Category Archives: Acoustic

52 Songs In 52 Weeks, Acoustic, Demos, Songwrite, Songwriting

Let It Be, Set You Free: 52 Songs In 52 Weeks — Song #32

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I’ve got just a few more days left in my songwriting challenge called “52 Songs In 52 Weeks.” I’ll write a wrap up and lessons learned later this month. Meanwhile, take a listen to “Let It Be, Set You Free,” which is the 32nd song in the series.

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Lyrics for Let It Be, Set You Free
I’ve spent so long
Running around
I couldn’t tell you
Where I’d be found

I’ve spent so long
Rehashing the past
Woke up one morning
I was quite aghast

Chorus
Oh, just let it be
And set you free

I made quite a mess
Tried to clean it up
Peace and quiet
Took some years to fill my cup

I think about my friends
What we do and say
I can be myself now
Not my yesterdays

Chorus
Oh, just let it be
And set you free

Guitar solo

Getting out of bed
Clearing out my head
Oh, what a dream it is
Being here instead

Chorus
Oh, just let it be
And set you free

Chorus
Oh, just let it be
And set you free

52 Songs In 52 Weeks, Acoustic, Songwrite, Songwriting, Uncategorized

Girl With The Starry Eyes: 52 Songs In 52 Weeks — Song #28

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“Girl With The Starry Eyes” is the 28th song in my series “52 Songs In 52 Weeks,” where I’ve challenged myself to write and record a song a week for a year.

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The girl with the starry eyes
Is wandering through the field
Sees her breath in the winter air
And finally feels healed

She doesn’t need to cry, oh no
In fact, she catches herself smiling
It’s been almost a year out here
In a personal wilderness

The girl with the starry eyes
Walks along the water
Even though her father’s gone
She still works to be his daughter

She knows he would be proud
Behind the shroud
Hell, it was him that taught her
You can run away or stay to fight another day

Chorus
Shine on, starry eyes
Shine on, starry eyes

The girl with the starry eyes
Night gathers all around
She’s tired and a little cold
So she heads back into town

Yes, she knows the way
Each day, they would walk the path together
Sometimes he would say
Shine on, starry eyes

Chorus
Shine on, starry eyes
Shine on, starry eyes

52 Songs In 52 Weeks, Acoustic, From Time To Time, Songwrite, Songwriting

From Time To Time: 52 Songs In 52 Weeks — Song #27

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This song “From Time To Time” has been kicking around for a while and largely completed since 2011. I finished recording the demo on July 1, 2014 by adding new guitar work, resurrecting the plug-in I used for the strings, and remixing this song. I’ve hesitated to add it to 52 Weeks since it has been largely finished for a while, but decided to include it since I’m finally happy with the demo.

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Yeah, I never got over you, girl
That summer of waves and wine
I can still see the beach and the wind in your hair
You’ve got me tangled like a fishing line

In your cotton blouse
Near the beach house
I was playing up among your dunes
Making mermaid jokes
We shared a smoke
I used your name in all those Beatles tunes

Chorus
From time to time
You’re on my mind
From time to time
Oh, like you’re still mine

We played that old guitar
Out in the dark
Sang up to the glimmering sky
Out on the sandbar
We counted falling stars, oil rigs, and satellites

Chorus
From time to time
You’re on my mind
From time to time
Oh, like you’re still mine

Bridge
Time is a cruel illusion
Summer seems to last forever
But it’s never gonna bring you back
It’s a bummer
It’s a cold, hard fact

Yeah, I never got over you, girl
That summer of waves and wine
I can still see the beach
But you’re just out of reach…

Chorus
From time to time
You’re on my mind
From time to time
Oh, like you’re still mine

Yeah, I never got over you, girl
I never got over you
Never got over you, girl
Never got over you
Never got over you, girl
Never got over you

52 Songs In 52 Weeks, Acoustic, Demos, Songwrite, Songwriting

Daddy Came Home: 52 Songs In 52 Weeks — Song #25

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This is my 25th song in my songwriting challenge called “52 Songs In 52 Weeks.” This demo is about a man coming home from war and the impact of his experiences on his child and wife.

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Lyrics
Daddy don’t talk much like he used to do
Keeps to himself
Seems awfully blue
And Daddy don’t sleep ’cause his dreams have turned sour
Mama just weeps, sweeps up the spilled flowers

Chorus
Daddy came home but he’s not the same
Daddy came home but Daddy’s changed
Daddy came home and he’s acting strange
And there’s only one thing to blame

Daddy can’t work no more but he’s done his share
In my 18 years he spent six years there
So now Daddy’s come home but he can’t hold a job
He done it for me so I could be free but I just feel robbed

Chorus
Daddy came home but he’s not the same
Daddy came home but Daddy’s changed
Daddy came home and he’s acting strange
And there’s only one thing to blame

Bridge
Three months ago my Daddy ended his war
Fired his final shot behind a closed door
He left a note and I kept all the lines
They keep turning, circling in my mind
My Daddy’s gone home

Solo

Now I’m of age to join and still the war goes on
Tomorrow I’ll sign up, help support my Mom
And I’m gonna go fight like my Daddy done
And I’ll keep fighting ’til the war is won
And I’ll keep fighting ’til the war is won

Chorus
My Daddy’s gone home and I ain’t the same
Daddy’s gone home, things have changed
Daddy’s gone home and I’m off to war
Daddy’s gone home and he ain’t coming back no more

52 Songs In 52 Weeks, Acoustic, Songwrite, Songwriting

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

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“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.

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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?

52 Songs In 52 Weeks, Acoustic, Blog, Demos, Home studio, Songwrite, Songwriting

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

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“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.

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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

52 Songs In 52 Weeks, Acoustic, Blog, Songwrite, Songwriting

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

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

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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