Original Songs

Letty

Seal -- it was worth reading twice.

I have to go dry my eyes now, or I'll be getting mascara all over my keyboard.

Beautiful stuff all around...

NO ROOM FOR FORGIVENESS

She looks in the mirror, forces a smile and says
"I'd give him what he wants if he could only say I was more than just a bad investment."
She puts on her favorite dress, the one that he hates, he says
"It makes you look like some 7th Avenue whore."

Chorus:
There's no room for decorum since he stole her dreams away
and turned a future into wretched fantasy.
There's no room for forgiveness since he stole her child away.
Said she's unfit to raise her girl as she pleases.

She puts on her makeup, she's proud of her face,
and so is the lover she's acquired since the day the old life ended.
She wonders does he think of her when they're apart,
when she's fighting with that other man who thinks that he still owns her.

(Chorus)

Bridge:
"I gave you the best years of my life!"
"What years were those," she says, "A pocketful of bills doesn't make up for an empty heart."
"What heart is that," he says, "I think you've just forgotten how to love."
She says "No, I've just forgotten how to love you, my dear."

She waits for her lover, he shows up right on time
and takes a moment just to look into her eyes and say "I love you."
She feels a tear or two, was this the way things were
before the years and the tears flew by and her whole world crumbled.

(Chorus)

WOW!!!!!!!!

Seal, how beautiful!

I wrote a pretty long blues song after a breakup when I was 20, only remember the last two verses now:

And he didn't know the woman right beside him
No he didn't know, the woman right beside him
Was the best one he'd ever find him

So if he comes to you with his big blue eyes
Yeah if he comes to you, with those big blue eyes,
Just say "Grow up boy, 'bout time you got wise."

(doo-doo doo-doo doo-doo doo-doo, doo-doo-doo-doooooo...doo.)

Soz, I'm feeling an Etta James-type slow drag a la "Breaking up Somebody's Home" Good stuff...

Seal is indeed a true poet, and a gentleman.

During the late sixties I came up with this:

I know you've heard of pixie dust
This stuff will make you fly
The walls have now turned to musk
Swarm hordes fill the sky

chorus:
So we are off again
Unto that very land
Where all men are real gods
And tear ducts are dammed

A floating wish cried god is me
As he swam off through eternity
He died upon a cross with me
On a barren ash white sea

I think there was another verse, but forgot it. I never did drugs at all, but there was so much reference to it in the lyrics of the time I got caught up in some of it.

Edgar, you have a knack for capturing imagery, even if it wasn't related to your direct experience. It is interesting to read now about how many bands from the sixties and seventies actually didn't do drugs. Ted Nugent comes to mind....everyone thought he was terminally wasted. Turns out he is just insane

I wrote this one while I was performing Celtic music live, for a Halloween show, based on two popular legends, The Hangman's Daughter and The Demon Lover....don't ask me for sources...it's been a long time.

THE HANGMAN'S DAUGHTER

The hangman had a pretty daughter
her face was white as snow
but no man there came a-courtin'
for they feared her daddy so.

For every man who came to ask
his daughter for their wife,
the hangman knotted up his rope
and took their wretched life.

One day a stranger rode up
in a coach both large and wide
and said "You have a pretty daughter
and I'll take her for my bride."

The hangman said "No man
shall ever take her for their wife,
for I'm knotting up my rope and I shall take...
...take your wretched life."

The stranger said "I fear you not,
nor shall you take my life
for I'm coming back All Hallow's Eve
to take her for my wife."

Then the stranger disappeared
and a chill went through the air,
and the hangman said "This stranger
is not of this earth I fear.

For no man who's asked my daughter's hand
has lived to see that day,
yet this stranger says he's coming back
to take my girl away,

and deep within this stranger's eyes
I see a deathly glow,
and I cannot understand just why I fear....
...why I fear this stranger so."

Until All-Hallow's Eve
they heard not of the stranger more,
but at midnight on Samhain
there came a rapping at the door.

The maiden woke in such a fright,
and tiptoed down the stairs,
and when she opened up the door
a Prince was standing there.

He said "I have a bonny ship,
tonight she puts to sea,
if you come with me and be my bride,
a lady you shall be.

I'll cover you with silk and lace
and jewels from head to toe,
so come with me and to my kingdom now....
...to my kingdom we shall go."

Halfway across the ocean,
the maid began to cry,
she said "I left my father's home
and never even said goodbye."

The stranger said "It's not too late
to tell him now, my dear,
for if you look into the water
you shall see your father there."

The maid looked in the water
and her father she did see,
but what an awful sight to see him
hanging from a willow tree.

The stranger said "Fair maiden,
when you left to be my wife,
you broke your daddy's heart and so he took...
...he took his wretched life."

Then the stranger showed his cloven hoof
and tossed the ship around,
and said "Fair maid I am the Devil
and to Hell your soul is bound."

He stamped his foot upon the prow
and broke the ship in twain,
and the maid was drowned
and no one heard from her again.

But some say on All-Hallow's Eve,
when the wind is blowing high,
the hangman's daughter walks the earth weeping still...
...still weeping by and by.

Hangman's Daughter - I could imagine Buffy Sainte-Marie on that one.

Whoa, Cav!! Nice!

Yeah, the song was blues, very clear tune in my head, but I can't write music and I can't sing worth a damn so no way to convey it. (The do-do-do stuff at the end is not sung, but a typical blues musical flourish at the end.)

I like "all tear ducts were dammed", edgar. Cool.

When my son took up the guitar and got involved in a school program involving musical performances, he asked if I could write him a song to perform. I wrote the following, the whole time hearing in my head the Belafonte tune Manguene Mpulele, a lively bouncy one, but I did not tell the boy that part of it. He composed the music, making it slow and 'folk.' His teacher said it reminded him of the days of folk in the 60s.

The Ballad of Kennebunkport's Presidential Blues

The President strayed
From his home in Kennebunkport
He lost his way
And landed at a Missouri airport

He marveled and aohed
At the strange native costumes
He grovelled and cooed
Over strange native children

He sampled a meal
With a strange native leader
He hammered a deal
With the strange native leader

The President strayed
From his home in Kennebunkport
He lost his way
And landed at a Missouri airport

He wanted closer ties
With the missouri people
He wanted foreign aid
For the Missouri people

He wanted foreign trade
For the Missouri people
He wanted to sell planes
To the Missouri people

chorus

He told congress
About the foreign race of people
Wanted to sell bombs
To the foreign race of people

And the congress
Too loved the foreign race of people
They gave billions
And more to the foreign race of people

The President returned
To his home in Kennebunkport
He lived out his days
At the Texas home of Kennebunkport

A man gave my son an opportunity to make some demo tapes using his equipment. Oddly, the man insisted that there be a few religious numbers in the mix. I guess he felt a sense of ownership, even though he contributed nothing to the creative process. My son asked me to write him something religious. I don't know why. He knows I am an atheist. Nevertheless, I produced two. Neither was ever adapted to music; the man abruptly withdrew the use of the equipment. I have always had a gnawing doubt as to the originality of my pieces. Perhaps I subconsciously plagiarized others' song lyrics. Oh, well; if I did it was unintentional.

THE DUSTY OLD BIBLE

On a table in the corner
In the darkness unseen
I found a book on the table
All dusty and unclean
I knew the book was not lost
But forgotten instead
I could tell by the pages
The book had never been read

As I cleaned the dust away
I felt so-o ashamed
Because the book was my own
No one else could be blamed
I opened and read the tale
Of the prodigal son
I read He loved the world
He gave us Christ his son

A Bible nobody reads
Is like a ship in high weeds
A Bible nobody reads
Is a garden without seeds
A Bible nobody reads
Is a court where no one pleads
And a Bible nobody reads
Is just what nobody needs


UNTITLED

When Jesus walked
On burning feet
Across the sand
He saw defeat
A broken man
On Calvary
He vowed that man
He soon would be

When Jesus crossed
The raging sea
He raised a hand
And called to me
"There on the shore
We two shall meet
I will lead you
Into defeat"

When Jesus lay
At Pilot's feet
He knew he'd met
His defeat
He said "My God
Has forsaken me"
They raised his cross
On Calvary

When Jesus died
He slept peacefully
Inside the tomb
The days were three
Word went out
We went to see
He'd turned defeat
Into victory

When Jesus rose
And took his seat
At God's right hand
It was complete
The gift of life
He gave to me
He rules the world
In perfect peace

Back in university, a friend asked me to write a country song for a radio contest....I didn't know anything about country music, so I just went with a few chords and a decent melody. I played this one again the other day, and thought Faith Hill, or Randy Newman, though he might not be able to hit the high notes, and Faith is hot. There isn't a truck or a dog, but hey...

WEDDING BAND

When he first took her hand and led her to the altar
he said to himself "This is for life."
When he left her all alone, she just could not understand
why all he left behind was his wedding band.

Chorus:
It takes two to say forever, but only one to break a heart,
and it takes strength to say "I'm sorry."
If you think that life has been unkind and you need someone to hold,
remember what you gave up when you took off that band of gold.

He settled in a small town with a bottle and a prayer,
and a picture of the one that he once loved.
He spent his time just wondering why he left a life so grand,
and remembering the name on his wedding band.

(Chorus)

Bridge:
He had always been a rover till she took him by the hand
and into her life he settled comfortably down.
He never knew what beauty was till his shining bride he saw,
and they danced all night as the wedding band played on.

He left that small town broken, but still a better man,
remembering how he slipped away like sand.
He looked towards the righteous path and hoped she'd understand...
he's coming back to claim that wedding band.

(Chorus)

Hi all. Letty suggested I post some lyrics in here. This first set I wrote when I was 17... think they were the first decently put together lyrics I came up with.


>
> The Fabulous Six Day Bicycle Racer
>
> By his majesty's decree
> the people are invited
> to a celebration on the palace lawn.
> If you come just after three
> the food and drink will be provided...
> If you don't go you will wish that you had gone.
> For the princess is engaged
> to a six day tandem racer
> and a faster man on wheels there's never been.
> The wedding date is reckoned
> at July the 22nd
> when he arrived the celebration will begin.
>
> The king was very glad
> that his daughter finally had
> a husband trapped to occupy her days.
> For she rarely did a thing
> but to sit and weep and sing
> and to wander through the palace garden maze.
>
> The tandem racer's name
> was Baron Basil Werner
> possessor of a world famed racing cup.
> He spins his silver pedals
> and he polishes his medals
> and you couldn't count the brides that he's stood up.
>
> On July the 21st
> the royal wedding was rehearsed
> and everyone except the groom was there.
> They tried hard not to worry
> they were sure that he would hurry
> and arrive, with lots of time to spare.
>
> But from Luxembourg the tandem racer
> sent a cablegram
> that he had raced against the clock and he had lost.
> His wheels spin round
> and they make a whirring sound,
> and you couldn't count the countries that he'd
> crossed.
>
> Well the held the wedding anyway
> though it started in to rain
> and the princess empties water from her shoe.
> It rained all day
> and the Baron never came
> and the people all found better things to do.


----funny thing, I ran the able2know spellchecker on that and it suggested I replace round with closk. I was tempted, I'll admit... but I think round was what I meant!

Spell checker? We don't need no stinking spell checker.

More
Now this is a recent tune. Some of the good folks around here (aclosk here?) actually own a recording of it.

The Cowboy From Boston

He played an old fiddle made over in Europe,
Recited the poets and quoted the bards;
Rode out of the east on a sway Appaloosa:
The Cowboy From Boston with a sleeve full of cards.

With a hey diddle ho riding high in the saddle,
A pearl handled pistol and a master's degree.
come three thousand miles to the streets of Seattle
To whet his fine whistle on some fresh Chinese tea.
Kind of down east goes west to meet far east you see.

A good man or bad depends on just who was talking.
He bluffed like a champion or he lied like a snake.
The ladies all swooned when he twirled his mustaches
And snuck out the backdoor to bring him some cake.

With a hey diddle ho riding over the prairie,
Fancypants holsters and real silver spurs.
The music he fiddled was so fine and airy.
Looking up at the sky he could name all the stars.
He knew all his history, the kings and their wars.

He rode down the coast to the west Texas border
to the Mexican desert where the summer was fierce.
He got all caught up in the good revolution
And he fought at the side of an old man named Bierce.

With a Viva Zapata he raised a loud holler,
His gentleman's clothing all spattered with mud.
He shot like a bandit but he talked like a scholar:
the Cowboy From Boston all hellbent for blood.
Just a Cowboy from Boston, won't come to no good.

Just outside of Houston he stopped a stray bullet,
The last words he said lifted right off the page...
It was something he learned from the poet of Avon,
How all men are players and life is a stage.

With a Viva La Vida, that was how fate had planned it.
There's no one can say once that hand rolls the bones.
He talked like a scholar but he shot like a bandit:
The Cowboy from Boston laying under some stones.
The Cowboy from Boston come a long way from home.

----

This currently resides on an album called Waltz with the Widow, performed with New Orleans fiddler Nancy Buchan and Key West Bassist Cheif Billy.

I'll pop back with a few more.

Great going squeedle

Glad you enjoyed, edgarblythe!

Cav and all. It's almost impossible to appreciate Beedle's/Herecomeseverybody's lyrics without hearing his cd. I don't think I can add one thing to what's been poured out on this thread.

Now I am very curious....