“Without You i Cry” was the first song i ever wrote, only at the time it was just a poem. But, Gina took it and songed it without even really thinking about it and now i’m glad she did, because that may have been why i decided i wanted to play guitar, and obviously it’s totally changed my entire life. It’s simple, and the language is wholly atypical of most of my work, but it’s mean, and we only knew simple chords at the time – can you tell? “With or Without You” wasn’t the first time i ever stood in front of people and played guitar, but it was the first time i had to prove my worth since it was for a talent show, and, of course, Gina dragged our asses into that without much effect from me in either direction.

The first time i ever sang on stage was also with Gina, at the end of my sophomore year of highschool when we sang “Sharks Can’t Sleep” as a quartet. No one believed i could sing back then (least of all Gina, i suspect), but the way i remember it i went to her and promised i’d be able to sing my verse if they’d let my have one, and so they did, and i held back my tiny breath and sang it, and all of the judges looked at me and then the next week we opened the talent show. So, that was two talent shows in a row. Did i mention that Gina rocks?