This is an exercise in reinvention. Sometimes, innovation is renovation. Motor Kine is one of the first songs I wrote. One of the first songs that unified the band on stage, one of the first lines I was able to sing with conviction.

Years back my friends and I tracked a winter swell that was set to break records and render the entire coastline from LA down to the border unsurfable. The sheer size alone made it an issue, the California coasts were not able to handle it. We each asked each of our spouses for the green light to explore the Baja coast, to surf, and sleep in the dirt. At 4am in the morning, we were packing the jeep and it was raining cats and dogs. One friend gestured to call it off.

I stepped in and said:

“F NO!  We just busted our ass to all get a weekend together, get in the goddamn car and drive until we see the ocean south of Ensanada. Whoever wants to quit, get your shit out of the car ’cause we are leaving now.”

As we crossed over into Mexico, the sun rose and a clear blue sky shone down on all roads south. Somewhere across the endless miles of dirt roads south of Ensanada, we came across a few Baja 500/1000 trail runners. Imagine a dust storm approaching in your rearview mirror. Breakneck speeds bearing down on your truck. We pulled off and beheld the offroad racers blazing their trails to nowhere, for nothing but a path to glory.

Every time I sing the line:

Race down the Pacific Ocean, Run down those Mexico sands.
Just for nothing, babe. Just cause I want to.  Gonna fly all across these lands.

It puts me there, in Baja, rasing with the old gods of the west. The old gods of Mexico. God’s country.

Reinventing a song is pretty straight forward. You can start with the melody. You can mix up instrumentation, you can set the melody to a different backbeat. In this exercise, I took cues from the harmonica player, Jim Woodard. For reference, I’ve added older versions of the song dating back to the first time I ever played it. You can see an evolution take place, as long as an artist is open to it each musician brings his own flavor to the music. The song has evolved from a spoken word manifesto of the surfer lifestyle and rugged primal scream of freedom to a groove that demands soul singing.

Song meaning is something that I give over to the listener. I’ve done my job, now it’s up to you to infuse your own meaning. The only meaning I am going to offer is for the word “Kine”. It’s Hawaiian Pidgin for sweet goodness. Often linked to good people, good things, food, and of course, “Da Kine Bud”.

Motor Kine (Key of G) – Lyrics

bold is emphasis on words when singing.

I am your Motor Kine,

I know you’ve seen me riding

Greased back I shine like lighting

Leg up mamma, take a ride

Dusty roads through the canyon gorge

Like a bullet baby how we run

steer me babe with a gentle hand

on into that old boy sun

Your desert’s of the rarest beauty

I’ve never seen the like

Your sands they give me water

Your sun keeps me alive

Race down the Pacific Ocean,

Run down those Mexico sands.

Just for nothing, babe. Just cause I want to.

Gonna fly all across these lands.

SPOKEN:

Motor Kine don’t take low octane

Throw down some money & give me premium fuel

Motor Kine don’t run on that cheap stuff

Ease your hand mamma Keep me cool!

Race down the Pacific Ocean,

Run down those Mexico sands.

Just for nothing, babe. Just cause I want to.

Gonna fly all across these lands.