"BUT IS SHE KIND?" : FAWM

BUT IS SHE KIND?

Liner Notes

FULL DISCLOSURE: I actually HAVEN'T learned my lesson--I'm still a sucker for a pretty face! (Also, listening to it again right now, I think I have some bad notes in the Chorus. I'll have to fix that before it goes on the Billboard 100...)

Lyrics

BUT IS SHE KIND?

Music & Lyrics By Jerry Pettit Facebook.com/JerryPettitMusic

I used to chase the ones who turned heads in a bar Fast cars, faster girls, thought I knew who we are Chose 'em by the way they filled out a pair of jeans Never once stopped to think about the things that they might mean

Broke my share of hearts, had mine broken too Learned the hard way that pretty don't pull you through Now I'm older, maybe wiser, maybe just tired of the game Askin' different questions now than I did back then

CHORUS: She can be as pretty as the Fourth of July Turn every head in the room, catch every eye But that don't mean a thing if it's just for show I done learned the hard way, now I gotta know— BUT IS SHE KIND? Does she care about somethin' more than "mine"? Does she love the ones that the world walks by? 'Cause pretty fades, but I'm askin' this time— Is she kind?

Dated a girl in Bakersfield, prettiest in the town Had a smile that lit the room up, had a heart made outta stone Watched her talk down to a waitress, watched her walk right past A homeless man who asked for change, didn't even look back

That's when it hit me, hit me hard and true Beauty's just a moment, kindness carries you Through the winters, through the hard times, through the fights Through the years that test if love's the real thing or just the light

BRIDGE: Momma tried to tell me, back when I was young Said "Son, looks don't matter much when the hard times come" I didn't listen, too busy lookin' at the surface of things Took me thirty-some-odd years to learn what kindness brings Now I watch the way she talks to strangers on the street The way she treats a busboy just as good as a man she'd want to meet That's the kind of pretty that don't fade with time That's the kind of pretty that I'm hopin' now to find

Comments

@ttg105 3d

I learned my lesson years ago, but pretty faces still grabs one's attention. This is really catchy, and the lyrics are good at combining the prosaic (busboy, etc) and philosophical. Bridge really effective.

@andygetch 4d

Sage advice indeed!

@chipwithrow 4d

So many wise lines ("pretty don't pull you through," "beauty's just a moment/kindness carries you") delivered with easy country charm. Lately I've really been into pedal steel - but they're super expensive and quite hard to play. You've inspired me to give my 4-string cookie tin slide a go.

@kahlo2013 5d

Love the message. Beautiful phrasing, and gorgeous flow to the melody as sung by your great vocals. I wish this was the reality.

@chrisgray 5d

Jerry, esp. love your vocal on this. Your voice is likeable and believable, never overdone. And your phrasing is smooth and varied. Also really like the chorus, and most of all the section that begins "that's when it hit me..." Enjoyed this!

@billwhite51 5d

I demand a pretty face to distract me from the uglies bumping in the regions below. Yet i see so many handsome men with ugly wifes. the only explanation for this is that they never look at the faces. Too busy rocking their head to the swayy of the butt, and really, you can tell a lot from a woman's butt, as it is the one part of their body that eludes their manipulations. Not that they dont use it to hpnotize the man walking behind them, but they more effectively use all the facial expressions and suggestive oral invite s, all the time covering facieal scars and ridges with makeup that gives them the complexions of freshly fallen now. but the most important thing in choosing a wife is finding one who knows how to cook, because that is what you are going to be eatinv the rest of your life. No wonder resturaunts do such good business with all the wives that make their husbands dread suppertime. But i have to agree with the sentiments of your sing. Kindness is more important than beauty. but the main reason good looking women can get mean is to scare away all the creeps that hit on them. for myself, I act like i dont notice how fine they are, and that attracts them. also, an average looking guy like me is not going to go over that good with an ugly girl who is trying to prove her worth by snagging a handsome man. While the beautiful girls like to hang with me because it makes the onlookers perceive the girl as having depth.

@sbs 5d

This was really beautifully written but how realistic is it? lol! Sounds great, Jerry! I was admiring your vocal delivery and the phrasing choices you made.

@val 5d

Mama was right, pretty only goes so far. Kind is the best kind of beautiful. I like your BiaB tunes. I think they make great tracks. That steel guitar just screams good country music to me. Nice track.

@ductapeguyTEAM 5d

My favorite line is pretty don't pull you through.

@musicsongwriter 5d

Beautiful song and sentiment. Wrong notes? Ha? Gorgeous work!

@paul_pedersen 5d

Lots of songs are written about the beauty of the girl. Lots more will come along, too. But, Jerry, you've combined the idea of beauty with the need for values. I think that's a new and worthy twist for songs. If I had to pick a line that lays out the theme of the song, it would be "Beauty's just a moment, kindness carries you". Love that line!