Fill 'er up.

This morning I looked at the NY Times and there was an article about the 'cash-for-clunkers' program and how it is such a success that it has run out of money already. The article was titled "Running on Empty".
I got to thinking about how the phrase ‘running on empty’ is linked – for many of us – with the song by Jackson Browne. I believe that the phrase predates the song, but the song made it real – gave it an additional ‘concrete-ness’ – in a way that enriches and extends its allusions.
I’d love to write a song like that – one that would become woven into the culture’s psyche in a permanent way. Also, it’d be nice to get the checks.