What a swell time of year…

Talk about a phrase that sounds dated. Actually it’s more the word ‘swell’. That really feels like something straight out of the 50’s. So far it doesn’t seem to translate to the 10’s, sixty years later. However, the sentiment of the holidays does. What I usually end up associating this song with though is the opening scene of a movie called Lethal Weapon. I don’t remember which one, but it takes place during the holidays and some woman jumps off a building at the beginning. How’s that for a crazy holiday song connection between Jingle Bell Rock and the holidays? Regardless, I still like the simplistic nature of this original version of Jingle Bell Rock.

Jingle Bell Rock

Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock
Jingle bells swing and jingle bells ring
Snowing and blowing up bushels of fun
Now the jingle hop has begun

Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock
Jingle bells chime in jingle bell time
Dancing and prancing in Jingle Bell Square
In the frosty air.

What a bright time, it’s the right time
To rock the night away

Jingle bell time is a swell time
To go gliding in a one-horse sleigh
Giddy-up jingle horse, pick up your feet
Jingle around the clock

Mix and a-mingle in the jingling feet
That’s the jingle bell,
That’s the jingle bell,
That’s the jingle bell rock

Hope you’re enjoying your holidays!

I used to teach guitar lessons when I first started making my way in the world of music. Then I got full bore into writing and performing music. One thing teaching did was keep me up on a ton of bands that students want to learn to play like. There is one band that I really dug and still dig. That band is RUSH. They epitomize the concept of hardworking band. What’s awesome is that they make complicated music sound easy and musical. One of my favorite tunes they’ve done is probably more pop oriented than many of their fans would like is called Animate. Regardless I love it. Here it is for you to enjoy:

Animate

Polarize me
Sensitize me
Criticize me
Civilize me
Compensate me
Animate me
Complicate me
Elevate me

Goddess in my garden
Sister in my soul
Angel in my armor
Actress in my role

Daughter of a demon lover
Empress of the hidden face
Priestess of the pagan mother
Ancient queen of inner space

Spirit in my psyche
Double in my role
Alter in my image
Struggle for control

Mistress of the dark unconscious
Mermaid of the lunar sea
Daughter of the great enchantress
Sister to the boy inside of me

My counterpart, my foolish heart
A man must learn to rule his tender part
A warming trend, a gentle friend
A man must build a fortress to defend
A secret face, a touch of grace
A man must learn to give a little space
A peaceful state, a submissive trait
A man must learn to gently dominate

Polarize me
Sensitize me
Criticize me
Civilize me
Compensate me
Animate me
Complicate me
Elevate me

Enjoy!

I’m gonna go out on a limb here and formally let you know that I’m a fan of the movie ‘Love Actually’. There I said it. No, I’m not turning in my man-card. It’s a brilliantly written movie. Plus I dig all the actors and actresses in the movie, plus what’s not to love about british romance? What’s my point? Well at the end of the flick there’s a special christmas performer who sings a tune and she does an amazing job at it. Thus for all the fans of the flick, I’m posting the lyrics for All I Want For Christmas Is You.

p.s. – if you don’t know, I’ve done a cover version of this and you can get it on iTunes or listen on Spotify.

All I Want For Christmas Is You

I don’t want a lot for Christmas
There is just one thing I need
I don’t care about the presents
Underneath the Christmas tree

I just want you for my own
More than you could ever know
Make my wish come true
All I want for Christmas is you, yeah.

I don’t want a lot for Christmas
There is just one thing I need
And I don’t care about the presents
Underneath the Christmas tree

I don’t need to hang my stocking
There upon the fireplace
Santa Claus won’t make me happy
With a toy on Christmas Day

I just want you for my own
More than you could ever know
Make my wish come true
All I want for Christmas is you
You, baby

Oh, I won’t ask for much this Christmas
I won’t even wish for snow
And I’m just gonna keep on waiting
Underneath the mistletoe

I won’t make a list and send it
To the North Pole for Saint Nick
I won’t even stay awake to
Hear those magic reindeer click

‘Cause I just want you here tonight
Holding on to me so tight
What more can I do?
Baby, all I want for Christmas is you
You, baby

Oh, all the lights are shining
So brightly everywhere
And the sound of children’s
Laughter fills the air

And everyone is singing
I hear those sleigh bells ringing
Santa, won’t you bring me the one I really need?
Won’t you please bring my baby to me?

Oh, I don’t want a lot for Christmas
This is all I’m asking for
I just want to see my baby
Standing right outside my door

Oh, I just want you for my own
More than you could ever know
Make my wish come true
Baby, all I want for Christmas is
You, baby

All I want for Christmas is you, baby
All I want for Christmas is you, baby
All I want for Christmas is you, baby
All I want for Christmas is you, baby

Enjoy!

A few years ago a song came across my speakers that I had somehow made an instant connection with. It could have had something to do with lots of late nights while working on new songs. Now as I’m getting things finished on a new single I’m running into that same feeling of attachment and late nights. The song I got that connection to years ago was Breath (2 AM) by Anna Nalick off her album Wreck of the Day. Such an interesting title for an album. It’s still resonating years later with a very appropriate suggestion – to just breath. Definitely something we all need to do from time to time in this world.

Breath (2AM)

2 AM and she calls me ’cause I’m still awake,
“Can you help me unravel my latest mistake?,
I don’t love him. Winter just wasn’t my season”
Yeah we walk through the doors, so accusing their eyes
Like they have any right at all to criticize,
Hypocrites. You’re all here for the very same reason

‘Cause you can’t jump the track, we’re like cars on a cable
And life’s like an hourglass, glued to the table
No one can find the rewind button, girl.
So cradle your head in your hands
And breathe… just breathe,
Oh breathe, just breathe

May he turned 21 on the base at Fort Bliss
“Just a day” he said down to the flask in his fist,
“Ain’t been sober, since maybe October of last year.”
Here in town you can tell he’s been down for a while,
But, my God, it’s so beautiful when the boy smiles,
Wanna hold him. Maybe I’ll just sing about it.

Cause you can’t jump the track, we’re like cars on a cable,
And life’s like an hourglass, glued to the table.
No one can find the rewind button, boys,
So cradle your head in your hands,
And breathe… just breathe,
Oh breathe, just breathe

There’s a light at each end of this tunnel,
You shout ’cause you’re just as far in as you’ll ever be out
And these mistakes you’ve made, you’ll just make them again
If you’d only try turning around.

2 AM and I’m still awake, writing a song
If I get it all down on paper, it’s no longer inside of me,
Threatening the life it belongs to
And I feel like I’m naked in front of the crowd
Cause these words are my diary, screaming out loud
And I know that you’ll use them, however you want to

But you can’t jump the track, we’re like cars on a cable,
And life’s like an hourglass, glued to the table
No one can find the rewind button now
Sing it if you understand.
and breathe, just breathe
woah breathe, just breathe,
Oh breathe, just breathe,
Oh breathe, just breathe.

by: Anna Christine Nalick

A couple of years ago I was visiting home during the holidays. I ended up running into an old friend who invited me out to yet another person’s house for an evening of drinking and music. I said sure, what the hell. That night I was introduced to a musician who also grew up in the Park City, but whom I had never met as she was several years younger. Her name was and still is Alexa Wilkinson. We started exchanging songs in a bit of a song circle type of thing. I admired her playing, she admired mine. That was the extent of the evening. She’d been living on the east coast – actually still there, though is now a gourmet chef. She gave me a copy of her CD and I always enjoy when it comes on my iTunes or through my streaming server when I’m out and about. I suppose I’m waxing rhapsodic as the music event I’ve been planning for Park City (a 9 day music event with over 100 bands) got it’s permits the other night and is now a go! At a time of year where we probably get a little Vanilla Rain. June 2014.

Vanilla Rain

Never been so let go
Never been so composed
From my fingers to my toes
I’m callin’ out
Never been so advised
And finally realized
From the tele to my room
I feel it too

Spin me round like a child
I need some to be satisfied
My arms are open wide

Cause I miss you on a Sunday
Just smiled cause things are going our way
Your suitcase gets bigger every time
Will I ever sleep tonight
Now you’re mine

You were a surprise
Like vanilla rain from the sky
From the ocean to my room
I feel it too

Kiss me like the first time
I need some to be satisfied
My arms are open wide

Cause I miss you on a Sunday
Just smiled cause things are going our way
Your suitcase gets bigger every time
Will I ever sleep tonight
Now you’re mine

Lying right down next to you
The sun is rising soon though
We both could use some sleep before the dawn
All the things I could do without
The only thing I doubt ‘s your
Company in the middle of the night

Cause I miss you on a Sunday
Just smiled cause things are going our way
Your suitcase gets bigger every time
Will I ever sleep tonight
Now you’re mine
Cause I miss you on a Sunday
Just smiled cause things are going our way
Your suitcase gets bigger every time
Will I ever sleep tonight
Now you’re mine

Being the product of wannabe hippies I got to listen to a lot of old school classic rock from an era long before me. One of the tunes I can remember my dad blasting in the van while driving me around was “Go Your Own Way” by Fleetwood Mac. So listening to the song right now as I’m typing this I can envision driving around some city (I don’t remember where it was) but he was looking for a skatepark to take me too so we could skateboard. See, that’s how cool my father was – he took me skateboarding and he skateboarded himself. Pretty wild. Maybe the vibe of the lyrics really rubbed off on me because I do tend to go my own way. Don’t you?

Go Your Own Way

Loving you
Is it the right thing to do?
How can I ever change things
That I feel?

If I could
Maybe I’d give you my world
How can I
When you won’t take it from me

You can go your own way
Go your own way
You can call it
Another lonely day
You can go your own way
Go your own way

Tell me why
Everything turned around
Packing up
Shacking up’s all you wanna do

If I could
Baby I’d give you my world
Open up
Everything’s waiting for you

You can go your own way
Go your own way
You can call it
Another lonely day
You can go your own way
go your own way

(Chorus)

You can go your own way…
Call it another lonely day…
you can go your own way…

Enjoy!

p.s. – no Tony Alva is not my dad. It’s just a cool pic from a fun documentary.

A few years ago Evanescence hit the scene in a pretty big way. They came onto the scene having been licensed into a popular video game. In turn that launched them into the stratosphere as a band. The sound of goth pop metal was born and became hugely popular essentially overnight. Then came the band turmoil, followed by a new release and this particular song. The opening lines grabbed me right from the get go. So cool with the harmonies on the vocal that launches the song. Cool enough in fact that I’ve worked up my own version to do live – not as goth, and sung by a dude.

Call Me When You’re Sober

Don’t cry to me.
If you loved me,
You would be here with me.
You want me,
Come find me.
Make up your mind.

Should I let you fall?
Lose it all?
So maybe you can remember yourself.
Can’t keep believing,
We’re only deceiving ourselves .
And I’m sick of the lie,
And you’re too late.

Don’t cry to me.
If you loved me,
You would be here with me.
You want me,
Come find me.
Make up your mind.

Couldn’t take the blame.
Sick with shame.
Must be exhausting to lose your own game.
Selfishly hated,
No wonder you’re jaded.
You can’t play the victim this time,
And you’re too late.

Don’t cry to me.
If you loved me,
You would be here with me.
You want me,
Come find me.
Make up your mind.

You never call me when you’re sober.
You only want it cause it’s over,
It’s over.

How could I have burned paradise?
How could I – you were never mine.

So don’t cry to me.
If you loved me,
You would be here with me.
Don’t lie to me,
Just get your things.
I’ve made up your mind.

One of my favorite guitar songs a bunch of years ago happened to be a tune called Heavy. I remember coming back from the record store (yes, I do remember record stores) with the CD of a band called Collective Soul. I’d been a fan. Even got a chance to go backstage and meet them once at a gig in Los Angeles. Nice guys. The moment I put the CD in and heard Heavy, I was like “What the fuck?!?” I really dug the opening guitar riff, it was Heavy and it had a very modern sound. Loved it right from the start. So, here are the lyrics from Heavy in all their glory for this Throwback Thursday.

Heavy

Complicate this world you wrapped for me
I’m acquainted with your suffering

All your weight it falls on me
It brings me down
All your weight it falls on me
It falls on me

Hold me up to those whom you’ve deceived
Promises you break you still believe

All your weight it falls on me
It brings me down
All your wieght it brings me down
It brings me down
All your wieght it falls on me
It brings me down
All your weight it falls on me
It falls on me.

All your wieght it falls on me
It brings me down
All your wieght it falls on me
It falls on me.

Songwriters: MONAHAN, PAT/STAFFORD, JAMES W/COLIN, CHARLIE

Enjoy!

A couple of years ago I was privy to a little trip that involved myself, my mother and my sister. We attempt to make at least one trip a year as a little familial unit. The particular trip I’m thinking of was down highway 12 in the state of Utah. On this particular trip we stayed in a little B&B type place in Boulder Utah, not Boulder Colorado. It’s a very small farming community on the south side of Boulder Mountain. While staying at the B&B I was sitting out in the yard around a fire pit. Up walked a local who sat down with a guitar and started up a conversation. He found out that I’m a musician and asked me to play a couple of songs. We had a little fun talking music. This trip also happened to be the first time that I had heard the song Little Bird by Annie Lennox. I enjoyed it so much that I used it as a soundtrack to a slideshow of pictures I made from the trip. There’s something about her delivery on this song that just smacks me inside and makes me want to hear the song over and over any time I happen to play. That’s dangerous.

Little Bird

I look up to the little bird
That glides across the sky
He sings the clearest melody
It makes me want to cry
It makes me want to sit right down
and cry cry cry
I walk along the city streets
So dark with rage and fear
And I…
I wish that I could be that bird
And fly away from here
I wish I had the wings to fly away from here

But my my I feel so low
My my where do I go ?
My my what do I know ?
My my we reap what we sow
They always said that you knew best
But this little bird’s fallen out of that nest now
I’ve got a feeling that it might have been blessed
So I’ve just got to put these wings to test

For I am just a troubled soul
Who’s weighted…
Weighted to the ground
Give me the strength to carry on
Till I can lay this burden down
Give me the strength to lay this burden down down down yeah
Give me the strength to lay it down

But my my I feel so low
My my where do I go ?
My my what do I know ?
My my we reap what we sow
They always said that you knew best
But this little bird’s fallen out of that nest now
I’ve got a feeling that it might have been blessed
So I’ve just got to put these wings to test

Enjoy Your Day and have a great trip sometime!

Taking a look back into pop music history I’m digging out a tune by an artist I have a strange respect for. Growing up guitar didn’t really lend me to wanting to listen to Michael Jackson. However, learning more about him and his career changed that. Once I was finally out of music school I really started getting into artists/bands that were more about the song and not the means in the individual guitars involved. As it so happens, this song is one of my favorite Michael Jackson tunes thanks to the percussive groove that propels it.

In fact a whole lot of my own writing stems from getting an amazing groove going. Much like Michael’s core work. The sense of rhythm that gets your body moving and your head bobbing. My personal feeling is that if the music isn’t moving you in some way. shape or form, then it’s likely doing something wrong. Michael was a definite master of this. No question about it.

They Don’t Really Care About Us

Skin head, dead head
Everybody gone bad
Situation, aggravation
Everybody allegation
In the suite, on the news
Everybody dog food
Bang bang, shot dead
Everybody’s gone mad

All I wanna say is that
They don’t really care about us
All I wanna say is that
They don’t really care about us

Beat me, hate me
You can never break me
Will me, thrill me
You can never kill me
Jew me, sue me
Everybody do me
Kick me, kike me
Don’t you black or white me

All I wanna say is that
They don’t really care about us
All I wanna say is that
They don’t really care about us

Tell me what has become of my life
I have a wife and two children who love me
I am the victim of police brutality, now
I’m tired of bein’ the victim of hate
You’re rapin’ me off my pride
Oh, for God’s sake
I look to heaven to fulfill its prophecy…
Set me free

Skin head, dead head
Everybody gone bad
Trepidation, speculation
Everybody allegation
In the suite, on the news
Everybody dog food
Black male, black mail
Throw your brother in jail

All I wanna say is that
They don’t really care about us
All I wanna say is that
They don’t really care about us

Tell me what has become of my rights
Am I invisible because you ignore me?
Your proclamation promised me free liberty, now
I’m tired of bein’ the victim of shame
They’re throwing me in a class with a bad name
I can’t believe this is the land from which I came
You know I really do hate to say it
The government don’t wanna see
But if Roosevelt was livin’
He wouldn’t let this be, no, no

Skin head, dead head
Everybody gone bad
Situation, speculation
Everybody litigation
Beat me, bash me
You can never trash me
Hit me, kick me
You can never get me

All I wanna say is that
They don’t really care about us
All I wanna say is that
They don’t really care about us

Some things in life they just don’t wanna see
But if Martin Luther was livin’
He wouldn’t let this be, no, no

Skin head, dead head
Everybody gone bad
Situation, segregation
Everybody allegation
In the suite, on the news
Everybody dog food
Kick me, kike me
Don’t you wrong or right me

All I wanna say is that
They don’t really care about us
All I wanna say is that
They don’t really care about us

All I wanna say is that
They don’t really care about us
All I wanna say is that
They don’t really care about
All I wanna say is that
they don’t really care about
All I wanna say is that
They don’t really care about us

Writer(s): Michael Jackson, Michael Joe Jackson
Copyright: Mijac Music