Clever stories of happenstance and craftsmanship drive this “underground” world in which we live. Take the case of “Oh Woman,” the A-side penned by John Wesley Coleman III. Inspired by B-side “Ramona,” written and released in 1988 by Gary Stewart, Coleman III and Sophomore Lounge amazingly worked out a deal to include the original on this 7-inch. For many, it will be their first encounter with either artist, but it’s likely they’ll be equally entranced by Ramona, the beautiful bride captured on the insert. “Oh Woman” finds Coleman III doing his best Richard Swift (unkempt hair and all), tuning into the 70s AM dial to channel Jackson Brown and Warren Zevon with a bit of modern attitude. Nuthin’ but a stomping melody and a fun pop song to neck to. “Oh Woman” owes much to Stewart’s “Ramona,” a bit more country and Brown than Coleman III’s melodic interpretation. It is a product of the era of over-production. Stewart’s long song confessing that he loves Ramona as his own is effective no matter the decade, but Coleman III’s lo-fi reinvention has more heartache. It’s not the glossy pop song that landed Stewart his pick of fans; Coleman III’s love is distant and unrequited. It’s bedroom despair dissected from the thoughts of someone who can paint a pretty picture from a terrible mess.
More about: John Wesley Coleman III / Gary Stewart
