Why Don’t I Stay?

Patrick Brennan—producer, keyboards
Gerald Brennan—composer, lyricist, singer
Garrett Schmittling—guitarist
Kevin Floyd—bass
Bobbie Meyers—drums

This song is from my musical, Penelope. Of the three suitors, Greg (who sings here) is the sweet one, with a genuine love and concern for Penny.
Greg is very optimistic, and tremendously naïve. He figures that if he writes Penny a heartfelt but lighthearted song in which he declares his love for her, while explaining that after a few beers and a little cuddling the scales will fall from her eyes and she will magically fall in love with him, seek out a preacher, and they will tie the knot to commence their lifetime of happiness together.
Composers write music (painters paint paintings, poets write poems, etc) for women they fancy quite often, and sometimes it works!
And sometimes it doesn’t…

I see you’re not one to complain,
but I know how you toil and you hustle
with no one else here
to share in the stress and the strain.
A solution eluuuudes my brain…

Hey! Why don’t I stay?
Take the day off of work today.
Be my lover from noon to nine,
and I won’t charge for overtime.

Let’s find a preacher and take the vow.
If we did I’d be home by now.
Start livin’ my life anew,
The world will know how I love you.

That’s something I wanted to say,
for so long and it seemed very clear to me,
but one thing
or another would get in the way.
I’ll just die if you go astray.

So, why don’t I stay?
Let me kiss all your tears away.
A bag o’ chips and a case o’ beer,
and all your doubts will disappear.

Let’s find a preacher and take the vow.
If we did we’d be home by now.
Start livin’ our life anew,
the world will know how I love you.

Let’s find the preacher and tie the knot.
Nice and legal the way we ought.
Promise love and propriety,
then you can have your way with me.

Just somethin’ I needed to say,
oh darling, why don’t I stay?