music journal

I wrote a little song about walking in the woods with the kids (which you can read about here). the tune (so far) is a straight-up rip-off from a tune Death Cab’s new ablum (which I just got and enjoy). so here goes:

walk in the woods (tune: death cab’s Grapevine Fires)

(Am) last day of (C) spring
a walk in the (G) woods
a little (D) fresh air
might do us (Am) good
the three of (C) us
a walk in the (G) woods
a walk in the (Em) woods
 
decend the hill
at a quiet pace
stop for each bloom
in this magic place
decend the hill
at a quiet pace
at a quiet pace

(a walk in the woods…) Am C G D
 
came to a tree
across the way
the brightest bird
a red and black display
he flies away
as the day turns gray
as the day turns gray
 
climb the hill
to find the falls
splash some rocks
bounce off the walls
somewhere I hear
the red bird call
the red bird call

(a walk in the woods…)
 
it’s getting dark
the long day ends
lets hold hands
while we ascend
head back home
as better friends
as better friends
 
 

here’s a song that’s a bit of a tribute to Norman and Nancy Blake, a legendary husband and wife guitar/mandolin duo. it’s also a little about marriage and how much I love making music and living life together. this is just a draft that could use a lot of editing and perhaps some consolidation and additions.

here’s a rough demo mp3

Be My Nancy

(chorus)
I’ll be your Norman, if you’ll be my Nancy
I’ll pick out a simple tune, nothing all too fancy
If I try the melody
Will you sing sweet harmony?
If I’ll be your Norman, will you be my Nancy?

Will you play a steady beat?
Sweet runs voiced in a different key.
Pick out notes that intertwine
Two hearts, one song: that’s oh-so-fine

We can sing some happy songs
About our little home where we belong
Or maybe a tune about long ago
When things were simple and life was slow

I might never pick too good
But honey I hope it’s understood
That if you’re playing by my side
Sweet music rings out far and wide
 

here’s an edgier one inspired by similar stuff that resulted in the last one. I’ve got something of a tune in my head…kinda blues/rock, but we’ll see what happens.

here’s a rough demo mp3

I wanna tell you something and I’m hoping that it’s true
I wanna tell you baby how much I love you
I wanna look into your beautiful eyes
But baby I’m afraid I’ll be telling lies
 
Because baby…I’ll give you my heart
But honey…I need a new start
Yeah baby…you know I wanna love you
The problem honey… is that I love me too
 
You know that I’ve been trying to get it all just right
But the part that should be dying keeps putting up a fight
I wanna tell you honey that I’ll give it all to you
With a broken heart like this what’s a boy to do?
 
(chorus)
 
Now honey let me tell you I meant just what I said
But now I start to see this old skin is hard to shed
I wanna promise baby that I always will be true
But baby I believe there’s some work to do
 
(chorus) 

Here’s a song for Michelle. I’ve got the tune (with the octave), just need to record a decent version. it’s a reflection on what we’ve been learning about our marriage recently. still needs some refinement, but here it is:

here’s a rough demo mp3

you’re my mystery
I thought I could see
I thought I had it all figured out

you’re my mystery
I see that I cant see
I thought that all these little thing would add up to a lot

now I dont know just how to love you
when once I thought I did
I’m not sure how much I know you
but now I know:
you’re my mystery 

I’m your mystery
I want you to see
you’ll never have me all figured out

I’m your mystery
And I hope you see
my heart is yours and hoping you’ll unlock it with your key
 
you may not know just how to love me
I’m praying that you’ll try
you may not know how much you know me
but now you know:
I’m your mystery

I’m praying for some grace and mercy
my heart it needs new eyes
to see your true eternal beauty
and so we know:
we’re a mystery

the first song that kicked off my interested in songwriting was setting a tune to an old poem I wrote for Michelle. that poem/song was about the night we fell in love, and its still one of my favorites.

last night was the 10th anniversary of the events from that song, so I did an updated version for the occassion:

Lover and friend, full of beauty and grace,
Ten years ago we danced in the rain
Laughing and dancing in spinning embrace.

Your black dress swirling, a curl in your face,
The memories cause me to fall once again
Lover and friend, full of beauty and grace.

First time I held you and started to chase
Your heart and a love that would always remain
Laughing and dancing in spinning embrace.

Do you remember feeling a trace
Of beautiful oneness, a loving refrain
Lover and friend, full of beauty and grace.

We danced through the night, hearts quickening pace
Started the love song we still sing today
Laughing and dancing in spinning embrace.

Now we’ve returned to this mysterious place
Remember God’s love and grace has sustained
Lover and friend, full of beauty and grace,
Laughing and dancing in spinning embrace.

here’s the little song that Michelle and I wrote for our new neice, who was born earlier this year. I was able to sing it for her at the baby shower.

Hannah Jane, little girl,
Welcome to this big bright world,
We’ve waited oh so long
To see your little face.
 
We prayed long and we waited
We hoped until we cried
Now God’s given you
And joy it fills our eyes.

(chorus)
By grace you were born,
By gace you’re now here,
Amazing gift from God,
Amazing, amazing grace.
 
May He guide your little feet
Your heart trust in him,
So you’ll rejoice in God,
You’re whole life praising Him.

listening to Norman Blake today, and he’s got a happy homey song called Seaboard Airline Rag that inspired me to write about my home. I had his tune in my head when I put this down. by the way, the “Lookout Town” reference is what the Cherokee called it when they first settled the area.

St. Elmo Home - draft mp3 here

I live in the shadow of the mountain
1/2 a mile from the Georgia line
in a little neighborhood
treats me so good
founded eighteen-eighty-five
 
come spring the trees are in full bloom
cherry and pear so fine
when the wind blows
it looks like snow
with the flowers that fill the sky
 
(chorus)
call it Lookout Town
call it St. Elmo
call it Chattanooga
I dont mind
whatever you call this little old place
I’ll call it home sweet home of mine

we got ourselves a little history
got an incline railroad too
an amazing mile
will bring a smile
beautiful smokey mount view
 
got all kinds of folks round here
all colors both old and young
try to get along
‘cuz we all belong
every nation tribe and tounge

here’s a little song for my daughter. I think it needs some work but here it is so far:

My Aya - draft mp3 here

A picture here pinned in my cube
Little hand, you were just two
Little hand, outlined in green
I keep it close by so I see
How small you were not long ago.
Oh I love watching you grow.

Oh my Aya
I’m so happy you’re my little girl
Oh my Alice
You know I would give you the world

Your photo here, I see it each day
You sleep so late I dont see your face
I miss your smile and your curls
That sweet voice of my little girl
Your brown eyes, that spot by your ear
These truly are the best of years

(chorus)

I wonder just how you will be
Growing up, it’s so hard to see
Your way in this confusing world
But you’ll always be Jesus’ little girl
Trust Him and remember to pray
He’ll keep you close by each day

(chorus)

here’s an old story, one of the darkest chapters of our town’s history. as I looked into it here and elsewhere I came to realize that the original crime happened in our neighborhood, and I already knew the resulting crime happened where I spend many of my lunchtimes. there’s lots of fascinating and terrible stories surrounding this, and there’s a book about it too (that I’ll probably read soon). one glimmer is that Ed was eventually exonerated, but that was about 94 years too late.

here’s a draft mp3 of the tune (most of it borrowed from Willie Nelson) 

The Tale of Ed Johnson

on a cold winter’s eve in St. Elmo
the year was 1906
miss Nevada Taylor
attacked and waylaid
and dark was the criminal’s skin
and dark was the criminal’s skin
 
worst crime in all the towns hist’ry
Chattanooga was pulsing with rage
the hounds came up empty
so the sherriff’s deputy
found a black man of young age
found a black man of young age
 
Ed Johnson declared he’d done nothing
he’d been at the Last Chance Saloon
but downtown they took him
and justice forsook him
though he had done nothing wrong
though he had done nothing wrong
 
the lynch mob came with their fury
they stormed with rifles and rope
but the guard stood strong
and sent the crowd home
and Ed had a glimmer of hope
and Ed had a glimmer of hope
 
12 white jurors assembled
a trial was speedily done
Nevada wasnt quite certain
but her hand pointed to him
he was probly the one
he was probly the one
 
the appeal went to the courts highest
Judge Harlan granted a stay
but the lynch mob returned
to kill and to burn
and noone dared stand in their way
and noone dared stand in their way
 
for hours they hammered the jail doors
they mocked and they beat young Ed down
and down at the span
each woman and man
rejoiced as his feet left the ground
rejoiced as his feet left the ground
 
so here on the Walnut Street Bridge
remember poor Ed and lament
for the last thing they heard
were his final words:
“God bless you all, I am innocent”
God bless us, he was innocent

it seems that old-timey music from this part of the world usually touches on mining sooner or later. some of my favorite modern ones are Gillian’s Miner’s Refrain and the Miller’s Quecreek (scroll to the bottom). since I’ve been in that kinda mode lately, I figured I’d write a mining song myself, so I looked up some info and found quite a few tragic stories. one that struck me was the Coal Creek mine disaster, which happened in 1902, about 130 miles from where I’m sitting. particularly heart-rending was the notes some of the miners left behind (about the middle of the page) as they slowly died, as well as the incredible numbers of family members who died together. so here’s an ode to them:

here’s a draft mp3. this one is unique in that I’m on the octave mandolin instead of the guitar. 

One More Breath (tune: Portland Waltz)

In the Coal Creek Mine
there’s 200 lives
come to dig for one more day
 
could they have known
going down the hole
they would all be carried away?
 
a fire in the hole
and only 10 souls
were spared an instant demise
 
those who remained
seven hours they prayed
to God to spare their lives
 
the air was thick
they realized real quick
they were moments from meeting their death
 
so they wrote to their loves
pleading Jesus to trust
praying “Oh God, for one more breath”