The full title for this song is "Come On, Buddy, Come Down from that Ledge, 'Cause Now You Can Have The Competitive Edge." So you could even sing that, if you wanted to.

I wrote and scripted this song to be used as a music video under the end credits of the 5-program "InnerViews" series that I had written for JIST Works, Inc. (The series still sells well. If you've ever been in a class or program that focused on self-directed job search, perhaps you've seen the videos and heard the song. Quote: "An outstanding series of five job search how-to videos ... In today's economic climate, this is a must-have addition to every community and university video library collection."—Bookwatch)

I sometimes sing and play guitar for my own amusement, but I do not consider myself to be a singer or a musician. (Nor have I ever been falsely accused as being such by others who have at some time found themselves haplessly and helplessly within earshot. Bless their hearts.) So as I recorded the demo tape for "...The Competitive Edge" at home in my office, I fantasized that the upcoming studio production would feature a professional singer who sounds like Leon Redbone, perhaps, backed by a Dixieland jazz band.

The actual studio recording used in the video series features a singer who sounds something like Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong. And, hey, that's cool! Way cool! I wasn't disappointed.

I like to play with my words. For me, the craft of writing is always solitary work, but it can sometimes be tedious too. For an occasional diversion, I will create and hide private jokes, puns, or puzzles in my work. To this day, my clients at JIST Works probably still don't realize that there's an acrostic stitched neatly into the first verse of this song. Check out the first letter in each of the first four lines.

Read the lyrics below or skip to the Lead Sheet for the words and music. —BD