'Strong' is a song I wrote after a policeman instructed me to leave a city’s shopping street while I was working as a street artist. I was so… can I say ‘pissed’? So I had to write a song about it. This was 1992. I played the streets a couple of years when I was a student.

The lyrics of the song (below) point to a broader and still current subject. Staying strong in dynamic times is important for every one of us I think. Today more than ever probably. Follow your personal believes in peace all :)

Mike


Lyrics, music, vocals, guitar and copyright Mike Spring
Guitar is a Crafter or a EKO steel string acoustic, I'm not sure
Recording: live, analogue (Tascam 4-track)

This is a recording of a song 'just written'. In this respect I should have uploaded it on my other page https://soundcloud.com/sketches-from-holland/tracks but I didn't :)

Mix: In Cubase I edited a small guitar part around 1:03 minutes because I played one chord a little too long which interrupted the meter of the song.
Master: The stereo WAV track I used had been mastered before so it was not clean when I mastered it again. 
Equipment: Steinberg UR824, Ozone 7 adv. (EQ, Imager and Vintage tape) plus Lexicon LXP Native Hall Reverb VST
Picture by Anthea Molenaar, 2011

Lyrics:

Hey what’s your name
I’m not a game to play
Hey we’re the same
You should feel ashamed to say
I don’t belong to this day

[chorus:]
If you think you’re strong
I’ve got something for you
Cause I feel strong
I think my way
Nothing’s gonna change that
I think my way
It makes me what I am
I feel strong
I feel strong

Day by day
Strongen my way   [note: I know this is not proper English 😉]
Leaded by the inner words I pray
Hey I’m not afraid
To feel the shade
Because I know who I am

[chorus]

Strong

Strong (live recording / 1992)

RESET~RESTART

SATIE'S FACTION

My second collaboration with Jimena and Chris Kinsey.  The song began with a few chords played on a midi keyboard using ‘silky string selection’ in Logic to work out the structure.  I added Guitars, Bass and Drums and asked Chris to add some ‘Kinseyfication’ on Piano and Organ, then, it was over to Jimena to write the lyrics and record her amazing vocal tracks. Once I had all the constituent parts, I set about the final mix and mastering; this is the result.
A huge, huge thanks to Chris and Jimena for their outstanding contributions which have elevated the song to another level.

Credits:-
Jimena:- Lead and backing vocals, lyrics, vocal composition. https://soundcloud.com/jimenaarroyo
Chris Kinsey:- Pianos, Organ, musical composition. https://soundcloud.com/chriskinsey1
Dairv Dubbleyew:- Guitars, Bass, Drums, String Synth, musical composition, production.


Mind Maze

Caught in a nightmare
From which I can’t escape
I gulp in foul air
And mortal dread takes shape

No recollection
Of joyful memories
Sheer desolation
No more victories

The throes of delusion engulf me and swallow me 
It’s getting too hard to wake up from this dream
And all the confusion that toys with my sanity
Invites me to let out a blood-curdling scream

Someone please save me
There’s no way out of this mind maze
My heart betrayed me
And now I’m all lost in this mind maze
Mind maze

Running blind in the wilderness
Chased by unfounded fears
I’m fleeing from the emptiness
That threatens to feed on me

The throes of a nightmare engulf me and swallow me 
Although I’m awake as can possibly be
And all the despair that consumes me and blinds me
Makes me wanna cry, makes me wanna scream

Someone please save me
There’s no way out of this mind maze
(No way out of here)
My heart betrayed me
And now I’m all lost in this mind maze
No way out of here

In these blurry surroundings my mind plays tricks on me
If give in to madness, will my worries disappear?
Oh, if I succumb to the darkness, will you find me in my sleep?
Please don’t take an eternity to come and rescue me
Rescue me

I succumb to this wasteland
Can’t fight this pantomime
As I sink deep in quicksand 
I reach out to you one last time

Someone please save me
There’s no way out of this mind maze
(No way out of here, no way out of here)
My heart betrayed me
And now I’m all lost in this mind maze
(No way out of here)
No way out of here

Save me
Save me from myself

Mind Maze - (Jimena - Chris Kinsey - Dairv Dubbleyew)

UK Songwriting Contest 2018: Semi Finalist (8/10)

Tables Turn

Black Is the Color (traditional)

thanks for listening to my little ditty. 
lyrics.
know my friends we shall live on
if anything can take us out
it won’t be a 
little bug.
it will be us, by our own hands
and those who chose to make each day 
a little less
hard to live. 
all lost souls
rest as one. 
lets have a moment together
we might never
get again.

a moment together

Spooky By Sucole & 6qsax

a song from 2013, our cat "Devil" was snorring right in the mic (and hiss, but he was one of the cutest and nices cats we ever had).

Oli Boli - Devil Songs

Devil Song - Oli Boli - Eurasian Jay Hawk Remix. - 2013 remastered

Deep Dive

*VIDEO HERE*    👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻
                              https://youtu.be/3Sz_eWpiwr0

It was this that gave meaning to my life.
It was this for which I lived.
The color of love faded with the wind.
But mostly it is not feelings that are fleeting.
It is people themselves who do such great damage.
Even when they don't want to, they think; to commit themselves to it.
The true feelings are in the hiddenness.
These are usually wrapped in a white, innocent dress.
"I like you." "I love you." "You are all I care about." 
And all the words.
Everyone just lied to me,
I've died countless deaths.
You gave me the melody to the song,
but suddenly the poetry is missing in my life.
It is the conscience that says what one must do,
but too often the courage is missing that drives one to do it.
It is often only a moment that shapes the future.
However, there is no one to bear the responsibility.
Life at once consists of withdrawal, guilt,
anger, self-deprecation and fear.
You want to help me, although you can't even empathize.
Everything is transient, but not memories.
Many have tried to forget them, but everyone has failed so far.
But I can say, I like to remember, because from our mistakes we can learn.
The way to myself is still very long, but I know that I can find it and create it.
I will find it, you can say what you want.
I'll make it, even if you don't help me.
The time was beautiful, I was happy.
Memories are everlasting...

Es war das, was meinem Leben Sinn gab.
Es war dies, für das ich gelebt hab.
Die Farbe der Liebe verflog mit dem Wind.
Doch meistens sind es nicht Gefühle, die vergänglich sind.
Es sind die Menschen selbst, die einen solch großen Schaden anrichten.
Selbst, wenn sie es nicht wollen, meinen sie; sich dazu zu verpflichten.
Die wahren Gefühle liegen in der Verborgenheit.
Diese sind meist umhüllt von einem weißen, unschuldigen Kleid.
"Ich mag dich." "Ich liebe dich." "Du bist alles, was mir wichtig ist." 
und die ganzen Worte.
Jeder belügte mich nur,
ich starb schon unzählbare Tode.
Du hast mir die Melodie zum Lied gegeben,
doch auf einmal fehlt die Poesie in meinem Leben.
Es ist das Gewissen, das sagt, was man tun muss,
doch fehlt zu oft der Mut, der einen dazu treibt, dass man es tut.
Es ist oft nur ein Augenblick, der die Zukunft prägt.
Jedoch gibt es niemanden, der die Verantwortung trägt.
Das Leben besteht auf einmal aus Entzugserscheinungen, Schuldgefühlen,
Zorn, Selbstentwertung und Angst.
Du willst mir helfen,  obwohl du nicht mal nachempfinden kannst.
Alles ist vergänglich, jedoch nicht die Erinnerungen.
viele haben versucht, sie zu vergessen, doch es ist bis jetzt jedem misslungen.
Doch ich kann sagen, ich erinnere mich gern, denn aus unseren Fehlern kann man lernen.
Der Weg zu mir selbst ist noch sehr lang,  doch ich weiß, dass ich ihn finden und schaffen kann.
Ich finde ihn, du kannst sagen, was du willst.
Ich schaffe ihn, auch wenn du mir dabei nicht hilfst.
Die Zeit war schön, ich war glücklich.
Erinnerungen sind unvergänglich.

🎞️ Video

Everlasting

🇬🇧 Songwriter

- Finalist, UK Songwriting Contest 2019
- Semi-Finalist, UK Songwriting Contest x 6
- Special Recognition, Songdoor 2020

Tables Turn

Dan James