Semi-Produced Recordings
Runaway Home
Pretty Walls
Senorita
Crystalline Blue
Frog and Beetle
SunshineGoodTimes
Denial
Leedleladdleloo
Want To Grow Old
Heading to Kansas
Autumn
RunawayHomeSPR1.mp3
Notes: I like this song not only for its melody but for the contrasts between parts. This song sets the stage for a series of songs (a "song-cycle", how about that!) about a woman who ran away from home as a teenager. Here she has returned after several years of a rough life on the road. Exit 19 would be from I-35 somewhere in Kansas.
Runaway Home
She had fallen like a leaf into dark still water
Drifting through each night, nowhere bound
Yesterday there was sun for this brightest daughter
Again packing up her life and leaving town
Restarting fresh is where she’ll be
Upon the crack of dawn
A pounding road transfixing her
A calling from a past that moves her on
She knows what she knows
She’s free to go where she goes
This ought to work for me
She says this ought to work for me
This ought to work for me
This ought to work for me
Exit 19 left onto 160
An automatic pilot it switches on
The fragrant air of Elm Street
The park where she first kissed
Cicadas buzzing endlessly
Coming home it never felt like this
She knows what she knows
She’s free to go where she goes
This ought to work for me
She says this ought to work for
A simple twist unlatches the door
She’s standing there still unsure
This ought to work for me
This ought to work for me
This ought to work for me
This ought to work for me
John Andrew
July 2010
Notes: I like this song not only for its melody but for the contrasts between parts. This song sets the stage for a series of songs (a "song-cycle", how about that!) about a woman who ran away from home as a teenager. Here she has returned after several years of a rough life on the road. Exit 19 would be from I-35 somewhere in Kansas.
Runaway Home
She had fallen like a leaf into dark still water
Drifting through each night, nowhere bound
Yesterday there was sun for this brightest daughter
Again packing up her life and leaving town
Restarting fresh is where she’ll be
Upon the crack of dawn
A pounding road transfixing her
A calling from a past that moves her on
She knows what she knows
She’s free to go where she goes
This ought to work for me
She says this ought to work for me
This ought to work for me
This ought to work for me
Exit 19 left onto 160
An automatic pilot it switches on
The fragrant air of Elm Street
The park where she first kissed
Cicadas buzzing endlessly
Coming home it never felt like this
She knows what she knows
She’s free to go where she goes
This ought to work for me
She says this ought to work for
A simple twist unlatches the door
She’s standing there still unsure
This ought to work for me
This ought to work for me
This ought to work for me
This ought to work for me
John Andrew
July 2010
PrettyWallsSPR2.mp3
Notes: This is the second song in the "song-cycle". (Currently, there are about 8 songs in this song cycle--stay tuned!) Our heroine has been welcomed home. She is now exhausted both physically and emotionally. After a heartfelt reunion with her immediate family she retreats to the solace of her old bedroom, which has been maintained over the years just as she had left it. This recording is set in a key for a female vocalist. My vocals are scratch. . . otherwise, the sibling would be a sister.
Pretty Walls
(TW)
I should have known you can never run away
I should have seen all the good I had that day
But deep inside I was fragile as a lamb
Wobbling unsure footed as I am
Stumbling into my old room I close the door
Lying there in my old bed I’m still unsure
But they seemed happy and excited Mom and Dad
Like my brother whose face was more than glad
I’m surrounded by these protective spells
That shelter me from the storm
These pretty walls hold my memories
And these pretty walls look the same
A photograph of an old dear friend
A shining silver medal bears my name
I should have known it’s impossible to hide
But powerful is the heat when worlds collide
And if anything I’ve learned you can’t escape the truth
But the truth is I still have all the tenderness of youth
Gathered here all around me now
Like a hurricane, this is my eye
These pretty walls hold my memories
And these pretty walls feel the same
Within these pretty walls is the perfect place
For the lost seeking shelter from a storm
John Andrew
August 2010
Notes: This is the second song in the "song-cycle". (Currently, there are about 8 songs in this song cycle--stay tuned!) Our heroine has been welcomed home. She is now exhausted both physically and emotionally. After a heartfelt reunion with her immediate family she retreats to the solace of her old bedroom, which has been maintained over the years just as she had left it. This recording is set in a key for a female vocalist. My vocals are scratch. . . otherwise, the sibling would be a sister.
Pretty Walls
(TW)
I should have known you can never run away
I should have seen all the good I had that day
But deep inside I was fragile as a lamb
Wobbling unsure footed as I am
Stumbling into my old room I close the door
Lying there in my old bed I’m still unsure
But they seemed happy and excited Mom and Dad
Like my brother whose face was more than glad
I’m surrounded by these protective spells
That shelter me from the storm
These pretty walls hold my memories
And these pretty walls look the same
A photograph of an old dear friend
A shining silver medal bears my name
I should have known it’s impossible to hide
But powerful is the heat when worlds collide
And if anything I’ve learned you can’t escape the truth
But the truth is I still have all the tenderness of youth
Gathered here all around me now
Like a hurricane, this is my eye
These pretty walls hold my memories
And these pretty walls feel the same
Within these pretty walls is the perfect place
For the lost seeking shelter from a storm
John Andrew
August 2010
SenoritaSPR1.mp3
Notes: The lyrics to this fun song were started with my daughter. We knew it should be about rain, then we realized that the rain needed to be hitting a window. What rhymes with "pane"? or "sill"? What if the rain were streaking sideways? The window would have to be moving. In a car? But then the person would be driving and not looking out the side. How about a bus? Better yet: an airplane taking off. But where is this person going? Why is he happy looking at the rain? The result is a fun song that one might expect to hear performed by musicians at some resort hotel in Hawaii--think Moana Surfrider.
Senorita
Well I love to see the rain
As it streaks across my window
As we lift off of the runway
And climb into the clouds
As we break into the Sun
And my neighbor puts on headphones
I press my face into the beauty
And wonder how you’ve been
Under the bluest sky
Across a sea of clouds
I’m a racing home
True to what I said, when we were forced apart
Senorita, don’t be sad, don’t be blue
Please remember, I’ll be coming home soon to you
Every day’s a holiday with you
Every day’s a holiday with you.
It’s been a year since my deployment
It’s been a lifetime since I’ve slept
With you curled around my shoulders
I hope this ring you will accept
Under the bluest sky
Across a sea of clouds
I’m a racing home
I’m gonna see my girl
Senorita, don’t be sad, don’t be blue
Please remember, I’m the boy who is true
Every day’s a holiday with you
Every day’s a holiday with you.
John Andrew
September 2010
Notes: The lyrics to this fun song were started with my daughter. We knew it should be about rain, then we realized that the rain needed to be hitting a window. What rhymes with "pane"? or "sill"? What if the rain were streaking sideways? The window would have to be moving. In a car? But then the person would be driving and not looking out the side. How about a bus? Better yet: an airplane taking off. But where is this person going? Why is he happy looking at the rain? The result is a fun song that one might expect to hear performed by musicians at some resort hotel in Hawaii--think Moana Surfrider.
Senorita
Well I love to see the rain
As it streaks across my window
As we lift off of the runway
And climb into the clouds
As we break into the Sun
And my neighbor puts on headphones
I press my face into the beauty
And wonder how you’ve been
Under the bluest sky
Across a sea of clouds
I’m a racing home
True to what I said, when we were forced apart
Senorita, don’t be sad, don’t be blue
Please remember, I’ll be coming home soon to you
Every day’s a holiday with you
Every day’s a holiday with you.
It’s been a year since my deployment
It’s been a lifetime since I’ve slept
With you curled around my shoulders
I hope this ring you will accept
Under the bluest sky
Across a sea of clouds
I’m a racing home
I’m gonna see my girl
Senorita, don’t be sad, don’t be blue
Please remember, I’m the boy who is true
Every day’s a holiday with you
Every day’s a holiday with you.
John Andrew
September 2010
CrystallineBlueSPR3.mp3
Notes: A holiday song about being stranded at home after a snowstorm. Daughter Maitreya (age: 10) is reading quotes from the book "The Tender Heart of Sadness" written by our dear friend Roger Guest. Of course, the "crystalline blue" refers to the sea of snow surrounding the home. OK, OK, snow is usually thought of as white. But consider the "blue" here as a reference to water: crystalline water = snow. Further, how about an allegorical reference where this home equals some tropical sunshine island paradise. But more than that, for those of you unaware, snow really does reveal a cyan color. This can be readily seen on a bright day by looking into a hole punched into the snow. . . it's quite blue! (cyan, actually). This is for the same reason liquid water is blue, which is that water molecules (frozen or not) LOVE red frequencies such that these red frequencies are selectively absorbed (and transformed into heat). Remove red from white light (red + green + blue = white) and what remains is cyan (green + blue = cyan). Happy holidays!
Crystalline Blue
There’s nothing like the first falling magical snow
Captured by the birch trees hanging so low in December
The children all bundled at the break of day
School’s been canceled and they’re out to play, don’t you remember
Says the momma to
The papa who’s thinking it through
I’ll call into work. How about you?
The ultimate gift that one human being can offer another
Is pure undistracted attention
There are moments when
We come together and
We feel like giving
This is living
A happy holiday
Is just one storm away
When we’re stranded
We have landed
On an isle of sunshine in a sea of crystalline blue
Cocoa on the stove, wet socks by the fireplace
Playing penny poker toes are frozen as we embrace the embers
Then shoveling the front steps, stacking more wood
Baking up a golden pie tasting so good, just you remember
Says the momma to
The papa who’s thinking it through
How about tonight, just me and you?
Finding the goodness in others
Depends first on finding it in ourselves
There are moments when
We come together and
We feel like giving
This is living
On an isle of sunshine in a sea of crystal light blue
Normally when we walk, we don’t think about walking
We think about where we are going
When we are present, we forget where we are going
And we return to the walking.
John Andrew
October 2010
Notes: A holiday song about being stranded at home after a snowstorm. Daughter Maitreya (age: 10) is reading quotes from the book "The Tender Heart of Sadness" written by our dear friend Roger Guest. Of course, the "crystalline blue" refers to the sea of snow surrounding the home. OK, OK, snow is usually thought of as white. But consider the "blue" here as a reference to water: crystalline water = snow. Further, how about an allegorical reference where this home equals some tropical sunshine island paradise. But more than that, for those of you unaware, snow really does reveal a cyan color. This can be readily seen on a bright day by looking into a hole punched into the snow. . . it's quite blue! (cyan, actually). This is for the same reason liquid water is blue, which is that water molecules (frozen or not) LOVE red frequencies such that these red frequencies are selectively absorbed (and transformed into heat). Remove red from white light (red + green + blue = white) and what remains is cyan (green + blue = cyan). Happy holidays!
Crystalline Blue
There’s nothing like the first falling magical snow
Captured by the birch trees hanging so low in December
The children all bundled at the break of day
School’s been canceled and they’re out to play, don’t you remember
Says the momma to
The papa who’s thinking it through
I’ll call into work. How about you?
The ultimate gift that one human being can offer another
Is pure undistracted attention
There are moments when
We come together and
We feel like giving
This is living
A happy holiday
Is just one storm away
When we’re stranded
We have landed
On an isle of sunshine in a sea of crystalline blue
Cocoa on the stove, wet socks by the fireplace
Playing penny poker toes are frozen as we embrace the embers
Then shoveling the front steps, stacking more wood
Baking up a golden pie tasting so good, just you remember
Says the momma to
The papa who’s thinking it through
How about tonight, just me and you?
Finding the goodness in others
Depends first on finding it in ourselves
There are moments when
We come together and
We feel like giving
This is living
On an isle of sunshine in a sea of crystal light blue
Normally when we walk, we don’t think about walking
We think about where we are going
When we are present, we forget where we are going
And we return to the walking.
John Andrew
October 2010
FrogBeetleSPR2.mp3
Notes: I would classify this as a campfire song. Nuff said . . .
Frog and Beetle
Under a log there lived a lonely beetle
Who fell in love with a beautiful frog named Weedle
And he dreamed of their joyful union
When they would live
In their beautiful beetle-frog house with their beetle-frog children
Nay, said the beautiful frog you have six legs and I have four
What’s the matter with you
Don’t you know who I am
Scram away because I’m the princess of all that’s proper
And you’re just a bug I’d like to eat for supper, soon.
Under a tree there lived a lonely froggy
Who fell in love with a great blue heron named Woggley
And she dreamed of their joyful union
When they would live
In their beautiful heron-frog house with their heron-frog children
Nay, said the handsome bird you have four legs and I have two
What’s the matter with you
Don’t you know who I am
Scram away because I’m the prince of all that’s proper
And you’re just a frog I’d like to eat for supper, soon.
By a pond there lived a lonely heron
Who fell in love with a beautiful boa constrictor by the name of Karen.
And he dreamed of their joyful union
When they would live
In their beautiful heron-snake house with their heron-snake children
Nay, said the beautiful snake you have two legs and I have none, but
Before I give you the shrug
Let me give you a hug
Just to show I care
Then out popped the frog and out popped the beetle
The beetle turned to frog and said how could you Weedle
The frog gave a croak and turned to the bird
Who was sliding down the throat soon no more to be heard
When beetle took to snake and quickly tickled her nose
And out sneezed Woggley, the bird, like water from a hose
Then they all ran away in sheer utter disgust
For if you’re gonna fall in love love only whom you trust
So there you have it friends like in Aesop’s fable
Taint nothing more important than the dinner on your table, soon
John Andrew
September 2010
Notes: I would classify this as a campfire song. Nuff said . . .
Frog and Beetle
Under a log there lived a lonely beetle
Who fell in love with a beautiful frog named Weedle
And he dreamed of their joyful union
When they would live
In their beautiful beetle-frog house with their beetle-frog children
Nay, said the beautiful frog you have six legs and I have four
What’s the matter with you
Don’t you know who I am
Scram away because I’m the princess of all that’s proper
And you’re just a bug I’d like to eat for supper, soon.
Under a tree there lived a lonely froggy
Who fell in love with a great blue heron named Woggley
And she dreamed of their joyful union
When they would live
In their beautiful heron-frog house with their heron-frog children
Nay, said the handsome bird you have four legs and I have two
What’s the matter with you
Don’t you know who I am
Scram away because I’m the prince of all that’s proper
And you’re just a frog I’d like to eat for supper, soon.
By a pond there lived a lonely heron
Who fell in love with a beautiful boa constrictor by the name of Karen.
And he dreamed of their joyful union
When they would live
In their beautiful heron-snake house with their heron-snake children
Nay, said the beautiful snake you have two legs and I have none, but
Before I give you the shrug
Let me give you a hug
Just to show I care
Then out popped the frog and out popped the beetle
The beetle turned to frog and said how could you Weedle
The frog gave a croak and turned to the bird
Who was sliding down the throat soon no more to be heard
When beetle took to snake and quickly tickled her nose
And out sneezed Woggley, the bird, like water from a hose
Then they all ran away in sheer utter disgust
For if you’re gonna fall in love love only whom you trust
So there you have it friends like in Aesop’s fable
Taint nothing more important than the dinner on your table, soon
John Andrew
September 2010
SunshineSPR1.mp3
Notes: Year Y2K10, the economy is pretty tough. Lot's of people either unemployed or underemployed. This song is not about that. Instead, it focuses on those who do happen to have a job. . . but have gone a bit overboard . . . perhaps out of fear or excessive dreaming (hungry ghost syndrome—big stomach but very narrow gullet). Funny thing that I wrote it for "those" people only to discover how aptly it applied to myself. I feel the therapy upon each listen. Maybe you will too, whether employed or not.
Sunshine Good Times
You got work, so you work with constant vigilance
You got dreams and big numbers fill your head
And so little time is left for all those little things
And no one will understand you till your dead
Ya it’s true your cold cash it buys the groceries
And the pure gold you earn can land you a house
But don’t expect to be the richest millionaire
Cause if you do, my friend, good luck with your spouse
One for the paycheck
Two for the road
Three to get ready
And four you’ll never know
Five for your freedom
Six for the rent
Seven buys you heaven
But by eight all the money’s spent . . . and on and on
It’s a good day for you to play ya ya you got enough money
There’ll be sunshine and good times just forget about the money
You could do without all that bickering
Like a knife this life it divides your heart
And see that girl your brightest flame is now flickering
And the blues have got her down soon she’ll fall apart
Stick with the simple
And go with the flow
Do the unpredictable
And watch your assets grow
Lend her an ear
And take some advice
If you don’t like the weather
Stay in bed where it’s warm and nice . . . and on and on
It’s a good day for you to play ya ya you got enough money
There’ll be sunshine and good times you can forget about the money
Get ready for sunshine and good times (4x)
John Andrew
November 2010
Notes: Year Y2K10, the economy is pretty tough. Lot's of people either unemployed or underemployed. This song is not about that. Instead, it focuses on those who do happen to have a job. . . but have gone a bit overboard . . . perhaps out of fear or excessive dreaming (hungry ghost syndrome—big stomach but very narrow gullet). Funny thing that I wrote it for "those" people only to discover how aptly it applied to myself. I feel the therapy upon each listen. Maybe you will too, whether employed or not.
Sunshine Good Times
You got work, so you work with constant vigilance
You got dreams and big numbers fill your head
And so little time is left for all those little things
And no one will understand you till your dead
Ya it’s true your cold cash it buys the groceries
And the pure gold you earn can land you a house
But don’t expect to be the richest millionaire
Cause if you do, my friend, good luck with your spouse
One for the paycheck
Two for the road
Three to get ready
And four you’ll never know
Five for your freedom
Six for the rent
Seven buys you heaven
But by eight all the money’s spent . . . and on and on
It’s a good day for you to play ya ya you got enough money
There’ll be sunshine and good times just forget about the money
You could do without all that bickering
Like a knife this life it divides your heart
And see that girl your brightest flame is now flickering
And the blues have got her down soon she’ll fall apart
Stick with the simple
And go with the flow
Do the unpredictable
And watch your assets grow
Lend her an ear
And take some advice
If you don’t like the weather
Stay in bed where it’s warm and nice . . . and on and on
It’s a good day for you to play ya ya you got enough money
There’ll be sunshine and good times you can forget about the money
Get ready for sunshine and good times (4x)
John Andrew
November 2010
DenialSPR1.mp3
Notes: This song is one of the 8 songs of the song cycle that includes "Runaway Home" and "Pretty Walls". It highlights some self-honesty issues of our heroine but in a humorous way. The setting is an Irish Pub where she is surrounded by friends and many who are unfamiliar. A different person from this crowd sings each verse. This rough recording was made on the day of being diagnosed with John's disease. Life is a roller coaster. Some of us fall out. Most of us make it to the end of the ride.
Denial
I was a friend of the president, a charmer if ever to be found
I could have him review your manuscript
So your book will be published and bound
When I was a lad of 22, I could carry as fast as the wind
I placed me second in the New York marathon
Though that poor runner, just ahead of me, I let win
A powerful elixir the truth it sure ain’t
Like the nightly broadcast on FOX news
The weather’s getting warmer
Have no fear nor complaints
You can move to Vermont if you choose
Denial, it helps us make sense of the day
Denial, we wouldn’t have it any other way
That medical report was a 06 out of 10
You’re a failure the doctor decrees
But when viewed upside down
Holding tight to your gown
That’s a 90 out of 01 if you please
I was a world famous limirist you see
I could make up a limerick real quick [pause]
Like Peter the Pig he went to his gig
Proudly to play his kazoo
But as soon as he started
They all thought he farted
For out of the wrong end he blew
That’s denial, it helps us make sense of the day
Denial, we wouldn’t have it any other way
Might there be a person whom you fancy a bit
You think of him or her all the time
Though said person wouldn’t know you from a barrel of [pause] spit
The love you two made was divine
And now here we come to the crux of our issue
When expectations and facts don’t align
Tain’t nothing more gratifying
Oh please pass the tissue
Than changing your vinegar into wine [That’s delish]
Denial, it helps us make sense of the day [Ya, you wish]
Denial, we wouldn’t have it any other way
John Andrew
December 2010
Notes: This song is one of the 8 songs of the song cycle that includes "Runaway Home" and "Pretty Walls". It highlights some self-honesty issues of our heroine but in a humorous way. The setting is an Irish Pub where she is surrounded by friends and many who are unfamiliar. A different person from this crowd sings each verse. This rough recording was made on the day of being diagnosed with John's disease. Life is a roller coaster. Some of us fall out. Most of us make it to the end of the ride.
Denial
I was a friend of the president, a charmer if ever to be found
I could have him review your manuscript
So your book will be published and bound
When I was a lad of 22, I could carry as fast as the wind
I placed me second in the New York marathon
Though that poor runner, just ahead of me, I let win
A powerful elixir the truth it sure ain’t
Like the nightly broadcast on FOX news
The weather’s getting warmer
Have no fear nor complaints
You can move to Vermont if you choose
Denial, it helps us make sense of the day
Denial, we wouldn’t have it any other way
That medical report was a 06 out of 10
You’re a failure the doctor decrees
But when viewed upside down
Holding tight to your gown
That’s a 90 out of 01 if you please
I was a world famous limirist you see
I could make up a limerick real quick [pause]
Like Peter the Pig he went to his gig
Proudly to play his kazoo
But as soon as he started
They all thought he farted
For out of the wrong end he blew
That’s denial, it helps us make sense of the day
Denial, we wouldn’t have it any other way
Might there be a person whom you fancy a bit
You think of him or her all the time
Though said person wouldn’t know you from a barrel of [pause] spit
The love you two made was divine
And now here we come to the crux of our issue
When expectations and facts don’t align
Tain’t nothing more gratifying
Oh please pass the tissue
Than changing your vinegar into wine [That’s delish]
Denial, it helps us make sense of the day [Ya, you wish]
Denial, we wouldn’t have it any other way
John Andrew
December 2010
LeedleSPR3.mp3
Notes: We went to an astounding presentation featuring Tom and Janet of Magicians Without Borders. They have performed magic shows for hundreds of thousands of children in refugee camps, orphanages, and hospitals around the world, often in war torn places where love, laughter, and magic are desperately needed. Please look them up at MagiciansWithoutBorders.org. According to Tom:"I like to think that the magic brings not only laughter and surprise, but on some deeper level perhaps, magic plants seeds of hope. Hope that the impossible is possible. Hope that after years of waiting in a refugee camps, the waiting will end and the people will go home again."
This song is NOT about Tom and Janet. Rather, they were the inspiration for the second verse. The rest is purely fictional, except for that my aunt Mary did fall in love with a motorcycle pappa named Butch. They are still quite the couple.
Leedleladdleloo
A little old lady from Leedleladdleloo
Longing for a laddy laddling her leak and lemon stew
Loading up her laundry not knowing what else to do.
While a mean old man from Meenolmannymo
In a melancholy moment strumming on his old banjo
Was moaning for a motorcycle momma like a Romeo.
Intent to take a trip to the town of Tripoli
The little old lady revved the engine of her loud as hell Harley (Davidson).
But stopped by a tavern where she knew she'd like to have a cup of tea.
And when she walked into the bar that mean old man, he lost his tongue
And when she looked into his eyes they twinkled, was he the one?
You think that nothing can change
Then you meet a stranger stranger than strange
With a million paths you can pick
You gotta hang it up, you got no way to predict
With an appetite for passion and a simple premonition
He proposed a proposition where would you like to go
So they packed up their bags, picked up their prescriptions
Plundered their possessions, heading south to Acapulco
And opened up a meditation center, where they could sit
Then they sailed the world visiting refugee camps as entertainers (food for the soul) they were a hit
So get your butt off the floor
Stand straight up step out that door
There’s a great big world to explore
Where the oxygen is free not from a store
John Andrew
January 2011
Notes: We went to an astounding presentation featuring Tom and Janet of Magicians Without Borders. They have performed magic shows for hundreds of thousands of children in refugee camps, orphanages, and hospitals around the world, often in war torn places where love, laughter, and magic are desperately needed. Please look them up at MagiciansWithoutBorders.org. According to Tom:"I like to think that the magic brings not only laughter and surprise, but on some deeper level perhaps, magic plants seeds of hope. Hope that the impossible is possible. Hope that after years of waiting in a refugee camps, the waiting will end and the people will go home again."
This song is NOT about Tom and Janet. Rather, they were the inspiration for the second verse. The rest is purely fictional, except for that my aunt Mary did fall in love with a motorcycle pappa named Butch. They are still quite the couple.
Leedleladdleloo
A little old lady from Leedleladdleloo
Longing for a laddy laddling her leak and lemon stew
Loading up her laundry not knowing what else to do.
While a mean old man from Meenolmannymo
In a melancholy moment strumming on his old banjo
Was moaning for a motorcycle momma like a Romeo.
Intent to take a trip to the town of Tripoli
The little old lady revved the engine of her loud as hell Harley (Davidson).
But stopped by a tavern where she knew she'd like to have a cup of tea.
And when she walked into the bar that mean old man, he lost his tongue
And when she looked into his eyes they twinkled, was he the one?
You think that nothing can change
Then you meet a stranger stranger than strange
With a million paths you can pick
You gotta hang it up, you got no way to predict
With an appetite for passion and a simple premonition
He proposed a proposition where would you like to go
So they packed up their bags, picked up their prescriptions
Plundered their possessions, heading south to Acapulco
And opened up a meditation center, where they could sit
Then they sailed the world visiting refugee camps as entertainers (food for the soul) they were a hit
So get your butt off the floor
Stand straight up step out that door
There’s a great big world to explore
Where the oxygen is free not from a store
John Andrew
January 2011
OldSPR5.mp3
Notes: So many songs about staying young. Here's one about the blessing of growing old. May we all be so fortunate.
I Just Want To Grow Old
I just want to grow old after a life of bliss
Waltzing in my wheelchair as I reminisce
I just want to grow old in the most natural way
Liver spots on my skin, hair loss, and tooth decay
I just want to grow old while always feeling great
Chalking up the years until I’m 108
I heard it said the ladies are really in their prime
Up there in the stratosphere where they age like wine
Save me, rescue me from the strains of youth
Give me the courage to cut through life’s painful truths
I just want to grow old and ruminate
Sitting on the front porch pretending to meditate
Listening to Bossa Nova on my transistor radio
Considering the alternatives I say Hey Let’s Go
So swing your partner, plant a kiss
Rejoice and don’t despair
Regardless of your looks inside you’re still
Fred Astaire
So tell me that it’s true
Life it begins at 102
So let’s just change our point of view
Fresh is the air
Ya, way up there
Repeat pre-chorus/chorus
John Andrew
February 2011
Notes: So many songs about staying young. Here's one about the blessing of growing old. May we all be so fortunate.
I Just Want To Grow Old
I just want to grow old after a life of bliss
Waltzing in my wheelchair as I reminisce
I just want to grow old in the most natural way
Liver spots on my skin, hair loss, and tooth decay
I just want to grow old while always feeling great
Chalking up the years until I’m 108
I heard it said the ladies are really in their prime
Up there in the stratosphere where they age like wine
Save me, rescue me from the strains of youth
Give me the courage to cut through life’s painful truths
I just want to grow old and ruminate
Sitting on the front porch pretending to meditate
Listening to Bossa Nova on my transistor radio
Considering the alternatives I say Hey Let’s Go
So swing your partner, plant a kiss
Rejoice and don’t despair
Regardless of your looks inside you’re still
Fred Astaire
So tell me that it’s true
Life it begins at 102
So let’s just change our point of view
Fresh is the air
Ya, way up there
Repeat pre-chorus/chorus
John Andrew
February 2011
KansasSPR3.mp3
Notes: This is a song about our dental assistant who recently moved to Garden City, Kansas. After an appointment we got to talking about her upcoming move. She pulled out her iPhone to show me a GoogleEarth image of the farm to which they were heading. She pointed out a line of trees, which she said was a significant landmark in an otherwise treeless terrain. From above, it's truly a land of green and gold circles. Having been raised in Winfield, Kansas, myself, we talked excitedly. The excitement was perfect for this tune, which with lyrics was created from scratch within 48 hours of our discussion.
Heading to Kansas
Morning comes in old St. Albans
The sun shines through her window on her face
The truck is full her dream is knocking
A grown-up child now leaving home in haste
With some fellow she’ll be free (she will be free)
To see the world she wants to see (she wants to see)
There goes Kelly finally (ya finally)
The pounding road and the changing scenery
Countless exits another Motel 6
Through the city air and the midnight traffic
The stars are off because some one flicked the switch
But we’re heading to Kansas, cross the border
To the land of circles
A patchwork quilt of golden grain,
The biggest sky you’ve ever seen
There’s a rainbow in the field
Off the horizon shining
Let’s plant a garden, raise our children
To be lovers of this land
Goodbye New England, hello heartland
The day breaks clear by a lovely row of trees
The cattle call by the humming windmills
Our pioneers now capturing the breeze
She’ll groom the horses in the stable (you got you got)
The freshest chicken on the table (you’ll see you’ll see)
The world connected now by cable (can you believe)
We're heading to Kansas, cross the border
To the land of circles
A patchwork quilt of golden grain,
The biggest sky you’ve ever seen
There’s a rainbow in the field
Off the horizon shining
Let’s plant a garden, raise our children
To be lovers of this land
John Andrew
February 2011
Notes: This is a song about our dental assistant who recently moved to Garden City, Kansas. After an appointment we got to talking about her upcoming move. She pulled out her iPhone to show me a GoogleEarth image of the farm to which they were heading. She pointed out a line of trees, which she said was a significant landmark in an otherwise treeless terrain. From above, it's truly a land of green and gold circles. Having been raised in Winfield, Kansas, myself, we talked excitedly. The excitement was perfect for this tune, which with lyrics was created from scratch within 48 hours of our discussion.
Heading to Kansas
Morning comes in old St. Albans
The sun shines through her window on her face
The truck is full her dream is knocking
A grown-up child now leaving home in haste
With some fellow she’ll be free (she will be free)
To see the world she wants to see (she wants to see)
There goes Kelly finally (ya finally)
The pounding road and the changing scenery
Countless exits another Motel 6
Through the city air and the midnight traffic
The stars are off because some one flicked the switch
But we’re heading to Kansas, cross the border
To the land of circles
A patchwork quilt of golden grain,
The biggest sky you’ve ever seen
There’s a rainbow in the field
Off the horizon shining
Let’s plant a garden, raise our children
To be lovers of this land
Goodbye New England, hello heartland
The day breaks clear by a lovely row of trees
The cattle call by the humming windmills
Our pioneers now capturing the breeze
She’ll groom the horses in the stable (you got you got)
The freshest chicken on the table (you’ll see you’ll see)
The world connected now by cable (can you believe)
We're heading to Kansas, cross the border
To the land of circles
A patchwork quilt of golden grain,
The biggest sky you’ve ever seen
There’s a rainbow in the field
Off the horizon shining
Let’s plant a garden, raise our children
To be lovers of this land
John Andrew
February 2011
AutumnSPR1.mp3
Notes: I start tapping my foot sitting in the hallway playing around with an A chord with my guitar tuned down four half steps. The rest of the music came fairly quickly. For lyrics, I knew the chorus should sing "Too many nights, too many days." From there I had to figure out what the rest of the song would be about in order to be able to have such a line.
Autumn Afternoon
Two birds swoop in flight
Lost in delight
Racing through the branches
Two leaves gliding down
See them swirling round
As all of nature dances
Woe, woe
Save for a lonely soul like me
From the inside looking outside
Reflectively
Here on an autumn afternoon
What comes together, is we could never
Make up too soon (It’s been)
Too many nights and too many days
Longing for you in so many ways
instr
What the sky is to a cloud
As the cloud is to rain
As the rain to a river
That flows up to the fawn
As the dark greets the dawn
Where there’s one there’s the other
Woe, woe
You are the open space in my eye
Through which all vision with such precision
Makes me sigh
Here on an autumn afternoon
What comes together, is we could never
Make up too soon (It’s been)
Too many nights and too many days
Longing for you in so many ways
Longing for you in so many ways
John Andrew
March 2011
Notes: I start tapping my foot sitting in the hallway playing around with an A chord with my guitar tuned down four half steps. The rest of the music came fairly quickly. For lyrics, I knew the chorus should sing "Too many nights, too many days." From there I had to figure out what the rest of the song would be about in order to be able to have such a line.
Autumn Afternoon
Two birds swoop in flight
Lost in delight
Racing through the branches
Two leaves gliding down
See them swirling round
As all of nature dances
Woe, woe
Save for a lonely soul like me
From the inside looking outside
Reflectively
Here on an autumn afternoon
What comes together, is we could never
Make up too soon (It’s been)
Too many nights and too many days
Longing for you in so many ways
instr
What the sky is to a cloud
As the cloud is to rain
As the rain to a river
That flows up to the fawn
As the dark greets the dawn
Where there’s one there’s the other
Woe, woe
You are the open space in my eye
Through which all vision with such precision
Makes me sigh
Here on an autumn afternoon
What comes together, is we could never
Make up too soon (It’s been)
Too many nights and too many days
Longing for you in so many ways
Longing for you in so many ways
John Andrew
March 2011