C'est La Vie

This is more of a poem than a song. Written by myself about 10 years ago. Just dug it up tonight.

C'est La Vie

The dark places in my mind
Wonder how I’ve been so blind
Will the path I take lead me home?
Or am I destined to endlessly roam?
I stop and think about a time
When love was here and life was fine

A lonely man down the road
Forced to sleep out in the cold
He calls the streets his home
I wonder if he too feels alone
On a park bench he calls his bed
Dreams of hope run through his head

On a dusty day in a land afar
People are killed for who they are
Violence raging on both sides
The price is paid in innocent lives
When will the bloodshed cease?
I wonder if there will ever be peace

A little girl, the age of nine
She’s beaten and abused all the time
Her daddy doesn’t tuck her into bed
He only lives for his bottles instead
I wonder if the girl will ever overcome
The scars and damage that her daddy’s done

The dark places in my mind
Wonder how we’ve been so blind
Will the path we take lead us home?
Or are we destined to endlessly roam?
I stop and think about a time
When love was here and life was fine

Doin Our Thing

Country tune I came up with tonight...

Verse 1:
I wanna be stuck with you
In the middle of the woods
When my four wheel drive
Aint workin too good

Layin in my truck bed
Till the break of dawn
Looking at the stars in the sky
And singing our songs

Chorus 1:
Singing,
A little bit of Kenny
A little bit of George
Maybe some Bob Dylan
Or Willie and the boys
I’ll do a little Elvis,
You’ll do a little Sting
The crickets singin along
As we’re doin our thing

Verse 2:
You can bring a blanket
I’ll bring my guitar
My tank is on empty
But it aint that far

We can find a nice spot
Down by the lake
We’ll crank up the radio
And sing the night away

Chorus 2:
Singing,
A little bit of Johnny
A little bit of Hank
Take it back to the Beatles
Or all the way to Frank
On such a nice night
In the middle of Spring
The crickets singin along
As we’re doin our thing

Bridge:
We’re gonna have a good time
Just you wait and see
It’s gonna be a nice night
Come along with me

You could sit at home
And curl up in front of the TV,
Or you could call shotgun
And take a ride with me

Chorus 3:
Singing,
A little ACDC,
A little Buddy Guy
Maybe some Journey
If you can sing that high
Tonight is perfect
For a musical fling
The crickets singin along
As we’re doin our thing

The crickets are singin along
As we’re doin our thing

New Music to Check Out

I've been tired of the same old music lately, and have found a few new bands to enjoy. I thought I'd share my thoughts on a few of these bands.


The Civil Wars


Sometime last summer I was turned on to a band called “The Civil Wars” by a friend. Apparently they had a single that was used in an episode of the popular television show “Grey’s Anatomy.” The single is entitled “Poison & Wine.” I went on Youtube and watched the video for “Poison & Wine” and was immediately memorized by the simple yet powerful feeling invoked by the song. I did some Internet research and found their myspace page. I was shocked to find that they were a startup group that didn’t even have an album or website. They hail from Muscle Shoals, Alabama. The group consists of only two members: John Paul White and Joy Williams. They had a free live album download available. After listening to the full album I was hooked. I’m not sure I have ever heard a duo that sounds so perfect together. The vocal harmonies are astounding. The music is very simple for the most part. It has a southern Appalachian feel to it. Most songs consist of John Paul playing the acoustic guitar and the duo singing.

In February of this year, they finally released a full professionally recorded album entitled “Barton Hollow.” I recently downloaded it, even though it contained a lot of the same songs that were on the demo album that I already owned. I was pleasantly surprised by what they had done. I was expecting a more “Hollywood” full production, but the album stays true to the roots of the band. It is very straight forward and simple, yet emotionally provoking. The Civil Wars certainly aren’t for everybody, but for those that appreciate “quality” musicianship will enjoy the album. It is quite mellow and a bit dark to be honest. It is not for you if you like “happy” or pop music. However, if you want to hear some of the best vocal work in this modern music era, you should check them out.

American Bang

American Bang rocks! They are a total 180 from The Civil Wars. They have one self-titled album at the moment. They have a few songs that have charted already. “Whiskey Walk” and “Wild and Young” can both be heard on the radio. However, “Angels” is probably my favorite tune on the album. Also “Rewind” is a cool song. Their guitar work is exceptional, and the vocals are powerful, yet a breathe of fresh air. Lead singer Jaren Johnston has a unique rock voice. In an era where pop and country reign supreme, American Bang cranks the volume to eleven. I’m not sure who to compare them to. If you like to rock once and while, and want to hear something new, check them out.

Forever Free

This is a song that I wrote with my buddy Wil Anderson back in 2001. It is about death/heaven. Looking back it is a little amateur, but we were only 18 at the time.


Forever Free

Verse 1:
My heart beats within me
Faster it goes
I cannot keep silent
My fear only grows

I cry out in pain
That fades as it slows
A new world I see as my eyes slowly close

Verse 2:
The beauty surrounds me
As the light shines through
Where I am now
The troubles, they are few

The pain is now gone
And my heart has slowed too
I'm faced with the one
Whose love has been true

Chorus:
I hope that you can see
What you mean to me
I hope that I can be forever free

Verse 3:
I feel the love
That so long went untold
The faces around are
Anything but old

People I greet
On these streets of gold
Unto your hand
I can now safely hold

Chorus:
I hope that you can see
What you mean to me
I hope that I can be forever free

Bridge:
Never again will my mind feel the need
To sit down and cry, to beg or plead
There's is no pain, no skin here to bleed
Because those that have loved have surely been freed

Chorus:
I hope that you can see
What you mean to me
I hope that I can be forever free