Today's Song of the Day

Tom Sawyer, Rush, 1981

(Covered by Carla Russell/Fiddleworms 3/8/25)

I'm still riding high on the Muscle Shoals Meets the 80s wave from Saturday night -- full play-by-play coming later on today. In the meantime, though, I woke up with Carla Russell's version of Rush's "Tom Sawyer" coaxing me to take on the world. Challenge accepted.

You know, it all starts with a song. ("It" being the transcendent magic of music, of course.) I firmly believe a great song lives beyond its creator, vessel, and alleged genre. Basically, I believe a great song is the vehicle for an artist to realize their greatness. Saturday night, at Muscle Shoals Meets the 80s, I learned what happens when the right (great) 80s song meets the right (great) local legend.

Enter: Carla Russell owning Rush's Tom Sawyer.

Truth: "Tom Sawyer" has grated on my nerves for more than 40 years, y'all, but all of that changed Saturday night thanks to Carla Russell and the Fiddleworms. I'm still not a Rush fan but I totally get it now (miracles do happen) -- this is a great song. The perfect pairing of "Tom Sawyer" with the legendary Carla Russell/Fiddleworms was a true revelation. That's the power of live music. When in the right (masterful and caring) hands -- looking at you Fiddleworms -- the right song is life-changing.

Happy Monday!