Mary Lowry hikes towards a forest fire with the Pike Hotshot crew.
The following song tells the mostly true story of an effort to publish my novel, The Gods of Fire, which is based on my experiences as a forest firefighter on the Pike Hotshot crew. The unsold novel has been optioned for film by Pandemonium Productions. I am currently writing the screenplay.
Lyrics below. TO LISTEN TO THE SONG, CLICK HERE.
Jenny Jackson Won’t You Change Your Mind
Lyrics and vocals- Mary Lowry
Back up vocals- Clara Lowry
Drums, guitar, mandolin- Dan White
I spent two years fighting fire on the Pike
There were flames four hundred feet tall
In a skyscraper in Manhattan
Jenny was too busy to take my call
I wrote a love song to my boys on the Pike
It took me seven long years
I sent it to Jenny Jackson
What came back was a veil of tears
Chorus:
Jenny Jackson won’t you change your mind sweet girl
Jenny Jackson won’t you change your mind
I’m way down here in Austin town
Jenny Jackson won’t you change your mind
Jenny gave me a spark of hope
She said I oughta revise
Edit out those multiple narrators
And the novel might be something she could buy
So I woke up every morning at five a.m.
Feed the chickens and started to write
Fell off the wagon drinking coffee with gin
I knew I had to get it right
Chorus
So I went up to New York City
To give my manuscript a shot
I went out on the town with Jenny
She said she’d give it all she’s got
So she gave the manuscript to Sonny Mehta
Said “It’s the best I ever read”
Handsome Sonny looked it over
Took a puff and shook his head
Jenny Jackson can take a crude novel
And shape it into something true
Jenny Jackson can’t be my editor
And that’s why I’m so blue
Chorus
NOTE: Jenny Jackson is a Senior Editor at Vintage Books. To her knowledge, this is the first song that has been written about her. For Jenny Jackson’s side of the story, click here.
Sonny Mehta is the editor-in-chief of Knopf Publishing. He was voted the “Sexiest Smoker in New York” by New York Magazine in 2003.
Mary Lowry hooks a slingload of supplies to the belly of a hovering helicopter.
MP,
Love the song!! Maybe we should include it on the next JackDaddy cd.
Absolutely! JackDaddy could rock out Jenny Jackson. And y’all can cover it at Jackapalooza.
Wonderful ode to Mrs. Jackson, your boy’s on the Pike and to your never ending determination.
Didn’t Werner Herzog trek across Germany on foot as some sort of homage to his friend? I would walk across America for you, Mary Lowry. Okay, that’s a lot. I would walk across Texas. Or at least Massachusetts.
I love the pictures!!!
Shit Mary! I am sorry, I should not use that language on here, but really. Shit. You are Something. I already knew that, but clearly I had No Idea.