Where do all these songs come from?

Some background info is available on each song by clicking below.

Carita

There's a really interesting background to this song.  Obviously by the title you can

guess the song was written for someone named Carita, and that's true, but the way

I went about this song was first attempting to say her name with the guitar.  Not in the

Peter Frampton mode with a voice-effect, but simply bar chording the expression.

From there, inspiration kicked in and the rest of it just fell together.

 

The lyrics were started by copying the guitar process, starting with saying her name

over the guitar parts and working from there.   The main idea within the song is dealing

with the inner conflict created by love-at-first-sight or instant attraction, and how at

times an attraction can be taken for more than it is too soon into the relationship.

 

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Too Close To Heaven

The abstract.. always alluring yet sometimes a tightrope walk in precision.

My thoughts are, the line 'you're getting too close to heaven' is a bit too abstract

for the general public.  I apologize for that right now, but did not see a way to

change that or spell it out in clearer terms with this song. 

 

What I mean by the line is.. this reality is supposed to be a testing ground, it was

never intended to be heaven, and we should be careful to not attempt to make it

into a utopian society by assuming we know what is best for every individual.

We all will be finding our afterlife soon enough, and we should take care not to

judge those who walk in different shoes while we are still here.  I am a firm believer

in the golden rule.. do unto others as you would have done to you. 

 

This is also relating to the different religions, and how each can find truth within

themselves.  Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Agnostic even.. have to respect

the rights of others to believe what they do and live how they wish to live.  If there

is a conflicting belief structure, work it out with other means rather than force, or

regardless of who you pray to, chances are you will be doing a great injustice in their

name.  The key element is the golden rule when deciding if something should be

restricted or considered punishable behavior, going beyond that, for whatever noble

or well-meaning purpose, should be well-scrutinized on an individual basis, not in a

general population, one-size-fits-all approach.

 

To quote the famed philosopher Dennis Miller.. "Of course that's just my opinion, I

could be wrong".

 

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Audubon

This song is the oldest of those on the CD, written originally back in 2000 I believe.

Really the song speaks for it's self as to the theme and nature, as to the origin, I'm

going to have to give that up to divine inspiration, for it literally wrote itself without

revision. 

 

The object of desire is a gorgeous, intelligent woman whom I met very briefly in a

business setting and later became pretty good friends with.  Alas, as the case with

so many other potential love interests, she was already in a relationship, but those

initial feelings produced a song I think of as one of my best.

 

The lyrics were written first, and the music just kinda fell into place around it, I don't

know how else to explain how the process went, it was literally inspired.

 

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Sharing Smiles

One approach I take to songwriting is the structured approach- literally building on

an idea, somewhat like doing an outline on a research paper.  Okay, maybe not all

that complicated, but this song was one such song, one I would consider constructed

instead of inspired.  That's not to say it wasn't inspired, but I did conciously build the

song from line to line, instead of it just free-flowing as some others seem to come.

I took the theme of the senses.. touch, sight, smell, sound.. and built on how each

of the senses is affected by a potential lover's presence, amid the concern that the

object of affection may not feel the same way in return.

 

As to the music, I can hear the bass line clearly in my head, but the guitar completely

escapes me at this point in time.  I am quite sure, however, with Tim Gack's aid

in the recording process I will be able to figure out the music and have it on the CD.

 

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Lying To Myself

Well, well, well.. speaking of constructed rather than inspired, this is another such

song.  Based on the general topic of lying to one's self, I explored a couple different

situations where someone may try to convince themselves of something contrary to

reality.  The age-old tale of teen-agers knowing everything and parents being without

a clue, an obvious situation where as the kid, you lie to yourself and are convinced

your parents don't know what's best for your life.  Possibly there are rare occassions

where it does apply, but the reality once you become a parent is.. usually they were

right.

 

And following that logic, further into life you still end up lying to yourself on occassion

to keep hopes up on a potential relationship.. convincing yourself that in time, with just

the right amount of incentive, someone may be persuaded to fall in love or stay in love

with you and eventually the fairy tale will complete itself.

 

The lyrics were first on this song, and following the same example set with "Carita"

I just mimicked the words bar chording on the guitar to arrive at the final music.

 

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Share Everything

This song was inspired by a special woman I dated briefly and will remain one

of my favorite originals.  I have alot of fond memories of time spent with her, and

this song really captures my way of thinking while we were together, sharing the

good, the bad, the boring.. any situation seemed easily managed and a much better

experience with her at my side.

 

The music came first, completely inspired, and the lyrics again just seemed to

flow from the divine tap.  That's another reason for me wanting to publish these

songs, aside from any possible personal gain of any sort, I feel that I have a duty

to share these songs which seemed to come from nowhere.  There has to be a

purpose and reason that these songs have come so easily, some literally without

effort at all.

 

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Fade Away

This song has been with me probably even longer than Audobon.. no, certainly

longer.  The music hasn't changed a lick since first coming to me, but the lyrics

were a new addition.  I always knew how the lyrics were supposed to sound to

compliment the song, but didn't quite know what the lyrics were until I decided

to do this CD and sat down to seriously finish the song.

 

This song could be taken from a couple different angles, but the intent when

writing was commenting on the end of a relationship, and how in time even those

who you felt closest to can leave and become faded memories.  The undeniable

eventuallity of death also puts a person's mark on this world into question, as the

memory of those who were not known by many people will eventually fade into

obscurity. 

 

Shakespeare said- "so long as men can read and eyes can see, so long

lives this and this gives life to thee".   The work of an artist will undeniably outlive

the lifetime of the artist, and this song expresses my honest and humble opinion

that despite whatever attempts I make to the contrary, I will someday fade away.

 

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Better Days

It's not a subject I like to dwell on, but there have been occassions in my life where

I have contemplated ending it all or committing suicide.  From what I gather, alot of

people have these feelings at times, and I remember one particular moment when

as a teen when listening to Ozzzy Osbourne's "Goodbye to Romance" I was literally

saved from making that final mistake.  I still feel very much moved by that song, and

wanting to give back to the source that saved me, I came up with Better Days.

 

If one person relates to this song, and it keeps them trudging forward through

the tough times knowing there are better days ahead, then the mission was complete.

The only problem with this song, is it became evident very early on that there was

no way I could sing in the range required for this one, following the influence of

Iron Maiden so closely I can literally hear Bruce Dickenson's voice in my head.

My hopes are a very talented freind, Mark Smith, will agree to sing this one and it

will make it to the CD.   Time will tell...

 

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Just Desserts

Imagine if you will the day that United States military forces capture Osama Bin Laden.

That's what I did for this song, going through in my mind how we should deal with the

scumbag who thinks nothing of killing in religion's name.  As an agnostic, I have no

problems with anyone believing anything they want, so long as they follow the golden

rule.  Obviously, launching or attempting to launch a holy war is very contrary to that

golden rule thing, so it's a no-brainer that this nut and anyone who thinks like him

shouldn't be allowed to live.

 

The only question is, what to do with him.. what would be the most vengeful and

boldest statement to his possible followers that he was waaaay over on the wrong

track if he thought he could simply scare everyone into falling under his control.

My intent is to honor the bravery, service and might of our United States military.

envisioning the day they get him, and with just a little hopefullness that a few

cracks from the butt of a rifle may be neccessary in transporting him back to the

civilized world and the protections offered from public awareness of his capture.

I guess I was more interested in the topic than the song, very constructed in origin.

 

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Dead End

This song will probably not make the final CD.. a bit too much on the negative for me.

While emotions are high, it's a natural thing to revel in the assumption that 'someday,

they'll realize the mistakes they are making, but it will be too late then' when the end

of the relationship comes around.  That's the spirit behind this song, and though it was

good therapy at the time, I'm not sure it was ever meant to be anything beyond that.

Still a possibility, but I am more and more convinced that this will not be recorded.

No sense in talking about it anymore then, either right? Okay, okay..

 

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Akeley, Minnesota

My hometown.  Ever since 2nd Grade, I've called Akeley home.  There were a few

years spent living in different areas, but no place seemed like home as much.  While

living in the Twin Cities, I noted that I spent the same amount of time driving in traffic

to and from work as if I drove 60 miles roundtrip from my hometown.  But instead of

a beautiful scenic drive like I would experience leaving Akeley in any direction, I would

be caught in a bumper-to-bumper nightmare with sound barrier walls or dozens of

completely identical homes squashed together as the view.

 

The music for this song was completely inspired, and as easily as the words came

together I would almost say they were too, except I had a couple references which

were conciously included into the mix, subtle humor for those who know Akeley

while painting a good picture of the lifestyle here for those with no frame of reference

to draw from.

 

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Destiny's Power

Often we approach life as if we have all the time in the world to put everything

together, but all too often fate or destiny deals us a card we weren't expecting.

Imagine being apart from your one true love for whatever reason, assuming that

eventually you will have time to get together, and then finding out they were hit

by a bus or whatever.. and those plans can't be fulfilled. 

 

Patience is a virtue, but we can't forget Herrick's warning either (To the virgins, to

make much of life).  That's the basic theme behind this song.  The music started

as a psuedo-rip off of America's "Horse With No Name" (hard to imagine from the

final outcome, I realize that.. and that's a good thing!)  The lyrics were found with

the structure approach, taking time in different slices, day by day, hour by hour,

minute by minute and second by second.. and then building from there.  Of course

none of this approach is worth anything without true emotions behind the writing,

and the woman who inspired me for this one always brings out the best in me.

 

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Anyway, that's the story behind these songs, and I hope that brings a new

perspective when listening, knowing where my mind was at when writing.

Any new songs which are created after this point I will try to mention the origins

of in the "Recording Experience" section, along with that particular briefing.

 

Feel free to browse the rest of the site and thanks for your interest!

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