Inspired by the book "The Midnight Library".  A folksy little ditty about karma and regret.

The Piper Master

Engineering - Mastering EngineeringMastering - Ccarnucci - Autumn Breeze

Gravity

Poet Master R1

A little something about being an introverted songwriter.
A Songwriter’s Lament
©Christian Carnucci 2023
V1
Songs, words on a page.
Spun from the hard-earned truths acquired with age.
V2
Where it’s senseless to hide, and fruitless to lie,
cause it’s the truth that’s shared that bring them to life.
Pre-Chorus 1 (unresolved)
Oh, they scream like a banshee through the bars of the mind,
always bent on escaping their binds.
Till I scribble them down, to quiet the din,
and keep all these demons in line...for a time.
V3
It’s a fragile affair, these longings to share.
It’s a constant weight, this cross that I bare.
V4
Oh, this duty of care, it’s a restless career.
Caught between these needs and the scrutiny, I fear.
Pre-Chorus 2 (resolved),
So, I sculpt them in melody to meter the lines,
with harmonies swirling sublime.
A musical movement deftly designed,
then artfully capped with a rhyme...in time.
Refrain
Chorus
Casting a light for the whole world to see,
these intimate musings that take hold of me.
Tell me why am I filled with insatiable need,
Oh, why do these demons demand that I be…me.
V5
Songs, words on a page.
Attempts to illuminate themes hard to explain.
V6
Through poetic lines, an intent to imply,
that which one likely knows but has yet realized.
Pre-Chorus 3 (unresolved)
Crafted with eloquence and clever insights,
designed to inspire and delight.
Prose of conjecture put forth to incite,
or wisdom to calm and alight...one's plight.
V7
But will anyone care? Is it vain that I dare,
presume to connect with those through these notions I bare?
V8
Do I count myself wise, for conceits I surmise,
or is this just pretense, stilted in guise?
Pre-Chorus 4 (resolved)
There’s many a reason that move me to write,
but with risk of sounding contrite,
I lay pen to paper to quiet the fights,
that seductively keep me uptight...at night.
Refrain
Till again I find I’m
Repeat Chorus
Bridge
Often, I find the words I seek keep eluding me.
A simile lost to me like a thought caught on the wind.
Then there are times clarity comes much more easily.
A metaphor clear as a bell on a cold winter's day
Refrain
Then again, I’m
Repeat Chorus

Songwriters Lament

A little bit of introspection, as age becomes more of a weight on me, I suppose.  
It was hard to admit, but cathartic to write.

           Behind the Smile
© Christian Carnucci 2024
Key of C Capo 4 (Transpose to E)

Intro
V1
                                           C
I’ve spent all these many years,
                                           G
locked in battle with my tears.
                                 D
Ever since I was a child,
                                                        G
I’ve learned to mask them with a smile.
 
V2
It’s hard to say this here aloud,
to open up before a crowd.
But it’s not from courage that I muse,
I’ve just got nothing left to lose.

PC 1 (Unresolved)
                       C     Cm                 
I’ve lived my life...disguised, 
            G      G/F#  Em            D       C   
like an artist on a stage, in a tragic play.
        G                               D                            G
Uninvolved, so it wasn’t me, that took the fall.

V3
I’ve learned early to pretend, 
I’d rise above all in the end.
So, all the hurt that I endured,
I found quite easy to ignore.

V4
But now these scars appear to blend,
till it’s hard to tell where each one ends,
and I worry soon I may succumb,
to this callused being I’ve become.

PC 2 (resolved)
It seems I’m not as strong,
as I avidly imagined, all along,
and now I can’t outrun, all the pain, and all the wrong.

Chorus 1
         C                 Em7    Am        Em        D
See behind this smile I seek to hide the truth,
                   G          G/F#            Em           D     C
Cause the illusion soothes the pain and the abuse.
                                          G                          D                        G
Now I could change my ways, but at this age, what ‘s the use.
 
Bridge
Cmaj7                          G          D
Oh, it’s not like I don’t like my life.
Cmaj7                                                 G      D 
cause I’m luckier than most I can’t deny.
Cmaj7                            G         D
but the toll of time has left its mark,
Cmaj7                                           G          D 
and it’s forced me now to finally realize, Oh...
 
Chorus 2
Behind this smile I seek to hide the truth,
cause the illusion soothes the pain and the abuse.
Now I should change my ways, but hell at this age, what ‘s the use

Behind The Smile

An Original Song by Chris Carnucci

 When the End is Nigh
© Christian Carnucci Oct 2023
Key C Transposed and played in Gm

Verse 1 (Finger Pick)
Am                      
Time, 
                 G
it’s cold as ice.
                      Dm                             
A maddening game, 
                        G                    
with weighted dice.
        
Verse 2 
        E7                    Am                
And when the end is nigh,
                  Em                       D           Asus   D 
time casts it’s light on sins we hide.

Verse 3 (Strum)
Celestial rite 
annals our strife,
reflected in,
The Book of Life,

Verse 4 
And when the end is nigh,
a fate designed you’ll realize.

Pre-Chorus
            C           Em                          D        Asus   D                                                        
And it’s never on material things we dwell,
               Cm                     Am7                      D7               D7sus4    D7                                                           
but on the kinships, we’ve embraced or those repelled.

Chorus
                  G                            
So may the redemption you yearn,
           C                 
for the judgment you’ve earned,
           Em          
find a way to align,
                         D 
when the end is nigh.
                   G                            
Aah there is nothing so strained,
       C                 
as a heart mired in pain,
       Em          
and all that implies,
                          D        Asus     D
when the end is nigh.

Post-Chorus
C                               B7                  Em     Em7
Be it no one on their deathbed ever cried,
           Am                    Am7                        D7        D7sus4      D7       
for the idle trinkets gathered throughout life.

Musical Break

Repeat Post-Chorus

Bridge
      Cm                          Am           B7                      Bsus4 #5
But many a soul have agonized on wrongs claimed in the end,
            C                            Am7         D7
and the simple fact there’s no time to amend...

Repeat Chorus

Musical Outro

When The End Is Nigh

Looking for a vocalist as I can't sing this to save my life.

Hobson’s Choice 
©Christian Carnucci 2023
Key E 
4/4 70 BPM

Intro
(Same as verses)

Verse 1
E                        A
Life seems so unfair,
   E                                               B          A6add9/B  
a momentary flash time deems to spare.

Verse 2
B           E                          A
For be it love nor great despair,
               E                                                  B       A6add9/B      B
keeps the wolves at bay once fate is in the air.

Bridge 1
    E                                       
A careless twist of irony,
C#madd9                   C#m                                         
disturbs my mind at times of play,
       F#m7                C#m7   B          A6add9/B 
and often takes my breath away.

Pre-Chorus 1
 B                     E                  
When I realize, one of us must carry on,
                C#madd9     C#m
while the other one is dead and gone,
F#m7                         C#m7         B         A6add9/B      
and I anguish is this fraught reason...
B                E
Could it be me that’s forced to linger here,
     C#madd9           C#m
or will I blaze the path we’ll share,
      F#m7      C#m7  B     A6add9/B      
till reunited once again. See...

Chorus
B      Eadd9              E7                      Aadd9                 E           A6add9/B
Love demands a sacrifice, yet worries not who pays the price.
B                     Eadd9               E7                   Aadd9                 E       A6add9/B    
Love takes it’s tithe, in it’s own time, and tolerates scant compromise.
B             C#m                  F#m7                          A            B          A6add9/B                               
But in the end love offers recompense, for this fated misery.
B             C#m                   F#m7    A    B    E        A        B      C#m       B
By giving us the chance to reunite for eternity.

Verse 3
So now I’m prone to contemplate,
which path I’d choose if I could wrestle choice from fate.

Verse 4
Should I move on to give you time,
or would that be a cruel and tragic gift of life?

Bridge 2
There no relief or remedy,
at least as far as I can see,
and folly to presume reprieve. 
 
Pre_Chorus
Cause fate’s a cold and calculating fiend, 
when tasked with destined mortal themes,
so, it’s pointless to conspire or scheme.  

Thus, I’ll accept this grim reality,
stay focus on eternity, 
and put my faith in destiny.   Cause...

Repeat Chorus

Outro
(Same as verses)

Hobson's Choice

Just a new project I'm experimenting with.

No One’s Getting Out Alive
© Christian Carnucci 2024
Key C Maj 60 BPM

Verse 1
Most days of late,
Seems I’ve been trapped in a state,
deluded by illusions I’m the master of my fate.

Verse 2
But now it seems clear,
How I’m a prisoner to fear,
and all this feigned bravado’s just a thinly held veneer. 

Pre-Chorus 1
Afraid I might lose.
Afraid of choosing poorly.
I’m afraid I’m missing out.
I’m afraid I’m just not worthy.

Chorus
All of these fears,
I’ve born through the years,
have now been revealed,
to be more like a shield.
Cause life was a game,
I just tried to survive,
but now I see, 
no one’s getting out of this life...alive.

Verse 3
Life’s big regret,
we often repent.
Is how too often we accept,
a role of malcontent.

Verse 4
Being true to your dreams,
is much harder than it seems.
There’s a difference between what you want,
and only what you need.

Pre-Chorus 2
Afraid I’ll lose it all.
Afraid I’ll get let down.
I’m afraid I’ll lose my way.
I’m afraid I’ll drown in worry.

Repeat Chorus

No Ones Getting Out Alive

From Outside of My Story Looking In
© Christian Carnucci 2020

Intro

Verse 1
One night I had the strangest dream,
I'd left this world behind it seemed,
but I could listen in when people thought of me.

Verse 2
And as I passed amongst my kin,
a pattern formed as I listened in,
that humbled and amazed the very heart of me.

Pre-Chorus 1
How they saw me, in their memories,
was enough to drive this lost soul to my knees.

Chorus 1
And it was then and there I realized,
the way in which I touched their lives.
When all along I'd thought it only me.
That cherished all the times we shared.
I should have know how much they cared.
I wish now that I'd know it all along.
Instead of finding out by being gone.

Reprise 1
But it took this view to see the truth therein.
From outside of my story looking in.

Musical Break 

Verse 3
Imagine please now my chagrin,
when I felt daylight creeping in,
and realized it was all just fantasy.

Verse 4
But the experience it lingered on,
even though the dream had come and gone,
and I thank god he offered me a chance to see.

Pre-Chorus 2
How they saw me, in their memories,
It's a vantage I fear most may never see.

Chorus 2
And I hope somehow they realize,
the way in which they touched my life,
meant more to me than they could ever know.
Now life is short and moves so fast.
Its amazing how much time has passed,
for something they should have known all along.
So I vowed to put this reverie to song.

Reprise 2
And I hope these words reflect the truth therein.
From outside of my story looking in.
From outside of my story looking in.

Outro

From Outside Of My Story Looking In R2

Songwriter looking for others to collaborate with.  I'm 50ish, married to the most wonderful woman in the world, and just enjoy making original music. I live in Fort Worth have been luck enough to work with some exceptional musicians.  I am not looking "to make the big time", just looking to have fun and learn as much as I can about songwriting and home recording.  I take this seriously, just not professionally. I have a day job! :)

ccarnucci

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