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These songs are modern folktales — little Dharma doors disguised as stories you can hum.
Each one takes an ancient teaching and dresses it in denim and dust, carrying the Lotus Sutra’s paradoxes down the backroads of American soul.

From mountains that burn for a thousand years to a single smile that saves the world, these tunes ask the same question in a dozen ways:
What if you already have what you’re searching for?

Fingerpicked guitars and wailing harmonicas trade verses with silence and breath.
The teacher and the wanderer, the saint and the sinner — they all walk the same path under different skies.
It’s Appalachia meets the Infinite, Delta blues meets Dharma truth.
The sound of enlightenment pulling up a wooden chair and saying, “Sit down, friend. Let’s play.”

Parables of the Open Road

Billie Eilish - Birds Of A Feather (Gravagerz Remix)
Billie Eilish - Birds Of A Feather (Gravagerz Remix)
Billie Eilish - Birds Of A Feather (Gravagerz Remix)

Billie Eilish - Birds Of A Feather (Gravagerz Remix)

Birds Of A Feather X I Remember (Bertinho Remix)

Mad World

G-RAVE

A blues anthem for anyone who's ever felt broken beyond repair.

This song tells the story of Maya Chen—a disbarred lawyer serving time for embezzlement—and Rosa, the older woman who taught her a simple Buddhist chant in their shared cell block. What starts as desperate skepticism becomes a practice of transformation: Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

Through gritty fingerpicked guitar, raw vocals, and layered harmonies that build from one voice to a chorus of women, "Cell Block Chant" explores what "protection" really means. Not a shield from hardship, but the strength to stand in the storm. Not magic, but the daily work of turning poison into medicine. Not receiving salvation, but discovering you had the power all along—and using it to help the next person who needs it.

The song moves from the isolation of Cell Block D to a circle of voices, from shame to purpose, from one cracked mirror to an unbreakable reflection. It's about what happens when you help someone else wake up: you wake up more.

This isn't prosperity gospel. This is survival blues. This is the sound of resurrection through giving what you were given.

Musically rooted in deep blues, folk, and gospel traditions—think early Mavis Staples meeting Brandi Carlile in a prison yard—with handclaps, foot stomps, harmonica, and a Buddhist chant that sounds like it's always belonged in American roots music.

For everyone who's been told they're irredeemable. For everyone who found strength in their scars. For everyone who learned that protecting others is how you protect yourself.

"It ain't magic, it ain't mercy—it's a mirror in the morning, showing you who you're gonna be."

CONTENT NOTE: This song deals with themes of incarceration, shame, addiction, and transformation. It's meant to honor the resilience of people navigating these realities.

ABOUT THE CHANT: Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is a practice from Nichiren Buddhism meaning "I take refuge in the mystic law of cause and effect." It's used here with deep respect for its tradition and the real people who've found strength through it.

Featured: Acoustic guitar (DADGAD), upright bass, vintage drums, electric guitar, Hammond B3, harmonica, layered vocals, handclaps, foot stomps

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Cell Block Chant

Three voices, one family breaking apart. A mysterious neighbor with an open door and endless tea. A blues-folk story about the three poisons we carry—greed, anger, and numbness—and the unexpected way we learn to set them down. Told through the eyes of a daughter scrolling her pain away, a son burning with rage, and a mother who's forgotten how to feel. Sometimes the person who saves you is just a mirror showing you who you already are.

Inspired by Buddhist parables and modern urban loneliness. Pour yourself some tea and listen.

Lyrics: 
Verse 1 
There's a rooster in my chest, won't let me rest, 
Peckin' all night long, sayin' more, more, more 
There's a snake wrapped 'round my son's young heart, 
Spittin' poison through a bedroom door 
And mama's gone to somewhere we can't reach, 
Like a pig with its eyes rolled back 
We're three people eatin' dinner in silence, 
Each one walkin' a different track

Chorus 
But there's a light on in apartment 4B, 
Door standin' open wide 
Kettle singin' on the stove, 
And an old woman waitin' inside 
She says, "Child, come in from the rain, 
Let me show you somethin' true— 
The one you're lookin' for to save you, 
Baby, that's already you"

Verse 2 
She was ancient as the hills, that Mrs. Chen, 
With a face like a walnut tree 
And she had this way of knowin' 
What was eatin' you and me 
She'd say, "Girl, you tryin' to hold water in your fists? 
Boy, those coals are burnin' your hands. 
Mama, you can't hide from your own heartbeat— 
That ain't livin', that's just sand"

Chorus 
There's a light on in apartment 4B, 
Tea cups on the table set She says, 
"Don't pray to me, just breathe with me, 
Imagine who you haven't met— 
The you that don't need what you ain't got, 
The you that don't need to fight, 
The you that ain't afraid to feel— 
Baby, that's your birthright"

Verse 3 
She told my girl, "When the wantin' starts to claw, 
Picture someone satisfied 
Not 'cause they got everything, 
But 'cause they got nothin' to hide" 
She told my boy, "When the hatred starts to burn, 
Try to see through their eyes— 
Hurt people hurt people, son, 
That ain't judgment, that's just life"

Bridge 
And she sat with me, Lord, she sat with me, 
While I cried for the first time in a year 
She said, "You think you're separate from your pain, 
But that's the lie, my dear 
When you numb yourself from sufferin', 
You numb yourself from joy— 
The door's been locked from the inside, 
And you're the one with the key, boy"

Verse 4 
Six months passed like morning rain, 
Somethin' shifted in our home 
My daughter put her phone down smilin', 
My son stopped throwin' stones 
I picked up a paintbrush, my hands rememberin', 
What it felt like to be whole 
We'd sit in 4B every Tuesday, 
Drinkin' tea and feedin' our souls

Chorus 
Yeah, there's a light on in apartment 4B, 
We're laughin' like we're free 
She says, "See? The jewel was in the lotus, 
You just couldn't see 
The mud don't hide your nature, 
It's where the lotus grows— 
Your greed, your rage, your blindness, 
That's the only path home"

Verse 5 
Then one Tuesday the door was empty, 
Just a kettle and a note It said, 
"The door was always yours, my loves, 
I just held it while you learned to float 
Keep it open, keep it brewin', 
Someone else will need a light— 
I wasn't up there savin' you, 
I was just your mirror shinin' bright"

Breakdown/Spoken Word over soft guitar 
And we understood then, 
Sittin' in that empty room, 
She was never someone else— 
She was just what we could become 
When we stopped pretendin' 
We were separate from the pain, 
Separate from each other, 
Separate from the rain

Final Verse 
Now we live in 4B, keepin' that door wide, 
Kettle singin' all day long 
When the angry boy walks past, my son says, "Hey, I know that song" 
When the woman with the vacant eyes comes by, 
I hand her a brush and say, "Paint" 
When the girl can't stop scrollin', my daughter smiles, 
Says, "I used to be you, ain't that quaint?"


The Woman in 4B

"The Ballad of Elias Stone" is a bluesy folk tale that explores two paths to the same truth.

It tells the story of Elias, a legendary musician who achieves greatness through twenty years of grueling sacrifice, embodying the belief that enlightenment is earned only through immense struggle. His path is challenged when the conservatory's Founder makes a radical promise: that the same ultimate prize can be won through a single, fleeting moment of joy.  

This song is a modern parable inspired by a core teaching in the ancient Buddhist text, the Lotus Sutra. It's a story about the power of sincere faith, the different "skillful means" we use to find our way , and the idea that the seed of greatness, or "Buddha-Nature," already exists within all of us, waiting for a moment of joy to awaken it.  

Set to a sparse, soulful arrangement of acoustic guitar, harmonica, and a steady foot stomp, this is a story-song for anyone who has ever wondered about the true nature of sacrifice, faith, and the simple, transformative power of joy.


(Song Lyrics)
(Acoustic guitar intro, simple and melancholic)

(Verse 1)
At the Grand Conservatory, up on Harmony Hill
The only road to glory was an iron-clad will
They'd tell you 'bout Elias, a man of grit and bone
Practiced twenty years, son, and slept on cold, hard stone
He played until his fingers bled a symphony of pain 
Just to earn the Maestro's title, again and again.

(Chorus)
But the Founder came a-callin', with a whisper soft and low
"Just one moment of joy, son, is all you need to know.
Hear a single sweet phrase from my 'Unfolding Heart'
And I'll guarantee your soul, right from the very start."

(Verse 2)
The students and the masters, they gathered in the hall
Elias stood among 'em, the man who'd gave his all
The Founder looked right at him, the man who'd paid the cost
And spoke about a new path, for all the tired and lost
The crowd began to grumble, "What about the price we paid?"
Was twenty years of sufferin' a foolish choice he made?

(Chorus)
'Cause the Founder came a-callin', with a whisper soft and low
"Just one moment of joy, son, is all you need to know.
Hear a single sweet phrase from my 'Unfolding Heart'
And I'll guarantee your soul, right from the very start."

(Instrumental Break - Harmonica takes a short, soulful solo over the acoustic guitar)

(Bridge)
She said, "Your house is burnin', but you're too lost in your games 
So I call you out with promises, I whisper all your names
The struggle was a toy cart, boys, to get you to the door
But the prize was always bigger than what you were fightin' for
'Cause the music ain't somethin' you build with sweat and tears
It's a seed inside your own heart, been sleepin' there for years." 

(Verse 3)
And Elias, he stood listenin', the legend carved from strife
Heard about the music that was waitin' all his life
And a slow smile spread across his face, a crack in weathered ground
He finally understood the truth in that sweet and simple sound
The climb ain't the reason, it's always been the view
And the path of joy was standin' there, shiny, fresh, and new.

(Chorus)
Yeah, the Founder came a-callin', with a whisper soft and low
"Just one moment of joy, son, is all you need to know.
Hear a single sweet phrase from my 'Unfolding Heart'
And I'll guarantee your soul, right from the very start."

(Outro)
Yeah, guarantee your soul...
Just one moment...
(Acoustic guitar fingerpicks a final, resolving chord, and a single, long harmonica note fades to silence.)

The Ballad of Elias Stone

This song weaves an ancient Buddhist paradox into American roots music tradition. It's the story of Strong-Heart, who gave everything—even setting himself ablaze for centuries—trying to reach enlightenment on a distant mountain. And it's about an ordinary kid who heard the same teaching and just... smiled.
When the teacher tells Strong-Heart that both journeys are equally valid, everything changes. The mountain you're climbing? It's already inside you. The light you're searching for? You've been carrying it all along.
Fingerpicked guitar, mournful harmonica, and a walking bass line carry this tale from the darkness of extreme sacrifice into the revelation that we already have what we're looking for. We just forgot.

VERSE 1
Well, there’s a mountain that glows in the eastern sky
Strong-Heart said, “I’ll climb that peak or else I’ll die”
He gave away his silver, gave away his gold,
Set himself on fire — burned for ages untold.

He burned his arms to stumps, seventy-two thousand more 
Till ain't nothing left of Strong-Heart but ash upon the floor 
But the teacher at the mountain top, he just shook his head 
"Son, you've been carrying what you're looking for," he said

CHORUS 1
You got the light, you got the light 
You got the light you already got 
Ain't no mountain you gotta climb 
Ain't no fire you gotta burn 
You got the light, you got the light 
Just waiting on your turn

VERSE 2
Now there's a girl in the valley, she ain't done nothing much 
She heard a story 'bout that mountain, felt something in her gut 
Just one moment, just one smile 
Like sunshine breaking through the clouds of doubt
The teacher turned to Strong-Heart, said "Listen here to me 
That girl who smiled just one time? She gets the same guarantee" 
Strong-Heart said, "Now hold on, that don't seem quite right" 
"I burned for thirteen hundred centuries, she just smiled at the light!"

CHORUS 2
She got the light, she got the light 
She got the light she already got 
Ain't no mountain she gotta climb 
Ain't no fire she gotta burn 
She got the light, she got the light 
Just waiting on her turn

BRIDGE
"Now listen, Strong-Heart,” said the teacher kind,
“Your fire was the smile she found in her mind.
If I’d told her your story, she’d have turned away,
But you, who burned the longest, can hear what I say…”

"See, I told it to YOU, old friend 
'Cause if I told it to the lazy ones 
They'd say it was too easy, just a game to play 
But you, who burned the longest, 
You can understand what I say..."

“The mountain that you're climbing 
Is already in your chest 
And every single step you take 
Whether fire or whether smile 
Is just remembering what you are 
What you been all the while"

VERSE 3
So Strong-Heart, he starts laughing 
Through the tears running down 
"You mean all that burning I was doing 
Was the light I'd already found?"
"That's right," the teacher whispered 
"Your fire and her joy 
Are the same recognition 
Can't be measured by what you destroy"

FINAL CHORUS
LEAD: We got the light!
BACKING: (We got the light we already got!)
Ain’t no fire we gotta burn,
Ain’t no truth we gotta learn,
We got the light, we got the light —
Been shining since we were born.
Every single one of us, waiting on our turn

Yeah, we got the light, (we got the light) 
Whether you burn or whether you smile 
We got the light, (we got the light) 
Been carrying it all the while

OUTRO/SPOKEN WORD
Now some folks gonna burn for a thousand years 
Some folks gonna smile just once 
But the teacher said they're both the same road 
Just different ways of coming home
The question ain't how hard you try 
The question is: do you remember? 
Do you remember what you are? 
Do you remember you're already 
Already... 
Already home?

The Light You Already Got

A stripped-down folk-blues meditation for anyone who's ever felt the weight of the world on their shoulders. "The Dewdrop and the Sea" is a story about moving from the burnout of trying to fix everything to the quiet hope found in small, meaningful action. It’s a song about a simple truth: our individual acts of kindness are never lost, but are like dewdrops rejoining an ocean of compassion that holds us all. A front-porch tune for a heavy heart.  

Lyrics:
(Verse 1) Well, the garden of this world is overgrown and wild The soil is cracked and thirsty for the tears of every child I took my rusty shovel, I took my calloused hands Tried to fix the sorrow spread across these broken lands But the weeds just grew up higher, the more I cut 'em down Felt the weight of every soul in every lonely town.

(Verse 2) I was sittin' in the silence, 'bout to give up the fight When I heard a sound like water in the stillness of the night It wasn't thunder, wasn't rain, it was somethin' soft and low The sound of someone listenin' to the seeds that wouldn't grow A name that came like mercy, a voice that heard my plea Said the work is not in conquerin', but in what you learn to be.

(Chorus) 'Cause the vow is deep as the sea, friend, it's wider than the sky And you're just a single drop of dew beneath a watchin' eye Don't you try to hold the ocean in the bottom of your cup Just let your own small sorrow join the tide and lift you up.  

(Verse 3) I tried to build a fortress, tried to make the crooked straight Broke my back against the stone and cursed the hands of fate Thought the answer was in power, in the strength that I could own But the whisper came again and said, "It's in the quiet seed you've sown." It ain't the mighty river that can carve the canyon deep It's the patient, steady water that is flowin' while you sleep.  

(Chorus) 'Cause the vow is deep as the sea, friend, it's wider than the sky And you're just a single drop of dew beneath a watchin' eye Don't you try to hold the ocean in the bottom of your cup Just let your own small sorrow join the tide and lift you up.

(Bridge) That voice can wear a thousand faces, a thousand different skins It's in the beggar's open hand, the place where grace begins It's in the mother's gentle touch, the ruler's steady gaze It's livin' in the web of life through all our tangled days You think you're workin' all alone, a solitary soul But every thread you gently mend helps make the whole thing whole.  

(Verse 4) So put away your anger, friend, and lay your armor down You can be the hands that soothe a fever in this town You can be the ears that listen to a story full of pain You don't have to stop the flood, just offer shelter from the rain That is how the vow is lived, that is how the work is done Not with the power of a god, but the wisdom of the sun.  

(Outro) (Guitar slows, returning to the opening riff. Harmonica comes in, playing a final, quiet melody that fades out slowly.) A single drop of dew... In the ocean, me and you... Deep as the sea... Deeper than me...

The Dewdrop and the Sea

Inspired by a timeless spiritual paradox, "The Open Gate" is a blues-folk story that suggests the most profound truth isn't hidden away for the chosen few—it's accessible to everyone.

Using the ancient parable of a loving father saving his children from a burning house, the song explores the idea that the greatest wisdom doesn't require immense skill or a lifetime of practice, but simply an open heart. With a soulful, acoustic groove, "The Open Gate" is a reminder that the path to peace is not a steep mountain to be climbed, but a door standing wide open for all.

Lyrics

(Intro - Acoustic guitar and a single, long slide guitar note)

(Verse 1)
Some folks try to climb a mountain, thinkin' that's the only way
Practice hard for countless ages, just to see a brighter day
They believe you gotta be a scholar, or a saint of high degree
That only the strongest souls can find the key to be set free
And for them, that road is true, but it's a hard and lonely state
It takes a will of iron just to get past the first gate

(Chorus)
But the Teacher, in his wisdom, he turned it all around
Said the truest, deepest teaching is for the lowest ground
Some paths say you must be worthy, before you even start
But the real Truth is a river, for every broken heart
It don't depend on your own power, your wisdom or your might
It's the power of the Love itself that brings the darkness into light

(Verse 2)
They tell a story 'bout a Father, watchin' his whole house burn down
His children played inside with toys, the most distracted kids in town
He called out, "I've got precious treasures, wonders to behold!"
A loving lure to save them from that ruin, weak and old.
But he didn't give those separate gifts, when they were safe and near, 
He gave them one great open road, and put an end to all their fear.

(Chorus)
'Cause the Teacher, in his wisdom, he turned it all around
Said the truest, deepest teaching is for the lowest ground
Some paths say you must be worthy, before you even start
But the real Truth is a river, for every broken heart
It don't depend on your own power, your wisdom or your might
It's the power of Love itself that brings darkness into light

(Bridge)
In these modern, troubled days, the world is full of strife
The old maps are all faded, they've lost the power for this life
So you don't need a grand cathedral, don't need a scholar's mind
The only thing that's asked of you is the faith that you can find
Just a simple act of trust, a whispered prayer or tune
To awaken that bright Spirit, that's been sleeping in the gloom

(Outro)
Yeah, the gate is standin' open, for the sinner and the saint
For the fisherman's child, the warrior, for the weary and the faint
The truest teaching... is for the open gate...

The Open Gate

Night Visions

Demons

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Welcome to the musical world of The William Altig Choir, where ancient wisdom meets contemporary sound.

Inspired by the teachings of the Lotus Sutra and infused with deep spiritual themes, my music blends the rich traditions of blues and folk with modern elements, creating a unique fusion that resonates with both the heart and soul.

I've been captivated by the Lotus Sutra's messages of compassion, wisdom, and transformation since my youth. It's a journey of self-discovery that has found its voice in my music. Each song is a reflection of my own spiritual awakening and a celebration of universal truths.

My style is characterized by emotive storytelling, powerful lyrics, and a commitment to exploring the depths of human experience. Featuring contemplative blues, acoustic slide guitar, saxophone melodies, and the harmonies of a gospel choir, my music reflects a quest for enlightenment and a better understanding of the self.

Join me on this musical journey. Together, we can explore the teachings of the Lotus Sutra, finding solace, hope, and a deeper connection to the world around us.

#SpiritualMusic  #LotusSutraMusic  #ContemplativeBlues  #BuddhistGospel #AcousticSlideGuitar  #GospelChoir  #Self-Discovery  #SpiritualAwakening  #Hope  #The_William_Altig_Choir