I wrote this song yeeears ago.
A few weeks ago, the band was noodling with a blues jam, and I realized I could shoehorn (ha! SHOEhorn!) my song into it.  I'd never sung it with music (live or otherwise) and the band had never heard it.  I think we did ok :)
and, the story is true...the diva is Miss Noelle Pion, the bluesman is Wailin' Damon, and my shoes were indeed stupid.

Claire Roberts (spontaneous with Eighth Avenue Six) - Hobblin' Blues

I wrote this one a few years ago... there's another recording of a snippet of it with Sunday Band, but here's the whole thing, no backup. 

Claire Roberts - Hobblin' Blues (Acapella)

I wrote this one a while back, while tidying up my house.  Have never done it with music of any kind.

Claire Roberts - Pack Rat Blues

It was fun to make fun out of the "doing it wrong" things we say to each other, but sometimes, we need some gratitude too!

This is just my initial draft, so it needs work (cough) collaboration (cough cough).  I was going for that old "radio" vibe, with talky-verses and bouncy chorus that invites sing-a-long.  Ping me if you want to noodle!

(lyrics)

Sometimes it seems like there's no end
of things to do, and fences to mend.
The list goes on and it's not fair,
A thankless job is hard to bear!

(chorus)
But thanks for doin' it, and all the things you do,
thanks for doin' it, here's some gratitude!
Thanks for doin' it, I'm glad it got done
I appreciate your efforts and I know, I'm not the only one.

You've taken on far more than your share,
you're doing your best, and I know you care,
so don't worry much about doing it wrong - 
Hey wait a minute, that's a different song!

(chorus)

Getting things done can be a bumpy road
so it's good to have friends who can share the load.
You can't please them all, but that's ok
because nothing is perfect anyway!

Claire Roberts - Thanks For Doing It (draft)

Claire Roberts - Shut Up And Sing (draft)

Jay Smooth's webisode about beating the internalized "little hater" really resonated with me, and I remind myself of it whenever I notice myself getting in my own way. I figured there might be a few other souls out there that get in their own way too, so, I wrote this for us to sing to ourselves, instead of listening to our little haters.
Here's my inspiration - Jay Smooth's original video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TpmJgSfZ_8

Lyrics
There's a little voice inside of me
Jay Smooth calls the little hater
But you can't let the hater run your life, no
No, you can't let the hater run your life

So shut up, little hater!
I ain't listening to anything you say
Yeah shut up, little hater
I’m gonna do it anyway!

you’re not good enough
you’re not smart enough
no one's interested
you won't finish it
who you think you are
y’ain't no rockstar
what the hell is this
you narcissist

Ain't nobody can be as mean, as me, to me
Ain't nobody can be as rude, as you, to you

they gonna laugh at you
cuz you’re stupid too
you’re a big mistake
don’t got what it takes
without a doubt
they gonna find out
you’re fulla flaws
and a big fraud

Ain't nobody can be as mean, as me, to me
Ain't nobody can be as rude, as you, to you

You wouldn’t say those words to your friends no
you’d be helpin them get where they wanna go
life’s hard enough on the outside
without makin’ it hard on the inside

So say shut up, little hater!
I ain't listening to anything you say
Yeah shut up, little hater
Let’s go do it anyway!

Claire Roberts - Little Hater

It's rough, and not really ready to be shared with the whole world yet.

This was just as far as we got on the first night.  We'll come back to it at some point and clean up the rough bits and add a drum.

Sadly I inhaled my own spit at one point and ended up coughing through some lyrics.

Lyrics & vocal by me, music by me, Marissa Anne (bass) and Rhi Carter (guitar).
This song is about Montreal, told in the first person.

Homebody

I am red brick and cobblestone.
I am chain link fence and barking dog.

With arms held high to a thund’ring sky
my searchlight eye sweeps the skyline.
My hair a firestorm of autumn trees,
games and danger both in my streets.

Poor in pocket, rich in spirit.
I cry my river and then I drink it.

I am railroads above and below.
A mountain’s breast covered in snow.
My heart the pounding of tribal drums,
I open wide to speak in tongues.

Poor in pocket, rich in spirit.
I cry my river and then I drink it.
Climb up my spiral staircase thigh
into my humid summer night.

This dirty river is my home.
I am an island, but not alone.
Eat my music, sing my food,
welcome to the neighbourhood

Homebody

One of the few songs I've ever written!  
As I'm inexperienced with making music and don't play any instruments, I'm open to noodling with musical folks, learning about singing with live musicians, and having some fun with it.  
If you like it, feel free to learn it, sing it, play with it, download it, remix it, and please do connect with me about it... I'm excited to play!

And, huge thanks to Jeff for recording me - 
you can find his original works here, https://soundcloud.com/kindcapitol

By popular demand: the lyrics!

Don't matter how we do it, we're doing it wrong.
Get someone else to do it, and they'll do it wrong.
We turn ourselves inside out, try in vain to figure out
Some way to do it, without doing it wrong.

(Chorus)
But we're all doing it wrong,
yes we're all doing it wrong,
It's a big ol' mess and we're doin' our best
but we're still, doing it wrong.

That thing you're building, you're building it wrong.
And that thought you're thinking, you're thinking it wrong.
Well there ain't no winning, and it don't seem fair,
No matter what you do there'll be someone there
To look you in the face and say, "You're doing it wrong!"

(Chorus)

See something needs doing, but you'll do it wrong.
No one else wants to do it, 'cause they'll do it wrong.
I'd help you out, but I'm in the same boat,
I'm damned if I do and I'm damned if I don't,
Any way you slice it, we're doing it wrong.

(Chorus)

Your friend tries to do it, you say they're doing it wrong.
Then I try to do it, you say I'm doing it wrong.
Well if you see fault then get off your shelf,
Quit complaining and do it yourself
So I can sit back and say, "You're doing it wrong!"

(Chorus)

But you can't be afraid, to do something wrong.
There's a lot to be learned, from doing it wrong.
So keep your chin up, and try again
Take what you learned and maybe then
Next time you do it, you won't do it wrong.

(Chorus)

AnotherClaire