Category Archives: Guitar

She Wrote Yesterday

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Exactly one year has passed since I last posted new music. But I have not been sitting idly by—O no! In the ample hours of those twelve long and luxurious months, I have managed to produce the sum total of (drumroll, please)…one song. Hmm. Really? Just one? Well, apologies. I hope you will find that “The Love I’m Dreaming Of” (listen below!) has been worth the wait.

My guitar is my best friend—is something I wish I could say. But we did become rather close during the composition and recording of this song. Practice makes perfect, and you are about to hear how very little I practice. But I have done my best, just for you.

The Love I’m Dreaming Of

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Title:
“The Love I’m Dreaming Of”

Number:
16

Length:
4:15

Vibe/inspiration:
Chamber pop

Keys:
G major and D major

What I imagine people might say:

  • “At one point, if you listen very closely, you can hear the guitar gently weeping.”
  • “I’m not quite sure what to make of this song, but I’m open to suggestions.”
  • “What I liked most was that the lyrics contained my starting word for Wordle!”
  • “The way I see it, you can listen to this song or do literally anything else. Do that.”

Lyrics:

Oh, my baby—she wrote yesterday
About a love that went away
And how the past
Will never last
No matter what you do or say

But when she’s climbing up my stair
Cupid’s flower in her hair—
Sending me, upending me
Suspending me in air

She’s just my baby
Who fits me like a glove
She more than may be
The love I’m dreaming of
The love I’m dreaming of
The love I’m dreaming of

Oh, my baby—she made much ado
About a love that went askew
And how we first
Believe the worst
Until the “false” is proven true

But when she’s walking on my street
Any rose would smell as sweet—
Cheering me, endearing me
And hearing me repeat

She’s just my baby
Who fits me like a glove
She more than may be
The love I’m dreaming of
The love I’m dreaming of
The love I’m dreaming of

Oh, my baby—she came from afar
You can’t get there by plane or car
I never knew
She saw me, too
As I would gaze upon her star

But when she’s whispering in my ear
“There is nothing left to fear”—
Blessing me, confessing me
And pressing me so near

She’s just my baby
Sent to me from above
She more than may be
The love I’m dreaming of
The love I’m dreaming of
The love I’m dreaming of
I’m dreaming of

Fill Your Boots (or, “Phil—your boots!”)

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I’m dusting off a personal favorite from the archive, for new visitors to this blog. “Your Old Acoustic” (listen below!) was the fourth song I ever wrote. I played guitar on it, too, and my old acoustic hasn’t quite forgiven me yet.

I tend to go overboard with verses; it’s not unusual for my songs to have as many as six of them! But “Your Old Acoustic” contains only two verses. It focuses instead on repetition of lines from the chorus. I wanted people to be able to sing along the first time they heard it.

Toward the end of “Your Old Acoustic,” we discover it is being performed in what sounds like a pub. When the song is over, the patrons return to talking and joking. Any intimacy engendered between the singer and the audience has evaporated. The singer has poured her heart out into a void: Her song is meant for one person, who isn’t there. Whom she has no way of reaching.

Your Old Acoustic

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Title:
“Your Old Acoustic”

Number:
4

Length:
3:34

Vibe/inspiration:
Michael Nesmith

Key:
F major

What people have said:

  • “I LOVE this vibe! This is a song I would love to sing myself. I’m sure I’m going to have it in my head over the next days!”
  • “Love it! It made me cry! So beautiful.”
  • “Very nice! I did not cry, but…it was still pretty.”
  • “Loved it! I especially like the end where you make it seem like it’s a recording in front of an audience. Very clever! I have ‘my son’ running through my head.”
  • “Fun song! I like the ‘live’ touches at the end.”
  • “Your collection of hits amazes me. Well done!”

Lyrics:

You came the night all eyes were watching me—
A pretty boy footloose and fancy-free
Toes a-tapping to my song
Rows a-clapping right along
But you could find me only on TV

And I walk
But I cannot go
And I talk
Just so you will know

Dust off your old acoustic
And join the band
Bust out and make some music
With your old man
Gone when you wore baby shoes
And now I only play the blues
Dust off your old acoustic
And join the band

A middle name was all you got from me
A pittance of a rich man’s legacy (legacy)
Thought I’d look you up one day
But I took too long to say
And you inherited a mystery

And I bring (yes, I bring)
All my loving, dear
And I sing (yes, I sing)
Just so you will hear

Dust off your old acoustic
And join the band (my son)
Bust out and make some music
With your old man (my son)
Didn’t try on daddy’s suits
I never saw you fill your boots
Dust off your old acoustic
And join the band

[Instrumental verse]

And I walk (yes, I walk)
But I cannot go
And I talk (yes, I talk)
Just so you will know

Dust off your old acoustic
And join the band (my son) (come on)
Bust out and make some music
With your old man (my son) (all right)
Gone when you wore baby shoes
And now I only play the blues
Dust off your old acoustic
And join the band

Dust off your old acoustic
And join the band (my son)
Dust off your old acoustic
And join the band (my son)
Dust off your old acoustic
And join the band (my son)
Dust off your old acoustic
And join the band

You’ve been lovely
Thank you

Fact or Fantasy

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I recorded my latest song (listen below!) last week, while recovering from Covid. Please enjoy the nasal, throaty, almost feverish quality of the vocals. A few days into being sick, as I lay in bed with one of the most impressive headaches I’ve ever had (and I’ve had quite a few), I thought, “Is this the day I die?” Clearly, it wasn’t.

“The Day We Never Met” is unusual, I think, in that it doesn’t have a chorus, and the title appears only in the very last line. For the recording, I utilized my latest (and greatest) stringed acquisition, a parlor-size acoustic/electric guitar from Zager. A gorgeous instrument of solid African mahogany, it’s designed to be easy to play; I haven’t noticed this feature yet, but I’ve heard practicing can be very good for that.

My mother is my most devoted fan, along with her cat, Asher. (You might argue that Asher has no choice but to listen, especially since his favorite spot is on my mother’s legs, but he could hide in the closet if he wanted to.) Mom likes to know what my songs are about, even if I don’t always know myself, so I will try to provide a little background here.

If you’re a longtime lurker of this page, and even managed to keep up during the two-and-a-half-year hiatus (kudos!), you will likely have noticed that I once trafficked in the published word, as a writer, editor, and proofreader. Yet even I am amazed at the sheer volume of words being produced today for public consumption. People look at their screens for hours on end, and they need something to read—in the form of e-books, news stories, magazine articles, social media posts, blogs, advertisements, and the like.

“The Day We Never Met” is about considering the source of what you read—and being a considered, and considerate, source yourself. More specifically, the song’s theme is to be careful when you talk about someone you don’t know. But a theme doesn’t make a song—or, for that matter, a poem or a play or an essay about the queen. So, I crafted a story around my chosen theme, set it to music, and ta-da!

The Day We Never Met

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Title:
“The Day We Never Met”

Number:
11

Length:
2:36

Vibe/inspiration:
Patsy Cline

Key:
C major

What I imagine people might say:

  • “I wish I never met this song. Come on, it was too easy.”
  • “If this song had a chorus, my disappointment would only have been compounded.”
  • “Have I stumbled into the rhyming Olympics?”
  • “I’d worry this song might glamorize smoking, but you’d have to have an audience for that to be a problem.”

Lyrics:

Well, you’ve been writing about me
About the man you claim to be
Filling pages
For the ages
Is it fact or fantasy?

What makes you think you know so much?
You’ve never even been in touch
’Stead of knocking
You kept walking
Now you’re saying such and such

[Instrumental verse]

You flew in on a private jet
You lit another cigarette
I was waiting
’Ticipating
On the day we never—

You were late ’n’
Hesitating
On the day we never—

You’re narrating
Punctuating
The story of the day—

I was waking
Mind was aching
On the day we never—

You were making
Plans forsaken
On the day we never—

Now you’re taking
Bows for breaking
The story of the day—

Monday night ’n’
Not a sighting
On the day we never—

Tuesday quiet ’n’
Nail-biting
On the day we never—

Wednesday light ’n’
You’re a-writing
The story of the day—

A day I can’t forget
I haven’t seen you yet
We won’t sing a duet

About the story of the day—
The day we never met

Gone When You Wore Baby Shoes

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Last June, I took an online songwriting course, and it changed my life forever! Just kidding—but didn’t that sound dramatic? Well, maybe it did change my life a little. Before the class, I had two songs floating around in my head. After the class, I had recordings of one of those songs, and two others, floating around on my computer. And I haven’t looked back! Again, just kidding.

One song to come out of that course was “Your Old Acoustic” (which you can listen to now! link below!). It was the final project, intended as a collaboration with somebody I knew. Following my inspiration rather than the letter of the assignment, I did an imaginary collaboration—with Michael Nesmith, undoubtedly the tallest member of the Monkees, perhaps aided by his wool cap. I was influenced by the country vibe of many of his tunes, particularly “Listen to the Band.”

Nesmith’s passing last December prompted me to refine the recording. Over the past week, I have redone the vocals and added acoustic guitar throughout. (Yep, that’s yours truly, plucking away on my Little Martin, pushing the bounds of my rudimentary skills.) Unfortunately, I wrote the song to suit Nesmith’s vocal range, not mine; but I have done my best. The comments from listeners, below, are based on the original version. (If you have any feedback, and I find it sufficiently flattering, I will add it to the list!)

Your Old Acoustic

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Title:
“Your Old Acoustic”

Number:
4

Length:
3:34

Vibe/inspiration:
Michael Nesmith

Key:
F major

What people are saying (SPOILERS):

  • “I LOVE this vibe! This is a song I would love to sing myself. I’m sure I’m going to have it in my head over the next days!”
  • “Love it! It made me cry! So beautiful.”
  • “Very nice! I did not cry, but…it was still pretty.” [updated version]
  • “Loved it! I especially like the end where you make it seem like it’s a recording in front of an audience. Very clever! I have ‘my son’ running through my head.”
  • “Fun song! I like the ‘live’ touches at the end.”
  • “Your collection of hits amazes me. Well done!” [updated version]

Lyrics:

You came the night all eyes were watching me—
A pretty boy footloose and fancy-free
Toes a-tapping to my song
Rows a-clapping right along
But you could find me only on TV

And I walk
But I cannot go
And I talk
Just so you will know

Dust off your old acoustic
And join the band
Bust out and make some music
With your old man
Gone when you wore baby shoes
And now I only play the blues
Dust off your old acoustic
And join the band

A middle name was all you got from me
A pittance of a rich man’s legacy (legacy)
Thought I’d look you up one day
But I took too long to say
And you inherited a mystery

And I bring (yes, I bring)
All my loving, dear
And I sing (yes, I sing)
Just so you will hear

Dust off your old acoustic
And join the band (my son)
Bust out and make some music
With your old man (my son)
Didn’t try on daddy’s suits
I never saw you fill your boots
Dust off your old acoustic
And join the band

[Instrumental verse]

And I walk (yes, I walk)
But I cannot go
And I talk (yes, I talk)
Just so you will know

Dust off your old acoustic
And join the band (my son) (come on)
Bust out and make some music
With your old man (my son) (all right)
Gone when you wore baby shoes
And now I only play the blues
Dust off your old acoustic
And join the band

Dust off your old acoustic
And join the band (my son)
Dust off your old acoustic
And join the band (my son)
Dust off your old acoustic
And join the band (my son)
Dust off your old acoustic
And join the band

You’ve been lovely
Thank you

Still Pretty as a Flower

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You might wonder how I went from talking about writing a novel to actually writing and recording songs. I suppose it all began on November 12, 2019, when I paid $20 for a classical guitar in a marketplace in Mexico City. I felt very cool bringing my guitarrita home on the plane, slung over my shoulder in its soft case. I later determined the instrument was more diminutive than a half-size version of a standard guitar—essentially making it a toy.

I had purchased a small-body, steel-string acoustic a year earlier, taken three or four lessons, and quit. My hands were just too tiny. Or my pinkies too petite. Or my arms too long. But the nylon strings of my souvenir from south of the border were forgiving. The scale length was short. The frets were narrower, increasing my reach. I was on my way.

Cut to two months ago, when I enrolled in an online class for writing and producing songs: three of them, in thirty days. Today I am sharing my second submission, which was the second song I had ever written and the second I had ever produced. “Your Sister Rose and You” is a retro-sounding ditty about reincarnation, with a chorus referencing Shakespeare. (I know, so cliché.) The “reviews” below came from my peers in the class.

Your Sister Rose and You

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Title:
“Your Sister Rose and You”

Number:
2

Length:
3:24

Vibe/inspiration:
The Monkees

Key:
B-flat major

What people are saying:

  • “I really like the way you’ve made such an interesting recording. Has kind of vaudeville roots to it.”
  • “Dig it! Brass always gets me.”
  • “So clever! Well done. It’s really a pleasure to listen to this.”
  • “Your lyrics are great. I can see why you’re a writer! I love the vocal treatment. Very interesting. Fun to hear. And original as a whole approach.”
  • “Very cool vibe. Reminds me of songs from the end of the 20th century—that’s a compliment, as I love that genre!”

Lyrics:

I ran into your sister Rose
Still pretty as a flower
I’m well, and you? and so it goes
We spoke for half an hour

I told her I was wondering
If she remembered anything
Ah-ah-ah

She locked you in her memory
(Feeding penguins at the zoo)
And you yourself would keep the key
(Pointing at a caribou)
It’s such a lovely place to be
Your sister Rose and you, ooh, too

I mentioned you were up the coast
And not too hard to find
She looked as if she’d seen a ghost
She almost lost her mind

I told her I was wondering
If she remembered anything
Ah-ah-ah

She locked you in her memory
(Flying kites into the blue)
And you yourself would keep the key
(Playing Battleship and Clue)
It’s such a lovely place to be
Your sister Rose and you, ooh, too

We never lose the ones we love, and here’s the reason why:
They keep on coming round until there is no more goodbye

[Instrumental interlude]

He’s changed a lot since he’s been dead—
You’d take him for another
I’d know him in my heart, she said
I love him—he’s my brother

I told her I was wondering
If she remembered anything
Ah-ah-ah

She locked you in her memory
(On a train to Waterloo)
And you yourself would keep the key
(To the north of Katmandu)
It’s such a lovely place to be
Your sister Rose and you, ooh

Your sister Rose and you, ooh, too