1. Abraham, Martin & John
   (Holler)
   This was written out of frustration about 20 minutes after Bobby Kennedy was assassinated. It's just a statement about love. . .how you can rise to the challenge and let love carry you further. It became an anthem for that generation. I must have gotten about 4000 letters at the time which was odd because I never got letters from college students before. If I had an e-mail address, I probably would've gotten a million.
    
2. Purple Haze
   (Hendrix)
   For "Abraham, Martin & John," I was sitting under an oak tree and I had this classical guitar. For "Purple Haze," it was the same thing. I was sitting under the tree with my guitar and I was finger-picking and I had all these songs that I used to sing in the house on my front porch. When Jimi Hendrix came around here, I played it for him. He said "We're going to the same place, different expression."
    
3. The Dolphins
   (Neil)
   I would hang out with Freddy Neil. I just loved this song and I started playing it. I really loved his record of it. It's a metaphor for, I think, finding serenity, getting into love, finding that zone. Letting go.
    
4. Daddy Rollin'
   (DiMucci)
   This one's kind of multi-dimensional. It can be a love song or it can be about drugs. I recorded it in the back of a bowling alley with a bunch of Jamaicans. We were banging on cardboard boxes, I had my Gibson Birdland guitar and we just let it roll. Dave Marsh dedicated a whole page to this song in his book The Top 1000 Singles. I was amazed and I asked him why and he said, "Well, I really thought it was you."
    
5. Your Own Backyard
   (DiMucci - Fasce)
   Under license from Salt Productions, Inc.
   I started to understand the spiritual axiom that whenever you're disturbed, no matter what the cause, the problem is something in yourself that you can change. That was something I grabbed on to. I started looking at my motives and started growing from the inside out to change.
   
   Truth be known, April I, 1968, somebody told me that if you ask help from God, he would hear. Well, I was going through that dark period in my life so I asked for help and I haven't had a drug or a drink since.
     
6. Sanctuary
   (Burnham - Holler)
   Under license from Salt Productions, Inc.
   It's about having friends and being with the people you love. It's very important. People say, "I think I'm gonna move there, it's so beautiful," but it's really where people you love are, that's where you should be. You can have the right job and the money, but it's very important to have the right community.
    
7. Sunshine Lady
   (DiMucci)
   Under license from Salt Productions, Inc.
   This song is about Susan.
    
8. Running Close Behind You
   (Tuohy - DiMucci)
   P 1972 Salt Productions, Inc. Under license from Salt Productions, Inc. 
   It's not something you can really put in a box. I think I was starting to get closer to nature, closer to God.
    
9. Soft Parade Of Years
   (Tuohy - DiMucci)
   P 1972 Salt Productions, Inc. Under license from Salt Productions, Inc. 
   Just listen to it. It's the one song I wrote that I never wanted to change a word.
    
10. New York City Song
    (DiMucci - Tuohy)
    P 1974 Salt Productions, Inc. Under license from Salt Productions,.Inc.
    I have an underlying love for New York City. It's beyond expression.
     
11. Man In The Glass
    (DiMucci)
    P 1976 Salt Productions, Inc. Under license from Salt Productions, Inc.
    There was a time when I used to think it's what I did that determined who I am. But it's really who I am that determines what I do. This song talks about a guy who's got all the "stuff," like a lot of Hollywood characters or people who have the house, the car, the right leather jacket. But do you have the heart of a servant, are you really looking for something to bring to the table or are you just into yourself? When you look in the mirror, who do you really see?
     
12. Born To Be With You
    (Robertson)
    P 1975 Salt Productions, Inc. Under license from Salt Productions,Inc.
    I loved this song and I should say something about Phil Spector. We were contemporaries. I loved the sound of his records and he dug where I was coming from too. This record wears really well in my heart.
     
13. If I Could Just Get Through Tonight
    (Anders)
    P 1976 Salt Productions, Inc. Under license from Salt Productions,Inc.
    I loved the Iyrics on this, it's a well-written song. It's about making promises to yourself to improve but you can't really change yourself. You get kind of stuck. I also like Phoebe Snow's version of it. She always comes to my shows in New York, takes my guitar and sings for everybody! It's always great to hear her play guitar and sing.
     
14. The Way You Do The Things You Do
    (Robinson - Rogers)
    P 1976 Salt Productions, Inc. Under license from Salt Productions,Inc.
    First of all, I love shuffles. It's my era and that's a great song. 
    I just had to do that one. 
     
15. Guitar Queen
    (DiMucci - Tiernan)
    P 1978 PKM Productions LLC. Licensed by Lifesong Records, a 
    Division of PKM Productions LLC.
    I put this song together after a Bonnie Raitt concert. I was on tour and getting on the bus heading off to another town and I wrote it on the way to Jersey. She's fantastic. I met her when I used to work coffee houses in New York during the "Abraham, Martin & John" days. We both had a love and respect for Robert Johnson and that's why I wrote it with those words.
    
    I hooked-up again with (producers) Cashman & West whom I met while I was working those coffee houses. They were recording Jim Croce while I did "Abraham, Martin & John" and that kind of intimate stuff. I was that kind of an artist. They were also recording Henry Gross and they were into melodies, harmonies, guitar picking, blues, country, rock. So I sang them a bunch of songs and we went with it. 
     
16. Lookin' For The Heart Of Saturday Night
    (Waits)
    P 1978 PKM Productions LLC. Licensed by Lifesong Records, a 
    Division of PKM Productions LLC.
    It's about all of us. I loved Tom Waits' version and it's a great song.
     
17. Midtown American Main Street Gang
    (DiMucci - Beck)
    P 1978 PKM Productions LLC. Licensed by Lifesong Records, a 
    Division of PKM Productions LLC.
    This is a reflection of my youth.
     
18.  We Don't Talk Anymore
    (DiMucci - Beck)
    P 1978 PKM Productions LLC. Licensed by Lifesong Records, a 
    Division of PKM Productions LLC.
    To the extent that you can work through conflict is in direct proportion to how intimate you will become. This is about two people who just avoid talking. Their desperation and silence is painful.
     
19. Sweet Surrender
    (DiMucci)
    P 1980 Dayspring Records. "Sweet Surrender" as performed by 
    Dion DiMucci appears courtesy of Dayspring Records (a div. of 
    Word Entertainment)
    I wrote this because the word "surrender" in my neighborhood was like a dirty word. Nobody surrendered. You'd die before you did. But there is a sweet surrender, and that's Iying back in God's unconditional love. But this song still has grit.

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