I’ve just returned from 10 glorious days in Kodiak, Alaska for my 20 year high school reunion. I captured 8 hours of video, wrote 3 new songs, and took scores of photos. Best of all, I reconnected with classmates and THE WILD. I can still smell the smoke from the driftwood fires, the fish rotting in the creeks, the salt air cleaning me inside and out. Here are the lyrics to a song that I penned with my pal, Jennifer Beardsley. I performed it at our 20 year reunion party at El Chicano’s. It was written for our classmates, to the tune of a certain Guns ‘n Roses song that we all loved. 89 is FINE!!!!

Julia and Jennifer on the float plane from Larsen Bay to Kodiak, AK. 8/5/09
EVERYTHING AND NOTHING
Lyrics by Julia Francis and Jennifer Beardsley
Copyright 2009 No Shrinking Violet
Shed a tear, I was missin’ you, my class of ’89
It took all my airline miles to get here
Some lost weight and some lost hair, but there’s one thing that we all share
20 years roll back with a shot and a beer
Where were you when you lost it?
Where were you when you tossed it?
All that’s changed is everything and nothing.
Too young for the bar, so we drank Luckies in our car
Cruising the road to Chiniak
She puked on your pants, before the teen center dance
Got the evil eye from Mr. Kubiak
Where were you when you lost it?
Where were you when you tossed it?
All that’s changed is everything and nothing.
He touched me out of bounds, late one night at the Rodeo Grounds
Straight up now tell me are you really gonna love me forever
He said let’s just be friends, thank God there was no Facebook then
I was a sucker for any guy in leather
Enough Bartles and Jaymes’ and you won’t care what their names is
Coastie says ‘Hey baby, you got a nice rack’
You got spew on your shoe, at the VFW
Tomorrow morning your boat leaves for Afognak
Everything and nothing….changes…
Everything and nothing….changes…
Scorps had a really cool truck, but did he ever get a single fuck
Larry Ledoux tellin me what do to, and I’m breaking own my own curfew
I just want to fit in, I’m waiting for my life to begin
Everybody’s cooler than me, I’m as morose as Morrisey
I want you to see me, I want you to know me
I want you to hold me, just hold me, please hold me…
As I look around the room, I see the story’s the same
We did what we had to do to make it
New friends may come and go, but only you and I know
Our special strength and how this island shaped it
Where were you when you lost it?
Where were you when you tossed it?
All that’s changed is everything and nothing.