FAWM: "The Roanoker"

The Roanoker

2 weeks ago by @mikegtz

The Roanoker

mikegtz

00:00

Liner Notes

This is part of a song cycle I am writing for my family and how we have traveled through our history. This song is about The Roanoker, formerly a restaurant in Roanoke, Va where my mother liked to go. #songcycle #threeofus

Lyrics

It was slow at the Roanoker The place where the elderly liked to eat Smaller than normal proportions They had good carrot cake

We would pull up to the entrance Let my mother get out first Everyone else would get out While I went to park the car

The Roanoker had knick knacks A regular stop for tour buses Memorabilia from the Old South Along with biscuit mix

You could sit in a non smoking section You could smoke while you ate back then We sat in the non-smoking section In the smallish tables and chairs

Built in the 1940s Comfortable for that time and era A staff of middle aged waitresses With pleasant, chatty smiles

If you didn’t like too much chatter And you could deal with small ice cream dishes You went to the Roanoker And had a decent meal.

Comments

@lbrewington 1d

Super ominous intro and vibe going in, really bringing forth this slow burn feeling. I was not expecting a story about a restaurant after that, but nonetheless here it is, this slice of america life not too far gone, but at the same time rapidly disappearing from our collective memory.

It's hard for me not to relate to the lyrics here, having never been to the roanoker but at the same time having been to a "roanoker" many times. From the carrot cake to the knick knacks and biscuit mix, the smoking sections, and the pleasant waitresses. The details are very clearly painted and transports me there instantly.

I am intrigued by this being a piece for a concept album or "cycle" and want to hear how the other pieces play out, as the ominous vibe that runs through this one makes me think there is more up than small ice cream dishes.

great job on creating the sound here, captivates and leave me wanting more.

@mikedelaney 1d

Mike, I think it's great you are writing a set of songs about your family's travels through history.

@dasbinky 6d

Love the specificity is the lyric, very cool storytelling, solidly naked performance. I really dig the song cycle idea. Nice work, man!

@philnorman 1w

Came for the title, stayed for the good carrot cake. Despite having lived here since the early 90s, I never ate at the Roanoker before it closed. We lose something as those old restaurants close.

Your conversational talking delivery works well here to deliver the details, I like the vision of a song cycle about your family.

@mikegtz 1w

Thank you, Phil, I'll keep you posted as the song cycle develops.

@wacha 2w

The bluesy, folk feel of this works drew me write in immediately. The story and delivery are a bit hypnotic in a great way. Nice work!

@quadrivium 2w

I love your delivery--you are wonderful and humorous story teller. (I am actually grinning as I listen to this!) The tone quality of the guitar is lovely, and it supports without distracting from your account of the Roanoker. (For some reason this reminds me of a Perkins restaurant that my travel companions always stop at when we go to North Carolina in the summer.

@sml 2w

Hey Michael! Thanks for painting a vivid picture of that kind of restaurant, I love it. Seems there are things to like about the place and not to like though "comfortable for that time and era" reminding us not to be too judgy. This song is my first listen this year. Hopefully have one tomorrow. The pressure. Yikes! (but I love it)