The Real Commonwealthgirrl

Hi to all of my virtual and true support group out there  - i will try to name each one of you: this song is for you xxxxxxxxxxxx 

download and groove!

I can't believe how many of you there are.... I'll be adding and counting and I am truly overwhelmed and happy!!! All of you have given me such precious feedback it has been invaluable and I need to thank uuuuu xxx

Lammbone, Squidger, Hot Buttered Bland, night note, pretzels malone, roth whyler, Mark Bennett, petacat,  Fred Naa, Pink Elephant, an ecstasy of fumbling, geolte quiche,Pillars of Autumn, Milan Zilnik, Robyn Roulton, icarus the sun beckons, steve ferguson, stephen beatty, ken bruton, rafi wazir,  French Radio, Open University Beard, JB's tunes, PessoaZ, divinwoken, karl karlsson, kroak, ligumo, milco and maira huismann, stealthRT, jolly chapples, fragile x, kat330, (SKS), Orillia Junction,  Sciencebase, Charles Chambaz, Eminasari, we spies we slow hands,  jinx jones, cyra morgan, brouhaha, dan kellington,  rat kaffe diem, zachary friedrich, the subversive, fossil60, euphoriqa,  Pepper McGowan, Plain Zebra, francis cofone, Lily joytus, The Dawidger, Walking Ears, Eve Williams, Ronan Kearney, Oliver Wolf, Peter Lehndorff, Bitzone, Rockshamrover, Mr. Ge, breeze from cologne, merving pervyn, dragon rose, kona brothers, telefan, roumel30, chris scheri, frederik park, paul do, brouhaha, niggy q, the mad pride, caalamus, marco fontaine, 

You don't see me (CWG original)

Written in 2019 when I found myself getting very dizzy - this is a song that has become a powerful anthem which continues to help me keep navigating the dizziness of the pandemic world we live in.

Dizzy (CWG Original)

Sometimes you have to go back to go forward :-)

Go Back to go Forward (CWG Original)

THE WAVE (CWG Original)

This is What it Takes (CWG Original)

The Swoop Song (CWG Original)

Christmas Time
December 18, 2021 

This is a song you'll wanna listen to curled up in front of a fire with your loved ones. Make some cocoa and grab a blanket and turn up the sound.

This song came to me one cold winter night after my dad died and this year I bring it to you in all its Christmas splendour. 

I dedicate it to all of you who miss someone no longer here or who just can't make it home for Christmas, oh yeah and to Frank Sinatra who smiled when he heard my voice reach his ears up in heaven.

Merry Christmas xox

Guitars and percussion: Dan Meunier
Production and arrangement: Dan Meunier
Mixing & Mastering: Two Bodies of Water
Photo: BB Collective
 
Music, vocals, uke & lyrics: Marie Fontaine

Christmas Time

A simple vocal addition to this incredible piano piece by Dirk Maassen - thanks so much for offering up this succulent piece for collaboration - danke danke danke!!!

https://soundcloud.com/ascoltadi

XCWG

Commonwealthgirrl | Dirk Maasson - White

Moving along with my very first recording!!

Continuity

Ken Bruton wrote the lyrics to this song as a poem on FB several months ago... and I was immediately inspired to add music - the melody came to me quite quickly as I was lying in bed one night and this song has stuck with me ever since I uploaded it...

And this story is so much a pivotal part of me... the individual who is wrongly accused and forced to somehow live a cursed life... punished for a crime they never committed... :-(

Oh with the right kind of production this song would have even bigger wings - but until then... this is me CWG rendering Bury My Heart anew as only I can, in my very humble home studio in Germany... 

It is such a magnificent feeling collaborating with someone I have never met... 
 
Ken I hope you like it as much as I do:-)

XXXCWG

Bury My Heart (lyrics by Ken Bruton)

I could not resist adding my voice to this beautiful beautiful track - an amazing collab which was done for the  soundcloud Tombola...

https://soundcloud.com/jakob-uhlig

https://soundcloud.com/julianastein

XCWG



Wings (collaboration)

My first collab with Cory - I loved this track as soon as I heard it and was thrilled to add lyrics and vocals... 

keep moving keep moving keep moving 
into this space

show me your face
if only you could show me your true face

show me your face
show me your true face
move into this space

 XCWG

Move into this space (Collaboration with y-Roc)

Baby Talk (CWG meets Mick Flannery & Susan O'Neill

July 31, 2023
Big Valley Jail

After leaving Rosebud and Drumheller AB recently, I drove the long way home through Big Valley and spotted this run down old wooden jail and imagined the poor blokes landing up in there and a few days days later, this CWG country tune was born!

Big Valley Jail (CWG Original)

September 10, 2023

Live By The Sea

This song speaks for itself. I loved adding a French and German verse. I was inspired to write this song after visiting The Dutch and English seaside this summer. I've always loved the sound of waves and seagulls. One day, sitting on the sofa in a small apartment overlooking the Brighton pier, this song flew into me and my small soprano ukulele through the wide open window. 

Enjoy xox
CWG

Live By The Sea (CWG original)

October 9, 2023

Blame

One of the worst things people can do. Just loved this song when I first heard it, my attempt to put into 6/8 time. My favourite time signature. 

x CWG

Blame | CWG meets Grace Carter

October 9, 2023

Somewhere Over the Rainbow 

A classic with a CWG tweek



Somewhere Over (CWG meets Yip Harburg)

October 10, 2023

Take Care

That line is powerful... if you ask me to...
x cwg

Take Care (CWG meets Beachhouse)

The dirty dozen (how the virtual world is destroying communication) spoken word

October 24, 2023

Dreaming is free ✨️ 😌 

xcwg

Dreaming ( CWG meets Blondie)

October 31, 2023

a fitting for song for Halloween

xcwg

Monsters Under Your Bed (CWG original)

Nov 26, 2023

Tina is smiling in heaven :-)

cwg x

Simply the Best (CWG meets Tina Turner)

White Christmas (CWG meets Irving Berlin)

24.09.2014
A song a day? I can but try... to unravel my life with music and words about the things that elude me... so many musicians have gone before me and so many will come after and yet I try every day to approach the place I know I can go with the song- writing and the development of my vocals... finding my true self somewhere or simply creating me each moment anew...

This one is a little private and I am sharing it with you... sure I'm not the only one to feel this.

I am joined by my newly acquired melodica, marching drum and wooden xylophone. I feel Canadian musicians like Cohen, Cockburn and Mitchell are somewhere in here...

As words come tumbling
from a dirty magazine
better than reality 
it seems

each time I hear them
I wish I was a fish
and I could swim away

Whisper slowly
on the water
words of love instead
my mind wants to empty
empty into emptiness
my body wanders on this quiet bed
 
chorus

Try to imagine
a room with couples on chairs
reading, laughing  
I hear songs
I hear their dreams
better than reality it seems

chorus

images
tantalising
prickly pornography
eager to delete
no one should know
you like to look
remember?

all words and music by MarieBFontaine

X CWG

Words Come Tumbling (CWG original)

24.09.2014

This song is tattooed on every Canadian's skin... CWG breathes a bit of fresh but unusual air into this Nova Scotian classic song of unknown authorship... 

Farewell to Nova Scotia

The sun was setting in the west,
The birds were singing on every tree.
All nature seemed inclined to rest
But still there was no rest for me.

Chorus
Farewell to Nova Scotia, the sea-bound coast,
 may your mountains dark and dreary be.
 For when I am far away on the briny ocean tossed,
 Will you ever heave a sigh or a wish for me?

I grieve to leave my native land,
I grieve to leave my comrades all,
And my aging parents whom I've always loved so dear,
And the bonnie, bonnie lass/lad that I do adore.

Chorus

The drums they beat and the wars to alarm,
The captain calls, I must obey.
So farewell, farewell to Nova Scotia
For it's early in the morning and I'm far, far away.


XCWG

Farewell To Nova Scotia (traditional)

29.09.2014

Of late my inspiration has been hitting me in the middle of the night! I have to wake up and write the words down as soon as possible, so I keep a pen and paper by my bed. I hear all the instruments coming in and out - the musician in me does not need any sleep! 

Hope you like it! Need a real saxophone on this for suuure...

XXCWG

My L.A Boy (CWG original)

The Christmas Waltz

08.10.2014
Can a song be written by accident? Well this one was! 

My daughter and I were goofing around on the sofa the other day and this was the spontaneous result of us singing while chilling and drinking tea... dare I say one of our favorite past times! 

I am joined by my new xylophone, my drum, and blue uke:-)

Yes that is my sofa in the background! 

XXXCWG

The Sofa Song (CWG original)

I have lyrics for this simple instrumental piece but I find it much more beautiful on it's own - could use some trumpets of course... anyone out there wanna include them for me?

The Man with the Golden Star

The Proof

March 17, 2024

The Proof

music and lyrics Marie Fontaine

My song “The Proof” exists because of some very special people who have supported me on my journey as a singer-songwriter. I need to thank you for helping me launch my brand new single this weekend. Firstly, there’s the very talented Dan Meunier who agreed to help me produce this song and by adding his magical guitars. 🎸 Then there's Mallory Chipman who helped me craft my song during our one-on-one sessions in her capacity as musician in residence at the Edmonton Public Library. 🎶 A big thank-you also to Kyle Neufeld for jumping in with his sweet background vocals. Applause for James Seabrooke of Two Bodies of Water, for his awesome mixing and mastering skills. 🎤   And big thank-yous to my Riverdale friends and family - for their love and enthusiasm: Mike Lavoie and Faith Davis for their beautiful friendship over the years, who have encouraged me with every step I took. 👣  To Theresa Miceli and Rich Mailey who continue to cheer me on! To my sweet sisters and brothers and mama who have been my magnificent cheerleaders all along the way. 👏 To my daughter Charlotte who has watched me blossom into the musician I am today. 🌼  To my colleagues at LINC St. Basil who have supported me in ways I never thought possible. And of course to my darling Beverley who in all her awesomeness and beauty is the real proof that magic still exists. 🎩 🪄    A final thank-you goes to William Prince whose song the Spark, ✨️ ignited something powerful in me one night to write the Proof… I love you all ❤️ 😍 



The Proof

The Rainbow Connection 🌈

Tabula Rasa (CWG original)

November 12, 2024

Happier is a song that's been distilling for some time now. 

Thanks for listenjng 🎶

x cwg

Happier | CWG Original

Jan 17, 2025

This is a bold departure for me. After working on my songwriting and singing techniques with some very awesome people in Alberta - I give you The Things I've Learned 

xxxcwg

The Things I've Learned | CWG Original

26.06.2015

The pecking disorder return with their newest avian musical experimental creation
We are:
Music, back up vocals + production - Hot Buttered Bland
https://soundcloud.com/hot-buttered-bland

Lyrics and main vocals - Commonwealthgirrl
 

Voodoo (music by Hot Buttered Bland)

12.07.2015

John sent me these lyrics a while ago and with his permission I started playing around with a melody and today I decided it was now or never... and I just recorded it... wanting to have something really simple - lofi... something magical happened...

check out John's profile
https://soundcloud.com/johnny_eagle

Lyrics: John Eagle 
Music and Vox: Marie Fontaine

Let’s Be Together

From the first day we met
It was you
Just as you said goodbye
I knew
It was you

When I heard the ship’s blast
I knew it was bon voyage
But I do hope you come back

When we are together
Let’s be together
However painful it may be
When we part

Now you have your pictures
Tied up in lace
I have my memories
Of your smiling face

The beach had a mystery
An Arab moon at night
Hung from gun-barrel sky
As we bathed in its light

And now, when we're together
Let’s be together
However painful it may be
When we part

The beginning is only that
A place to start 
And love is not a handkerchief
Waved from a rail above

We each have a sky
To gaze upon at night
The Dog Star waits for us
Our beacon in the light

So let’s be together
When we’re together
Even though we part
Let’s be together
If only in our hearts
If only in our hearts….



XCWG

Let's be together (lyrics by John Eagle)

30.11.2015

We Use to Be Fish

The latest offering by Pecking Disorder - all about gadzooks and flying fish...

Hot Buttered Bland - music and mix

Commonwealthgirrl - lyrics and vox


We Used To Be Fish (Pecking Disorder)

A new rendering of CWG's Painting the Roses Red with the help of Geolte Quiche!

Painting the roses red (Budapest Remix/Geolte Quiche)

CWG is extremely thankful to the benevolent spirit that brought this amazing song into my heart early this morning - just quickly jotted the lyrics down and immediately went to the keyboard after work and was amazed with the results. The layering of the different sounds were so much fun to put together - hope you like the song as much as I do:-)

Missing in action (CWG original)

CWG returns to her song Raindrops to imbue it with new energy and a bold new roller coaster rhythm:-) 

Raindrops on my window

This track includes my instrumental piece entitled Man with the Golden Star and features an all new theatrical intro magically mixed by Lil Spaceman... thanks so much Andrew:-)

*NEW* Blood on the Saddle (Gunslinger collaboration with lil' Spaceman)

Holy Moly.... Where did this come from? From somewhere deep down inside my soul and I offer it up to you.... all of my sweeeeet soundcloud family members... love you all so ginormously. This is a traditional old English celtic song... Sting did a beautiful version on his Winter album in 2009 and I used to sing this all the time when I was a kid. When I heard Sting's version the other day - I remembered how I use to sing this every Christmas - I think I've managed to put a bit of soul into it:-))))

Soul Cake

Commonwealthgirrl | Singer/Songwriter
Music runs in my blood—raised in Canada with a DJ dad who sparked my love for studios, records, and mics. From flute and choir to secret late-night radio shows, storytelling and song have been my life.
I fuse Country, Jazz, Pop, and Swing into raw, honest tracks—all home-produced with keyboard, ukulele, and simple gear. Influenced by legends like Johnny Cash, Daniel Lanois, and Rickie Lee Jones.
Check out my debut EP The Real Commonwealthgirrl (2021), singles Christmas Time (2022) and The Proof (St. Patrick’s Day 2024). In August 2025, I hit a songwriting retreat in Nashville— I'm ready to bring a fresh batch of new songs your way.
Thanks for listening—LIFE IS IMPROV.

Commonwealthgirrl

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