Tell me a story
Current mood: accomplished
Category: Music

Last nite @ our SongNet TAXI nite, an artist I met recently came & had
her work evaluated. Great stuff, good voice, well produced track. Yeah,
she's serious.
But I misread her name on the disc (I'll bet it happens often too) It
looked like Katie STOREY, but it's really SHOREY. Ooops…
But then hey, she probably has plenty of stories about that, & as an
artist, plenty of life stories too. Her voice is kinda like Stevie
Nicks, but stronger and in tune, & the song she presented was rockin',
so, as a songwriter, I was obligated to capture the moment.
Maybe she'll want to rewrite this with me & put a "real" vocal on
it. Imagine this song with a richly textured female vocal & maybe
it'll sound more like a hit? Hmmmmm…


> Tell me a Story
> JY 2k+8
>
> Tell me a story, look in my eyes
> Share all your secrets, tell me no lies
> Cuz what lies ahead cannot be denied
> Tell me a story tonight
>
> The way that you smile when you walk in a room
> All eyes turn to you
> The way that you speak when you're talkin' to me
> All else fades from view
> Style like yours comes from living a life
> I'm willing to listen if you've got the time
> (cho)
>
> The places you've traveled, the things that you've seen
> Color every word
> Been thru it all, & all the cliches
> You've already heard
> A journey like yours means you've been thru some flames
> So tell me what you have to say
>
> (bridge)
> I just want your trust, to know who you are
> There's no need to raise a facade
> (cho)
>

5:47 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Country Song
Current mood: amused
Category: Music

Country Song was started on 9-11, along with about a dozen others (& maybe a million
other songwriters).
That was one of those points in history that riled me up & made me think about what
REALLY mattered. But the emotion passed, & once things calmed down, other things
started buggin' me. Like the fact that a lot of "country" music isn't written by
Nashville folks, yet writers outside of Nashville often get dissed just because of
where they're from.
So I got back on the song & kept working at it, & once again, 9-11 comes up & I
realized I've been sitting on this song too long so I'd better finish it.
So here it is!
Y'all.

6:43 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

I’m Still Here
Current mood: cantankerous
Category: Music

There's an old Cadillac on our neighborhood that hasn't moved for years, but is always in good shape, looking nice. It brought to mind a line from Billy Joel's "Movin' Out":

"If he can't drive with a broken back
At least he can polish the fenders"..:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

Many of us have aging parents, & some of us are even closer to retirement than we'd like to admit.

Yet, we're at a point where we can still do plenty within the limits of our physical states, & definitely still have passion in & for our lives.

I started writing this one a few months ago, but this is the firs (and very rough) draft so if you hear this one on a future project, (that's a hint) you can say you heard it here first!

12:00 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

I’d Rather be Happy
Current mood: happy
Category: Music

I'd Rather be Happy

As I mentioned in my last blog, I was working with a friend who just couldn't do uplifting songs, they weren't ready for that 'cuz of the issues in their life.
Okay, I get that. But I'm old enough now to know that although catharsis is required to get over some things & feel better, a lot of time can be wasted sittin' in pityville, & even though anger can be fun, (C'mon, EVERY video game has a FPS quotient!) it doesn't really help anybody 'cept yourself, and even at that, it's not moving forward, it's more lightening your load. So if I can add a smile to someone's day, I consider that an investment in making the world a better place
Sure, this is a fluffy light tossaway kind of song. But hopefully it will help you find a grin someplace, & maybe get stuck in your skull so you'll be hummin' it all day!
:)

5:58 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Daydreams to a Friend
Current mood: happy
Category: Music

Grocery shopping a while back I reached in my pocket & realized one of the coins felt different. I pulled it out to discover somewhere along the way I got a euro instead of a quarter in change. Cool! A euro is worth more! But how did it get here?
Over the labor day weekend I was cleaning out the garage & came across the huge ring of odd keys that my grandfather had started decades ago. What did those keys open?
Two stories, unrelated, coming together. Opening things locked away, releasing stuff holding back the possibilities of new journeys, & a connection to places yet to see.
Several friends emailed me at the last second, just before I took down last week's song, asking me to leave it up a lil' longer so they could listen.
I almost did, but then I realized it wasn't moving forward on my own terms. So as much as I love my friends, I pulled Tropic of Fairbanks & posted this new one. As a concession though, I will email any of these new songs directly to anyone that asks, 'cuz they're still all demo roughs & better versions are hopefully yet to come.
Just like daydreams, eventually they get fulfilled one way or another, & hopefully, will make you smile.

3:34 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Tropic of Fairbanks
Current mood: adventurous
Category: Music

Global warming is an issue we all need to at least consider.

About a year ago, a call went out for songs about this situation, so I started this song but never got around to finmishing it, & actually, I'm still not sure I consider the lyric finished. But at least it's here now, & is my song for week 5 of my song-a-week challenge.
:)

Let me know whatcha think!

7:28 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Drive
Current mood: nostalgic
Category: Music

4th week of posting something new on Fridays.

I remembered one of my favorite songs back in the day, & wrote something similar. Let me know whatcha think!

Currently listening : Running on Empty By Jackson Browne Release date: 1990-10-25

7:53 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

I’ll find my way home
Current mood: thoughtful
Category: Music

Sometimes inspiration becomes prophetic.

Someone once so important in your life suddenly says "please don't contact me anymore", yet there's so much to share, so many questions left unanswered, but out of respect, you move on knowing there will be better days ahead.

I wrote this based on someone else's story, then one day I looked in the mirror & realized it was also my own.

3:04 PM - 1 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

13
Current mood: accomplished
Category: Music

Yeah, it's about suicide.
But it ends okay.
& yes, that is my voice, heavily processed.
I haven't trip-hopped in a while so I figured I'd post this now.
:)

1:23 AM - 1 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

Dad
Current mood: nostalgic
Category: Life

I couple of years ago, I finally wrote a song about my dad.

Figuring Father's Day is coming up, I wanted to share this with ya.

My dad was a drill sergeant in his military days, so around our house, everything had it's place. Neat, organized, everything I am not. So of course, we were at odds for much of my adolescence. Very often he would use the phrase "it's for your own good" as I was forced to eat my veggies, deprived of fun 'till my homework was done or punished for things I perceived as no big deal, & stuff that wasn't really my fault.

It wasn't 'till I was around 16 that I began to see that yes, there was logic & reason for the way he was steppin' all over my life. There were unspoken things that had happened in his own life that he didn't want ME to go through, but I wound up doing anyway.

Though he passed away shortly after I turned 21, I'm sure he was satisfied that my brother & I were on our way & doin' okay.

In the big picture, stuff happens in our lives that occasionally have us questioning God, from relational angst to world calamity, & "WTF!" is the catchphrase of the moment.

But if we wait in faith , after the dust has settled, there is always a realization of why things happened as they did.

I am thankful for some of the "tough love" my father gave me, otherwise I might not be here to share it with you.

Let me know if you have a chance to listen, & have a blessed father's day.

3:17 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment