▁ 7 , ▁ 2 0 0 7 , ▁that ▁his ▁half - s ized ▁children ' s ▁guitar ▁was ▁more ▁efficient ▁since ▁it ▁allowed ▁him ▁to ▁play ▁while ▁driving ; ▁he ▁named ▁the ▁guitar ▁" Oh ! ▁Sus anna " ▁after ▁the ▁Stephen ▁F oster ▁song . ▁ ▁Deb ut ▁Stra ck any ' s ▁initial ▁approach ▁was ▁to ▁record ▁an ▁album , ▁then ▁he ▁learned ▁to ▁book ▁his ▁own ▁performances : ▁ ▁Stra ck any ▁recorded ▁his ▁debut ▁album ▁Mis ery , ▁Missouri ▁in ▁early ▁October ▁ 2 0 0 4 . ▁The ▁record ▁was ▁largely ▁folk ▁in ▁nature ▁but ▁with ▁more ▁elaborate ▁arrang ements ▁and ▁instrument ation , ▁and ▁was ▁self - re leased . ▁The ▁entire ▁session ▁was ▁executed ▁with ▁one ▁micro phone . ▁ 1 0 0 0 ▁copies ▁were ▁pressed ▁independently ▁and ▁it ▁is ▁now ▁out ▁of ▁print , ▁with ▁no ▁published ▁plans ▁to ▁re - release ▁the ▁work , ▁according ▁to ▁a ▁description ▁on ▁his ▁website . ▁He ▁used ▁simple ▁ch ord ▁progress ions ▁which ▁were ▁" un comp licated ▁son ically " ▁but ▁with ▁lyr ics ▁a kin ▁to ▁a ▁ 1 7 th - century ▁poet , ▁according ▁to ▁one ▁account . ▁He ▁found ▁that ▁his ▁best ▁lyr ics ▁often ▁come ▁up ▁in ▁every day ▁conversation ▁but ▁by ▁putting ▁what ▁he ▁finds ▁in ▁an ▁" un famil iar ▁context ", ▁the ▁words ▁can ▁become ▁very ▁significant . ▁He ▁wrote ▁song , ▁produced ▁his ▁music , ▁book ed ▁shows , ▁and ▁tra ve led ▁around