What Happens Next
Songs written from January, 2018 - September, 2018
Songs:
1. What Happens Next
2. Are You Ready
3. Something like Flying
4. I've Been Out Walking (Searching for Elijah Again)
5. The Last Politicians
6. If You Want to Kick the Devil
7. Different Eyes (The sun really isn't in the sky)
8. Song for Elvis
9. Song from America
10. Out of Sight and Out of Mind
1. What Happens Next
2. Are You Ready
3. Something like Flying
4. I've Been Out Walking (Searching for Elijah Again)
5. The Last Politicians
6. If You Want to Kick the Devil
7. Different Eyes (The sun really isn't in the sky)
8. Song for Elvis
9. Song from America
10. Out of Sight and Out of Mind
What Happens Next 9/9/2018
This is a little song about...everything.
It’s impossible, improbable, inexplicable, unpredictable
What happens next is anybody’s guess
It’s random without a plan; it’s been that way since this all began
We’re making it up as we go
The sun really isn't in the sky
Then again, anything can happen
Here we are... you and I
It’s a roll of the dice in an infinite universe
How can I explain in verse when anything goes
What happens next, who really knows...
It’s impossible, improbable, inexplicable, unpredictable
What happens next is anybody’s guess
It’s random without a plan; it’s been that way since this all began
We’re making it up as we go
The sun really isn't in the sky
Then again, anything can happen
Here we are... you and I
It’s a roll of the dice in an infinite universe
How can I explain in verse when anything goes
What happens next, who really knows...
Are You Ready 9/1/2018
A bit rockin' and rollin' , this one. I'll leave my notes with the chords in case anybody wants to play along.
Are You Ready
A Bdim
Are you ready for the tables to turn
A E 7
Are you ready for your bridges to burn
A7 C#dim F#dim B7
Are you ready for the rollin and the tumbling seas
Bdim E7 A E7
Are you ready to be shaking at the knees
A Bdim
Are you ready to get your feet off the ground
E7 A
Are you ready for the sight and the sound
A7 C#dim F#dim B7
Are you waiting for signs and wonders to appear
Bdim E7 A E7
Are you ready to give up on your fear
Ab7/A7
There’s something in the air
You can feel it everywhere
There’s been a change in the weather
It’s about to get better
It’s coming on like a feeling Oh Yeah
It’s coming on like a…
Like a one, two, three
A Bdim
Are you ready for the tables to turn
A E 7
Are you ready for your bridges to burn
A7 C#dim F#dim B7
Are you ready for the rollin and the tumbling seas
Bdim E7 A E7
Are you ready to be shaking at the knees
A Bdim
Are you ready to get your feet off the ground
E7 A
Are you ready for the sight and the sound
A7 C#dim F#dim B7
Are you waiting for signs and wonders to appear
Bdim E7 A E7
Are you ready to give up on your fear
Ab7/A7
There’s something in the air
You can feel it everywhere
There’s been a change in the weather
It’s about to get better
It’s coming on like a feeling Oh Yeah
It’s coming on like a…
Like a one, two, three
Something Like Flying 8/6/2018
I wrote the lyric during the back half of a 14-day motorcycle trip. It was inspired by a particular dream and also a recurring "something like flying" theme in my dreams. So, a dream/motorcycle impressionistic lyrical journey. Musically, it sounded like a bluesy song to me so ended up with this arrangement: rhythm guitar; slide guitar, upright bass and a talking something-like-flying-blues vocal.
In my dreams, I get around with my feet off the ground hey, hey
It’s a very good way to check out the scene if you know what I mean
I see ahead and I see behind; it’s hard to explain; it’s something like flying
In my dreams, I get around with my feet off the ground hey, hey
I don’t mean to be cryptic or apocalyptic
My dream radio station’s tuned to John's Revelation
If I could put into words what I’ve seen, what I’ve heard
It might sound like the end; I'm really not sure
In my dreams, I get around with my feet off the ground hey, hey...
On Highway 89 for the third time,
A message down from the mountains told me these words:
The place you are going is where you have been
It’s all here and now
You have seen so believe
In my dreams, I get around with my feet off the ground hey, hey...
In my rear-view mirror, the mountains are crumbling; I’m thinking it’s a very good time to gain height
Before the next shock wave of sound overtakes me; I’m flying higher to take in the sight
Where there was a valley, where a river was flowing, where I had been and where I had been going
I’m rising above with no ground to remind me, just these stars above, below, ahead and behind me
In my dreams, I get around with my feet off the ground hey, hey...
I don’t mean to be cryptic or apocalyptic
My dream radio station’s tuned to John's Revelation
If I could put into words what I’ve seen, what I’ve heard
It might look and sound and feel like my liberation
In my dreams, I get around with my feet off the ground hey, hey...
It’s a very good way to check out the scene if you know what I mean
I see ahead and I see behind; it’s hard to explain; it’s something like flying
In my dreams, I get around with my feet off the ground hey, hey
I don’t mean to be cryptic or apocalyptic
My dream radio station’s tuned to John's Revelation
If I could put into words what I’ve seen, what I’ve heard
It might sound like the end; I'm really not sure
In my dreams, I get around with my feet off the ground hey, hey...
On Highway 89 for the third time,
A message down from the mountains told me these words:
The place you are going is where you have been
It’s all here and now
You have seen so believe
In my dreams, I get around with my feet off the ground hey, hey...
In my rear-view mirror, the mountains are crumbling; I’m thinking it’s a very good time to gain height
Before the next shock wave of sound overtakes me; I’m flying higher to take in the sight
Where there was a valley, where a river was flowing, where I had been and where I had been going
I’m rising above with no ground to remind me, just these stars above, below, ahead and behind me
In my dreams, I get around with my feet off the ground hey, hey...
I don’t mean to be cryptic or apocalyptic
My dream radio station’s tuned to John's Revelation
If I could put into words what I’ve seen, what I’ve heard
It might look and sound and feel like my liberation
In my dreams, I get around with my feet off the ground hey, hey...
I've Been Out Walking (Searching for Elijah Again) 6/30/2018
Another Walking song.... "Elijah" translates here to wisdom/heart...Pulled some previous lyrics into this one to connect some ideas together. Instrumentally, sang and played it live with intermittent steel guitar and electric guitar overlay to leave space.
It’s been eighteen months since we were stopped in our tracks /Since the sidewalks cracks opened to take the earth back/The gavel is coming down before the verdict has come in/History that has been before is coming around again/I’ve been out walking/looking in, looking out, looking around/I’ve been out walking/ Elijah’s nowhere to be found
It’s been nearly six months since the shots rang out /Not the first, not the least, not the last/It’s fear that holds the mind that holds the hand that holds the gun/It’s fear that love will conquer when all is said and done/I’ve been out walking/looking in, looking out, looking around/I’ve been out walking/ Elijah’s nowhere to be found
The doors have blown off their hinges, the bridges have fallen into the river /The sun really isn’t in the sky/It's times like these that it’s easy to forget /That there’s more here than meets the eye/I’ve been out walking/looking in, looking out, looking around/I’ve been out walking/ Elijah’s nowhere to be found
It’s been only days since hope was stopped in its tracks carried in the hearts of a mother and child/If I walked a thousand miles, I still couldn’t say what will happen when you lock the promise of freedom away
I’ve been out walking/looking in, looking out, looking around/I’ve been out walking/ Elijah’s nowhere to be found
I’m reading what I wrote for what will come next/I’m searching for a clue but it’s anybody's guess
Together we will rise or together we will fall/What happens to one, happens to all
I’ve been out walking/looking in, looking out, looking around/I’ve been out walking/ Elijah’s nowhere to be found...
It’s been eighteen months since we were stopped in our tracks /Since the sidewalks cracks opened to take the earth back/The gavel is coming down before the verdict has come in/History that has been before is coming around again/I’ve been out walking/looking in, looking out, looking around/I’ve been out walking/ Elijah’s nowhere to be found
It’s been nearly six months since the shots rang out /Not the first, not the least, not the last/It’s fear that holds the mind that holds the hand that holds the gun/It’s fear that love will conquer when all is said and done/I’ve been out walking/looking in, looking out, looking around/I’ve been out walking/ Elijah’s nowhere to be found
The doors have blown off their hinges, the bridges have fallen into the river /The sun really isn’t in the sky/It's times like these that it’s easy to forget /That there’s more here than meets the eye/I’ve been out walking/looking in, looking out, looking around/I’ve been out walking/ Elijah’s nowhere to be found
It’s been only days since hope was stopped in its tracks carried in the hearts of a mother and child/If I walked a thousand miles, I still couldn’t say what will happen when you lock the promise of freedom away
I’ve been out walking/looking in, looking out, looking around/I’ve been out walking/ Elijah’s nowhere to be found
I’m reading what I wrote for what will come next/I’m searching for a clue but it’s anybody's guess
Together we will rise or together we will fall/What happens to one, happens to all
I’ve been out walking/looking in, looking out, looking around/I’ve been out walking/ Elijah’s nowhere to be found...
The Last Politicians 6/23/2018
This one needs no explanations.
The day the last politicians were sent into space:
All the world breathed a sigh of relief.
The newspaper headlines read, “Goodbye and good luck.”
A ten-year old girl solved for peace in the Middle East.
Not long after that, Jesus came back
And retired to a beach near San Salvador.
In a rare interview, he said he liked the view.
The locals said that’s exactly what they’d been praying for.
On that long slow trip to Mars, the last politicians argued among the stars.
On that long slow trip to Mars, the last politicians argued among the stars.
The day the last politicians were sent into space:
All the world breathed a sigh of relief.
The newspaper headlines read, “Goodbye and good luck.”
A ten-year old girl solved for peace in the Middle East.
Not long after that, Jesus came back
And retired to a beach near San Salvador.
In a rare interview, he said he liked the view.
The locals said that’s exactly what they’d been praying for.
On that long slow trip to Mars, the last politicians argued among the stars.
On that long slow trip to Mars, the last politicians argued among the stars.
If You Want to Kick the Devil 6/2/2018
The first line and 80% of this lyric was written during 10 minutes of a morning walk. I learned some chords on the uke to provide some simple musical accompaniment.
If you want to kick the devil out of your head/don’t invite him to dinner/don’t call yourself a sinner/'cause on you, I’d place any bet/we’re all just angels who haven't found our way there yet.
If you want to kick the devil out of your head/don’t invite him to you your table/love while you’re able/we’re all candles lit from the same light/take a deep breath in, let it out/it’s all gonna be alright.
If you want to kick the devil out of your head/go ahead and invite Jesus there instead (or Moses, or Buddha, or Krishna, or Muhammad or whatever non-personal concept of cosmic consciousness your mind can hold on to)/because good company is a blessing that’s true/who you really need to get to know is the next best version of you.
If you want to kick the devil out to the street/don’t compare yourself to others you might meet/all you really need to do is what's right in front you/that’s exactly the thing you’ve given to yourself to make it through.
If you want to kick the devil out of your head/don’t invite him to you your table/love while you’re able/we’re all candles lit from the same light/take a deep breath in, let it out/it’s all gonna be alright.
If you want to kick the devil out of your head/go ahead and invite Jesus there instead (or Moses, or Buddha, or Krishna, or Muhammad or whatever non-personal concept of cosmic consciousness your mind can hold on to)/because good company is a blessing that’s true/who you really need to get to know is the next best version of you.
If you want to kick the devil out to the street/don’t compare yourself to others you might meet/all you really need to do is what's right in front you/that’s exactly the thing you’ve given to yourself to make it through.
Different Eyes (The Sun Really isn't in the Sky) 5/26/2018
This one is about that journey from the head to the heart. Instrumentation: some guitars, uke, upright bass.
The sun really isn’t in the sky/These are words we use to simplify/The sun really isn’t in the sky/The sun is millions of miles away/The light we see is in delay/Miracles happen every day/So when you tell me that you love me/I think, “That’s a very complicated thing for you to say.”/While my mind is contemplating how the light from a star reaches where we are, my heart comes through and I say, “I love you too.”/The sun might as well be in the sky for all it matters to you and I. Love makes us see with different eyes.
Song for Elvis 4/15/2018
This one comes pretty close to saying exactly what I wanted to say in the way I wanted to say it.
There’s no need to look behind/There’s nothing there to be learned that we won’t find ahead again and again/The choice to be made/The way for us to turn/The question is always, always the same/Every once in a while, a star shines a light through the broken fragments of history and pain for us to decide to unite or divide/Then, the dance starts all over again/Elvis you sang with a voice all your own/ Your songs were borrowed in good faith/How in the world do we pay back such a loan/Rock of Ages/Rock and Roll/Shake the foundations/Shake our Souls/Wake us up now from the dream of any difference between/Let the music set us free/Feel the rhythm down into our bones /Then, we’ll know we’re not alone/Raise a voice up from the millions/To go and tell it on the mountain/Know that everything that has come before will come around again once more/ and is placed now before us/for us to decide to unite or to divide/ Can we start new again/Can I get an amen/Amen
There’s no need to look behind/There’s nothing there to be learned that we won’t find ahead again and again/The choice to be made/The way for us to turn/The question is always, always the same/Every once in a while, a star shines a light through the broken fragments of history and pain for us to decide to unite or divide/Then, the dance starts all over again/Elvis you sang with a voice all your own/ Your songs were borrowed in good faith/How in the world do we pay back such a loan/Rock of Ages/Rock and Roll/Shake the foundations/Shake our Souls/Wake us up now from the dream of any difference between/Let the music set us free/Feel the rhythm down into our bones /Then, we’ll know we’re not alone/Raise a voice up from the millions/To go and tell it on the mountain/Know that everything that has come before will come around again once more/ and is placed now before us/for us to decide to unite or to divide/ Can we start new again/Can I get an amen/Amen
Song from America 3/4/18
A train makes for a good metaphor. Found some interesting chords to create the progression for this song. The recording features the Gretsch guitar with some serious note bending. There is also an acoustic guitar and an upright bass.
I feel like a train/I feel the steel of the rails under my wheels/I'm stuck on a track/There's no looking back/The train whistle screams/Do you know what I mean?...I'm picturing a train...a train on a track...with an engine out in front of 50 train cars...and an engine in the rear looking back. The forward engineer calls out, "Full steam ahead. We're on our way." The engine in the rear calls to the brakeman, "Stop, we're going the wrong way." ... I feel like a train/I feel the steel of the rails under my wheels/I'm stuck on a track/There's no looking back/The train whistle screams/Do you know what I mean?
I feel like a train/I feel the steel of the rails under my wheels/I'm stuck on a track/There's no looking back/The train whistle screams/Do you know what I mean?...I'm picturing a train...a train on a track...with an engine out in front of 50 train cars...and an engine in the rear looking back. The forward engineer calls out, "Full steam ahead. We're on our way." The engine in the rear calls to the brakeman, "Stop, we're going the wrong way." ... I feel like a train/I feel the steel of the rails under my wheels/I'm stuck on a track/There's no looking back/The train whistle screams/Do you know what I mean?
Out of Sight and Out of Mind 1/30/18
Went for a motorcycle ride up North and riding through small towns was thinking how location shapes outlook and perception...your standard motor-cycle ride random thoughts. I think the lyric comes close to what I was wanting to say. The recording has one track of me singing, accompanying myself on acoustic guitar. Overdubs include: Gretsch 6120 electric guitar, lap steel guitar and upright bass. All are recorded dry with a bit of compression and slight reverb on the output mix.
Maybe you live in the country because you don’t like other people looking in your back yard/Maybe you live in the country because living in the city was too lonely and too hard/Maybe you were born there and you've lived a country life every day/Maybe you're convinced that a country life is the only way and city folks are crazy anyway/They’re what’s wrong with the world today/It would be better to leave them behind/Out of sight and out of mind.
Maybe you live in the city to seek your fortune or to see your name in lights/Maybe you live in the city because you like the city sounds and you like the city heights/Maybe you were born there and you’ve lived a city life every day/Maybe you're convinced a city life is the the only way/And country folks are crazy anyway/They’d drag us all back into the past if they had their way/It would be better to leave them behind
Out of sight and out of mind.
Sometimes it seems that the distance between is too far and too wide to reach the other side/While millions disagree and just don’t care to see, here it’s just me and you to find our way through/Everyone is crazy anyway/What's gone wrong with the world today/It would be better to leave it behind/Out of sight and out of mind
Maybe living in the country makes you see the world like country people do /Maybe living in the city makes you think like other city people do/Maybe when your born there and if you live there every day
Maybe you're convinced it’s the only way/We’re all crazy for own way of thinking anyway/Maybe that’s what’s wrong with the world today/It would be better to leave that all behind/Out of sight out of mind
Sometimes it seems that the distance between is too far and too wide to reach the other side/While millions disagree and they don’t care to see/Here it’s just me and you maybe we’ll find our way through/We’re all crazy for own way of thinking anyway/Maybe that’s what’s wrong with the world today/It would be better to leave that all behind/Out of sight out of mind
Maybe you live in the country because you don’t like other people looking in your back yard/Maybe you live in the country because living in the city was too lonely and too hard/Maybe you were born there and you've lived a country life every day/Maybe you're convinced that a country life is the only way and city folks are crazy anyway/They’re what’s wrong with the world today/It would be better to leave them behind/Out of sight and out of mind.
Maybe you live in the city to seek your fortune or to see your name in lights/Maybe you live in the city because you like the city sounds and you like the city heights/Maybe you were born there and you’ve lived a city life every day/Maybe you're convinced a city life is the the only way/And country folks are crazy anyway/They’d drag us all back into the past if they had their way/It would be better to leave them behind
Out of sight and out of mind.
Sometimes it seems that the distance between is too far and too wide to reach the other side/While millions disagree and just don’t care to see, here it’s just me and you to find our way through/Everyone is crazy anyway/What's gone wrong with the world today/It would be better to leave it behind/Out of sight and out of mind
Maybe living in the country makes you see the world like country people do /Maybe living in the city makes you think like other city people do/Maybe when your born there and if you live there every day
Maybe you're convinced it’s the only way/We’re all crazy for own way of thinking anyway/Maybe that’s what’s wrong with the world today/It would be better to leave that all behind/Out of sight out of mind
Sometimes it seems that the distance between is too far and too wide to reach the other side/While millions disagree and they don’t care to see/Here it’s just me and you maybe we’ll find our way through/We’re all crazy for own way of thinking anyway/Maybe that’s what’s wrong with the world today/It would be better to leave that all behind/Out of sight out of mind