The album series titled SEXAGENARIAN features songs I've written since turning 60 in late 2015. Volume IV contains songs composed in 2023.

Sexagenarian Volumes IV

Sexagenarian Volume V

Sexagenarian Vol VI

https://youtu.be/xYCMFsupXR8

MIX/MASTER - Woods Studio
https://soundcloud.com/user-498459842

Words and Music, Lead Vocal: CW Mullins
Produced by Fog City Fogey, who also played keyboards and guitar

Whatever happened to him?
He had a lot going on at one time.
Does every star have to dim,
Every statue get covered in grime?
 
Wandering through trackless days
Lost*
Lost in an open-air maze
 
And in the dreams of a sleepless man
Who lay wide awake as the day began
A pool of light circles the drain
By end of night, what will remain
He’ll wake up in the dreams
Of a sleepless man
 
On the edge of the bed
Waiting for dark to fall into dawn
And his hands hold his head
Trying to keep that stupid thing on
Days that come just disappear
So how is the past always here?

A man can put himself to bed
That doesn’t mean he will sleep

In the dark, like being blind
When he looks, what will he find?

Dreams Of A Sleepless Man

MIXED/MASTERED by WOODS STUDIO

THE LIAR KING

Once I met a king
Crown and everything
Very regal
I’d stay regal
Not sure where he reigned
But I can’t complain
Never asked him
Didn’t ask him
He said if i had a need
I would not have to plead
Servants standing by provide
It’s guaranteed

Well my mind went blank
But I knew to thank
The king so gracious
Very gracious
One day on the town
The king was looking down
Asked his highness
His royal highness
Told me he was without
His wallet when he went out
Could I maybe cover him
I said, sure, no doubt
The liar king!

I was not fooled
But I still played along
It’s all so harmless
How could things go wrong?

Now don’t jump ahead
Wait me out instead
I’ll get to it
Right down to it
The king stayed for a while
Made me crack a smile
Almost daily
nearly daily

When the joke got too stale
And I wouldn’t cover his bail
The king and his crown jumped the town
With no farewell

Why tell the story of how I got burned
Well i want to share what I learned

Liar kings abound
yeah they’re all around
And there’s queens too
Always queens too
tossing their BS
Leave behind a mess
Good riddance
the best riddance
But life can get kind of dull
When bored out of your skull
You might find it fun to run with a colorful liar king

Senso

The Liar King

MIX/MASTER: Woods Studio

NOTE: In 2023 San Diego (I'm in north county) endured the coldest (coolest?) winter since 1935, according to the news. In that context I think it is understandable why I was inspired to write this song! 

LYRIC

Throw off this gray cloud cover
It’s the wrong kind of chill
Would I trade this day for another?
If it’s warmer, you know I will
Maybe a song would scatter
The low skies hovering still

Sun shower
Spray your rays on me
You already leave us every 12 hours
And we need your light to see
Sun shower
Spray your rays on me

Giant that charged creation
Thank you for that life spark
The green earth in rotation 
Not always a walk in the park
That giant will burn out one day
Leaving us in the dark

Sun shower
Shoot your rays my way
All year long I want summer hours
Even on the longest day
Sun shower
Scatter the haze
Splatter your glaze 
Shoot your rays my way

I’m out here on the chaise lounge
Greased and ready to tan

Sun shower 
Rain down razzmatazz
I know you have it in your power
You colossal ball of gas
Oh Sun shower 
Come on buttercup
I'm all buttered up
Sun shower!
Sun shower!

Sun Shower

MIX/MASTER: Woods Studio

NOTE: I had the start of the tune when a songwriters group I sometimes joined announced a "game" of writing a song to a certain title. I started a lyric for "Safe Space" and then discovered the contest title name was actually "Sacred Space"! 🥴 Anyway I wasn't able to join the "game" so I just decided to stick with my original inspiration. 

LYRIC
It takes nerve
To face a world so scary
We deserve 
A break every now and then 
Cancel all plans and then -  stay in
We reserve
The right to have a safe space

Yes safe and sound
It’s our place
We searched and found
A safe space
Our home ground

When you’re beat
Too tired to take the world on
Well my sweet
No need for subterfuge
Even a small refuge - looms huge
We retreat
To shelter in our safe space

A safety zone
A safe space
Address unknown
We lay low
And mute the phone
We’ll manage on our own
In a safe space alone

Let me say
It’s not total seclusion 
We foray
When the pantry’s running bare
For wine and cheese we will dare - out there
So we pay 
Then rush back to our safe space

A cool cocoon
We embrace
Like a honeymoon
Our safe space
None too soon

A safe space
As it was before
A safe space
And forever more
A safe space

Sexagenarian Vol. IV

Safe Space

MIX/MASTER: Woods Studio

NOTE: The key line - "One butterfly can fill the sky" - just sort of came out of my mouth while singing to a new tune I'd come up with. I view my lyric as my way of trying to understand myself exactly what that means!

LYRIC
Child in a garden
Mother isn’t far
One hand holds a net 
One, an insect jar
A flash of color flying
The softest flap of wings
The net will capture
The jar will trap there
Beautiful things

One butterfly can fill the entire sky
When seen by a child’s eye
Don’t ask how
Don’t ask why
One butterfly can fill the sky

We too had a garden
Thought of it as home
But we broke the house rules
Kicked out, we had to roam
We tried to recreate it
With every skill that’s ours
We still need wild things
Buzzing and dancing in the flowers

One butterfly can fill the entire sky
Just look with a child’s eye
You’ll know how
You’ll see why
One butterfly 
Wonder and awe
Filling us all…. and the sky

Child back in garden
Gives the lid a pull
The creature sent free
The jar now empty
The child’s heart full

One butterfly will fill the entire sky
We look with a child’s eye 
And know how
And see why
One butterfly will fill the sky

Sexagenarian Volume IV

One Butterfly

MIX/MASTER: Woods Studio

NOTE: This tune came to me three days after the news of Burt Bacharach's passing. I dedicate the song to the great man's memory. 

LYRIC
Why watch the clock 
Count hours by the minute
I may be wrong but for right now
We have to live in the present
Let’s let the sky show us how

It has the signposts giving us guidance
And even if at times they hide  
We know they’re there inside or out

Good morning, good night
And that’s not to slight
A good afternoon
Twenty four hours of
Shining upon our love 
Are the sun and moon

Sometimes the times are some of the best
And sometimes they’re best forgotten
Who knows what this the day has got in store
  
Good evening, good day 
And may I just say
We work hard at fun
Climb in and out of bed
While always overhead
The moon and sun

Awake, asleep and so in love
Our besties hang above
Reality it seems  
Is a galaxy of dreams

All day and night
As gravity pulls us
Toward the core of [our] existence
What’s the use trying to fight it
That wouldn’t make any sense at all

Good morrow my dear
At last it’s here
Not a minute too soon
And not a minute late
For us to celebrate
With the sun and moon

Good morning, good night
la di da da
Hang loose, sleep tight
la di da da
Just stay in sight
Day and night, endlessly  
For me you’ll always be the sun…and moon

The Sun And Moon

MIX/MASTER: Woods Studio

NOTE: I came up with this song, music and lyric, a few days after a cat of ours, over 10 years old, went out for his evening look around, and never came home. I consider that relevant to the lyric, but maybe only I would...just trying to deal with the realities of existence...

LYRIC
Hey my friend potato bug
Crawling from a hole I dug
if you thought me a threat at all
You’d roll yourself into a ball

I’m happy for you
Go do what you do 
And I’ll just smile
Go on, do what you do
No need to be
Happy for me

Tiny bird with a hungry maw
Potato bug never saw
You swoop down to snag a meal
Well that’s life, we know the deal

I’m happy for you
A bit jealous too
Great things, those wings
Yeah do what you do
No need to be
Happy for me

My lost love that never was
I think of you, as one does
A bitter man might scorn and scoff
But I assume you’re better off
So why be blue
I’m happy for you

Old black dog with the gray muzzle
Sidle over here and let’s nuzzle
Your best days may lay behind
but the sun is out so pay no mind

I’m happy for you
Each day is still new
don’t fail to wag tail
Go on, do what you do
From what I see
You’re happy for me 

Ah,  I’m happy it’s true
Think what we went through
We got lost, muddled along
Got a few things right, others wrong
If you see yourself in this song
I’m happy for you

I'm Happy For You

MIX/MASTER: Woods Studio

NOTE: I don't hold myself to any strict "historical accuracy" in my lyrics. There may be one person in my distant past I had in mind as I wrote this. Or not...

LYRIC

Sir
I called you sir
It was a different time
And that's just how things were

Role
You played your role
And it was quite a fine performance
I was so naive
It’s hard now to believe
I never saw through you, ‘sir’

Gone 
That world is gone
For both the worse and better, maybe
It's moved on

Sir
Did you ever let your guard down
And let the truth slip through
Was there a real ‘you’
Or were just a man I knew as ‘sir’

Now
The world of now
I wonder if it would astound you
Frighten and confound you
But could it be inside
You would feel some pride
At how it could be
If you lived to see 
A world somewhat free for you, sir

MIX/MASTER: Woods Studio
VOCAL HARMONY: Fog City Fogey

NOTE: This is my third song this year with "sun" in the title. 2023 has been mostly gray and cool around here, I guess that's why the solar obsession...

LYRIC
Hey
Let’s trip around the sun
My fellow stumblebum
We’ll scrape a knee or two
Then kiss each other’s boo boo
It takes about 12 months
We’ve done it more than once
Yeah we’ll enjoy the view
Though there’ll be nothing new!

To trip around the sun with you
About my favorite thing to do
To trip around the sun with you

Grab a walking stick
A cane would do the trick
We’ll hobble to and fro
We’ll get where we need to go

A trip around the sun for two
And when the trip is finally through
We’ll unpack and then
Pack right up again
Let another trip begin
Around the sun with my best friend

We don’t need an atlas
We’ve gotten good at this 
We’ll take it day by day
Y cada noche - ole! 

To trip around the sun each year
Never gets old with you my dear
We might not have many more to share
Someday we won’t care
So strap in for a bumpy ride
Expect a bit of slip and slide
By air and on ground
There’s treasure to be found
On our next trip around….the sun

Sexagenarian Vol IV

Trip Around The Sun

MIX/MASTER - Woods Studio
Fog City Fogey - electric guitar, bass, background vocals, production assistance

NOTE: Yup, the C in CW stands for Chris...

LYRIC
The morning mirror can be harsh and cold
You know you’re not young but are you that old?
You need your coffee to really wake up
Maybe that happens around the fifth cup
It’s a new day - brand spanking new
It’ll probably - spank the heck out of you

It’s time to face up to the mess you made
The fools you trusted and the loyal betrayed
You better face up to the mess you made

You tire your brain thinking who to blame
It keeps coming up with the same damn name
There’s so many people who go by Chris
How you supposed to know which one it is
What a puzzle, a conundrum 
Ah come on now, you’re not that dumb

It’s time you own up to the mess you made
The debts accrued and the tax unpaid
It’s time you own up to the mess you made

of things through bad decisions
Sad submissions
Hasty brush offs 
And clumsy overtures
That mess you’re seeing is all yours

Meet a friend at a diner, slide in the booth
It’s time for confession, admit the truth
Eat half her fries, say yeah I’m a wreck
And then you leave her with the check

no one’s thinking you’ll repay a loan
so when you call they mute the phone 
It’ll shock them if you atone

It’s time you face up to the mess you made
You’re no innocent, drop the charade
If your sins had legs it’d be quite the parade
You better face up to the mess you made

The Mess You Made

first mix April 19 - Jack Holston

A song for all us unknown, unsigned creators and lovers of songs

LYRIC
Hey, I’m able
Standing around but stable
Not grasping at straws
I don’t wait for applause
If it comes that would be sweet

In the meantime
Fumbling round for a new rhyme
Hope it comes soon
I’ve got a new tune
And it’s almost complete 

Come on and sing along
Won’t you join me in my song
Don’t be scared you’ll get words wrong
Sing along, sing along

Poor Franz Schubert
Imagine how much it hurt
Pouring his heart
Into his art
And only a few friends heard

Come on and sing along
Won’t you join me in my song
Don’t be scared you’ll get words wrong
Sing along, sing along

If you’ve heard me
And concluded
That old fool’s deluded
Can I ask you something else?
Could you keep that to yourself?

Don Quixote
An arm waving giant in his way
Spurred on his steed
He saw a need
For a hero to save the day
So I say…

Come on and sing along
Won’t you join me in my song
Don’t be scared you’ll get words wrong
Sing along, sing along

Sing out proud, sing out strong
Everyone can belong
Come on and sing along

Sing Along

mix: Jack Holston

Another song by an unknown, unsigned singer-songwriter, for all those other unknown, unsigned singer-songwriters out there...

LYRIC
Hello old friend
Would you care to spend 
Some time in my arms
That’s how to play guitar 
I’ve got a good grip
I won’t let you slip
As I might have once or twice 

We’ll ramble around 
Covering ground
We’ve covered before
So ok, once more
But as I strum
Should a song come 
Well that would be nice 

Yeah here goes nothing
Judging by the past
I get my hopes up but it’s not gonna last 
Yeah here goes nothing
Despite that thought
Each song means a lot to me
That has to be…something 

What are the odds
I’m loved by the gods
Who oversee fate
I’d say, not so great
But if you don’t play
You lose anyway
So yeah, count me in

Oh here goes nothing
Judging by the past
I get my hopes up but it’s not going to last 
Yeah here goes nothing
Despite that thought
It still means a lot to me
Let the world sleep on 
I’m gonna keep on with…nothing

So as I strum
Should a song come
Well I think one just did!

Yeah here goes nothing
Judging by the past
I get my hopes up but it’s not going to last 
Yeah here goes nothing
yeah the song is free
From an unknown artist
And probably always be
Here goes nothing
Unless..unless
Your ears will bless
This song of mine
Then it won’t be nothing this time


Here Goes Nothing

MIX by Dan Barracuda

LYRIC

Tell the story
The old, old story
Of the day that we first met
Yes I know it now by heart
But the moment that you start
It’s as though I haven’t heard it yet

It’s like a new yesterday
Where today falls away
And we’re young somehow
At least younger than now
In a new yesterday again
We feel the joy we felt then

Raise your wine glass
I’ll raise mine as
We toast to a new year
They’re coming at us fast
Building on the past
Tomorrow knows it can always find us here

Inside a new yesterday
When today falls away
And it’s just us two
In the world we knew
We are free there to run and play 
And that’s how we recapture 
The rush and the rapture
We’re swept away
In a new yesterday

What a fine thing
See it shining
Tomorrow knows us
And it 
Tomorrow shows us
It knows to find us here

Inside a new yesterday
Where today falls away
And we are young somehow
At least younger than now
So let it all fall away 
In a new yesterday
Where it’s just us two
In the world we knew
In a new yesterday again 
We feel the joy we felt then

A New Yesterday

The world is a casino...you'll probably never win! 

Lead guitar, bass, drum arrangement: Fog City Fogey
Mix: Jack Holston
Mastering by Logic pro

Outside In

Mix/Master - Woods Studio

LYRIC

Following followers
Just like all the others
Need someone to show the way

Don’t need to know 
Where we go
I just merge with the flow
It’s all good and I’m ok

There’s no need to think here
We go on instinct here 
Like a school of fish 
Stay to the center 
You don’t want to be dinner 
Let someone else be the main dish 

Following followers 
And if the thought occurs 
We’re trapped in a loop
Penned in a coop
We’ve worn ruts in the track
Follow me and I’ll follow you back 

There’s no need to think here
We go on instinct here
Like the lemmings do
What happens if
We reach a cliff?
Go ahead! I’ll follow you

Following followers
Like all kool-aid swallowers
No pause to think
Throw your head back and drink 
Even if you’re not thirsty 
For my follow, you follow me

Following Followers

A song about - well, check the title ;-)

MIX/MASTER - Mariosyjp

LYRIC
Old age has found me
Though I tried to hide
Wrapped thin arms around me
Whispered in my ear
It’s getting cold
Think we’d best go inside
And find comfort
In our own company
Put a kettle on for tea

And sit down by the fire
And know no more of desire
As twilight settles low
To be in the fire’s glow
And to have our memories show
They are all we need to know in our old…

…age has assured us
All will be just fine
Youth had allured us
With its rosy shine but now we’re pale
My spotted hands reach for yours
And yours for mine
All is fine

Glad you are with me
As we reach the stage
Where we should act our old age

Old Age

Mix/Master: Woods Studio

LYRIC

Mercy me
Has it come to this
At the start
There was such promise
But ooh wee
mercy me

Tragic us
And our cursed fate
And we’d thought
Things were going great
but c’est la vie
And mercy me

Well we all know the world’s not fair
Some sail through, some can’t leave their chair
That’s too bad
Really sad
You can shout, you can cry
Curse the world and ask why
Uselessly 
Ah mercy me

Mercy me, please respect the fact
At one time
I’d be glad to act
But I’m tired
Got a bad knee
Cut me slack
Mercy me

Yeah we all have our tales to tell
And they don’t always end that well
That’s too bad
Really sad
You can sob, you can simper
You can whine, you can whimper
But isn’t it simpler
To just nod and submit
Try again and then quit
Eventually
Oo wee
C’est la vie
Mercy me

Mercy Me

Mix/Master: Woods Studio

Additional vocals: Fog City Fogey

LYRIC
In the dreams I dream about you 
We’ve always time to spare 
And it seems like you’re about to
Tell me that you care

It’s the loneliest of feelings
To wake in the cold dawn
And the dream is gone
The dream is gone

Ah ah ah ah ah
Ah ah ah ah
When the morning arrives
With its first sunbeam
I go where the day takes me
But at night I can dream

In the dreams I dream there’s times when
Rain falls down in sheets
I can’t find a door to step in
As I walk the empty streets

Then you’re there to offer shelter
As you hold a raincoat wide
And I fold inside 
I fold inside 
Your raincoat wide

Ah ah ah ah ah
Ah ah ah ah
I lay down my head
And my heart pumps away
My body needs rest 
But my brain wants to play
It’s the world of the past
Sent out in a stream
I may be an old man 
But I can still dream
I can still dream
The dreams I dream

The Dreams I Dream

MIX: Jack Holston

LYRIC
First cup of the day
There’s more on the way 
I call it brain fuel
Yes I got your text 
Read it and then next
I check my schedule 
Oh busy busy man that I am
I think that I can work you in
I was gonna swim a lap
Maybe take a nap
But it’s all tentative till then

First glass of the night 
Want both red and white
So I choose rose
Yes I saw that wink
It made me start to think
Do I have time to play
Well busy busy man I may be
I think that I can spare an hour
First let me grab a snack
Then I’ll be right back
After I hit the shower 
Then all I have to do is be with you

At this point in time
I’ve realized that I’m 
Way past overdue
Let’s lay down the facts 
To die and to pay tax
That’s all it comes down to
Yeah busy busy as life finds me
Honey can you read the room
The dog can’t walk itself
Cat knocked stuff off the shelf
I got to go get the broom 
Then all I have to do is be with you 
All I have to do is be where you are
Here and now
Not now and then
Anytime
Just say when

Oh busy busy I’m pretending 
Got paperwork stacked in piles
It’s the kind of mess
I should sweep off the desk
And I can’t concentrate
It all just has to wait
Since I caught one of your smiles
So all I have to do is be with you

All I Have To Do

Mix - Mariosyjp

LYRIC
Adding up the prices paid
For errors made unintended
I could sail a yacht to you
And get a burnt bridge mended
Would you wait on your side?

Oh you win some and you lose some
Have gorgeous days and gruesome
But win or lose the clock ticks on
Just stretch and yawn - and find your shoes, 
Go out to win or lose

The spinning world has what it takes
As it makes every circuit
You can bet on a new sunset
Then a dawn waiting to pursue it
But that’s about all

Oh you lose some and you win some
Make your own mistakes and then some
Sun’s gonna shine, rain’s gonna fall
summer lose steam, winter will thaw
It’s all hardly news in this world of 
Win or lose

Well the customer’s wrong, the boss a jerk
But back to work you’re headed
Save what’s left when you cover your debt
Don’t expect any credit 
That’s not how they play

Oh you win some and you lose some
But if that ‘you’ is a twosome
At least someone’s there, someone to share 
The good and bad, happy and sad 
That’s what I’d choose 
Win or lose

Win Or Lose

Mix/Master - Mariosyjp

LYRIC

The differences that seemed so great
That made me think I had to wait
To find a place where I belong
I thought were real - but I was wrong

The differences to which we cling
Convinced that they mean everything
They occupy a lonely heart
That wants to join but stands apart

The differences that you perceive
Are only something you believe
But at the end of life’s long day
The differences all fall away

A mirror saw me peering in
Wondering who that might have been
An anxious child with a lonely heart
That wants to share but how to start?

The difference is as years flew by
I finally stopped my asking why
And let the world just simply be
And the difference it made to me
Set me free

The differences that seemed so great
That made me think I had to wait
Yes, they’re still here and yet somehow
They don’t seem important now

The Differences

MIX/MASTER: Mariosyjp

LYRIC
Faced with the knowledge 
No one knows that much 
Put your brain in sleep mode
Except your plans for lunch 
You need your nutrition 
As you contemplate 
Can you go home early 
When you came in late

Oh go on and try
Trying’s always worth a try 
Throw caution to the wind
But should it boomerang
Forget what I just sang  
Catch it on the fly, it’s worth a try

Cry to the heavens 
Curse the world to hell
But keep it to a whisper 
There’s no need to yell 
Everyone is busy
Most are on their phone
If you’re waiting on an answer
Better check your own

Still, go on and try
Trying’s always worth a try 
Gather your resources
Pack clean underwear
As if someone will care
Shout out “do or die!” 
It’s worth a try

Take your best shot
Give it all you got
And if you spot
A chance, then pounce
Serve up your last ounce
Of nerve then announce…Well I tried

So a boulder is waiting
Head down, bend your knees
From here it’s all uphill
And Sisyphus agrees
When you get to the top
Take a look around
While your back is turned
The boulder rolls back down

Sure, go on and try
Trying’s always worth a try 
This might be the puzzle
Where all the pieces fit
It’s no time to quit
Raise your hopes up high
Watch that frail bird fly
’Til an eagle drops from the sky
Oh my
Sigh
It was worth a try

Worth A Try

Mix/Master: Mcallisterstudios

LYRIC
You don’t have to know why, why, why
You can just go and cry, cry cry
To your mother and sigh, sigh, sigh
Life isn’t fair

You (contributed) blood and sweat
Took out cash to place a safe bet
A pile of nothing is all you get
Life isn’t fair

The wheel of fortune rolls through
Across all your dreams
If circumstance controls you
Don’t cry at the loss of your dreams

We can offer a second chance
You just have to pay in advance
If your wallet’s in your other pants, well
Those are the breaks
We all make mistakes
I've no wisdom to spare
But this much I’ll share
Life isn’t fair

The winners all got lucky
You tell yourself that still
Well what you’re calling lucky
Might well be
The greatest skill

You can give one more try, try try
Tape some wings on and fly, fly fly
Then you fall from the sky sky sky
Well say hi for us
To Icarus 
Time to face facts
You chose wings made of wax
Why do you think they call it a dare?
Life isn’t fair

Life Isn't Fair

MIX/MASTER - Mariosyjp

LYRIC

On the morning of July fifth
Year of seventeen seventy six
Did our fathers - our forefathers -
Wonder what first to fix

We the people it was stated
In declaring ourselves free
If you owned land as a white man
You were counted in that ‘we’

A new nation on that morn 
Saw its first sunrise 
A union by agreement 
Forged in trial and compromise

Each July 4, we grill hotdogs
And shoot fireworks across the skies
The next day we’re left with ashes
And a dream to realize
From July 5 1776

July 5, 1776

MIX: Jack Holston
originally released August 2024, felt like time for a REMASTER

A hybrid collab - "Darq Blue" is a Jack Holston song for his outfit Crawling Vines. I adapted it and added the chorus "Change Hue."

Darq Bleu/Change Hue REMASTERED

mix/master: Mariosyjp

LYRIC
You’ve got a lot of life ahead of you
You’ve got a lot of life ahead of you
Tomorrow’s always on the way
So just focus on today 
You’ve got a lot of life ahead 

There’ll be parts you’ll want to hurry through
You’ll see some things that really worry you 
It all has to be endured
But you can rest assured 
You’ve got a lot of life ahead 

I’ve seen a few decades
And learned a thing or two 
Before the memory of it fades
I”ll share this with you 

You’ll have the life that you make for yourself
You’ll have the rights that you take for yourself
You can’t always catch a break
Some luck you have to make
Grab any chance you find
Don’t rush ahead or fall behind
Go meet the day with this in mind
You’ve got a lot
You’ve got a lot of life 
You’ve got a lot of life ahead

One day when you look back
And wonder where time went
Don’t let regret convince you
Things could have been different
Time spent that way is time misspent
You’ve got a lot
Believe it or not
You’ve got a lot of life

You’ve got a lot of life ahead of you
You’ve got a lot of life ahead of you
Be careful who you trust
Do the things you must
But hold onto this thought 
Time is a gift that can’t be bought
The hourglass is seeping sand
But understand
You’ve got a lot
You’ve got a lot of life 
You’ve got a lot of life ahead


A Lot Of Life

Mix/Master by Woods Studio

LYRIC

Watch out - please take heed
Look twice - then proceed
The world’s a scary place
You'll need a brave face

Each day - an open door
And as you cross the floor
Right foot first, then left  
Be careful where you step, my friend

Trap doors lie in wait
It’s not luck or fate
Some just know where to avoid
Before the trap’s deployed
And others…not so much

Clever - sharp as tacks
Gather all the facts
Test the hypothesis
Ready, aim - then miss again

Trap doors set for you
And as you’re falling through
Ask yourself how you fell for
A trap that you well knew?
Trap doors of the mind
Aren’t they the worst kind?
Who could get inside your brain
Do you know who
Could gain access to
Your secret thoughts and desires
To lay trigger wires
For a trap or two except you?

Trap doors lie in wait
Need I elaborate
Some we set then forget
They haven’t triggered yet
You go your merry way
Until the fateful day
You happen to put
One stray foot wrong
So wrong
So long


Trap Doors

Second demo, with a synth part added and my brother (Fog City Fogey) on lead guitar. Still unmixed!

LYRIC

Where once I found delight
Reached out and held it tight
I nod in passing
Nothing here is lasting
Let cherry blossoms fall

They will return next spring
That’s the important thing
Falling from each limb
And though I’m not there to see them
They will still be seen
And though I’m not there to join you
Please raise a cup or two for me

Where once the world spun round
But we could hold our ground
Now we go whirling
Tumbling and twirling
No railing we can grasp 
We hear others calling
Fumbling and falling
Every breath a gasp
But we can’t stop for someone else 
We have to save ourselves

Where once time trickled by
Now we see it speeding by
And we’re swept away…

Where Once - DEMO V2

Recorded, mixed and mastered at Amplified Studios
Carlsbad CA, June 2025
Drums: Marc Polit
Electric guitars: Tristan Brooks

LYRIC
We hear the guards shout
It’s 9 and lights out
The truth is so stark
Alone in the dark
No ‘nighty-nite’ here
And no ‘sleep tight, dear’
No one to console
Us on our bedroll

We serve our sentence
Despite our repentance
No one’s obliged to sympathize
Here's what life has shown me 
We get so lonely we could die

A narrow window
Is all that we know
A glimpse of the sky
A bird flying by
That must sustain us
Thought it can pain us
To know there’s so much
We’ll never touch
So we muster resistance
To look off in the distance
But sometimes our hearts ask us to try
We see an old leaf blown free
And get so lonely we could die

The world’s betrayal
You know each day’ll
Break like it’s new
Then disappoint you 
My term’s determined
Of that I’m sure, friend
And yours is as well
That much we can tell
No pleas, no whining
No silver lining
In clouds that clutter up the sky
A single ray may break through
Just long enough to make you want to cry
How bad can the unknown be?
Here
We get so lonely we could die


we get so lonely we could die

Recorded at Amplified Studios, Carlsbad CA July 2025
Drums - Marc Polit
Lead solo: Tristan Brooks

LYRIC
It took me half my life 
To finally gain insight
I only saw myself as others did
And I mostly stayed hid

I spent half my life
Upset and uptight
I learned it’s stupid to walk on eggshells
Every egg eventually breaks
And if that takes you half your life
That’s what it takes

Can't say exactly when
I knew what I didn’t then
A dawning realization
An opening of the mind
It only took me half my life for me to find

Time isn’t playing
It’s counting the days
If you don’t know what I’m saying
(Well) you won’t be young always
You sure won’t!

As the years accrue
In the remaining few
I won’t let regret confine me
I’ll amble slowly toward the light
Let the past all fade to black
I can’t go back
I love this last half of my life
So that’s all right


Half My Life

Recorded home studio and completed at Amplified Studios, Carlsbad CA, July/August 2025
Lead guitar : Fog City Fogey
Mix/Master: Marc Polit of Amplified Studios 

LYRIC

Where once I found delight
Reached out and held it tight
I nod in passing
Nothing here is lasting
Let cherry blossoms fall

They will return next spring
That’s the important thing
Falling from each limb
And though I’m not there to see them
They will still be seen
And though I’m not there to join you
Please raise a cup or two for me

Where once the world spun round
But we could hold our ground
Now we go whirling
Tumbling and twirling
No railing we can grasp 
We hear others calling
Fumbling and falling
Every breath a gasp
But we can’t stop for someone else 
We have to save ourselves

Where once time trickled by
Now it goes streaming/speeding by
And we’re swept away….




where once...

Much work to be done not his track but felt liek putting the demo out and possibly getting soem helpful feedback? Thanks! 

What A Joy -  DEMO!

Lead guitar, mix/master: Fog City Fogey

LYRIC

At the moment there is no update
Check back when you can
And it might be a long wait
So if you another plan
We certainly understand

Get up
Get out
Get on with your life
There’s really no sense delaying
I can help you pack
There’s no turning back
And no reason for staying
Get on with your life

With the last of your chores completed
I’m sure you’d like a break
But here’s the chance that you’ve needed
And it’s one you ought to take
Rest later for goodness sake

Get up
Get out
Get on with your life
There are apples ripe for picking
You’ve searched for this
Garden of bliss
And the clock keeps on ticking
Get on with your life

Life is rife with pestering voices
Narrowing down a list of choices
Find a way to be alone
Then you can hear your own! 
  
When you feel your back in school days
Behind the ears all wet
Hungry for - a word of praise 
But you were never teacher’s pet
It’s long past time you get…

Up and out
Yeah get on with your life 
Pack light, leave the rest behind you
No time for farewell
And you don’t have to tell
Where anybody can find you
Oh yeah get on with your life
Go apple picking 
You’ve dreamed of this
Garden of bliss
But the clock keeps on ticking
Time to get gone, time to move on
Get on with your life

Get On With Your Life

UPDATED NOVEMBER 2025 (previously released in 2022)
MIX/MASTER: Fog City Fogey
GUITARS: Fog City Fogey

LYRIC

Oh tell me who are we
To skip out on destiny?

The towers we erected
canals that we had dug
Testaments to our greatness
The earth met with a shrug
It can shake those towers down
leave a tanker on high ground 

And we watch helplessly
before its majesty     
To tame the earth and sea -
Who are we?

Before we reach the end
Can we still make amends?

Generation timebomb
The ticking we ignored
As we went chasing treasure
No corner unexplored
When we’ve run out of roads 
is that when the bomb explodes?

And who’ll be most surprised
At our own demise
Answer this for me
Who are We?

Rocketship for royals
headed for the stars
paid for by Prime shoppers
and sleek electric cars

and do you know what they’ll find
you cant leave the human behind

No matter where we turn
There’s so much we don’t learn
And that’s our destiny
Not knowing who are we 


Who Are We

Rough home studio draft, unmixed. Recording in a local studio early December. 

Housework DEMO

LOVE DECIDES
CW MULLINS

Oh it’s so common these days
To set a goal
And make yourself believe
You’re in control
But I just throw my hands up in the air and jump
I know I will probably land with a thump
Anyway

Love decides these things for you
You’ve got your mind made up but love does too
And a change is due

I tell myself how I need
A talking to
But I don’t convince myself
That it’s true
Because no matter what anyone might say
I’m going to do what I do anyway
After all

Love decides these things for you
You’ve got your mind made up but love does too
And a change is due

It’s not right the way the heart can tease
and taunt
Right or wrong I’ll go for what I want
What I want

We all know the wya the heart can taunt and tease
Ignores your prayers and your pleas

So you can pick your options
Here’s number one
It’s not your call to make
When all’s said and done
One day you turn around and someone is there
Was it your choice?
Well why do you care?

Love Decides

NOTICE: I DO NOT PAY FOR PROMOTION. EVER.

SPOTLIGHT:  With Sexagenarian Volume VI now complete, the final volume of songs from my 60s, which will be Volume VII, gets underway with "Get On With Your Life." Check out the other five (5!) volumes of Sexagenarian as well. What happens after my upcoming 70th birthday? TBD!

BIO: I started writing songs in high school (1969-1973!) and I've pretty much never stopped. These are mostly solo recording projects (my brother, Fog City Fogey, contributes sometimes).  I don't do much self-promotion, not a fan of Repost Exchange etc, so all of you who find this page and like a song or two - you are truly appreciated!

CW Mullins

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