My Song-A-Week contribution for week 14's prompt "Inside there's a fire"

With a song in my pocket, and guitar in my hand
not an American Idol, or part of a famous rock band
If you'd meet me on the street, you would walk right on by
and that's all right with me, 'cause I'm just an ordinary guy

Like most everyone else, I've something special inside
might not shine bright like fire, but it's nothing I can hide
I received it as a gift, that I believe I need to share
To write songs and play them just for me doesn't seem fair

But what if no one cares what I write and sing?
For someone out there, it might just be the thing they need to hear
so I need to get over my fear of imperfection
or this song will most likely never happen

Putting words to simple tunes will never earn me money
So I don't mind the joke "don't quit your day job" when it's meant to be funny
If my song only touches one other soul
the investment in my talent has paid off, more than mountains of gold

But what if no one cares what I write and sing?
For someone out there, it might just be the thing they need to hear
so I need to get over my fear of imperfection
or this song will most likely never happen

With a song in my pocket, and guitar in my hand
not an American Idol, or part of a famous rock band
If you'd meet me on the street, you would walk right on by
and that's all right with me, 'cause I'm just an ordinary guy

Copyright © Claes Akerblom 2021

Ordinary Guy (demo)

Week 20 of Song-A-Week had the prompt "Some 
People's Kids". Here is my attempt at writing a song about that. 
Note: The family pictured has no connection to the events in the song.

Lyrics:

You read that sad things happen to some people's kids
never thought that "some people" would include your mother and me

The first 4 weeks of joy with you (our) baby boy
turned frustrating at the start of week 5
when you started to fuss, this was new to us,
and you kept it up all thru the night

your condition had gone undetected
too late we found out your heart was defective
You read that sad things happen to some people's kids
never thought that "some people" would include your mother and me

not until your face turned all blue
did you end up at Children's ICU
where all they ultimately could do
was to let you go while in your mother's arms

your condition had gone undetected
too late we found out your heart was defective
You read that sad things happen to some people's kids
never thought that "some people" would include your mother and me


Image AND Song Copyright © Claes Akerblom 2021

Some People (demo)

My Song-A-Week contribution for week 21 when the prompt was "Born behind the bait shop"

Lyrics:

Got a call just the other day saying I'd won a great prize
but in order to claim it I'd have to wire a size-
-able chunk of money to an address somewhere in Nigeria
They said not to delay, that the payout couldn't wait
they were counting on my greed for me to take their bait
but I hung up after replying "sorry, bad connection - can't hear yah"

Just because I'm not mean and tuff
doesn't mean I can't call a bluff
so these cons and scams might as well stop
you see, I wasn't born behind the bait shop

Then there was this email warning of a security breach
with a link directing me to the support I needed to reach
in order to change my compromised information
The logo of the email looked perfectly legit
if it hadn't been for some misspellings here and there in it
the fear of being hacked might have overcome my reservations

Just because I'm not mean and tuff
doesn't mean I can't call a bluff
so these cons and scams might as well stop
you see, I wasn't born behind the bait shop

When you're nice like me, you often end up as the mark,
viewed as someone who's an easy target
you're made fun of, the butt of jokes, just for a lark
and finally a victim on the "cons & scams" market

Just because I'm not mean and tuff
doesn't mean I can't call a bluff
so these cons and scams might as well stop
you see, I wasn't born behind the bait shop

Thanks for listening to my story, I just hope I didn't bore yah
but do you think you could help a fella out I'd only need to borrow 
2 Gs, or there about, oh I can wait           (until you take the bait)  

Copyright © Claes Akerblom 2021

Cons And Scams (demo)

Since I accidentally sliced one of my fingers this week, and subsequently could not record anything new, I'm submitting one of my oldest compositions instead. I was a senior in high school at the time, and my inspirations were; my niece (pictured) just beeing born a few months earlier, and I had been listening to Dvorak's New World Symphony. This recording was made some 30 years later.

Cecilia

For the Song-A-Week 2021 prompt  "I Love Lulu"  I'm submitting my arrangement and recording of an obscure almost 100-year old song called Sugar Lou. 
A good friend of mine recently found this piece of sheet music that had been written and performed by his great uncle J. Ray Beaugrand. Uncle Ray was a vaudeville performer in Milwaukee Wisconsin back in the day. 
My friend, who does not read music, was curious about what this song sounded like, since it had ukulele accompaniment and I have been teaching his wife the ukulele. So I recorded it for him. He still has memories of his uncle Ray and Sugar Lou (who ended up getting married).
Since I myself is not very good at reading music, I took some liberties with the arrangement.

Lyrics:

I know a girl, Sweet little girl
I'm wild about, Ev'ry time I think of her,
My brain is All awhirl
She is a prize, Just my size,
I'm here to say that I'd give all I own
To have her for my own

chorus:
Not too tall, not too stout
Just the type men rave about,
I call her my Sugar Lou	Sweetest baby
Not too bold, Not too rough,
Just a girl who knows her stuff
Believe me she sure is a Jewel,

Just watch her on the ballroom floor,
Does she strut, Nothing but,
She's a dancing fool, but oh! my! How I love her
Can she love, Can she kiss,
B'lieve me brother she don't miss,
I'm strong for my Su-u-gar Lou
 
You'll envy me, When you see,
This girl of mine, With her tempting big blue eyes,
The kind that hypnotize
She looks so neat, Oh so sweet
I want you to know she'll be mine someday,
If I have my way

Sugar Lou

This week's SAW 2021 prompt was "Given Name".

Verse:
You call out "Sweetie", 
and I know that it's meant to show me, 
just how much you care, about me.
You call out "Honey", 
and I see all the love you give me, 
just to build me up, and set me free.

Chorus :
But when I go to call your name
the ones I know all sound the same.
I've yet to find a single one to show
how much I love you.

Verse:
You call me by my name, 
and I fear that this I may not want to hear, 
but all you seek is my attention.

Bridge:
But even when your voice shows anger
there is love behind those words,
and I may choose to fight or really listen, 
to what I just heard.

Verse:
You call me wonderful, 
and then I can face the world, head-on, again
and do what seemed impossible.
You call me "Sweet-heart",
and I feel that my life with you is what is real,
and all else is my imagination.

Chorus...

Song and image Copyright © Claes Akerblom

Names (demo)

This track was co-written with Mark Anderson. I sent Mark the music and he then wrote the lyrics.

Winds of Change by Mark Anderson and Claes Akerblom:

Love was born in spring / and flew away 
Long before the winter snow came
Carried on the breeze / it sets a young heart free
To float along the winds of change
Seasons come and go and 
Everyone should know 
This is how a real love begins
 
(Chorus)
Love is alive / in nature, and I / I am in love with you
We mirror the wind / and as we begin / the winds of change blow through you
Winds of change…
 
I guess I couldn’t dream / or imagine anything
That would compare with my love for you
We could learn to fly / if only you and I
Trust the winds of change will be true
People come and go and 
Everyone should know
Here is where real love begins
 
(Chorus)
Love is alive / in nature, and I / I am in love with you
We mirror the wind / and as we begin / the winds of change blow through you
Winds of change
Oh, winds of change
 
(Bridge)
Our dreams aren’t born just to die
When love isn’t left unspoken
The promise’s sworn between you and I 
Are stronger than any the winds may have broken

instrumental interlude

... Seasons come and go and 
Everyone should know 
This is how a real love begins
 
(Chorus)
Love is alive / in nature, and I / I am in love with you
We mirror the wind / and as we begin / let the winds of change blow through you
Winds of change
Oh, the winds of change bring love
Winds of change
Oh, the winds of change bring love
Winds of change….

Winds Of Change (demo)

Second contribution to the Song A Week project for 2022. This week Mark Anderson first wrote the lyrics, and I then created the music.

Lyrics by Mark Anderson:

Love isn’t something taken for granted
One day it's here then it’s gone
But once in a lifetime though you couldn’t plan it
The love of your life comes along
Someone you’d spend the rest of your life with
Knowing that it feels so right
Once in a lifetime could be starting tonight

Driving me crazy thinking of you
I can’t get you out of my head
I’m wondering if you feel the way that I do
And thinking 'bout the things we said
If you’d like to spend the rest of the night here 
And you’re sure this feels right
Then once in a lifetime could be starting tonight

(Bridge)
How do you know when love is true
I guess that’s how the question goes
But love will show you what to do
Cause when it’s love, love knows

So here I am with trembling hands
Wondering what you’re feeling inside
So rare and unique moments like these
There’s no place for feelings to hide
I want you to spend the rest of the night here 
Because girl this feels so right
Once in a lifetime could be starting tonight
 
If you’d like to spend the rest of your life 
With me cause it feels so right
Then once in a lifetime could be starting tonight
I’d love to spend the rest of my life with you
This sure feels so right
And once in a lifetime should be starting tonight…
Should be starting tonight…
And once in a lifetime could be starting tonight


Image Copyright © Claes Akerblom 2013

Once In A Lifetime (demo)

Another collaboration with Mark Anderson where I sent him the tune, and he then wrote the lyrics to fit the tune.

To fall in love
(Mark I. Anderson)

Listen to these words
Let them fall upon your soul
Like you’ve never heard before
Like you’ll never let them go
Tonight, let the fire burn us
Tonight, let two hearts learn 
This is how it feels / oh, to fall in love

Hold me close and whisper
The things that love will say
I’ll hold you close to kiss you
At the closing of each day
Tonight, is all we need
Tonight, you can believe
This is how it feels / oh, to fall in love

(Bridge)
The mystery of the ages – hidden in our kiss
Time reveals her secrets – when I’m holding you like this

Listen to our passion
Hear the rhythmic beat
Two hearts pounding faster than
Even time could keep
Tonight, we’ll just let go
Tonight, we’ll let it show us
This is how it feels / oh, to fall in love

This is how it feels / oh, to fall in love

To Fall In Love (demo)

Another collaboration with the great wordsmith, Mark Anderson.

Lyrics:

No one tells you when to put your heart out on the line
Roll the dice and cross your fingers it’s all you can do
When I saw you mine skipped a beat when you were passing by
(I thought) She’ll never look your way your heart’s too black and blue
I hear a voice saying that I should walk away
But not today
 
Sometimes the only choice is
Let go and say goodbye
To those old voices, and I can’t tell you why
I listened to those voices
I listened to their cry
I’ve listened to mystics statistics and lies, but
I was wrong
 
Let’s take a chance and make a wish and watch it sail away
Just roll the dice and cross our fingers it might come true
Too many lonely nights and lonely memories get in the way
Of all the things my heart really wants us to do
I hear a voice telling me she’ll just walk away
But not today
 
Chorus
 
(Bridge)
The thoughts that my heart / is not enough
Are thoughts that my heart / never should trust
I’m looking to you to reach out / and pull me through
The distance and echoes I hear / between me and you
 
Chorus

... I was wrong

 
 
Mark Anderson

I Was Wrong (demo)

A song I wrote about my Mazda Miata (also named Mx-5 in other parts of the world) before I had actually bought it. 

MX-5.mp3

My contribution to week 12 of Song A Week 2016.  It's a solo guitar piece this week recorded in stereo using 2 condenser mics stacked on top of each other (see picture), pointing in slightly opposite directions.
Copyright © Claes Akerblom

Beauty And The Thug (demo)

My contribution to week 7 of Song A Week 2021. The theme this week was Nik Newark's Drum & Fife, which at first I had no clue what to make of it. So, I zeroed in on the Drum & Fife. Just a side note; the song is in Eb minor simply because, being the first time playing the piano, there are less of the black keys to keep track of than the white ones. :)

Lyrics:
When I start to grumble, that's the rumble of my battle drum
and when I've stopped listening watch for the whistling, of bombs in flight
Am I about to start a fight? All because, I want to be right?

Chorus:  There is no victor at the end of a war
	only the wounded with open sores, that time won't heal
	now tell me, how do you feel, about war?

You start to sweat, perceiving a threat that isn't real
all your efforts are in vain, you need someone to blame, when nothing goes right
Are you about to start a fight? All because, you have fear inside?

(Chorus)

I have my opinions and beliefs - and you have yours, you have yours
I also have my baggage to retrieve - and you have yours, yes you have yours
Rarely do we match, so there's bound to be a clash
without negotiation, co-operation, and understanding, we would have ourselves a war

Are we about to start a fight? All because, we want to show our might?

(Chorus)
There is no victor at the end of a war

Song AND image Copyright © Claes Akerblom 2021

Battle Drum (demo)

Mainly a guitarist, and sometimes singer-songwriter, I am influenced mostly by the singer-songwriters from the 60's and early 70's.

Claes

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