Category Archives: Songwrite

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

Hermine (Halloween Mix) – 52 Songs In 52 Weeks— Song #15

Hermine is song number 15 in my series “52 Songs In 52 Weeks.” I started this song in September 2010, and really liked the intro, which has a My Bloody Valentine influence. The title comes from Tropical Storm Hermine — see information about Tropical Storm Hermine on Wikipedia — and the melody came to me as I walked through big rain drops resulting from the storm.

The original chorus and bridge — to the extent there was a bridge — didn’t take the song anywhere. So I messed around with the song off and on for years, and finally decided to change the feel completely in the chorus. I like the shift in the new chorus and the space in the new bridge. The new bridge wasn’t moving back naturally to the chorus, so I reintroduced the voice to prepare the listener for the shift back. Hope it works for ya. I finished recording the demo for Hermine on Halloween 2014. The demo is currently available as a free download.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/174911072″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]

Aurora, You Call To Me: 52 Songs In 52 Weeks — Song #13

“Aurora, You Call To Me” is my thirteenth song in a series I call “52 Songs In 52 Weeks.” My goal is to write and record a new song every week for a year.  I wrote and recorded “Aurora” over the last week.  If you like it, please share it.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/160413060″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Lyrics

Aurora nights, northern dreams
When I’m away you stay with me

The way you are
Calls to me
You and I fit so perfectly

Chorus
Night passes quickly
Into dawn’s thieving hands
Your wine glass fills with sunlight
On the night stand

Your aura light shines out to sea
Beckons across the waves between

Your body, love, calls out to me
Though we should sleep
The need’s too deep

Chorus
Night passes quickly
Into dawn’s thieving hands
Your wine glass fills with sunlight
On the night stand

Oh, darlin’ my heart yearns for you
When we’re apart
When we’re apart
When we’re apart

Weave The Darkness Bright: 52 Songs In 52 Weeks — Song #11

“Weave The Darkness Bright” is the eleventh song in my series “52 Songs In 52 Weeks.”  I wrote and recorded it on July 1, 2014.   I tried to leave a lot of space in this song.  It’s also got a string section.  If you like the song, please share it on your social site of choice.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/156993698″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Lyrics

She never wanted to grow old
He told her never to grow old

He never wanted to grow cold
She told him never let your heart grown cold
No.

Chorus
Yes, we leave
We leave tonight
And we’ll weave the darkness bright

Since we could be anywhere
We should go anywhere

Is all of life bought and sold?
Not all of it is bought with gold
No.

Chorus
Yes, we leave
We leave tonight
And we’ll weave the darkness bright