Music (New)

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Secrets (folk-ballad)

June 18, 2008 - Here’s a song about secrets.  I finished this a while back and was going to scrap it, then I added a bunch of drums, synths and other musical toys that eventually got in the way of what was supposed to be the important part of it …the words.  I remember going back to an old quicktime video of me playing it with just guitar and voice (I do this as a rough ‘keep-sake’ recording at times) and it sounded way better than with all the added crap.  So I cut everything out, left one guitar, one harmony and one effected main vocal - so now it’s done.  I suppose.  It’s done enough I guess.

*can you tell I still don’t really care for it*

I meant to put your name on this.
I meant to do no wrong.
but things just went in a different way,
and I just rolled along.
I wish I had the guts to say -
I wish I could speak out loud,
but something makes me shy away
like a secret in a crowd

and secrets do as secrets say
and a secret life is a lonely way
and the less you cry the more they stay
so cry your secrets away

I saw some things that I shouldn’t have,
and I couldn’t close my eyes.
now they keep coming back to me -
just like   future little lies
I tried real hard to be better than
what it was that I was,
and yet I knew that I could never change -
like a secret;  just because

I knew the things that you did were wrong.
but it was kinda hard to see -
cause in the dark it’s a different light.
and if you were you then who was me?
I tried to run but I couldn’t go
I tried to run far away
I wasn’t scared of the things you did
just scared of another day

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The Old Chowowa Blues (jazz/blues)

May 21, 2008 - It’s a blues thing in the key of ‘F’. ‘F’ is a fabulous key not only because fabulous starts with F, but so does fantastic, freakin’ eh and farfegnugen …the later is German for ‘cookie dough’ which of course is a good thing. It was created on the trombone, inspired by the straight mute, and found friends in the bass, tweaked electric piano patch, the trumpet and some borrowed brush waves from some site that I can’t remember. I think my trumpet is out of tune a bit, but then it may also be the trombone - so it’s hard to tell (lol) …the bass is fine cause I tuned that the other day, and the piano is probably dead on - but then no one listens to the piano anyway

As for the title - it’s a secret. As for the lead sheet, I’ll get one up sometime soon - but I first have to remember how to write notes and stuff. When I do, I’ll post it as a .pdf file for your reading/printing convenience. As for the ‘old timey’ sound - that’s courtesy of a freeware plugin by iZotope called ‘Vinyl’ …and if you’re into monkeying around with that kinda stuff you should check it out - the presets are great but there’s a lot of customizing you can do as well. Click below for fun, fun, fun!

Click here to download the .pdf lead sheet

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She Is (pop)

April 28, 2008 - It’s a pop tune kids. Pretty straight ahead with 1-4-5’s and a little descending structure in the verses that is singled out for the chorus. The neat thing I suppose is that the song actually begins on the 4 chord. This helps to build the chorus because it pulls the ear away from what is normally expected - starting on the 1. There’s the token solo over the 3rd verse and then a build of the chorus for the ending.

This was one of those strangely written songs for me. I had the melodic idea while driving for the ‘Man’ and pretty much penned the lyrics and form while away from any guitar or anything. I actually had to call my answering machine to leave myself the ‘cellphone sung’ melody - and I’ve never done that before. When I got home I avoided listening to it for almost a week, then I decided I might as well check out what I said and hope it all comes back to me. It did …kinda. When I added the guitar, I started using a riff that I was using with a completely different song, but things just seemed to fit. Trumpet came into play cause I was bored with anything else at the time - and then I decided to add the tpt. solo as well. Yes, the whole trumpet thing gives the song a ‘Cake’ feel …but that’s not such a bad thing.

I want to eventually get Amber to sing some backgrounds over the ending to build things up nicer - but other than that I think it’s a wrap. Is it about anyone/anything in particular? No. There’s a few phrases that happen to be personal in nature (you guess which ones?) but generally it’s kinda generic. Welcome to my love life! Lol, or rather lack thereof.

she’s the reason
she’s the sun
she’s the conflict
that’s come undone
she’s the easy
she’s no pain
she’s the gentle
summer rain

she’s the patience
she’s no sleep
she’s the fashion
that I keep
she’s intention
she’s rejoice
she’s the chosen
and the choice

she is everything 2 me
she is everything 2 me

solo

she’s the courage
she’s the fight
she’s the answers
and they’re all right
she’s compassion
she’s my friend
she’s the start
and she’s the end

she is everything 2 me

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Understand (pop/alt.)

February 14, 2008 - So, as you may have guessed by listening on the main page or by skimming the lyrics below, this really is a sad song …and having Valentines Day coincide with the posting is - well, just bad luck I suppose. The song is one of those ditty’s that I don’t really write much anymore - chord wise that is. It’s capo’d on the 6th fret and the guitar voicings are your standard C-G-F variety. My buddy Pat (in the WTM thing) does a lot of stuff with simple structures like this …working between the 1-4-5 and and letting the band sorta fill in the extra colors. Sometimes it’s hard for me to create something like this, because I simply can’t get all that inspired with 1-4-5 …especially when voiced in the ‘campfire’ style. But I suppose I had something to say - and things just suited themselves.

The neat part - if you catch it - is not only going to an E Maj on the bridge, but that the melody on the subsequent A Min. is the same as on the F Maj …at the end of the bridge two chords later. Get it? Bridge is EMaj - AMin - EMaj - FMaj, and the melody repeated is over the “anything at all” and “being in your arms”. So yeah, it was exciting for me at least. Keep in mind, this is all capo’d on the 6th fret. The rest is kinda standard. The chorus is simply a chunk of the verse, and the lyrics are …lyrics. Instrumentation is all courtesy Garageband (except for the guitar) and I even used one of the ‘mastering’ presets as well - something I hardly do I think. So yeah, that’s it kids. Till next time.

you say it’s not the right time for you,
so I sit here wondering what I’m supposed to do.
if I can’t have you, then I don’t want to
understand.

everyday I hurry home from work,
think ‘maybe this time I won’t be such a jerk.’
if I can’t have you, then I don’t want to
understand.

if I can’t have you, then what’s the point of
anything at all - it just
doesn’t matter, cause nothing else compares to
being in your arms.

days go by and nothing seems to change,
but in my heart I know I’ll never feel the same.
if I can’t have you, then I don’t want to
understand.

solo

if I can’t have you, then what’s the point of
anything at all - it just
doesn’t matter, cause nothing else compares to
being in your arms.

you say it’s not the right time for you,
so I sit here wondering what the hell to do.
if I can’t have you, then I don’t want to
understand.

if I can’t have you, then I don’t want to
understand.

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Loving You (piano ballad)

January 28th, 2008 - For lack of a better title, it’s called Loving You. Lol, yeah - I know …but you gotta remember that not all songs are written from personal, real-life situations. In fact, I’d suggest that many aren’t. I could be wrong I suppose, but if believing that the writer is putting his/her true emotions into something somehow enhances you own experience of it …run with that. I could probably get into a big, long rant about how much of ‘me’ is in actually anything - melody-wise there’s a LOT, lyrically …it’s a sliding scale. Don’t get me wrong, there are tunes that are quite personal lyrically …but then there are others that are just ‘going through the motions’. Maybe I’ll get into that more another time …perhaps.

This tune was made for the Tailored Music site. It’s a place where people select songs they like and then order versions with their own customized lyrics, which is why these lyrics are kinda generic in a way. Cheesy might be another term Lol, you know my motto though, ‘Cheese in moderation’. Anyway, the tune is a piano inspired piece that just kinda came to me. I think I was going for the 80’s piano ballad thing (the grand, the candle light etc…) and I had a hard time settling on a chorus of some type. If you noticed, there really isn’t one. There’s a tag of the words ‘I do’ and ‘for you’ that kinda ends the verses and implies a chorus. But by traditional definitions, it’s not really there. I think the melody/verse-intro parts are strong enough to support the piece without it though. I also had a tough time deciding on form. I had the ‘heavy’ verse (in this version that would be verse 3) come in as verse 2, and then repeat the bridge but with a solo over it instead of a vocal line. This stuck with me for a long time, but luckily I suck at ‘guitar ballad solo wankery’ and abandoned the idea. This turned out to be good (I think) as it made the only bridge feel that much more special. Again, I think.

I like it. It works fine. It’s a song. Playing/singing it on the piano is fun, except I play it in C (as opposed to this A version) and my voice sucks trying to scream it out. Lol, but I suppose you can argue it sucks trying to keep it down too

loving you it feels so right
the things you do make the world so bright
I want to be with you forever

you’re the one I realize
every time I look into you eyes
I want to live my life forever - with you

Jennifer I love so
here’s a song just to let you know
I want to be with you forever - I do

I know there’s times when life ain’t easy
I know there things that bring you down
no matter what we’ve got to go through
count on me to be around

loving you it feels so right
the things you do make the world so bright
I want to be with you forever - I do

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AM Radio (country)

November 15, 2007 - Yep, it’s a Country song, what’s that they say …variety is the spice of life? Anyway, although this tune ‘talks the talk’ about old time Country, it’s really geared for one of those big Country rock type shows with the fancy lights and big ’stops’ that scream out for cheesy pyro and what not. I had the idea about doing a ditty on listening to Country music on AM radio for a few years now, originally I was to be ‘riding in my truck’ - but that got changed. The chorus came first (which is unusual for me), and I filled in a few references to music with ‘pretty song’ and of course Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn. They kinda sum up what Country music should sound like for me. When I was younger I remember driving with my Dad to places (work stuff I think) and usually hearing CFCW’s Bev Monro and Wes Montgomery play all that classic stuff. I’ve never been a fan of the whole country/rock era …and had my tastes honed early with Willie and Waylon and the boys. The verses are kinda simple, but effective I hope, and the whole point of the tune should be easy to understand - I also hope. Finally, I abandoned the rhythm section/band thingy in favor of a simple guitar, a voice, and that good ol’ ‘AM Radio’ sound. I guess I should have mono’d the mp3 for that true effect. Oh well, next time around.

I don’t like too many cloudy days,
and I don’t like to come home after dark.
Sometimes it ain’t fair but the work must be done
and that’s the price you pay at the start.

Girl you know what I like to be told,
I’m really not so hard to understand.
The simple things make my life go round,
like holding you hand.

I like blue skies and a pretty song,
and the little green dress you wear ain’t wrong,
I like a big iced tea when the day gets kinda long.
I like Conway and Loretta Lynn
singing the way they sing again,
I like big ol’ trucks and dirty dusty roads,
and I like my country on an AM radio.

I don’t like too many fancy things,
and I don’t try to keep up with the Jones.
I’d just rather be a good ol’ clean living boy
trying not to step on people’s toes.

Sometimes the world kinda gets outta hand,
and sometimes the world ain’t what you see.
I take the days just one at a time
with you beside me.

Chorus

I don’t think too much of the city,
but there’s some things you’ve just gotta see, yeah

I don’t like to hang in big ol’ crowds,
I’d rather watch the stars - just you and me.

babe you know what I like to be told,
I’m really not so hard to understand.
The simple things make my world go round,
like holding you hand.

Chorus X 2

On an AM radio.
I like my country on an AM radio.

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Once Again (alt. pop)

September 30, 2007 - This is one of these ‘old’ new songs. I wrote it about 5 years ago (form, chords and melody) but never had anything I liked for lyrics. I would always end up with the ‘once again’ part for the chorus and the ‘I won’t pretend’s’ for the bridge, but then everything else was kinda washy. I suppose it came together after some time off lately (lol - not that I didn’t have any in the last 5 years), so I think I’m happy just to get it into the DONE basket. Nice.

The style was partially inspired by a Michael Penn song called ‘No Myth’ (I had to google for the title and it appears to be something off his first album) that I used to play with Pat and Amber in a trio called Leaving Elliot - way back in the early 00’s. It’s probably the only ‘weird time’ pop song I’ve wrote (3/4 mixed with 4/4) - so that’s a little different …plus the melody is kinda ‘jumpy’ which makes it tough for us non-singers to sing. But most importantly though, it’s fun to play on the guitar. The second chord is a simple C (aka. the Phoebe chicken claw) up two frets, and was something I got from Natalie (another story for another time) when she was showing me a song she wrote called ‘Funny’. Next time I talk to her maybe I can convince her to let me post it I guess I should also mention it’s capo’d on the 4th fret.

I don’t pretend to know a lot of things
I often find myself just getting by
and if you ask me will I ever change
I say why - I say why

I don’t pretend to have a lot of friends
the ones I do are never there for show
and if you ask me why I’m all alone
I don’t know - I don’t know

I won’t pretend, I can’t pretend,
I don’t think honesty’s an end
it’s just another way my friend
of living life once again

I don’t find sex a casual affair
I try my best to live the golden rule
I’m not ashamed to say that I don’t know
when I don’t really know

I like the feeling of the morning rain
I think success is pretty close to pride
and if I had to do it all again
I’d say why - I’d say why

I won’t pretend, I can’t pretend,
I don’t think honesty’s an end
it’s just another way my friend
of living life once again

once again…

and if you do the things that really make you happy
then you’ve got nothing left to really get you down

I won’t pretend, I can’t pretend,
I don’t think honesty’s an end
it’s just another way my friend
of living life once again

once again…

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Baby I Love You (ballad)

<edit Sept 19, 8pm …it seems I goofed on some stereo/mono issues when this file was loaded and as a result the solo was ‘missing’ on certain speaker systems. It’s fixed. My bad - don’t hate me.>

September 18, 2007. Pretty straight forward lyric wise …I added some extra ‘cheese’ in a few places cause some of you kids like that stuff. I do at times. As for the tune, it’s one of the few pop piano inspired pieces I’ve done. I had a super cool sound through a VST/AU instrument called Albino 3, and I almost spent the near $300 Can. on buying the program so I could have that tone. However, cooler heads prevailed (for the time) and I tweaked the Garageband settings a bit to get something kinda close. Kinda. The RnB background groove was inspired from a visit to another WordPress blog that I couldn’t find again, but essentially the piano part and form were complete but lacked a little ‘humph’ on their own …hence the need for the funky rhythm stuff.

I grabbed the help of Karen Porkka for the sweet tenor sax sounds. The trombone/trumpet or other sequencer inspired sounds just didn’t work …so THANKS! again Karen - you’re the best. Finally, I let the end sorta fade off into the distance because I thought it shouldn’t quite finish just yet, and I didn’t want to add another verse/chorus to the song as that would’ve been a bit too much cheese for one sitting. Lol, remember kids - ‘cheese in moderation’ …that’s my motto. So yeah, I guess that’s it. I kinda scooped the vocals at times (which usually annoys me whenever I hear it done) and if I get off my butt I just may re-do them if necessary. We’ll see.

you’re the one - I’m the two
you’re the sky - I’m the blue
baby I love you
baby I love you

you’re the song that I sing
you’re the hope in everything
baby I love you
baby I love you

you’re the only one who really understands me
and the only thing that makes my life complete
is having you here right beside me

you’re the time - I’m the day
you’re the rhyme - and I’m the way
baby I love you
baby I love you

solo

you’re the only one who really understands me
and the only thing that makes my life complete
is having you here right beside me

you’re the show - I’m the stage
you’re the pen - and I’m your page
baby I love you
baby I love you
baby I love you
baby I love you

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Words (pop)

July 24/07 - This song was built on the first line of a poem I was planning to write/finish about a month ago now. I thought the idea was neat in that here I am …using words to explain that I can’t use words. What’s the word for that? So, I eventually took a stock chord progression (ie: simple for me to play) and worked out an ever-so-slightly rambling melody. The verse was initially going to be the chorus, but then I couldn’t really find another verse I liked - so I came up with the simple two word chorus and relegated the would-be chorus to a verse. Lol - get it? Me neither. Anyway, the words were simple and direct, so anytime I tried to come up with a different lyric for a second or third verse they seemed to fail miserably - so I just went with repeating the whole thing. I don’t think that’s necessarily wrong …it’s kinda catchy enough, and at least you know what the song is about by the end. I hope.

Arrangement wise I tried going for a Feist type thing. I’m not sure what that means exactly - but I wanted to layer the verses around different (and simple) rhythm/drum loops and/or guitar combinations, of course emphasizing the voice (which is why I got Amber in to help) above anything else that was going on. Amber worked in some cool harmony ideas …and just to feel included I piped in my own voice at the end. I’m so sneaky!

Finally, the bridge/solo section is from King Muskafa’s smash hit ‘I Feel Wasted’ (lol). Somehow I don’t think they’ll mind me borrowing it

words can’t find their way - I’ve givin’ up on trying to
get these words to say - the things I need you to know

and if I had my way - I wouldn’t say another thing
I’d hold you in my arms - letting silence explain

certain things just can’t be spoken
certain things inside the eyes
and if I had that chance to show you
you’d realize

words can’t find their way - I’ve givin’ up on trying to
get these words to say - the things I need you to know

and if I had my way - I wouldn’t say another thing
I’d hold you in my arms - letting silence explain

and I do ….

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I’m Falling in Love (pop)

July 4/07 - As usual, I had the melody, form and chords completed earlier (about 6 months ago). It underwent some subtle changes but nothing too drastic from the original. The words are fairly fresh - which is of course the reason for the thing finally getting completed. The chords in the chorus are loosely based on the progression from the Odds ‘Eat My Brain’ (which is a great song btw) and if it ever gets played live it would be fun to tag the ‘C’mon and eat my brain’ ditty over and over as a type of ‘rock out’ ending. But I digress. I think I recorded the thing in a key or two too high - I envisioned other harmonies over the chorus but of course my limited vocal range is …well, limited. It needs some higher harmony on the bridge as well - but yeah, a lower key might of helped. As for the solo …don’t ask. Finally, I provided a link in the lyrics for those of you who may not of grabbed the ‘Sunny’ reference. Another great song as well!

Why do I feel like I’m fifteen years old?
Being in love is for the young I’m told.
Did it find its way inside of me
like a jingle straight from hell?

What can I do, how can I get control?
I’m falling apart - an unfamiliar role.
And the thought of her keeps dragging me
like a puppet from a string.

I think I’m falling, falling, falling in love.

Why does it seem that she can read my mind?
Is that what they mean when they say love is blind?
So I try to find the better words
but I stumble once again.

I think I’m falling, falling, falling in love.

And when she cries I feel uneasy.
Her eyes get gray like when Sunny’s blue.
But when she smiles; the world - it changes
and I feel so anew.

Solo

Every day and every hour it seems,
I find her again, in all my thoughts and dreams.
And it’s something I can’t figure out
so I’ve given up to try.

I think I’m falling, falling, falling in love.

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Missing You (pop)

June 8/07 - This was one of those songs that simply wrote itself. I had the melody, chords and form all laid out over a year ago in what was probably less than 20min. time. That’s typically not the case with most songs, but sometimes it just happens. As usual though, the words didn’t come to me at all - so I shelved it for a while. I stumbled upon it a few weeks ago while browsing through some old files and realized that I still really liked it - so then it was just a matter of finding the right idea to go along …and I think I did. It’s a little strange in that it’s a march of some sorts, but that’s kinda what my guitar felt like strumming. I added a little extra instrumentation, while at the same time tried to keep it all fairly simple.

I’m missing you now,
and missing you more
than you could understand.

when we shared that night,
I shared too much -
something I didn’t plan.

you were asleep in my arms
when the morning came on -
and I stayed there and watched you
way too long.

I’m trying not to think,
I’m trying not to feel -
when you’re away from me.

I’m missing you now -
and time marches on
again.

solo

although I can call you,
it’s not quite the same,
and those things left unfinished
still remain.

I’m trying not to think,
I’m trying not to feel -
I’m trying not to understand

cause I’m missing you now -
and time’s marching on
again.

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Bob (jazz)

June 4/07 - Although this song was written in 1998, I just recently recorded it with Craig Giacobbo (myself on the bone) so in that sense it’s new - sort of. Anyway, I wrote this thing in memory of Bob Stroup who happened to be my trombone instructor at GMCC back in the days. It was the first song I had composed on trombone (most others were guitar or piano) and turned out to be one of my personal favs. No lyrics though - so you can make something up on your own

Click for lead sheet download —> bob-PDF

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Your Shoes (pop)

May 2/07 - This tune was first posted in my blog (here) and I luckily got Amber to do the vocals while I hacked my way on the guitar et al. It’s more of a ‘feeling’ song rather than about anything specific - and this is why the lyrics are non-specific.

I don’t know you
I don’t do the things you do
so I can’t put myself in your shoes

it’s not easy
people say what people say
and I can’t put myself in your shoes

but if you do all that you can
second chances can be so grand

life ain’t perfect
sometimes hard to understand
and I can’t put myself in your shoes

ooooohhhh’s

and if you do all that you can
second chances can be so grand

I don’t know you
I don’t do the things you do
so I can’t put myself in your shoes

I can’t put myself in your shoes
I can’t put myself in your shoes
I can’t put myself in your shoes

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