4th of July

I remember holding hands with the night
the sound of our little feet and the smell of the pines

And that night when we caught lightning in a jar
and we wouldn't let it out til all of our games were done

And the girl whose bones were shrinking
passed away on the fourth of July
and you always tried to help me think up believable lies

And even though I couldn't see
you described it to me
you made it seem so real
as real as it could be

Our teachers told us not to wait for a cure
That the gifts we were given were noble and pure

And we cried into the spaces between each others arms
And hid ourselves someplace where it was always safe and warm

Although you learned to accept it
I kept fighting with all of my might
You learned to live in the daytime I was still trapped in the night

And even though I couldn't see
you described it to me
you made it seem so real
as real as it could be

Where Is My Mind?

I was finally able to make a digital copy of a VHS cassette that I've had floating around for the past 10 years of a show my first band played at our house my Senior year of college (2001, I think). I guess the band was called High Ball at the time (I think we changed names every show we played) and it consisted of Me, Tony Terrafranca (drums) and Brian Elyo (Bass) - with special guest appearances by Adam Martin and John Rudolf on vocals. After a little research I figured out how to edit them into shorter song-sized clips, and this is the first one - a cover of The Pixies' song "Where is My Mind." Adam does a great job singing and freaking out. More to come...

In My Head

We both knew it wasn't meant to be
but it was so hard to make ourselves believe
I never wanted you to go
but after you decided It was like I'd already known

I wake up every morning and look at where you used to be
silent and haunting only dust and shadows to see

And I don't let myself imagine how it could have been
I just wrap my arms around the picture in my head

I know that I'll move on and find someone new
but every time I get close I can't help comparing them to you

And I don't let myself imagine how it could have been
I just wrap my arms around the picture in my head

And when you showed up on my front door
you told me that you wanted to give it another go

Grandfather's Clock

This is an instrumental cover of a song called "Grandfather's Clock." Originally written around the turn of the century, the song has since become a bluegrass standard. I first came across this song on the album Tone Poems by Tony Rice and David Grisman. It has a really warm, soothing and evocative feel to it and reminds me of crisp winter days in Colorado, relaxing next to a fire. It also sort of reminds me of music that I'd hear around the holidays (both Thanksgiving and Christmas).

I chose this song because it gave me a chance to practice the Mandolin against a simple plucked guitar backdrop. I particularly like the tremolo effect on the Mandolin, and this song uses it throughout.

Hope you enjoy - and have a great Thanksgiving!

The Flame

Lyrics:

Every day follows the next
in a line of moments that I can't get back
but you came up and showed me the way
to get back the good times and store them away

It's easy to get lost in the dark of the night
when you don't have a candle to hold to the light
but if you hold on, til the sunrise
you'll start to see through her beautiful eyes

and the book that I'm writing is bound
by the sights and the smells and the sounds
and the words that are written in stone
still have the power to cut to the bone

and when I'm old and grey
i hope you'll sit with me and look at me that way
and if the stars should change
ill always think of how you saved me from the flame

Days into weeks and weeks into years
sweat into blood and blood into tears
hate into healing and heart into hope
all of the feelings that make up your home

and the book that I'm writing is bound
by the sights and the smells and the sounds
and the words that are written in stone
still have the power to cut to the bone

This Again

The light it seems
flows slowly from my dreams
and I wake to the sound
of you snoring
and I try to remember
but my past is far behind
and I'm too busy living in my own mind

And I don't know what you came for
and I don't know why i let you back in
but you are more than i can handle
and I can't handle this again

You came in last night
as I turned out the light
and you ask me if you
could stay the night
I remember saying no
before I said alright
I was too tired to get into a fight

You said that you were just passing through
and you just wanted to see an old friend
you saw that I had my light on
and you had to see me again

And I don't know what you came for
and I don't know why i let you back in
but you are more than i can handle
and I can't handle this again...this again

Sink

I met you in a cold dark place
out of the light of the sun
all i could see was the shadow of your face
long may you run

And I'll fight for you

I want you to see me
like I never was
like we used to sit and talk
for hours in the dark

And I'll sing for you

And I will look for you
even if I never find the truth
i've told so many lies myself
abandoned them in sickness and in health

The places that you took me
were all deep under ground
you didn't like to see the light
or go out on the town

And i'll sink with you