Words on Wednesday: "The Sirens."

I like the juxtaposition in this song. Word of the day achieved!

The Sirens

Verse
My baby falls a long way down;
She wants me to join her soon,
But she never touches the ground,
And her words split like shadows on the moon.

Breaking on the dirt,
The light gives a moment's worth,
Of all that's wrong in our hearts.

Chorus
To my left there's an angel beside me;
To my right there's a devil within.
I've long confused which offers me hope,
And I've forgotten which one offers me sin.
What if all I've known of love
Is a song that the Sirens sing.
And what if my devil has
Angel wings.

Verse
My baby falls a long way down.
So I fall while I can,
But we never touch the ground.
We disappear like the sound that nobody hears.

Bouncing off the walls,
A blistered heaven falls
To fill the space in our hearts.

Chorus
To my left there's an angel beside me;
To my right there's a devil within.
I've long confused which offers me hope,
And I've forgotten which one offers me sin.
What if all I've known of love
Is a song that the Sirens sing.
And what if my devil has
Angel wings.

Outro
My baby falls a long way.
My baby falls a long way.
My baby falls a long way.
My baby falls a long way
Down.

Tuesday's Photo Fun: Ava Art

I've always noticed that Ava had a unique way with things. Hannah has always been a much better drawer, granted Hannah's older, but still there is a difference in their style if you will. Ava's knack has always been assembling things - balls and cups, pots and pans, food - into patterns. Here are some of her latest works. The quotes below the pictures are her actual descriptions of what she was making.

"Mommy with a purse and a donut."

"A Pop-tart heart."

Monday's Mutterings of One

I accidentally discovered a really good hook for a country song. I went to say to a friend at work that I needed to start my car so it will be warm when I get in. Instead I said 'heart' instead of car. Within no time I had a country chorus:

I'm gonna start your heart,
So it'll be warm when I get in.
It's been out in the cold so long,
It's been blowing in the wind.
You've been lost inside your mind;
You've been looking for a friend.
I'm gonna start your heart,
So it'll be warm when I get in.

Pay attention to this next time you hear a country song, they always repeat the first line of the chorus at the end of the chorus. One small example:

I'm carrying your love with me
From West Virginia down to Tennessee.
I'll be moving with the good lord's speed,
Carrying your love with me.
It's my strength for holding on,
Every minute that I have to be gone.
I'll have every thing I'll ever need;
I'm carrying your love with me.

Almost every country song I can think of follows this simple pattern. Give it a try!

Happy Holidays!

I will be taking a break from blogging for the holiday season. Thanks everyone for keeping up with me. I am very thankful for all the support of my friends and family. Have a great Christmas everyone!

Poetic Friday: All Things Invisible

I just liked the way it looked better with no capitals and no punctuation. Thanks e e cummings!

All Things Invisible

all things invisible
some things not
drops pool in the shadows
and cool when it's hot

all things unthinkable
and some things spawn
born of intentions
and live when we're gone

to say that I am
the sum of these parts
divisible by love
and reversed by the heart

un-breaking itself
like an egg and its shell
unmaking a life
not quite death nor in hell

but the place that it dwells
the un-dones and have-nots
is a place that the sun
can not reach from its spot

the eclipse it creates
and the smiles unexplained
spurs the laughter the lore
and the beauty in pain

Live on Thursday: "Beautiful Brick"

I am not very pleased with my performance here, but I am pleased with the song and music itself. I thought it was much more important to get the song out, than for the video to be perfect. I am going to try to challenge myself to film at least one song a week, starting this week, and I almost didn't make it.

This song is my 'Rapunzel' song, my fellow blog followers may remember me initially writing and talking about this song on this post. I feel like this song is a sequel or sister to 'World Wide.' It has a similar context and style.

Words on Wednesday: "Look at You."

I was listening to 'Volcano' by Damien Rice, and he writes for both woman and man singing parts. That intrigues me. The song below is written for a man and woman as well. The two different singing parts are differentiated by what is in black and what is in gray.

Look at You

Verse
The sun will still rise.
You'll still find your feet
Directly below,
Just not above me.

It's all just words,
And these words are worthless.
It's going to take time,
But you'll break the surface.

Chorus
Look at my eyes;
Don't look at the things that I do.
I look at my life,
And I look at you.

Verse
The sun is still here,
Though the clouds lay a distraction.
There's always a cause,
And there's always a reaction.

Chorus
There's things that will change,
And there's things that we can't undo.
I look at my life,
And I look at you.

Bridge
For the sun to pour through your heart,
With each blessed ray;
For the warmth to enter your soul,
You must get out of the way.

Verse
But the sun's already set,
And it's all that I am.
A river can't run
While withstanding a dam.

Chorus
Look at my eyes,
I assure you, you'll only look through.
I look at my life,
And all the hardest things that I do.
When I look at my life,
I look at you.

Tuesday's Photo Fun

I'm not sure what Ava wished for before she blew out her candles, but I assure you whatever it was you know I'd give it to her if I could.

She was so gracious at her little party. All on her on, without me baiting her, she said, "Thanks everyone for coming to my party." in her sweetest 'Ava' voice. Hannah helped decorate and also gave presents to Ava to open. She didn't mind helping her play with them afterwords either.

Monday's Mutterings of One

"I like Bush (the band) but I also like lyrics. So we will call it a conflict of interest."

For those of you who both remember and appreciate there was a period of time in rock music (most of the 90's) where lyrics simply did not matter. Perhaps this was spurred in part by Nirvana's abstract, gritty, and metaphoric lyrics; or maybe in part from the fact that no matter how hard you tried you couldn't hear a word of Eddie Vedder's (Pearl Jam) lyrics. Whatever the reason, lyrics flew out the window.

Great bands like Soundgarden, Stone Temple Pilots, and Radiohead put their focus on the music and the mood, and thus began the battle for the most ridiculous lines. One of my favorite bands from that time were one of the best at ludicrous lyrics, Bush. Here is an example from Razorblade Suitcase (that was the name of one of their albums).

These are excerpts from 'Strait No Chaser'

...Abscess memory with broken fingers
All the fallen down angels, Raw pain distress

...Climb inside you away from strangers
Building a system of alleys and motorways

...Keep on driving, hair left morning wet
There's nothing like losing you

Now keep in mind I love this song, but how can one relate to this? "Hair left morning wet?" So me and my friends had a little fun this weekend talking about this and we started a competition to write a Bush song. I'll leave you with the best lines we came up with.

Spider transexual, spaghetti fingers.
A bold-faced pony tail, cryogenics.
Comotose aliens, your hand in my brain.
Armodilla mustache, a must-have turtle neck.

Swordfish bed pan, paper mache.
Tera forma tundra, woodgrain heart attack.
Jerry-curl window pane, sun shines your eyes.
Peppermint trash can, for staking my money on.

It is really fun, you guys should try it!

Poetic Friday

There is a big difference between writing a song and writing a poem. I'm sure most of you view my posts on here as poetry, but that's not even close. My songs have a melody, and in most cases need the music to survive. I used to write more poetry, and in an attempt to sharpen my songwriting skills I am going to force my poetic side with another weekly routine: Poetic Friday.

I am going to challenge myself to write a new poem for every Friday, or find an older one of mine to examine. Additional routines I am going to try to work my way into: "Monday's Mutterings of One," and "Live on Thursday."

Please enjoy my first entry to Poetic Friday, a brand new poem for your reading pleasure.

Opportunity

So whats the story, morning glory?
It is to you my mind now slides.
Evasive and elusive, my shady lady,
Still un-opening as she hides.

Perhaps once around the sun,
And her composure then will melt.
Afraid of the dark, but not the lions,
Assuming cards before they're dealt.

Spinning threads of gold to string,
Her life, not what she dreams;
May to the surface-watcher seem,
But only she deems what is seen.

A sincere pause, a thought collection,
And again her voice prevails.
The strength it takes to fortify
The vile beneath the veil.

The surreptitious "Yes, mmm hmm,"
And the ceremonious "Nope."
The ladder leaves a clue behind;
The knot begets the rope.

As all of this hangs in the air
Like a dandelion spore,
The mastery of her majesty
Paints a scene she's seen before.

The artisan in her repertoire
Regrets none by her own code,
Shows compliance to the universe
Despite the evidence bestowed.

That the consequential traits
Of the love she can't afford,
Still stops and screams the question,
"Where is my f*#$ing door?"

Animals and Sex

This is such a funny story one of my friends from work told me. Her son (age 5) will be in a Christmas play at their church. They were having dinner the other night and she was asking him if he had remembered his lines. He very confidently says, "Yeah." When she asks him to say them he says, "Animals and sex."

Her and her husband's jaw dropped as they looked at each other for confirmation on what they just heard. The play is done to the music of "The Twelve Days of Christmas," their son's day: Day Three. Now count backwards from 12 and point to a little boy on the third day who very sweetly says, "Animals and Sex." See the dilemma, and the humor?

After she composed herself, and wiped the smile from her face, she asks again, "Now what are your lines?" This time he says, "Animals, insects, and people."

He had left off the 'and people' part before. Let's hope he doesn't forget that part at the play!

The Places We'll Go

The Places We'll Go

Chorus
The places we'll go.
Oh, the places we'll go.
Miles and miles of fence rows
Pass by us as the wind blows.

Verse
Your hand in mine;
Fingertips are intertwined.
The eyes of the night
Is just the light reflected by
The heart of our sun.
The seams are undone.
The inner dreams of everyone
Is all in your lips,
All in your eyes,
Over my head,
And under your thighs.

Chorus
The places we'll go.
Oh, the places we'll go.
Miles and miles of fence rows
Pass by us as the world goes.

Verse
The path less taken,
In the dark we are mistaken
The shadows, from the light.
The trees are buzzing
With the sound of life.
My hand on your hip;
The small of your back;
My hands as they grip;
I embrace your attack.

Chorus
The places we'll go.
Oh, the places we'll go.
Miles and miles of fence rows
Pass by us as the wind blows.

Bridge
And I know its been a long time.
And I know that you can not be mine.
But I feel like you will find,
When comparing me to everyone else
You've never felt more like yourself.

Chorus
The places we'll go.
Oh, the places we'll go.
Don't just stand beside your window,
Go outside and watch the world grow.

Chorus (Key Change)
The places we'll go.
The places we'll go.
It never felt so good to lose control,
As you stood by and watch me let go.

Cornflakes in Milk

I have eluded to this quirky song before on my blog, but I do not think I have published it in its entirety. I'm curious as to what you guys think about this song, as I am indifferent.

The Procession

Verse
The wet leaves on my sidewalk
Reminds me of cornflakes in milk.
The lines in your eyes
Are as bright as the sky,
As thin as silk.

Prechorus
I'd go out today,
Except for the weather.
Stay inside,
Yeah, I guess I better.
Maybe I'll try
To write you a letter,
But I can't find a pen.

There's things that we don't talk about,
Other times we just pretend.

Chorus
Day to day, we
Get forgotten.
Twist your heart into
Sailor knots, and
I know it all seems
So trivial.
But all the cars will stop
For your funeral.

Verse
It's alright to get your hands dirty,
If you got a job to do.
And the seafloor bottom
Can't hold a mystery
Next to you.

Chorus
Day to day, we
Get forgotten.
Twist your heart into
Sailor knots, and
I know it all seems
So trivial.
But all the cars will stop
For your funeral.

Bridge
Oh, what's the difference
In the distance

Between wishing
And waiting
And dreaming
And dying?

Chorus/Outro
Day to day to day,
We twist our hearts.
But all the cars will stop,
All the cars will stop,
Everything will stop
For your funeral.

Tuesday's Photo Fun

I'm so proud of Ava. She is usually a bit frightened by this sort of thing, but she got right up there and sat on Santa's lap across from Hannah. I think Hannah helped, I don't think she would have done it alone. Ava was actually upset when we left, she wanted to see Santa more. She kept saying, "I want Santa bring me presents." Meanwhile, Hannah's mind kept reeling over this, "Why isn't Santa at the North Pole?"

As Debbie noted in her comment, it is Ava's birthday today. She is three. She was so sweet when I told her it was her birthday. I said, "Ava, it's your birthday today." She said, "Oh, happy birthday to me, Hannah" to her sister and her sister said, "Happy Birthday, Ava."

Nephew Nate

Last Friday, December the 5th, at approx. 2:20 PM my sister gave birth to her 3rd child: Nathan Connor. He was 8 lbs. 5 ounces, about 19 inches long, and a cutie pie. He was a very calm baby, and didn't cry at all after they had ran tests on him, he just looked around.

My dad, joking with me about wanting another child after seeing me glued to the nursery room window, said that I need to have a boy to continue the family name. I said, "No, I will just teach Ava that who ever she marries has to take on her last name." I pick Ava, because she is stubborn enough to actually stick to it. I can already hear her, "My Husband has to take my name, right Dad?" She says 'right' after everything she says. It is cute as all-get-out, but really wears you out after a while, "Yes, Sweetie. That's right."

Head Above Water

I used to fill notebooks upon notebooks with words in my teens. Words without meaning, words with pretense, words with syntax, and words without form. This song (written about a year ago, and freshly memorized once popping in my head yesterday) reminds me of that part of my life. I was not prejudice with my selection of themes or form, and mostly it was stream of consciousness. I'm deliberately juvenile in this song, and you can feel the imperfections of the person's life and relationships. Yet despite the implications of the disorder, there is a smear of optimism somehow visible. The wordiness and flow reminds me both of Third Eye Blind and Jason Mraz.

My favorite? Not even close. Did I write it? Yes. Well in that case...

Head Above Water

Verse
Last call, I guess
I'll stay a minute.
Two hours later
and I'm still in it.

Did I upset you my queen?
I didn't mean to be mean.
I didn't mean to be me,
The moment overtook me.

Love is a super nova;
Love is a black hole.
You go in one side
And leave without a soul.

If love was a knife
It would be sharp at both ends.
If you could go back in time,
Which scar would you mend;

Which thought do you tend to cleave?
I wouldn't leave you,
Believe me, you receive
The best there is.

To achieve a center,
State of peace of mind.
You may make me yours,
But I can't make you mine.

I will find a light
In this empty hall;
These walls are going
To shatter to the floor.

Chorus
I'm trying to keep my head above water,
But the concrete on my feet,
Has its own agenda I'm afraid.
I'm trying to make myself still matter,
But as the ceiling meets the floor,
I wait for something more, but wait in vain.

Verse
Two times, I bet
I'll take my chances.
Last one leaving,
And last one dancing.

Can I confront you on this?
I really hate when we kiss,
Not because of what it is,
But because of what I miss.

Love is a supernova;
Love is the last toll.
You pay with your life,
Your youth, your heart, your soul.

How can it all disappear
In a pattern of wind,
Or in a funnel of smoke?
Should I retrieve it again?

Should I believe it's pretend?
Should a I relieve myself,
And stop reliving the ends
To a mean, the crest of the fall?

The rest of it all,
The jagged shards and once more,
The bits of me
Lie in pieces on the floor.

All The King's Horses

Another fairy tale theme in this song as well, 'All The King's Horses' is a dark comparison to Humpty Dumpty. The music for the song is actually lite and kind of playful, while the words explore a more dismal story. To me it fits perfectly, because Humpty Dumpty could really be a horror tale, not a children's story: guy falls off of a building and his insides are scattered on the ground, people try to help him but its too late.

I wrote this song about 2 years ago, and in case anyone asks, its not written about anyone I know, or from any of my own personal endeavors; it is just storytelling.

All The King's Horses

Chorus
All the King's horses and all the kings men,
Couldn't put your life back together again.
It's been riddled before, you can't figure it out:
What's this crazy life all about?

Verse
You might have bitten off more than you can chew,
You might have taken a little more than just a few
Pills, you're nervous as you swallow them whole.
Now is not the time to fall asleep,
Keep your eyes open and you keep
Your heart, on a jagged line intact with your soul.

Chorus
All the King's horses and all the kings men,
Couldn't put your life back together again.
It's been riddled before, you can't figure it out:
What's this crazy life all about?

Verse
Leaves escape from the trees,
Like blooding leaving, you're knees
Go weak, you wait for it to enter your brain.
"Two time's enough," you start to say,
But then the message floats away
From you, and the words have gotten lost with restraint.

Chorus
All the King's horses and all the kings men,
Couldn't put your life back together again.
It's been riddled before, you can't figure it out:
What's this crazy life all about?

Outro
What is going to take,
To break you down, to build you up?
Like a phoenix from the flames,
You will fly from the remains.
You will fight despite of yourself,
And let it all fold in on itself.

Tuesday's Photo Fun

Well, I could have came up with something cute for the girls to say, but we are not supposed to talk with food in our mouth. Happy belated Thanksgiving everyone.