Thoughts I Have About Ray Toro's Session Guitar

Raymond Toro still has his first guitar.

She was a gift from his brother, a Gession Les Paul that he called Session.

She was a cheap knock off brand, but still, she was his.

He used her for years, refusing anything else.

She recorded their first album with him as the sole guitarist.

But she fell to her death, and broke nearly in half.

She was revived by their drummer, and off she went.

On tour for their second album. The tour that almost killed them.

She was missing her knobs, a pickup, and a switch.

But she stayed on stage, still his.

She was gone for a while, but later she was redone.

Fixed up, ready to get back to work.

But this time the touring did kill them, and back offstage she went.

Seven years later, and the dead rise back up.

Just like she did, fallen from the stage only to be made better.

Fixed up again, both the band and the guitar.

And for the first time in so long, there she is, bathed in light.

An old black guitar, a Gession Les Paul, name misread long ago.

Because she may be old, and broken down, loved by him for thirty years.

But Raymond Toro still has his first guitar.