Category Archives: 52 Songs In 52 Weeks

Be Happy: 52 Songs In 52 Weeks — Song #23

“Be Happy” is the 23rd song in my songwriting challenge “52 Songs In 52 Weeks.” My goal is to write and record a new song every week for a year.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/180488437″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=true&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]

Lyrics
All the times that you struggled
All the times that you tried
When nothing worked out
No star would guide

No gift of persuasion
Made money fall from the sky
All those mornings you spent
praying God was on your side

Chorus
Now be happy
Now be happy

All the tears that you shed
All the grief in your heart
All the sorrow and pain
That tried to rip you apart

Chorus
Now be happy
Now be happy

Solo

All the sleepless nights
Trying to explain, hoping
A flash of wisdom will fall down like rain.

Chorus
Now be happy
Now be happy

Bridge
Oh, the stress and the strain
They can’t touch you now
Oh, the fear and the pain
You can face them now

Ad Lib Chorus
So be happy, yeah
Come on, be happy
Come on, be happy
Won’t you be happy

Happy, yeah
Come on, be happy, yeah
Come on, be happy, yeah, oh
Won’t you be happy?

“Warship” and “All These Rumors (Have Me Singing The Blues)”: Songs #21 and #22

I had the great fortune to get to know and write music with two very talented songwriters from Helsinki, Finland this week at The House of Songs.

On November 30, Jere Ijäs and I co-wrote “Warship” — or “Warsheep” as we prefer to call it. On December 6, Jussu Pöyhönen and I co-wrote “All These Rumors (Have Me Singing The Blues).” Here’s a photo of them performing together at the House of Songs Showcase on December 3. Jere invited me up to join him on stage and we performed the world premiere of “Warship.”

Jere Ijäs-Jussu Pöyhönen

Thanks to you both, and as always, thanks to The House of Songs for making it all possible.

These co-writes are the 21st and 22nd songs in my songwriting challenge “52 Songs In 52 Weeks.”

Reasons For The Fall: 52 Songs In 52 Weeks — Song #20

“Reasons For The Fall” is the 20th song in my songwriting challenge series “52 Songs In 52 Weeks,” where my goal is to write and record a song each week for a year. This song has a blues feel.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/176962645″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

It’s just a blank wall
Standing so tall
It seems to stretch on forever

Under pale skies
Never colored by sunrise
The wanderer’s memories fly
But they won’t flock together

Chorus
No, he can’t recall
All the reasons for the fall
Now he’s kept apart
From the place where healing starts, oh no

A flash of a cold room
One long afternoon
Where he signed all the papers

Then they all stood
Though he barely could
And he left that room running on vapors

Chorus
No, he can’t recall
All the reasons for the fall
Now he’s kept apart
From the place where healing starts, oh no
Oh no

Instrumental chorus
Outro

So This Is Middle States: 52 Songs In 52 Weeks — Song #19

“So This Is Middle States” is the 19th song in my songwriting challenge series “52 Songs In 52 Weeks,” where my goal is to write and record a song each week for a year. This song has a punk rock feel.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/176922188″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

He likes to eat his breakfast
At the restaurant counter
He’s got a new companion
He’s some sorta wanker
Really kinda nosy
Inappropriate behavior
Asks too many questions
Today he annoyed

Chorus
So this is middle states
This is middle states, oh
Barf-o-rama
This is middle states
This is middle states, oh
Yucked out

Moola money trader
Waves a dirty lighter
Wanting to talk French
But only in soliloquies
Cigar
Faker
Money taker
Straight out of the Heartland

Chorus
So this is middle states
This is middle states, oh
Ugh
This is middle states
This is middle states, oh
Oeuf, mec

Solo

Chorus
So this is middle states
This is middle states, oh
Ralph
This is middle states
This is middle states, oh
Vomit

Au revoir

There’s More Time In Life (When You’re Making Time For Friends): 52 Songs In 52 Weeks — Song #18

“There’s More Time In Life (When You’re Making Time For Friends)” is the 18th song in my songwriting challenge series “52 Songs In 52 Weeks,” where my goal is to write and record a song each week for a year. This one has a bit of an Americana/Country feel.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/176925075″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

I’ll be traveling down the highway
If you don’t mind me dropping in
I’ve lost track of many friendships
Thought I should do some checking in

Chorus
Where’s the time in life?
There’s more time in life
When you’re making time for friends
Where’s the time in life?
There’s more time in life
When you’re making time for friends

Well I paid old Joe a visit
And his health was fading fast
We broke the bread, shared wine together
While we still could share a laugh

Chorus
Where’s the time in life?
There’s more time in life
When you’re making time for friends
Where’s the time in life?
There’s more time in life
When you’re making time for friends

The branches bare with winter
Make cobwebs for the spring
And I’ve set these wheels a rolling
Can you hear them as they sing?

Chorus
Where’s the time in life?
There’s more time in life
When you’re making time for friends
Where’s the time in life?
There’s more time in life
When you’re making time for friends

Solo

Chorus
Where’s the time in life?
There’s more time in life
When you’re making time for friends
Where’s the time in life?
There’s more time in life
When you’re making time for friends

Contrast Poem: 52 Songs In 52 Weeks — Song #17

Contrast started life as a poem. Then, I had the idea of using contrasting sounds, so I put it to music. Later, I got the idea of sampling my vocals and using them like drums. Needless to say, it’s a weird song. Enjoy.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/176805823″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]

Contrast
As we must do
As we do
As we all crawl and all fly
Contrast

Just a symptom of the universal symphony
Just a nine-way’s slice of off and on and nowhere’s in between
Just gilded states of charged space, abrogation of fidelity, and concentration of such

Contrast

Spider webs and sunlight
Kisses and remembrances
Kisses after midnight

Altitude and attitude

Talking ’bout
Contrast

Just a symptom of the universal symphony

Contrast

Talking ’bout contrast
Contrast

Some crawl, some fly
Contrast

Set Yourself Free (Doing No Time): 52 Songs In 52 Weeks — Song #16

“Set Yourself Free (Doing No Time)” is the sixteenth song in my songwriting series 52 Songs In 52 Weeks. Hope you like it.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/176746509″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]

Well, there ain’t no solution
When there ain’t no crime
If someone breaks your heart
They won’t be doing no time

If you build your own prison
Inside your own mind
Where the nights stretch out forever
And the keys you can’t find

Chorus
You’ve got to set yourself free
You’ve got to set yourself free
You’ve got to set yourself free
Well, you’ve got one life so live it
Don’t let them take and give it

Solo

When they’re not coming back
When they’ve run with all the money
When you’re all dressed in black
And the bees won’t make no honey

Chorus
You’ve got to set yourself free
You’ve got to set yourself free
You’ve got to set yourself free
Well, you’ve got one life so live it
Don’t let them take and give it

Bridge
Oh no no no no no
You’ve got to let them go
Let today be
The day you set yourself free

Chorus
You’ve got to set yourself free
You’ve got to set yourself free
You’ve got to set yourself free
Oh, you’ve got one life so live it
Don’t let them take and give it

Solo

Chorus
Set yourself free
You’ve got to set yourself free
Come on and set yourself free
You’ve got one life so live it
Don’t let them take and give it