Flash Light

If you live anywhere below the highest hill, you're at risk of flooding

I had plans for today—a new Substack ready to go with a bonus remake/remix of a song from my eponymous album on Island Records—released almost 40 years ago.

My son Sam, a fine guitarist, was set to help me finish the song.

Then, the storms came. And kept on coming. A deluge flooded our neighborhoods.

We live in Green Hills. Sam and his family live in Bellevue (Beautiful View). These location names say it all. Water seeks level.

If you live anywhere below the highest hill, you're at risk of flooding.

Some geographical areas, such as middle Tennessee, where we live, are more vulnerable to flash flooding. Our very thin layer of topsoil sits on limestone bedrock—a porous, sedimentary rock. The hilly terrain combined with minimal topsoil ensures rapid runoff and limited absorption.

Today, the National Weather Service warns us of "life-threatening, catastrophic, and potentially historic" flash flooding. The storm has already taken the lives of at least 5 Tennesseans. I hear the rumble of thunder in the distance.

We’ve been in Nashville for 36 years. Repetitive flooding is the norm. Flood damage ranges from a day of irritation and cleanup to the necessity of complete remodeling or rebuilding.

Sam and I have had our studios and homes flooded multiple times. You learn quickly that insurance is useless if they drop you after a single claim.

Repetitive flooding is the real problem. It’s a feature, not an anomaly.

There’s a reason religion and myth tell flood stories. In ancient texts, a flood is never just about water.

In the Bible, the flood of Noah is the Creator’s response to worldwide corruption. In Gilgamesh, the gods send the waters in rage, then regret their violence. Hindu scriptures tell of Manu surviving the cosmic deluge, guided by the god Vishnu in fish form.

In each of these stories, floods are a reset leading to renewal (hopefully). These stories have archetypal similarities: catastrophe, survival, and new beginnings.

Here's another story common to the mid-South: Warm, moist air rises, cools, and collides with colder, drier air above. Wind shear adds spin. Lift adds power. Rain, hail, lightning, and tornadoes. Rinse and repeat.

Repetitive flooding of your personal and geographical zone is exhausting and costly.

This has led me to consider another storm narrative, a poetic archetype from the Book of Acts, chapter 27: Paul's Storm at Sea. This isn't a Robert McKee-approved three-act survival story—it's a transformational template for calling, courage, and clarity in the middle of systems collapsing.

He doesn't command the weather—doesn’t escape the shipwreck. But he hears a calming voice in the storm (“Do not be afraid”).

Repetitive flooding. Epistemic collapse. Unrealized plans. Unfinished songs. Vulnerability. Plummeting fortunes. Untrustworthy assurances and insurances. Spin. Lift. Power.

John Prine wrote in his song “Angel From Montgomery”:

Just give me one thing

That I can hold on to

To believe in this livin'

It is just a hard way to go

It is a hard way to go, but I got one thing for you. Hear the Angel from the Lord say: “Do Not Be Afraid” — and by all means, take shelter in your safe place. Flashlight required.

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News and Updates

Minutes ago I finished an enjoyable podcast conversation with Larry Crane, founder of the pioneering Tape-Op Magazine. I will let you know when the interview is available. Follow Larry on Substack here: https://substack.com/@jackpotrecordingstudio

Dig my remix/reinvention of the Astronaut Pushers single, “Fires of Love.” Thanks band for the ask! Honored.

Still waiting to snag your copies? Take advantage of this twofer sale at the online retail behemoth . . .

Enjoy this podcast with Mark Labberton that just dropped:

"Listening is everything. Without listening, there’s no music, no art, no understanding—just noise.” —Charlie Peacock

Acclaimed musician, producer, podcaster, and author Charlie Peacock joins Mark Labberton to reflect on music, art, attention, listening, faith, and spirituality.

In this episode, they discuss:

Charlie’s new memoir, Roots and Rhythm: A Life In Music

The communal nature of making and producing music

The unsung music heroes from Charlie’s life

Non-neutrality and the interdependence of all things

Hearing and visualizing music

The intersection of creativity, spirituality, and paying attention,

How listening transforms both art and relationships,

Life lessons from jazz, pop, and worship music production,

And the role of both sound and silence in artistic and spiritual life.