I flip through it looking at the designs and stuff but still paying more attention the recording. They finish singing She perfectly and Neil speaks into the microphone again. "Guys that was excellent, we can use that. But I'd still like to get one more recording."
The guys start playing She again and Neil turns to me.
"You must be a lucky charm or something, because usually it takes them a few tries before we record anything decent."
"I guess," I say looking through the glass to see Billie concentrating on the music being played.
"That was great, give us a second and we'll start recording Sassafras Roots." After about five tries at Sassafras Roots, everyone is satisfied and Neil looks up at the clock. "We still have time; do you want to take a whirl at When I Come Around?" Mike nods and Billie looks slightly apprehensive, but nods as well.
"When I come around? I haven't heard that one," I mutter.
"Billie just wrote it, he brought it up the other day." Neil mutters as he signals the sound techs. I pick up the album booklet and search for the lyrics. I start reading along to Billie's voice and I start to realize what's going on. When the song ends I watch Billie Joe as he grabs the drumsticks from Tre and shoves them down his pants. As Tre decides to chase after Billie I walk out into the hallway and start my search for the exit.
"Adie where are you going?" Mike calls out after me.
"When I Come Around!" I mutter as he catches up to me, "When's that supposed to be, a month, a year, a decade? What?!"
"Adie, calm down, Billie loves you but."
"There we go again 'but'" I mutter as we walk out of the building onto the street.
"You have to understand."
"Understand what?!" I lash out.
"Adie, he's two years younger than you! You may be ready to get married and all that stuff, but he's not!"
"So what am I supposed to do? Sit around and hope I'm the one?"
"I don't know what you want or should do." Mike says getting a little annoyed, "But Billie's been through a lot, so bear with him as he makes his decision.
"What do you mean?"
"Before you, he dated this other girl, a bit of a tramp. Anyway he fell hard and he fell fast, it took a while before he could get over her, hence he took so long to ask you out in the first place."
"Yeah but still." Mike cuts me off.
"Then you left and he turned to shit, no matter what we did, nothing could replace you or make him forget you and then you were engaged to some Bison freak." Mike says as he waves his arms in the air. "Don't you think all this took a toll on him?"
"Yeah I guess." I say taking the situation from Billie's point of view.
"Come back to the studio." Mike says as he puts his arm over my shoulders and turns me around back towards the studio, "Be patient with Billie, he'll come around." I laugh lightly at the cheesy pun Mike just committed.
"Yeah, I guess. Or else the song would be called IF I come around." I say as we walk back into the building.
"Exactly," Mike says as Billie dashes past us, Tre running not far behind.
"Thanks Mike." I say quietly.
"No problem Adie. You keep Billie happy and when Billie's happy he's more pleasant to the rest of us," Mike says laughing.
"Mine!" Tre yells as he tackles Billie to the ground and reaches down his pants retrieving his treasured drum sticks.
"Hey Adie, where'd you go?" Billie asks as he pulls up his pants.
"I went to get some fresh air," I mutter.
"Oh okay."
"Well we should get our stuff, before we leave." Mike says as he walks towards the sound studio.
"It's so exciting! We're even going to have music videos for this album," Billie says happily as he bursts into the apartment.
"That's great," I say as he sits on the sofa and I start kissing his neck in an attempt to get some attention.
"Today we finished recording the seventh song, Basket Case," he says happily.
"That's great?"
"You should really come to the studio and check out how big it is," he says as I go back to kissing his neck. It seems like he's ignoring my attempt to become intimate so I back off.
"Billie, I need to know something."
"Yeah Babe?"
"Do you love me?" I ask cautiously.
"Adie, you know I do," he says raising his eyebrows, "Why do you ask?"
"It's just that ever since you started recording this album it's been all you talk about, all you do and," I pause for a second, "I want to know that I mean more to you then just one of the girlfriends along the way."
"Adie, you know I love you to death, why don't you believe that?" Billie asks which makes me want to burst out crying.
"I feel like I'm just along for the ride, and not something you cherish." I say softly, "I guess what I'm asking for is some sort of commitment to me like you have with your music."
"Adie, why are you being like this?" he asks as he walks into his room, leaving me on the couch alone. I hear a faint strumming of his guitar and I know he's probably writing a song, so it's best I don't disturb him. I decide to spend the night at my Dad's apartment instead of trying to reason with Billie.
The next morning I hear a knocking at the door of my dad's apartment and I see Billie standing at the door. I open the door and let him in silently.
"Adie, I'm sorry." Billie says quietly.
"It's okay, I over-reacted. It's just before you'd always be with me and we'd just have fun and I guess I'm just not used to you being so busy."
"Still, you were kissing my neck yesterday; I was sort of ignoring you."
"Yeah, I'm not used to being turned down, especially by you of all people," I say laughing casually.
"It's just I had a lot on my mind."
"I know," I say wrapping my arm around him.
"Come with us to the studio on Friday, you'll see why it's all I can talk about." Billie says as he kisses my lips gently.
***
Early Friday morning I'm woken up by Billie.
"If you're going to come with us, we have to leave soon," he whispers gently to me.
"Okay," I say as I get up lazily. I make my way to the chair in the corner where most of my clothes are lying. I pull on a pair of jeans and a Clash band tee which could either be mine or Billie's; not quite sure anymore. I look over at Billie who just picked a shirt off the floor and was smelling it, after shrugging he pulls it on. After pulling on my sweater we make our way out of the room into the living room where Tre and Mike were watching T.V.
"Let's go?" Mike asks as he turns off the T.V.
"Yeah," Billie says as he pulls on his jacket and Tre looks under the couch for his shoe.
We get to Warner Brother's recording studio and Billie anxiously leads me to where they've been recording.
"You weren't kidding when you said this place was huge," I say as I look at the mass drum set against the back wall.
"Yeah," Billie says as we move on to where the mixing boards and recording equipment are. "This is Neil, he's the engineering guy."
"Hi," I say casually.
"Hey, who are you?" Neil asks looking me over.
"This is Adie, my inspiration," Billie says hugging me.
"Hopefully not for Pulling Teeth," Neil says laughing.
"Oh no," Billie says laughing.
"So today, we're recording She and if time permits Sassafras Roots," Neil says looking over his clip board.
"Alright," Billie says heading onto the sound studio where Tre and Mike are waiting, I start to follow but Neil stops me.
"Not unless you need to be there," he murmurs, "Take a seat." A couple of recording technicians come in with there cups of coffee and start setting the controls as the guys get warmed up.
"You guys ready?" Neil asks into a microphone. Billie gives the thumbs up and they start playing the song She. "Here Adie, here's the album booklet we were thinking of, we're still going to add photos and stuff but you can take a look." He hands me a booklet with little cartoons and the title "DOOKIE." I flip through it looking at the designs and stuff but still paying more attention the recording. They finish singing She perfectly and Neil speaks into the microphone again. "Guys that was excellent, we can use that. But I'd still like to get one more recording."
The guys start playing She again and Neil turns to me.
"You must be a lucky charm or something, because usually it takes them a few tries before we record anything decent."
"I guess," I say looking through the glass to see Billie concentrating on the music being played.
"That was great, give us a second and we'll start recording Sassafras Roots." After about five tries at Sassafras Roots, everyone is satisfied and Neil looks up at the clock. "We still have time; do you want to take a whirl at When I Come Around?" Mike nods and Billie looks slightly apprehensive, but nods as well.
"When I come around? I haven't heard that one," I mutter.
"Billie just wrote it, he brought it up the other day." Neil mutters as he signals the sound techs. I pick up the album booklet and search for the lyrics. I start reading along to Billie's voice and I start to realize what's going on. When the song ends I watch Billie Joe as he grabs the drumsticks from Tre and shoves them down his pants. As Tre decides to chase after Billie I walk out into the hallway and start my search for the exit.
"Adie where are you going?" Mike calls out after me.
"When I Come Around!" I mutter as he catches up to me, "When's that supposed to be, a month, a year, a decade? What?!"
"Adie, calm down, Billie loves you but."
"There we go again 'but'" I mutter as we walk out of the building onto the street.
"You have to understand."
"Understand what?!" I lash out.
"Adie, he's two years younger than you! You may be ready to get married and all that stuff, but he's not!"
"So what am I supposed to do? Sit around and hope I'm the one?"
"I don't know what you want or should do." Mike says getting a little annoyed, "But Billie's been through a lot, so bear with him as he makes his decision.
"What do you mean?"
"Before you, he dated this other girl, a bit of a tramp. Anyway he fell hard and he fell fast, it took a while before he could get over her, hence he took so long to ask you out in the first place."
"Yeah but still." Mike cuts me off.
"Then you left and he turned to shit, no matter what we did, nothing could replace you or make him forget you and then you were engaged to some Bison freak." Mike says as he waves his arms in the air. "Don't you think all this took a toll on him?"
"Yeah I guess." I say taking the situation from Billie's point of view.
"Come back to the studio." Mike says as he puts his arm over my shoulders and turns me around back towards the studio, "Be patient with Billie, he'll come around." I laugh lightly at the cheesy pun Mike just committed.
"Yeah, I guess. Or else the song would be called IF I come around." I say as we walk back into the building.
"Exactly," Mike says as Billie dashes past us, Tre running not far behind.
"Thanks Mike." I say quietly.
"No problem Adie. You keep Billie happy and when Billie's happy he's more pleasant to the rest of us," Mike says laughing.
"Mine!" Tre yells as he tackles Billie to the ground and reaches down his pants retrieving his treasured drum sticks.
"Hey Adie, where'd you go?" Billie asks as he pulls up his pants.
"I went to get some fresh air," I mutter.
"Oh okay."
"Well we should get our stuff, before we leave." Mike says as he walks towards the sound studio.