Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Song 25: Still Leaving the Porch Light On

Still Leaving the Porch Light On

| Bbm7 | Eb7 | Ab6 G7 | Cm7 F7 | Bbm7 | Eb7 | Ab6 G7 | Ab6 |
| Bbm7 | Eb7 | Ab6 G7 | Cm7 F7 | Bbm7 | Eb7 | Ab6 | Ab+ |
| Dbmaj7 | Dbm7 | Fm7 | Fdim | Bbm7 | Eb7 | Ab6 G7 | Ab6 |
| Bbm7 | Eb7 | Ab6 G7 | Cm7 F7 | Bbm7 | Eb7 | Ab6 G7 | Ab6 |

The pitter patter of the rain on a window
Like footsteps on a walk
Reminds me that you are far
As I wait for your knock

The rhythmic brushing of the apple tree branches
Outside the bedroom wall
Sounds just like your breath
Coming down the hall

I'm still leaving the porch light on
From nightfall until dawn
Gazing out on the morning dew
For any sign of you

The quiet moaning of the floor as I'm pacing
Echoes my heart's cry
How could you leave me here
Without saying goodbye

Friday, October 9, 2009

Song 24: Secret Society Stomp

Secret Society Stomp

| C6 | A7 | Dm7 | Dm7 | G7 | G7 | C6 C#dim7 | G7 |
| C6 | A7 | Dm7 | Dm7 | F6 B7 | C6 A7 | Dm7 G7 | C6 |
| B7 | B7 | Bb7 | Bb7 | A7 | A7 | D7 | G7 |
| C6 | A7 | Dm7 | Dm7 | G7 | G7 | C6 G7| C6 |

Why don't we start a secret society
Me and you, smokey room
Just for two
Making notoriety

Bring our your old candles and fancy robe
We began holding hands
Making plans and demands
For to sneakily subvert the globe

Don't want to share my love with all the proles
We'll raise degrees behind lock and key
And no one will ever know

If you want to join a new order for the times
Covertly, you and me
Solemnly
Doing dirty little crimes

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Song 23: Cell Phone Blues

Another quickie that could use some editing for added puns and possible a third verse (about, well, quickies).

Cell Phone Blues

Intro (3/4): | Dm | Dm | A7 | A7 | Bb7 | A7 | Dm | Dm |
| Gm | Gm | Dm | Dm | Bb7 | Bb7 | A7 | A7 |

Verse: | D | D | D | D7 | G | G#dim | D | B7 | E7 | A7 | D | D |
| B7 | B7 | E7 | E7 | A7 | A7 | D D#dim | E7 A7 |
| B7 | B7 | E7 | E7 | G G#dim | D B7 | E7 A7 | D | D |

This is a song of broken hearts
'Twixt lovers too lonely to part
So take from your pockets your cotton tissues
As we bring you sad tales of intimate issues

I was standing
On the fire escape
Trying to hide
Behind a herringbone drape
While my baby rambled with someone else inside
He wasn't mean, wasn't fresh
Never even got undressed
But as they talked my heart kept beating harder, harder, harder
When she showed him to the door
This realization made me soar:
He might call her cell phone more, but I use her cell phone charger

I was waiting
Under my lady's bed
Listening to
Everything my lady said
To the fellow standing right next to my shoe
Never shouted, always cool
Always playing by the rules
That might be why all his advances came off as nonstarters
When he went off on his way
I jumped out and had to say:
He might call her cell phone more, but I use her cell phone charger

Friday, September 18, 2009

Song 22: Summer Song

This one was long in the making. A fourth verse might come in the future, as the third has no closure to it.

Summer Song

| F | G7 | C7 | F | F | G7 | C7 | F |
| Bbmaj7 | Bbm6 | F | D7 | G7 | C7 | F | Gm7 Gb7 |

It's a blistering, bubbling day
No degree of relief from the shade
As you stagger and sweat to the store
Just to loiter by the freezer door
But you can't stay too long
So you're singing your summer song
And feeling very red and blue today

Frieman Square is our own swimming hole
It's just the way that we roll
Splishing and sploshing along
Until we crave coney dogs
The sun beats down Main Street
A steady pulse of city heat
That robs your motivation and control

Riding bikes til the hour is ten
And off to the Rail once again
Inside is a packed sweating stew
Out back a hipster petting zoo
Feeling that urge to roam
To any old where but home
Or any of the places that you've been

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Song 21: My Dear So-And-So

Nothing to say.

My Dear So-And-So

A: | A | A | A | A7 | D | D#dim | A | F#7 | B7 | E7 | A E7 | A E7 |

B: | F#m | C#7 | F#m | F#7 | B7 | B7 | E7 | E7 |
| A | A | A | F#7 | B7 | E7 | A E7 | A E7 |

My dear so-and-so
I thought I saw you yesterday
Pushing about the riverside drinking
Watery lemonade
With her
Oh yes, with her

My dear could've-been
I'm glad it went down your damn way
Sneaking around your old haunts cheatin'
Til I found out that day
It was her
It always was her

But I'll tell you why
I'll tell you why
When I saw that baby carriage
I knew our love just had to die

My dear nobody
You know it was never meant to be
Cause you never would've had that ugly baby with me

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Videos

Three videos of some of the 52 songs. The night lighting setting on the camera turned my suit, Lyndsy's dress, and Zach and Eric's ties to a "Wedding Singer" powdery blue, as Tom kindly pointed out. It was our first time playing these on stage, but it gives you an idea of the full band arrangement.

"When Autumn Blooms" - I'm pretty happy with how this came out overall. There are some flubs and we need to work on making the banjo solo pop out more, but for a song that fast and that complicated... I think we did alright.

"Neptune and Pluto" - Some intonation issues and an early transition, but we're getting there.

"Wake Up Bix" - Lots of lyrics means the first time is an adventure. But the melody is there.

Friday, August 21, 2009

Song 20: Beelzebub

A very basic swing tune. I wrote it prety quickly. I'm not overwhelmed by it, but hey, it's one more song down.

Beelzebub

A: | Bb6 | F7 | Bb6 | F7 | Bb6 Bb7 | Eb6 Eb7 | Bb6 F7 | Bb6 (F7)|

B; | Bb7 | Bb7 | Eb6 | Eb7 | C7 | C7 | F7 | F7 |

You work that fancy language
Like Beelzebub at my ear
The words you speak
Ain't the same as the message
That I'm gettin loud and clear

You pass that loco reefer
Like the ice cream man on my street
And all the while
You think you're clever
As if I couldn't keep my feet

You scheme and plot and run the numbers
Until they come out right
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday,
Friday, Saturday night

But with Sunday comes the paper
With a headline loud and true:
If you think
You'll win me over
Then you better get a clue.