The sweetness continues...

More commercials for the new Transformers movie have popped up. I've watched them each 5 times already, of course!

See them here!

(Thanks to BoNR's Ducktimus for the link!)

Musical Monday: Seem.

Here's another song that was written in anticipation of Elizabeth's birth. It didn't start out that way; it began with the second chorus, as a meditation on the "fleetingness" of the present moment, and our desire to hold onto that one moment in time. As I looked for verses that could build on that theme, I naturally looked forward toward the birth of my first child, and what it would be like to hold that little baby in my arms and never want to let go.

The unconventional rhythm of the chorus comes from the fact that the original inspiration for this piece (long before any words came) was my earlier song, Do You Think of Me?, played backwards. It was a melody and meter that haunted me for a while before I could put words to it.

» Seem

duration: 6:10
file size: 8.47 MB
written: 2004
recorded: 2007
instrument: piano
recording medium: cassette
lyrics:

Once I was a child
Living my life day by day
I laughed, I smiled
Trials and troubles seemed
So very far away

Oh, but now I've up and grown
Left the childhood that I'd known

I seem to recall
Days were carefree, they were innocent
Can time slip by so swiftly?
Or do children grow so fast?
What I'm holding here
Is a miracle beyond compare
Can I hold on forever?
I don't want this hour to pass

Once there was a girl
She was crazy about me
She was the, the center of my world
I thought that she and I
Were truly meant to be

But in a heartbeat she was gone
More surprising, I moved on

I seem to recall
That she said she loved me more than life
Are words so temporary?
Or can feelings change so fast?
What I'm holding here
Is a miracle beyond compare
Can I hold on forever?
I don't want this hour to pass

Right now is too precious
Mustn't let it skip past
I just want this moment to last

Once it was just me and you
Living together happily
Seems only yesterday we said "I do"
And suddenly now
We've begun a family

And where once were two, now three
And now my life is more than me

I seem to recall
Months spent waiting for this very day
Are our lives no more than
An attempt to escape the past?
But what I'm holding here
Is a miracle beyond compare
Can I hold on forever?
I don't want this hour to pass

What I'm holding here
Is a mystery beyond compare
Can I hold on forever?
I don't want this hour to pass
Can I hold on forever?
I don't want this hour to pass
I don't want this hour to pass
I don't want this hour to pass

Musical Monday Archive

Homeowner-Man Versus The Toilet.

THE ADVENTURES OF HOMEOWNER-MAN: EPISODE 1
HOMEOWNER-MAN VERSUS THE TOILET

[LAST WEEK]
Homeowner-Man: Honey, have you seen this?
Wife-Girl: Seen what?
Toilet: Leak!
Wife-Girl: Oh, no!
Dad-In-Law: Hopefully, it's just the wax ring.
[LATER]
Toilet: Ah! I've been disassembled...!
Wife-Girl: Yep, that wax ring looks shot.
Homeowner-Man: Should be easy enough to replace...

[SUNDAY]
Dad-In-Law: To Home Depot!
Homeowner-Man: They have standard and bigger size wax rings...
Dad-In-Law: Standard should be fine.
[LATER]
Dad-In-Law: There, that should do it.
Homeowner-Man: Excellent.
[LATER]
Dad-In-Law: Um...
Toilet: LEEAK!!!
Dad-In-Law: I think we need a bigger wax.
Homeowner-Man: I'll swing by Wal*Mart later tonight!
[LATER]
Wal*Mart: I only carry the standard size! Ha!
Homeowner-Man: Curses!

[MONDAY]
Homeowner-Man: To Home Depot!
Home Depot: Welcome back!
Home Depot: Ah, you want the bigger wax ring? Excellent choice!
[LATER]
Homeowner-Man: There, I think that did the trick!
[LATER]
Wife-Girl: Um, honey?
Homeowner-Man: What?
Pipe-From-Wall: Leak!Leak!Leak!
Homeowner-Man: Stupid crappy old valve!

[TUESDAY]
Homeowner-Man: To Home Depot!
Home Depot: Welcome back!
Homeowner-Man: Oh god. The selection--!
Home Depot: Do you know your pipe type, pipe size, connection type, and connection size?
Homeowner-Man: Um...I can guess?
[LATER]
Home Depot: Welcome back!
Homeowner-Man: Shut up.
[LATER]
Homeowner-Man: Come off, crappy old valve!
Crappy Old Valve: Ha!
[LATER]
Crappy Old Valve: You suck!
[LATER]
Homeowner-Man: GRAARRRGH!
[LATER]
Wife-Girl: Is it working now?
Homeowner-Man: Yep, pretty much.
Pipe-To-Toilet: Ha-ha! I'm too long and rigid to fit the new valve properly!
Homeowner-Man: Shut up. I'll deal with you tomorrow.

THE END!

Musical Monday: Softly.

With Elizabeth's birthday coming up next week, I'll continue the theme started last Monday -- meaning, songs related to Elizabeth. This song I actually credit Elizabeth with helping to write. She used to love playing the piano, and once when we were playing together (when she was less than 9 months old) she happened upon a lovely 5-note melody that I based the chorus to this piece off of.

» Softly

duration: 2:29
file size: 2.28 MB
written: 2004
recorded: 2004
instrument: piano
recording medium: computer
album art: Yet Still

Musical Monday Archive

Musical Monday: Daughter Mine.

Saturday alone at home = lots of recording done! I filled up a 60-minute cassette tape with music; now all that remains is dubbing that to the computer (about 1 hour) and then digitally editing the songs (about 1 hour per song.) Which means you'll be hearing a lot more "new" material in the coming months -- of course, it's really only new to me because everything I put up on this blog is new to most of you. But I digress.

This is a lullaby written for my daughter Elizabeth 3 years ago, though it was written before she was born (and before we knew she would be a she.) I wrote it while driving back from the hospital after our friends' daughter Olivia was born. I desperately wanted a baby girl of my own after that visit. 3 weeks later, Elizabeth was born.

» Daughter Mine

duration: 1:31
file size: 2.10 MB
written: 2004
recorded: 2007
instrument: piano
recording medium: cassette
lyrics:

Hush my darling
Everything will be all right
You're a miracle divine
I'm just happy that you're mine
Let me only hold you
In my arms tonight
Everything will be just fine
Daughter mine

Musical Monday Archive

Musical Monday: Think of You.

Ugh. Sick today, so this gets posted a bit late. But at least it's still Monday!

This song, I wrote for Sarah the year we got engaged. It has the special distinction of being the first "happy" song I wrote about her. :) I listened to it in the car for the first time in a long time this past week, and it was a much better song than I remembered it being. So I figured I'd share it. A bit of trivia: I considered "A Fraction" as a possible title.

» Think of You

duration: 4:59
file size: 4.56 MB
written: 1999
recorded: 2003
instrument: piano
recording medium: computer
lyrics:

Sometimes I get under
The pressures of the grueling day-by-day
And truly it's a wonder
That I've only come a fraction of the way
But with you here beside me
I look forward to it anyway

CHORUS:
When days are long, the nights are cold and gray
And nothing ever seems to go my way
And I can't make it through another day
I think of you, my troubles fall away

Sometimes I get lonely
When circumstances take me away from you
But I know that it's only
A fraction of the time we'll spend as two
It's what makes life worth living
No matter what it puts me through

CHORUS

Won't you tell me, tell me please
Everything 'bout you?
When life has brought me to my knees
When I feel sad and blue
I'll think of these
I'll think of you

The way you smile, the way you draw me near
The way you love, the way you hold me dear
The way I'd feel if only you were here
I think of these, my troubles disappear
My troubles disappear
My troubles disappear

Musical Monday Archive