July ’07 – ‘SATISFIED MIND’ is one of those songs that I almost knew, but didn’t quite, so a few weeks ago, I sat next to the CD-player and learnt it properly. I know Jean Shepherd’s version, but I’m sure lots of other people have covered it, too, because it’s just so enjoyable to sing and play. It feels best when you play it briskly, and sing it loudly and plainly – then it swings along with its own momentum. Some of the lyrics are a bit plodding, and I considered fiddling with the last verse, “When life is over and my time has run out/ My friends and my loved ones, I’ll leave them no doubt/ But one thing’s for certain, when it comes my time/ I’ll leave this old world with a satisfied mind,” mainly because I found the “leave them no doubt” perplexing – is it “leave them, no doubt”? But how can you then sing “But one thing’s for certain” if you have already said “no doubt”? Shouldn’t it be “Another thing’s for certain”? And I didn’t like the repetition of “time has run out” and “when it comes my time.” But in the end, I told myself not to be such a proof-reader, and just to sing it. And every time I sing it, I wonder how it feels to have a satisfied mind. And I think I know how it feels (occasionally).
