Bums, Carrot Trees, and Beer

Here's three more songs from the vault. As I'm compiling these old songs, I'm really starting to feel like I should be recording them... All in good time. I guess that's a good goal to have... Recording all of these before I die and shooting them into outer space to be found later...

I’m Yo Bum, Baby!

Chords: E, A7, B7

I got alcohol, flowin’ through my veins like cholesterol.

Scratching on my balls through my piss stained overalls.

Holding up my sign, getting visions of a cheeseburger, baby, I want cha

Cuz I ain’t had none, in a while

My crooked smile’s all I gotta give away

cuz the man’s been fucking my plans up since the first day.

But every time I see you, I give you my soul,

while you’re digging out change from your middle console..

I’m your bum, baby. I’m begging for your love.

I’m sleeping under bridges and I’m shakin’ my cup.

And maybe one day when I run into some luck

then I’ll be handin’ out the change to some unfortunate fuck...

Every day I’m watching you when you pull up to the light,

but sometimes I’m too damn drunk to even stand up right.

I wish I knew your name, cause on my sign I’d write it

as I mime to the people that I’m hungry on the highway.

Hungry for your kisses, and itching for your hugs,

but it might just be that fungus, that feels like crawling bugs.

So I’m a crawl my ass back up on the curb and take a swig,

then go behind the dumpster think of you and jerk my twig..

I’m your bum, baby. I’m begging for your love.

I’m sleeping under bridges and I’m shakin’ my cup.

And maybe one day when I run into some luck

then I’ll be handin’ out the change to some unfortunate fuck...

So gimme all your pennies and look in my eyes

and see the sorrow and the years of tears that I cried.

I just lied. Lied to you to the whole time.

The brand new Benz around the corner is mine.

I make about five hundred dollars a day,

just waiting on you silly mothafuckas to pay me

So how ya like me now babe. I’ll make your day,

now that I’m rich from all the money you’ve been giving away.

And I’ll gladly give it back if you do one thing.

It’s been a long coming if ya know what I mean…

I’m your bum babe and I’m a begging you please.

You got me drinking everyday because I know you’ll never need me.

But maybe one day, if I live that long,

then you’ll see that in my arms is where you’ve always belonged.

Yeah, I’m your bum baby. I’m begging for your love.

I’m sleeping under bridges and I’m shaking my cup.

Cause maybe one day if I run into some luck

then I’ll be handing out the change to some unfortunate fuck. What!

The Carrot Tree

Today, I’m walking like a king, the church bell sings, halleluiah...

And my brain doesn’t feel too heavy in my head…

And my heart feels kinda like a jingling thing, 

like change in the pocket of a gypsy king. 

And I really hope I feel this good again.

Singing la la laaaa... 
Singing oh yeah yeaaah...

Singing nah nah na nah na nah nah nah nah boo boo... 2X

And your face it dangles it front of me, 

you’re a flying bunny rabbit in a carrot tree, 

and I live for you to visit me in the sun.

And the same three chords are running through my head, 

as I place my monkey slippers down by my bed. 

The world is my oyster, and you’re my little pearl.

Singing la la laaaa... 
Singing oh yeah yeaaah... 

Singing nah nah na nah na nah nah nah nah boo boo... 2 X

As days fly by I remember you, 

with your shiny little smile and your cute hairdo, 

while you made my eggs all smiley faced in the morning. 

Sparkling diamonds, sunset lake, 

I belly flop into my bed to wake up, 

happy still to say you were by my side.

Singing la la laaaa... 
Singing oh yeah yeaaah... 

Singing nah nah na nah na nah nah nah nah boo boo... 2 X

As soon as the doctors let me out of here, 

Girl, imma track you down cuz my mind is clear. 

I'll just stash these pills and break free from this bed.

And today I’m walking like a king, the church bell sings, halleluiah...

And my brain doesn’t feel, to heavy in myyyy….. head.

Two Beers

It’s a, lazy Sunday, two beers to my name, so I’m sipping, enjoying them slowly

Gotta find enough dough before Monday, to pay the man, to come and turn my lights back on

Got extension cords hangin’ out the windows,

stretchin’ to the neighbors, laundry room down below

The radio and fridge are plugged in,

not that I have any food to protect within

Just some condiments and some pickled okra,

and two beers but I’m drinking them right now, brah.

Lazy Sunday, two beers to my name, so I’m sipping, enjoying them slowly

Gotta find enough dough before Monday, to pay the man, to come and turn my lights back on

I had to write a bad check to get a job done,

but I know it won’t hit until Tuesday

I headed out last night to have a ton of fun,

and drank up my last little bit of change

I feel like I might be losing my touch,

tomorrow’s coming for me, and I’m a running from it

I expect now, not to expect too much,

I’m down to one beer now and I’m loving on it.

Lazy Sunday, two beers to my name, so I’m sipping, enjoying them slowly

Gotta find enough dough before Monday, to pay the man, to come and turn my lights back on

Generally speaking, I always get what I need

and never ever get what I deserve

Until I figure out exactly what that is,

I’ll perpetually be pumpin’ at the self-serve

You gotta dollar come and place it in my ball cap

Unwind, allow your mind to let your hands clap

Hook me up and drop some cash before you go home

Cuz I’m outta beer and it’s time to get my lights turned on

Lazy Sunday, two beers to my name, so I’m sipping, enjoying them slowly

Gotta find enough dough before Monday, to pay the man, to come and turn my lights back on 2X

Moon Tans, Lookers, and Happy Feet...

Hello Earthlings,

    Here's Part 2 of many. I'll be digging up songs I've written over the last 15 years and posting them here to preserve them. Some of them are crappy. Some are good. They run the gamut from happy to depressing. From contemplative to retarded. Tiny moments from throughout my life when I happened to have a pencil, a piece of paper, and a guitar laying about at the same time.

Today, we'll do 3 more...

Moon Tan

Verse: C, F, C, G, C, F, C, G, C

You can’t stop the waves, of the sun’s radiant light.

It bounces off objects, and enters the night.

It loses it’s strength, as it cuts through the gloom

And you can’t get a tan from the moon.

And my love is a sunbeam, so pure and so true

But I can’t fall in love, with reflections of you

You stay out all night, tell me what can I do

You can’t get a tan from the moon.

You can set up a funhouse, to confuse and distract me

Dive in a pool, to bend and refract me

But I doubt if I will, be seeing you soon

Cuz you can’t get a tan from the moon

And my love is a sunbeam, so pure and so true

But I can’t fall in love, with reflections of you

You stay out all night, tell me what can I do

You can’t get a tan from the moon.

Even if you had panels, to harness the light

Or turned on a flashlight, to cut through the night

Try as you may, you’ll never light up this room

Cuz you can’t get a tan from the moon.

You can’t stop the waves, of the sun’s radiant light.

It bounces off objects, and enters the night.

It loses it’s strength, as it cuts through the gloom

And you can’t get a tan from the moon.

 The Looker

She grew up to be a looker, pretty as can be,

struttin’ up and down the drag with equal company.

Some friends flew the coop, and went to have their fun, and

Some got into mischief, and they’re still on the run.

But her mind was sharply focused and it soon became her quest

To find herself a rich man and be better than the rest.

So one hot day, she tripped one up, pounced and chewed away

Like a hungry lioness hunkered down to guard her prey.

(CHORUS)

She was looking for the money and a trail into the hills

Now she’s gazing over Austin looking forward to the thrills

As the city lights lay twinkling above the frantic crowds

She smiles and sips her wine in her mansion in the clouds.

A couple years and she’s progressed, she’s learning all the tricks.

Among her peers she’s best dressed, her smile is always fixed.

They marveled at the rags to riches hometown beauty queen. But they’re

Jealousy was never quenched for she was seldom seen.

Husband’s up and off to golf with a few of his good chaps.

Talking bout the stocks they bought and sharing shallow laughs.

While she’s wrapped on the leather couch horny and alone.

As lonely sobs like tennis balls bounce through her spacious home.

(CHORUS)

She was looking for the money and a trail into the hills

Now she’s gazing over Austin and missing all the thrills

She had back when she was wishing to rise above the crowds

in her shabby little loft in the city ‘neath the clouds.

Living up by Red Bud, admiring the view

Tapping on the marble in her thousand dollar shoes

Wishing she could find a dive and have a drink or two

And maybe talk to someone down to earth like me and you.

All the brunches and the formals and the places that they meet

Just don’t seem to satisfy when you’re longing for the street.

To get back all the good times and all the friends she lost,

would mean the world to the pretty girl no matter what the cost.

She was looking for the money and a trail into the hills

Now she’s gazing over Austin and missing all the thrills

She had back when she was wishing to rise above the crowds

in her shabby little loft in the city ‘neath the clouds.

She grew up to be a looker, pretty as can be,

struttin’ up and down the drag with equal company….

Happy Feet

Chords: G, Em, C, D

I see the future and it’s stretching out in front of me

And it’s calling me to be just what I want to be.

My happy feet are used to living like a refugee

My soul is steady looking for a way to set them free.

Now all your quotes and anecdotes they don’t mean shit to me

I tried to give my heart but it don’t travel lightly

That’s ok I treasury of memories

And every song I sing about my life is therapy.

(chorus)

I’m traveling with happy feet

The world is mine, mine to meet

How are you? I’m feeling well.

Hoist the anchor, let’s set...

Now I’m a step into this world and make myself known

Every country that I’ll travel to I’ll call my own

Feeling better every time I cross a time zone

Cuz I’m a king and I’m a keep on looking for my thrown.

I got nothing but myself to live for anyway

It took a while to figure out but baby that’s ok.

I’m feeling like a kid that’s ready to go out and play

In a world of faces and new places to see everyday.

(chorus)

I’m traveling with happy feet

The world is mine, mine to meet

How are you? I’m feeling well.

Hoist the anchor, let’s set...

The politicians on a mission that is ill conceived

The corporations copulating with the war machine

The trepidation of this nation makes me want to leave

So my happy feet are moving I ain’t got the time grieve.

You can stick around and do what you thinks right for you

Make a peachy life and earn a dollar bill or two.

Have some kids and go to work and drop ‘em off at school

And every now and then go see some nature at the zoo.

(chorus)

I’m traveling with happy feet

The world is mine, mine to meet

How are you? I’m feeling well.

Hoist the anchor, let’s set...

I put the offer on the table and it still stands

Our time is slipping like a waterfall through open hands

Anyone without the heart to go I’ll understand

But happy feet is itching for some sand in foreign lands

The time is now so hurry hurry no I can’t be late

To much to do and see and learn and lick up off my plate

The world is turning and I’m burning just to fly away

And grab my luggage with some friends at the arrival gate

I’m steady reaching as I’m teaching myself how to live

My mind is strong I’m on my way and I’m a play to win

I’m standing on a mountain to the world my heart I give

Never expect to get some lovin' in return again

See I been dreamin' every evenin' since my day of birth

To unravel mysteries and travel til I turn to dirt

The past is history and I’ve only found one thing of worth

And that’s the nurturing from my beloved Mother Earth. 

(chorus)

I’m traveling with happy feet

The world is mine, mine to meet

How are you? I’m feeling well.

Hoist the anchor....

Fare thee well....

Let the songs out. Part 1

Howdy. I've written hundreds of songs. Hundreds. Today, as I lay in bed with an injured back, I'm feeling I should start storing them here instead of the pile of notebooks in the corner. I feel that they may be safer out here in the ether. Right?

I don't even know where to start, so... I guess over the next few months I'll be adding two or three a day, in no certain order. If anyone reads this, let me know which ones you like and I'll record them. Most of these are around 10 years old... So, yeah, 3 a day until they run out. Enjoy...

 

Another Day Above Ground

Chords: C#m aug 5, Bb aug5, Bm, Dm5

We know what it means now, and we won’t forget again.

We’ve seen friends and family, scattered to the wind.

Feels like we’re detached now,

Wandering, through a big 'ole lost and found.

Waiting on one sweet morning,

When that trumpet sounds.

Another Day above Ground.

We need our daily bread, We drinking booze instead

Lift up our weary heads, Another day above ground.

No thoughts of suicide, Open your mouth up wide

Fill it with your pride, Another day above ground

Brother drop your gun, Recognize we’re one

Step into the sun, Another day above ground

Cuz one day you and me, Will shake hands in the street

Sweet synchronicity, Another day above ground

It’s easy to give up, and settle for less than we’re worth.

But it’s just an illusion, that we’re all separate on Earth.

So just, sing out a song,

For the day the world came unwound

And we can join hands and laugh

In the face of the aftermath

Of what went down

Another day above ground

All the life we tasted, all the time we’ve wasted

Take all the guilt erase it, Another day above ground.

We takin’ no more bets, might as well forget

All those old regrets, Another day above ground

Like Noah with the dove, guided from above

Light your path with love, Another day above ground

With love our hearts are filled, our city will rebuild

As fruits of labor yield, Another day above ground

 

GUTTER SHOES.

Bm7, Gm7, F#m7

(whistling intro) (chorus)

I wake up every morning when the sun rises.

I go tru my routine dey ain’t no surprises.

I start a whistlin’ the worn out sole blues.

Because the liquor store it owes me some new shoes.

I start a walkin’ and I shuffle my feet yeah.

Down thru esplanade cuz dat’s my street yeah.

I slide my way down to da corner liquor store.

Cuz what I need I just ran out I gotta get some more.

Dey know my name the bell jingles when I enter.

Dey know me every time of year from Spring to Winter.

I pour my change out cuz I know the right amount.

Give it to me Give it to me Slide the bottle cross the counter, I…(chorus)

I hang out with me, myself, and my other friend.

We shares a smoke and a bottle every now and then.

People say we should jus put the bottle on the shelf

Cuz when you see talking to my friend I’m talking to myself, now.

I ain’t looking for no handout pity.

I walk the streets and help the folks of Crescent City.

I’m a tell ya something that you didn’t know I knew.

Jus give a dollar and I’ll tell you where you got your shoes.

(spoken) Dey on your feet mothafucka! Now give me dat dolla!

You bitch you. You heard me?! You wanna know why because I..(chorus)

Now you may think I’m just some worthless scum.

Stuck to streets just like an old-assed piece of gum.

But I’m a tell ya I gots nuthin to lose.

Just give me all your change and I’ll stop buggin’ you.

I serve as a reminder; better listen to your mother.

A walking public service: An announcement from the gutter.

I suck the city like I’m suckin’ on an udder

First I grabs it then I churns it then I turns it into butter. I..(chorus)

(whistle outro)

Distance

Verse: Am, E, Dm, Am

Chorus: C, F, C, G, C, F, Am

Polarized like the magnets, that hold down our feet

Separated by oceans, that make us complete

If we could be steam, we finally would meet, in the distance.

And guilt is only a phone call away

Your voice is electric, it travels all day

Through wires, over mountains it finally decays in the distance.

(chorus)

How could I hold myself (3X)

Accountable to you my love.

Far away like the planets, but pulled by the sun

Barely in orbit, and you are the one

Like Holy Communion forgives the next day I see you play, in the distance.

And time is our money, the seconds we save

Hoping we both, can cash in someday

And sit on the porch while our rockin’ chairs sway in the distance.

(chorus)

And the truth it works in mysterious ways

If I told I did it, would it lead you astray
Would you exit the highway, keep driving away in the distance?

So if our far away love’s to be real

And coincide with the feelings we feel

The truth should not harm, but sweeten the deal in the distance.

(Chorus) 

 

Sunburning and the Subsequent Paleo Stew Scarfing

Did you enjoy reading that title? Did it intrigue you? Sexellent.

So, I haven't been keeping up with this intrepid webpage at all lately. I've experienced so much in the last little bit and I feel it needs to be recorded and shared. I'm hoping that the lack of fresh content to this site hasn't relinquished it to the dustbin for the handful of people that have been reading it. Anyways... There are LOTS of big ideas and plans in the mix now including recording my first album from home on my new iPad based recording studio and becoming rich building Eco Resorts in Nicaragua. Vacation home, anyone? Stay tuned...

Anyways, I used to be a prolific blogger when I lived in New Orleans. I wrote about everything under the sun until one day I found myself running my own business. The shift in focus seemed to sap my creative impulses but they've been seeping back into my sagging brain as of late. So, here we go again.

Yesterday was the first time this year I've been hot. I'm talking all day direct sunlight hot. My last name has Welsh roots so I'm whiter than David Duke's Fourth of July BBQ. Speaking of BBQ, my arms and neck were transformed into the aforementioned culinary delight by about 5PM yesterday afternoon.

We'd been resurfacing a pool deck out in Spicewood Springs, Texas all day and I was feeling dehydrated and angry by the time we finished. Dehydration can make you pissy. Trust me. Luckily, I've got a super chill business partner who takes my abuse with a grain of salt, which I had lost quite a few of due to profuse sweating. Always drink plenty of water. And while doing so, check out our new website by clicking on our awesome logo below...

As I've aged, I've started becoming more aware of what my body needs at various times. Whether it's protein, salt, or just a cup of water, our bodies are constantly letting us know what's needed to optimize our performance on this floating ant farm. I think these days, though, humans have confused their bodies by ingesting myriad forms of unhealthiness, which is why people are becoming obese cancer factories. This subject need not be discussed, as we all agree.

I've never been big on fast food or microwaveable quick fixes. Not that I don't eat that stuff when I'm too exhausted from work, hanging with friends, out of town, etc...
Anyways, by the time I got home, I was feeling near death. I needed to eat. A lot. And I wasn't about to leave the house for food. I shop along the perimeter of the grocery store so everything I buy has to be prepared. It's a good thing cooking is therapeutic for me. There's nothing better than flipping on the radio or newscast and chopping vegetables while simultaneously boiling water, heating oil, and preparing delicious cuts of meat. It's so relaxing, right? Ha! I've got lots of recipes. Most of them are freestyle and are derived from "living in the moment" in the kitchen, which is one of few places I can actually pull that feat off. Hence, the meditative therapeutic-ness of cooking for me. So, I'll be staggering recipes with song recordings here in the coming months. A nice mix, I think.

Yesterday, I started reading my brother-in-laws' new blog,which states the case for the Paleo Diet. He lives with my sister in Alabama and since having their first child, has gotten into CrossFit, a workout program that seems to be catching on everywhere. I agree with everything the Paleo Diet is about and decided to dive right into it. The following is an except from his blog:

"Let’s just start with the word “paleolithic.”   During the Middle Paleolithic era, Homo Sapiens emerged.  This was approximately 200,000B.C., give or take a few thousand years. During this time period, people were hunter-gatherers, eating animals they could catch, along with nuts, seeds and berries and such they could find.  No grains, no sugars, no modern day preservatives.

But what about ancient Egyptians, hasn’t farming been around a while? Haven’t we adapted? While I’m sure lots of intelligent people may disagree with me, I doubt it. Even the first signs of agriculture didn’t show up until around 9,000B.C. Which means, our bodies adapted to that hunter-gatherer lifestyle for about 191,000 years.   Grains were “recently” introduced maybe 11,000 years ago. That’s right, 95% of our existence as humans was pre-grain."

Word. That makes perfect sense, right? We've been eating food that grazers eat, and that's why we're turning into cows.

So, back to the meal I cooked in my burnt daze... I started boiling half a pot of filtered water, then took out some chicken and fish I'd been defrosting to eat independently and started chopping them up. I realized I had some sausage and thought "What the hell", so I chopped that shit up as well. I needed protein, and lots of it. Pile of chopped animal carcass on deck, I heated some olive oil. Coconut oil is better in my opinion, but I was out. Never again. Write it down. Then I started chopping up celery, red bell pepper, onions, and shallots. I stir fried all of it together sans fish. (I added that at the end.) As I was doing so, I seasoned the pot with Tony Chacheres' ,garlic and onion salt, a touch of cumin, bay leaves, and a heap of cayenne. To make the clear liquid more closely resemble stew, I added a can of Rotel and some organic pasta sauce. Then I added everything together and let it simmer while I took a much needed shower.

Delicious, and it made my body feel better. Plus, when you're overheated, spicy foods seem the opposite to what you might be craving, but they actually cool you down. Ask any Mexican.

I'm thinking more and more about what I eat these days and the Paleo Diet seems really down to Earth, literally, and easy. I encourage everyone to look it up. Thanks, Peter.

So, stay tuned. There's some music coming your way, but for now, I'll bid you adieu..

D

 

Bus Stop

Here's another song from the vault. Last night, I ran into a girl I used to work with back when I was an activist 10 years ago. She reminded me about this song and even quoted some of the lyrics. It felt great that someone was touched by something I wrote and that they carried it with them for years and found inspiration in it. I guess that's the whole point and goal for a songwriter. Awesome. Here it is.

Bus Stop

Been sitting at the bus stop
Staring at the melting black top
For about as long this one's been alive
Waiting on a plan, a thought, an idea if you please,
Not to be like all the other bees in the hive.

It's hard making honey for some money for the man
Who barely lets a man like me get by.
So I'm sitting at the bus stop
Waiting on that golden ball to drop
And disappear from sight before my eyes.

And it sure is easy,
To pick and grin,
And talk of days gone by us.
With our friends or even enemies
The victories and the tragedies,
Of dreamt collective memories
In the sky.

And it's a difficult choice for me to make,
Because the bus it travels oh so swiftly.
But maybe my inability
To decide just what's right for me
May well turn out to be my greatest gift.

It keeps me searching
Keeps me hoping
Keeps me loving
Constantly groping
For me something
I can call my own
When the sun does rise.

Been sitting at the bus stop
Fumbling with my broken pocket watch
And it seems these days keep tumbling on by.
And plastic people come and go,
They mumble words and step on toes
And never think to ask the question why.

And I'm still waiting on a vision
Of a woman from a dream
I had awake in NOLA years ago.
So I'm sitting at the bus stop
Seeking peace of mind
And a sturdy mop
To swab the decks of an indecisive soul.

And it sure is easy,
To pick and grin,
And talk of days gone by us.
With our friends or even enemies
The victories and the tragedies,
Of dreamt collective memories
In the sky.

And it's a difficult choice for me to make,
Because the bus it travels oh so swiftly.
But maybe my inability
To decide just what's right for me
May well turn out to be my greatest gift.

It keeps me searching
Keeps me hoping
Keeps me loving
Constantly groping
For me something
I can call my own
When the sun does rise.

Diamonds on the Beach

Here's a song I wrote a couple of months ago. As soon as I get my new interface for the iPad, I'll have a mobile recording studio and start uploading these. This song's about finding comfort in knowing you're great and no matter who trashes you, throws you away, disregards your feelings, etc., that you'll be just fine. There's lots of people out there looking for someone just like you. And me. You'll be back, and you'll find someone worthy.

Diamonds on the Beach

Feelings of worthlessness never were worth much to me,
Cuz I know I'm a diamond, but it might take some looking to see.
Knock the dirt off, hold me up to the light, laugh with glee,
Then start doubting your feelings and cast me back into the sea...

And I'll wash up again
And crash to the shore
Yeah, I'll wash up again,
To be found once more

It's only your fear that's keeping you trapped all alone.
Putting up walls don't always make a nice house a home.
Knock the dirt off, hold yourself to the light and you'll see,
That you're just as precious as any old diamond can be...

And you'll wash up again
And crash to the shore
Yeah, you'll wash up again
To be free once more

It's funny how we make excuses for all that we do.
We make answers right even though we know they ain't the truth.
And what makes us different still makes us the same and I knew,
That unless we both held each other up to the light, we were through...

And we'd wash up again
And crash to the shore
And we'd wash up again
To be found once more

(turn around)
Out in the ocean, there's plenty of fish to be seen...
But the sunlight can't reach us at the bottom where we lie and dream..
Tossing and turning the current of life draws us near..
And as the tide and the waves tumble in, the truth becomes clear...

We'll wash up again.
And again.

Feelings of worthlessness never were worth much to me,
Cuz I know I'm a diamond but it might take some looking to see.
Knock the dirt off, hold me up to the light, carefully,
And know that you've found something priceless for eternity..

Now let's run down the beach
And play in the sand
Yeah, let's run down the beach
Cuz we washed up again

It's good to see you again...