I am so excited to share this song with y'all! Back in March, my friend Misty Granade texted me about an artist named Robert Bean she was taking a class with. Misty Granade is a fantastic artist in her own right, and one of her mediums is graphic design and layout. She has done the layout for the Play It With Moxie Live! (2012) album as well as my last two solo albums: Acolytes of the Machine and Other Gaming Stories (2012) and Scattering Seeds on the Pomegranate Tour (2017.) Those of you familiar with my albums might recall the scarecrow and mysterious gardener with a pomegranate on the cover of Scattering Seeds. That art is by Robert Bean--from Huntsville, AL. Misty initially followed her Robert Bean (who is from Arkansas) thinking he was the album art Robert Bean. Her Robert Bean is more inspired by comics though. His art is excellent. 

We began riffing back and forth in our conversation as Misty found out there's a Robert Bean in Nova Scotia whose art is more wire and font focused. Then I found a Robert Bean in acting, a couple of musicians, etc. Anyway, Misty said, "I need you to write a song about this." So I started writing one drawing from our conversation. The lyrics exist because of various quips she made and occasionally I made. So this song is by me and Misty Granade. I turned it in for a Soulwriters prompt on folklore because I feel we began to create our own folk Hero, Robert Bean.

Check out my Patreon page at: http://patreon.com/drmaryccrowell

Be the Robert Bean You Want to See in the World
Copyright 2021 by Mary C Crowell and Misty Granade
This song uses the Soulwriters the theme prompt Folklore. Misty and I have kind of created a folklore around the idea that there are two fantastic artists named Robert Bean in the south (Alabama and Arkansas). A little internet searching showed us there are many more Robert Beans living their best creative lives.
Chorus:
Be the Robert Bean you want to see in the world.
Be the Robert Bean you want to see in the world.
You may be drawing comics. You may be painting myth.
It may be photos, fonts and wires or words you’re working with.
Create and color gladly. See our artist flags unfurled.
Be the Robert Bean you want to see in the world.

There was a Robert Bean musician
It says he played guitar.
I found a trumpet-playing Bob
So many ‘Beans’ there are.
There’s a Robert Bean in acting
Appeared in “The Runaway.”
Got two Roberts in the South
In states that start with ‘A.’

Chorus
Some Robert Beans do podcasts
Some Robert Beans write shows
When it comes to being Robert Bean
Let’s face it anything goes.
They should have some conventions
For Bean fans to attend.
And if you’re really lucky
You’re assigned one at the end.

Chorus

Is Robert Bean the answer?
Are they like Forty-two
Sometimes you have to ask yourself
“Now what would Robert do?”
Some would say “Bob’s not for me. 
Don’t ask about finance. (In Australia)
But if they like advertisements
Give Robert Bean a chance.

Bridge:
Although your choices can’t be forced.
You’d want your Robert locally sourced.
But here’s where the world is not unfair.
It look like they are everywhere.

Chorus

Be the Robert Bean You Want to See in the World

Be The Robert Bean You Want to See in the World

In the Bones of Her Cloak
Copyright 2022 by Mary C Crowell
Inspired by C.S.E. Cooney’s Saint Death’s Daughter

Fm
The Dead come to rest in the bones of Her cloak.
Fm
The Dead come to rest in the bones of Her cloak.
Fm
The Dead come to rest in the bones of Her cloak.
Fm
The Dead come to rest in the bones of Her cloak.
C
The living are dancing—in joy they soak.
Fm
The Dead come to rest in the bones of Her cloak.

Fm
The embers’ flame leaping; fire is stoked.
Fm
The embers’ flame leaping; fire is stoked.
C
After you raise them, ashes are choked.
Fm
The Dead come to rest in the bones of Her cloak.

Fm
In poems and Koans, the Stones and their bones
Fm
All sing to Her In their second voice tones. 
C
In poems and Koans, the Stones and their bones
Fm
All sing to Her In their second voice tones.

Fm
Song loud in her bones
Fm
Blood stinging like beer
Fm
Those bones ring in tones
Fm
For her surge is so near
C
Phalanges in time 
C
All ginger and lime 
Fm
Click tart and the sweet
Fm
Toes tap to the beat.




[Music Interlude]

Fm 
Frozen, sublime,
Fm
Winter’s her time. 
C
Ginger and lime, 
C
Chanting and rhyme,
Fm 
Frozen, sublime,
Fm
Winter’s her time.
C
Chanting and rhyme,
Fm
Dancing!

Fm
The Dead come to rest in the bones of Her cloak.
Fm
The Dead come to rest in the bones of Her cloak.
Fm
The Dead come to rest in the bones of Her cloak.

In The Bones Of Her Cloak

I ran Ari Levitch's most excellent adventure, Shemshime's Bedtime Rhyme (published in Candlekeep Mysteries) for my players this month (July 2022!) To keep with spooky creepy ambience of the adventure I set Mr. Levitch's lyrics to music and recorded the song to play in the background of the game. We had a great time, and having the song definitely helped people keep in character and stay focused and very worried about their situation! Shemshime's Bedtime Rhyme is one of my favorite adventures ever--very near and dear to this bard's heart.

The players had the song memorized by the end of the session. I had hummed it a little during the first half of the session. (Then in the second session, I played the fully recorded version over some bluetooth speakers,)

I plan to bring Shemshime back to haunt them again later in the campaign. He's just too good and scary a villain! Hehe!

Shemshime's Lullabye lyrics by Ari Levitch; music by Mary Crowell

Late in 2022 I became enamored of a duo called Hopetoun Brown (bass clarinet/trumpet and vocals) and have been wanting to transcribe some of the good bass clarinet-ness I have heard. My favorite songs of theirs include "Knitted Into My Bones," and "Dirty Shame."

Anyway, I woke up early some time this past week with a bass clarinet riff in my head, and I actually had the thought to hum it into my voice memo app on my phone before dropping back asleep. 

So today and yesterday, I 1) came up with a vocal counterpoint 2) added some lyrics that fit with the vocal counterpoint, and 3) recorded it into Logic Pro and added some virtual drummer plus a kick and snare via MIDI. 

As so often is the case after a dry spell of song writing, the first song I write once I resume is a song ABOUT songwriting.

Low Reed

Copyright 2023 by Mary C Crowell

FAWM 2023

Every single day starts again.

I just got this one into the can.

Filter out the sound as I write this down

With a pen in my notebook by hand.

Hear a little riff in my dream—clarinet

It’s a bass clarinet

Write a vocal too. Now I

I need the words for what I heard

The notes I wrote full o beams.

I’m reassured. Like little birds

They fly together, a team.

Every single song starts somehow.

I just wrote this, and it will allow.

It allows the bass line the lead.

The low reedy bass clarinet sound avows.

Heard a little riff in my head.

Clarinet; It’s a bass clarinet.

Dreamed the little tune, and I

I didn’t lose the tune. The muse.

The sleepy tune while in bed.

I courted her. Recorded her

Before the melody fled.

Love that low reed

Sound. Oh! Now, I got the song.

Low Reed

The Blogs Would Always Say
Copyright 2021 by Mary C Crowell
This song uses  the theme prompt ‘Stay or go’ and the phrase prompt “My Voice.” (It is a work in progress.) Oh, and the music prompt was to use chord inversions.

F
I had to find my voice again
A7
The blogs would always say
Dm7
To sell my music well online
G7(9)
And post it night and day.

F
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram,
A7
Soundcloud, Myspace too,
Dm7
Discord, YouTube, Vimeo
G7(9)
Tell all the world of you.

But…

Chorus:
Cm.       D/C.       Cm D/C
There is so much noise,
G7/D.                          G7/B. G7/G
And there is so much rage,
        F                Fm       
And algorithms learn
G7
To use our words to gauge
Cm
What will be effective
Fm/Ab
What’s the best invective
Cm/G
Those AI detectives
                     Ab7                  Cm/G            G7(b9)
Are going to toy, and help annoy, and destroy
Ab7          C
Us all.

F
It’s hard to always use good words.
A7
They mean too many things.
Dm7
Are you the kind whose ‘too concerned’
G7(9)
Can you bear it when it stings?

F
Facebook, Twitter, like and post
A7
Youtube, Instagram.
Dm7
Aren’t we tired of all that noise?
G7(9)
Why should we give a damn?

Chorus

Bridge:
F
I know they’re tools
C
But are they?
F
Aren’t we just fools
C 
They parlay
Dm7(9)                     G
Into money, into power,
Fm                  C.     Fm    C
Into rage, for why?

F
I’ll say to me that I will try. 
A7
And stay the hell offline. 
Dm7
But sadly that is just a lie
G7(9)
So I’m not feeling fine.

Chorus with this variant ending:
Are going to toy, and help annoy, 
Are going to toy, and help annoy
and destroy Us all. Oooooo.

The Blogs Would Always Say (Logic Pro Version)

Here is my 8th song of October (Octimbre)! These songs are all written to card prompts from Hernandooney's game Negocios Infernales. The Kickstarter for NEGOCIOS INFERNALES (which includes the full 70-card Destino deck as its core mechanic) goes live on Tuesday, October 10th!
Check it out at http://NegociosInfernales.com!
Also consider visiting my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/DrMaryCCrowell where I am posting all these songs plus a little about the songwriting process.

Lyrics
But here, Who Hears?
Copyright 2023 by Mary C Crowell
This song uses the Negocios Infernales prompt: “Language walks you on its leash.”

 Dm G A (Walk up) 

Who are you to tell me 
how to think?
I guess I’m yelling
But you cannot hear the ink.

Was sagst du zu mir?
Warum bin ich?
They call it L2 interference
A                         
Ich erinnere mich.

Chorus:
I shout pure sound and anger.
As my brain shuts down
The words are but a clangor
And I forget my nouns.
I know not why or where
When you explain
Could you please draw it there
To show my brain?

I study daily orrery’s
But alas I soon forget
The stars and the planets
I’ve not been to yet.

The planets and the stars
The musical spheres
Their dances observed
But here, who hears?

Bridge:
If you’ll but sing
I know that I’ll know
And then I’ll follow 
Where e’er you go.

Chorus:
I shout pure sound and anger.
As my brain shuts down
The words are but a clangor
And I forget my nouns.
I know not why or where
When you explain
Could you draw it right there
To show my brain?


Who are you to tell me 
What to think?
I guess I’m yelling
But you cannot hear the ink.
Warum liebe ich dich?

But Here, Who Hears?

Hernandooney had an Infernal Salon on October 31, 2023. There were about 9 of us all writing for 25 minutes on three different sets of Negocios Infernales cards. There were so many wonderful things created by the authors and artists in that short span of time: poetry, nail wraps, short stories. And also, I wrote this song.

The me that is here right now
Copyright 2023 by Mary C Crowell
This song uses three Negocios Infernales cards: Morality rots faster than shrouds, No Clarity without enemies And yet, however stumblingly, progress. From the suits Aire, Sangre, and Espacio, 

C                G             Am
Tears and blood and space
C                G           Am
Your hand upon my face
F#dim         C/G
Why do we try?
F#dim         C/G
Why do we die?
        Dm7(b5)
My ambitions are nothing
           G
When I see you cry.

C                G             m
Friends and foes and you
C                G           Am
You keep me on the true
F#dim         C/G
Am I my thoughts
            F#dim                 C/G
Or the things that I’ve wrought.
            Dm7(b5)
All the triumphs are nothing
             G
If your love comes to naught.

Chorus
Am7                               Em7
Will I really care what I leave behind
           E7                             Am
If my body’s still here, but I’ve lost my mind?
C                               Em
Take it darling if it’s useful to you.
E7                                    Am
Once I am dead, I won’t care what is true.
         F                             C
The me that is here right now
        G                                      Am
Just smiles when you kiss my brow.


C                G         Am
Suns and seas and shrouds,
        C         G      Am
The angels in the clouds.
F#dim         C/G
Throw me a rope
       F#dim    C/G
So I can still hope
            Dm7(b5)
For the progress we might make
          G
Is the way that I cope.

Chorus
Am7                               Em7
Will I really care what I leave behind
           E7                             Am
If my body’s still here, but I’ve lost my mind?
C                                Em
Take it darling if it’s useful to you.
E7                                    Am
Once I am dead, I won’t care what is true.
         F                              C
The me that is here right now
       G                                       Am
Just smiles when you kiss my brow.

The Me That Is Here Right Now

This is my first song for FAWM (February Album Writing Month) 2024. 

February Walk
Copyright 2024 by Mary C Crowell
Inspired by a walk outside 2.1.2024
I’m outside in February and
Sun is bright and dry and gray the land.
Soggy cold is what I’m used to
Trees look like they are confused too
I’m off balance but I keep on moving through.

Winter time is graced by daylight moon
But Earth is changing. It is warm too soon.
Jacket really wasn’t needed.
Calendar—it wasn’t heeded,
I’m off balance but I keep on moving through.

Wasn’t there an ice storm two weeks ago?
Ours was mostly sleet—when we hoped for snow.
Winter was intense here, but the sudden Spring
Makes the flora question everything .

And    

We’re outside in February and
Sun is bright and dry and gray the land.
How capricious is our weather.
Hold your hand and then together
We can balance, and we’ll keep on moving through.

February Walk

My friends C.S.E. Cooney, Tina Connolly and I are writing a podcast musical in six episodes, and Claire (C.S.E. Cooney) said that I may post my musical setting of her lyrics for two of our characters here on Soundcloud.

The two characters are Mr. Og (a ghost that may have been the phantom of the opera) and Mavis Day (diner owner in NYC who can start fires with her voice.) They become a couple over the course of the musical.

I recorded both vocal parts (because this is just a working demo) and the occasional third harmony part. Logic Pro is my DAW of choice. All instruments other than vocals are MIDI.
#Duet #Musical
Lyrics

Honeymoon in New Orleans
Copyright 2024 Lyrics by C.S.E. Cooney
Copyright 2025 Music by Mary C. Crowell

Mr. Og 
Fm
Someplace quiet?

Mavis
C7
But not too quiet

Mr. Og
F7
Someplace with music

Mavis
Bb
All night long
Fm
A place like Paris–

Mr. Og
F7
But not Paris

Mavis/Mr Og 
Bbm
A place of voice
Db7 Fm
That knows its song

Mr. Og
F7
I’m partial to wandering old graveyards

Mavis
Bb7
I like a dinner I don’t have to cook

Mr. Og
Ab7
A window, with a little balcony

Mavis
G7
A cozy couch, a breakfast nook

Mavis/Mr. Og
Bb7 C7
A place where we can be together
Fm
Walk forever, hand in hand
G7
Dance with strangers on the sidewalk
C7 Db7. C7
Busk for change, or join a band

Mr. Og
F7
A place where I can wear my mask
Bb7
They don’t look twice, they never ask 

Mavis
Bbm7
A masquerade, a carnival
G7 C7
Where every night they hold a ball

Mavis/Mr. Og
Fm
Where celebration’s rife
C7
And honeymooning is a way of life 

Mr Og
Bbm
I think I know where we should go

Mavis
Db7 [arpeggio fermata]
Oh? 
C7
Where do I take my handsome beau? 

Mavis/Mr. Og
Fm Fm. C7 Fm
We’ll go to New Orleans!

Honeymoon In New Orleans

Here's a very fresh mix of a song for Az, one of the characters in the musical podcast that CSE Cooney, Tina Connolly and I are writing. Will this end up in the musical? Who knows? I wrote the first draft o lyrics during one of the sessions of the wonderful writers retreat we had at my house back at the beginning of September. 

To help the three of get our creative mojo to full power, Claire did a card pull from the Deck of Destiny (a key game mechanic in the game she and Carlos Hernandez created together called Negocios Infernales).  My three cards were Give the tide your sacrifice, Is it your purpose to be someone else’s meal? Flowers fear the storm but crave the rain. And we each asked the character(s) we were writing for a question. Mine was what was baby Az like?

The Best, Most Loyal

Copyright 2024 by Mary C Crowell

Once upon a time I was a little need.

The compliments encouraged me to always feed.

“Tell me I’m your bestest friend,”

I filled my belly. Never ending

Hunger. Discord among her

Followers. I was a pest,

But still the best, most loyal.

Once upon a time she thought to leave me where

Forgotten mem’ries go. She hoped maybe there

She’d find her independence and

Draw her line in shifting sand

Inviting. The Queen of Lightning

Bottles. She starved a lot

With me forgotten, but loyal.

Once upon a time and many more of those

She’d wake up with a question feeling so morose.

Although she didn’t know it then,

Full of peckishness and yen

Cock Robin. She’d killed her goblin

So to speak. And it was I

And it was my soul, so loyal.

Once upon a time or in a future soon,

She’ll realize I’m tide to her inconstant moon.

This teat from which she thought she’d weaned

Has bared its soul. I am her fiend

Knowing. Her Muse—I’m flowing

Ideas for her. So freely,

She with me, and loyal.

The Best Most Loyal

In September 2024 my two friends Tina Connolly and CSE Cooney came to visit me and do a writers retreat to focus on our musical podcast, "The Devil and Lady Midnight." The podcast will tell its story in six episodes--each focusing on a different character. Late in 2021 I wrote a music theme for the podcast called, "She's in the details." The first line of the lyrics is 'She's in the details, the devil you know. ' 

The prelude has features of the music theme, but I used a full expression of that first line to create the subject for the fugue. This prelude and fugue will be the lead in to Mr. Og's episode. (Mr. Og's character is somewhat based on the Phantom of the Opera, and he is a composer.) 




The Known Devil (She's in the Details)

Tina and Claire and I try to meet on Wednesdays and work on our various assignments for The Devil and Lady Midnight. We recently did a read through for episode 2 to check for tone, plot discrepancies, and the energy of the work. It is so much fun! I love all the characters, but Az the not-a-cat who creates plays and songs by hacking them up? One of my FAVORITES! (My blorbo perhaps as one might say on Tumblr.)

Az doesn't meow often either--instead they make typewriter sounds. Last year Tina and I wrote a song about one of the other characters meeting Az for the first time called "There's a Story Here." Right now that one slated for the first episode. I have no idea where this one will go or even if we'll actually use it.  Writing this piece, gave me an excuse to use those typewriter samples I bought last year, and that pleases me immensely.

Composing in this way is kind of like making fan fiction -if- there were actually the probability of one's fan fiction getting placed into canon. Sometimes we write songs specifically to go into a story at a certain point. Sometimes the music happens first. 


Az Eats Everything

LYRICS

Copyright 2023 by Mary C Crowell, CSE Cooney and Tina Connolly

For the Devil and Lady Midnight Podcast

Az is a cat. No. Not a cat,

Eating the things you throw away.

Fishy bones and weird ideas

Songs you didn’t write today.


Chorus:

Az eats everything

Az eats everything they

Az eats everything they

See and smell and

Hear and think

Good and bad and

Death to drink

Contents of your kitchen sink

Az eats everything they reach.

Az ate it all no matter what

Tectonic plates to break their fast

Lava flows and blizzard snows

All those meals—that’s all in the past.


Bridge:

Now, Az snacks on stories

Currently dines on poetry and plays

Mythic meals sustain them

Create a paradox puree

From all that they drink and all that they sup,

This not-a-cat coughs a new work up.


Coughs up a keyboard with a hack

Types up a play that’s not too long.

Ink is wet and paper too.

Turns your garbage into a song


Chorus (NEW):

Az writes everything

Az writes everything they

Az writes everything they

See and smell and

Hear and think

Good and bad and

Waste of ink

That one time you clicked that link

Az writes everything they eat.

Az Eats Everything

CSE Cooney, Tina Connolly, and I are writing a musical podcast called The Devil and Lady Midnight. We had a wonderful writers retreat in NOLA backing early November and were staying in an airbnb right next to a band that was rehearsing. 

I couldn't really hear the vocals at all--mostly bass and guitar. Sometimes though the keyboard was turned up too, so I started jamming with the keyboard player through the walls with my own keyboard. I really could only hear chord progressions though and get the emotional feel of what the keyboardist was doing. Claire, Tina, and Claire's Husband (Carlos Hernandez) started singing along with this bizarre overheard jam session just making up lyrics on the spot and doing body percussion. 

It was amazing!!!! 

So this month we listened to the little recording we had made of ourselves, and Claire rewrote the lyrics. I reworked and somewhat standardized the chords progression I was using on the song, and then recorded me singing all the parts. By the way, Carlos is the one who said to us, "Whatever you do, please call this song 'And I think I'll take this cow.'"

Eventually, of course we will want the actual voice actors to record the parts, but this works as a demo. I used two different virtual drummers in Logic Pro: Austin--Root Brush and Finn--Songwriter
Lyrics

And I Think I’ll Take This Cow 
Copyright 2023 by C.S.E. Cooney, Tina Connolly and Mary C Crowell 
From the Devil and Lady Midnight 
LUCY 
One day Judith met the Devil  Coming from the fair 
Silver ring and silver cane 
Moonlight in his hair  
He stopped her at the crossroads 
When she went passing by 
Caught her up into his arms  
Said, “Lady won’t you fly?”  

DIDIER AND LUCY 
Oh, hi 
The Devil won’t take no 
Oh, ho 
To the Devil we will go 

DIDIER 
One day Judith met the Devil  
At church on Sunday morn 
Black his coat, and black his tails 
And Coal-black was his horn 
He said to her, “Dear Judith– 
Come clasp me by the hand 
We’ll dance the waltz in gay Paris 
And won’t it be trés grand?  

LUCY AND JUDITH 
Oh, hi 
The Devil’s gone to France 
Oh, ho 
The Devil wears no pants  

DIDIER (spoken) 
What?  

JUDITH 
One day Judith caught the Devil 
Sneaking round her barn 
Fiery tongue, and fiery eyes 
To burn down all the farm 
Judith, says the Devil 
I’m losing patience now 
I’ll take this hoe, I’ll take this hay 
And I think I’ll take this cow 

LUCY AND DIDIER 
Oh, hi 
The Devil’s getting mad  
Oh, ho 
The Devil’s got it bad 

LUCY 
One day, Judith met the Devil 
Swimming in her bath 

DIDIER 
Naked as a newborn babe 
Splendid in his wrath 

JUDITH 
Judith threw her head back 
just laughed with rosy glee 
Don’t look down now, Devil 
But you’re happy to see me 

DIDIER, LUCY, JUDITH 
Oh, hi 
The Devil’s gonna smite 
Oh, ho 
The Devil’l do it right  

LUCY 
That’s the day the Devil  
He finally found a wife  
Judith and the Devil 
Are married now for life The farm is all afire 
And the barn is burning too 
But the cow lives on forever  
And infernally says… 

ALL 
Moooooooo!!!



And I Think I'll Take This Cow

I have mentioned that I am in a FABULOUS creative collaboration with CSE Cooney and Tina Connolly! We are writing a six episode musical. This piece is a love song written by Eric Og (formerly the Phantom of the Opera) who has fallen in love with an amazing singer of middle to older age who runs a diner during the day and only sings occasionally at night as Lady Midnight. The members of her family have the ability to set fires when they sing.

Mr. Og has lived a long time and learned several languages, one of which is German, and so he ended up writing her a Lied. I am not even sure this song will end up in any form in an episode. Frankly, I am writing.a bit of musical fan fiction. But, even if it doesn't end up being sung in its entirety, I love the idea that he may sing bits and bobs of it to Mavis as he works on it. I also love the idea of parts of it being used as instrumental Leit Motifs to indicate he is thinking about how much he loves her.

Having listened through to it, my first thought is that it needs to be faster. It's a little too slow--probably because I am not fluent in German although I have been getting much better. Speaking of that, I must thank Hans Helssohn for helping me with my German grammatical errors! Thank you a huge Skyful, Hans! Any mistakes in the grammar currently are mine. (I made more revisions.) I can speed up the MIDI and re-record the vocals. But I want to live with this version a bit and see if I think it needs even more changes.

I'm including a PDF with lyrics in English and German. (They've never been sung in English--this music is composed for the German version.) And also, and this was a big reason why it took so long, I wrote the music score as I recorded it. This is Through-composed---not verse/chorus.

Whew! Anyway, 

Lyrics

Mr Og song

Copyright 2022 by Mary C. Crowell

(Many thanks to Hans Helssohn who edited my German translation!)
I Love the Lady [English]

I love the lady with the flame

in her voice

I love her always

When I’m in her room with her

I learn to love again

I learn to sing again

I learn to write again

I want to stay

I want to stay with her

She has made my soul into a phoenix

My heart a bird that rises again

That flies again

I sing with her and gladly

She keeps my devil away

What gift can I give her?

She that has given me both love and life.

I have only love and music.

That is all.

And those are gifts from her.

I will shine those joyfully.

I will burn.

Safe little fire

Safe little flame

For my lady.

I love the lady.


Ich Liebe die Dame [German]

Ich liebe die Dame mit der Flamme in ihrer Stimme.

Ich liebe sie immer

wenn ich mit ihr in ihrem Zimmer bin

Ich lerne wieder zu leben

Ich lerne wieder singen

Ich lerne wieder schreiben

Ich möchte bleiben

Ich möchte mit ihr bleiben

Sie hat meine Seele zu einem Phönix gemacht

Mein Herz ein Vogel der wieder aufsteigt

Der wieder fliegt

Ich singe mit ihr und gerne

Hält sie meinen Teufel fern

Was kann ich ihr schenken?

[Welches Geschenk, kann ich ihr schenken?]

Sie, die mir Liebe und Leben gegeben hat.

Ich habe nur Liebe und Musik.

Das ist alles.

Und das sind Geschenke von ihr.

Ich werde diese freudig erstrahlen lassen.

Ich werde brennen.

Sicheres kleines Feuer

Sichere kleine Flammen

Für meine Dame.



Ich Liebe die Dame (Mr.Og Song)

This is likely the opening song for the Musical podcast that C.S.E. Cooney, Tina Connolly and I are writing. The podcast's working title is The Devil and Lady Midnight, and it will likely tell the story in six episodes. We have been having so much fun fun with this!

Solo violinist is Amy McNally!

She's in the Details
Copyright 2022 by Mary C Crowell

She’s in the details

The devil you know

Make your fine excuses

A kiss—then you go.

You never escape her;

She’s clever indeed, (Dear.)

Kissed her ring and promised

You’ll never be freed.

Chorus

It’s time to remind you that

She’s gonna find you

The stars have aligned

True love, unkind

Look in the mirror

Is the Lady getting nearer?

Future’s never clearer,

And you miss your song.

[Instrumental]

The muse commands you;

To her you are bound.

She whispers “glory,”

Your favorite sound.

You’re hers forever;

You’ll never retire

After all she gave you

Your heart’s desire.

She's in the Details

Friday May 8, 2015 Dr. Mary Crowell performed a concert at MARCON 2015 in the Union E room at the Columbus Convention Center. Joining her on stage: Amy McNally on fiddle and vocals and Judi Miller signing. This is audio only, so sadly you cannot see how AMAZING Judi/Galatea was and is. But you can HEAR how amazing Amy McNally is.
    

Mary Crowell Live At MARCON 2015

This is a jazz cover of "Ain't No Rest For The Wicked," the song we all fell in love with while playing the original Borderlands video game. I use a drop two minor 6th voicing in the piano for the verses and had a fab time adding harmonies throughout. The songwriters of the original song are Matt Shultz, Brad Shultz, Jared Champion, Daniel Tichenor, and Pincoln Parish.

Ain't No Rest For The Wicked Jazz

Brooke's Construction Paper D&D is a song glorifying the pleasures and hilarious pitfalls of playing in Brooke's delightful, whimsical, humourous, and often murderous construction paper D&D campaign. She runs them at science fiction conventions and Cedar Point.

Brooke's Construction Paper D&D

Inspired by the song prompt: Labyrinth City

(A slightly changed version of this with less cursing will be available on my upcoming album: Scattering Seeds On The Pomegranate Tour available October of 2016.)

Lyrics:
 Meet me at the Labyrinth Plinth
Copyright 2016 by Mary Crowell

CHORUS:
B7                     E7
Meet me at the Labyrinth Plinth
            B7                                       F#7
We’re gonna leave the bull shit behind.
E7                     B7
Meet me at the Labyrinth Plinth
             G                F#7              B7
For the best drinking you’ll never find.

Verse One
G#m                              F#
That man, did he just string you along
B7                                    E7
Spinning you a yarn or a line?
G#m                              F#
What’s left when three rights make a wrong?
B7                                              E7
Darlin’, have some fruit of the vine.
G#m                  D#m
Out of spirits or crème d’menthe?
G#m                  D#m
Life is cruel to the ‘nth.’
G
Why not try the Labyrinth?
B7 - - - E7 - - - B7 - - - F#7 - - -
Oh yeah!

CHORUS

Verse Two
G#m                              F#
Medusa brought a statue along
B7                                 E7
Carrying a base and guitar.
G#m                              F#
Set up with an amp and a song
B7                               E7
Galatea’s rocking the bar.
G#m                  D#m
Out of spirits or crème d’menthe?
G#m                  D#m
Life is cruel to the ‘nth.’
G
We’re singing at the Labyrinth.
B7 - - - E7 - - - B7 - - - F#7 - - -
Oh yeah!

CHORUS

Verse Three
G#m                              F#
He left when you had fallen asleep.
B7                              E7
You'd pitied him and gave him a clew.
G#m                              F#
“Get Lost,” you said when he came to weep.
B7                                  E7
Darlin’, to your vino be true.
G#m                  D#m
Out of spirits or crème d’menthe?
G#m                  D#m
Life is cruel to the ‘nth.’
G
But how ‘bout that Labyrinth City?
B7 - - - E7 - - - B7 - - - F#7 - - -
Oh yeah!

CHORUS






Meet Me At The Labyrinth Plinth

A sweet waltz celebrating the beauty of a cold February day in Uffington to see Waylan's Smithy and the Uffington Horse.

Uffington
Copyright 2016 by Mary Crowell
F# B F# B The white drone skirls high a-bove Uf-fing-ton sheep
E B F# F And a sta-tue, a sha-dow, a man.
F# B F# B We've ad-ded our prints to the sheep's in the chalk;
E F# B B (We're) step-ping with care as we can.
CHORUS:
G#m B
Oh the crows will keep a choir G#m F#
While they're cir-cl-ing the wind, B B/D# F#
Fly me-lis-mas of black a-gainst blue. F#BF# B
Lose all that I say in a scarf green and gray E F# B
As I stop to take pic-tures of you.
It’s cold on the hill with the Uffington Horse And the sheep there are shying away.
We let ourselves in; set the gate down again The wind drowning all that we say.
CHORUS
The wind pushes the drone above Uffington’s Horse As the man gets his focus just right.
His view from above is the one that we love,
His camera, a bird on its flight.
CHORUS
The Uf-fing-ton Horse curves be-low us ab-stract; It’s a swash and a thought of a canter.
We’ve seen it today; then our car drove away And the crows fill the skies with their banter.
CHORUS

Uffington

Skydiving Naked
Copyright 2016 by Mary Crowell
(Written April 23, 2016)
 I cosplayed as Lara Croft a couple of Octobers ago, and that's about as thrill seeker as I actually get in my real life. So  . . . no skydiving naked, rock climbing sideways, or tangoing with apes. Enjoy the song for the adventure, vaguely murderous intentions, and the warning about texting while doing all these activities.

This is a response to the song prompt "what a way to go." I was in the car driving thinking about the other song prompt and how I had two or three song ideas for it, but WHAT WAS I GOING TO DO WITH 'What a way to go'? I started imagining really ridiculously over the top dangerous things to do simultaneously. Then suddenly I was singing the first verse. I recorded it into my phone as soon as I could get a chance to singing it over and over. 

The resulting song stayed amazingly true to the timing and tune of that burst of inspiration, although I wasn't expecting the crankiness about being ignored for texting to turn out to be a motif that carried throughout the song. (I text a LOT just so you know. I don't judge people for texting. However, I don't plan to do it while skydiving any time soon.)  This work is in good old C major.

Skydiving Naked

Photography by Patricia L. Blood
Copyright 2016

First posted to
https://www.patreon.com/DrMaryCCrowell

About My Baby's No Bourbon on the Rocks
I wrote this song and initially recorded it on my iPad for my husband Wesley. He had a birthday recently, and I was sitting there looking at this song prompt Adam Selzer came up with for our songwriters' group, "bourbon on the rocks." Wesley does not drink. At all. I was thinking, "Wesley's not a bourbon on the rocks," and that got me started, and this song was my gift to him.

 Also, for the record, I have never had a whiskey sour that was served up too sweet. Bring the sugar, baby! I love it!

My Baby’s No Bourbon on the Rocks
Copyright 2016 by Mary Crowell (Written May 31, 2016)

My baby’s no bourbon on the rocks;
He’s a tall drink best sipped neat.
My baby’s no bourbon on the rocks;
He ain’t a whiskey sour served up too sweet.
You can’t see him in a glass
Although he’s got a clear spirit;
‘Can’t confine him like wine in a box.

My baby’s no bourbon on the rocks.
He’s my tall drink best sipped neat.
My baby’s no bourbon on the rocks;
He’s a Snapple or a Diet Coke.
My baby’s no bourbon on the rocks;
He ain’t no drinker, and he will never smoke.
You can’t see him in the glass
 ‘Til the bubbles fin’lly clear it
Draws the line at Juicy Juice in the box.
My baby’s no bourbon on the rocks.
He’s a Snapple or a Diet Coke.

My baby’s no bourbon on the rocks;
He’s a smoothie, with some hidden kale
My baby’s no bourbon on the rocks;
He’ll make you settle down like sweet ginger ale
You can’t see him in the glass
But you soon will sure revere it
Serve you tea that you can pick from a box
My baby’s no bourbon on the rocks.
He’s a smoothie, with some hidden kale.

1st Verse Reprise

Coda
My baby’s no bourbon on the rocks. 
He’s a Snapple or a Diet Coke.
My baby’s no bourbon on the rocks.
He’s a smoothie, with some hidden kale.
My baby’s no bourbon on the rocks.
He’s my tall drink best sipped neat.

My Baby's No Bourbon On The Rocks

Here's my latest Patreon submission!
https://www.patreon.com/DrMaryCCrowell

I thought about how long it's been since I started with the music/accompaniment and then wrote the lyrics to that instead of the other way around. So this morning I built a little groove in Logic Pro using their percussion loops and MIDI mallet percussion and yes some piano. (The montuños in the piano, Latin guitar, vibraphone, and marimba are my melodies performed on midi instruments though they are.)

This ended up being tremendously good fun. The lyrics are in no way profound, but given they began life improvised over the groove, they hang together pretty well. I literally created and recorded this song today. 

If you want to groove along with it in A minor at home, go for it! I didn't include chords with the lyrics, because it began as a piano montuño. 

(From the montuño entry at Wikipedia, "Finally, the term montuno is also used for a piano guajeo,[1] the ostinato figure accompanying the montuno section, when it describes a repeated syncopated piano vamp, often with chromatic root movement.[2].")

Please, have fun with it. I am a tremendous dork.

Dancing in My Kitchen
Spice and Groove
Copyright 2017 by Mary Crowell
  
It’s time. I’m getting hungry.
Maybe make it hot?
Maybe just a little mild or sweet?
Open up the doors and see what I’ve got.

Got thyme, a little pepper
Garlic too —a lot!
Cut up all the veggies we can eat
Frying up that onion and put it in the pot. 

Chorus
Aaaaahhhhhhh
Dancing in my kitchen!
Aaaaahhhhhhh
Playing air piano
Aaaaahhhhhhh
Cha cha in my barefeet
Cooking up some hot thing for you!

Interlude 

Some rhyme, cooking to my rhythm
Pour a little whiskey shot.
Stir fry and grinding to a beat
Keep hoping that it’s ready. It is not.

Chorus
Aaaaahhhhhhh
Dancing in my kitchen!
Aaaaahhhhhhh
Playing air piano
Aaaaahhhhhhh
Cha cha in my barefeet
Cooking up some hot thing for you!

Dancing In My Kitchen (Spice And Groove)

I was writing a song earlier this week that was to be about my shoulder angels, but while conversing with our local Starbucks baristas on a slow Wednesday, I got song pounced by this one instead!

My patrons on Patreon get to download the mp3 as well, http://patreon.com/drmaryccrowell

I am continuing to write songs as part of Soulwriters. The lyric prompt this week was dialogue, and your work should contain a musical crescendo. I plan to finish my Shoulder Angel song as well soon.

This song is VERY SERIOUS. *snerk* 

Lyrics Below:

Deathstar Chris
Copyright 2017 by Mary Crowell

Deathstar Chris and the other baristas
Have noticed that there’s no-one there.
They’ve polished all the windows
And cleaned off the chairs,
Could they comment on the silence?
Yeah, they don’t even dare.
They know not to say, “I am bored.”

Deathstar Chris and the other baristas
Overheard their shift lead say
“Since Wednesday’s are slow,
It’s a short handed day.”
The budget works better with
Fewer to pay.
Chris draws his saber, Kyla her sword.

See . . .
Chorus:
It’s just any Wednesday at the coffee shop.
But those are the days it gets odd.
Sipping mocha lattes with your lap top,
You may never see zombies or a great snake god,
But don’t say that things are slow.

Deathstar Chris and the other baristas
Hide while their patrons flee.
They crouched behind the counter
Where the ghouls will not see.
Chris ate the LAST pastry
Made with bacon and brie
And waited out the zombie horde.

Because . . .
Chorus

Bridge:
Chris says, “Everything’s clean,
And I leave at six.”
John claims, “That is mean!”
And then he flicks
A Sprinkle at Chris’s head,
While he mops up more undead.

Cuz . . .
Chorus

Tag:
Deathstar Chris made his badge really cool.
And Deathstar Chris has only one rule:
“Never say that things are slow!”

Deathstar Chris

This is for the people who get 'hangry' sometimes and the people who love them. I recorded it in Logic Pro 9 for songwriters' group weekly song prompt. This week the lyric prompt was: "Flowers on my/your Doorstep" with the additional theme of love.

You Wouldn’t Like Me When I’m Hungry
Copyright 2017 by Mary Crowell

Intro:
Dmaj7                                        
   You’ve left me 
                          Gm
Flowers on my doorstep to show me
        Dmaj7
You love me a bunch. [Piano echoes]
Dmaj7                                 Gm
They’re very pretty, you’d be my best beau, see
    E7                    A7
If you’d feed me lunch.

Chorus:
D7                  G7                         C7  A7
You wouldn’t like me when I’m hungry.
D7                 G7                         C7  A7
You may not want me when I’m sad.
G7                      F7
If you loved me, you would feed me,
E7               A7                     D7       G7   C7  A7
And maybe then I wouldn’t feel so bad.

           G7
If I’m acting existential,
             D7
Drop it all and feed me lentils.
             G7
Dollop meat upon my plate;
               D7
Pass the parmesan to grate.
          G7
If my eyes are cold and dead,
              Bb7
Slice an apple. Butter bread.
              C7
Drizzle syrup—drizzle honey;
          A7
I’ll go fuzzy like a bunny.

Chorus:
D7                  G7                         C7  A7
You wouldn’t like me when I’m hungry.
D7                 G7                         C7  A7
You may not want me when I’m sad.
G7                      F7
If you loved me, you would feed me,
E7               A7                     D7       G7   C7  A7
And maybe then I wouldn’t feel so bad.

Bridge:
G7               D7
I know you heard an inflection.
G7              D7
I know you hang on my words.
G7                 D7
Sometimes I just need calories like
Bb7 [Stop]          A7 [Stop]
Strawberries and lemon curd.

Chorus:
D7                  G7                         C7  A7
You wouldn’t like me when I’m hungry.
D7                 G7                         C7  A7
You may not want me when I’m sad.
G7                      F7
If you loved me, you would feed me,
E7               A7                     D7       G7   C7  A7
And maybe then I wouldn’t feel so bad.

G7
If you fear I’m gonna go mean
D7
Just serve me up some protein.
G7
Questions you could analyze:
D7
Now is that a burger and some French fries?
G7
I’m really not so hard to please.
Bb7
Give me salad. Give me cheese!
C7
I will smile all flush with power.
A7                                     D7  G7  C7  A7
You’ll get to live another hour!

Chorus:
D7                  G7                         C7  A7
You wouldn’t like me when I’m hungry.
D7                 G7                         C7  A7
You may not want me when I’m sad.
G7                      F7
If you loved me, you would feed me,
E7               A7                     D7       G7   C7  A7
And maybe then I wouldn’t feel so bad.

Bridge 2 [Extended]:
G7                                           D7
And I wrote these lyrics over breakfast.
G7                         D7
I wrote them over dinner too.
G7                                   D7
I could move the pen on paper.
Bb7                  A7
I could bear to talk to you.
       G7                            D7
The fangs have finally retracted—
            G7                       D7
You’re limned in light—sun refracted.
Bb7 [Stop]
In your eyes.
A7 [Hold]
(That don’t look like bacon. 
     D7   G7  C7  A7
At all.)

Chorus:
D7                  G7                         C7  A7
You wouldn’t like me when I’m hungry.
D7                 G7                         C7  A7
You may not want me when I’m sad.
G7                      F7
If you loved me, you would feed me,
E7               A7                     D7       G7   C7  A7
And maybe then I wouldn’t feel so bad.

You Wouldn't Like Me When I'm Hungry

One of my patrons on Patreon has been wanting a self-rescuing princess song for two years! And things worked out so I could write him one.

http://patreon.com/drmaryccrowell

In my songwriting group, one week we were to write a mondegreen or a song about miscommunication. My initial thought had been to string a bunch of well-known mondegreens together in one song. That turned out . . . badly. The problem is they all scanned to different songs, and I couldn't  find a coherent tune for them.

But, I kept one thing from that nasty Frankenstein's Monster of an attempted song: if 'Lady Mondegreen' is a mishearing of "laid him on the green," then 'Later, Rhonda Green' works for "Laid her on the green." And somehow I decided to write the story of Princess Rhonda Green. 

Princess Rhonda Green

Copyright 2017 by Mary Crowell

I was …
[Verse A]
adventuring to save the princess.
I arrived; she was already gone.
She had rescued herself in the meantime,
And left me no mots to bon.

[Verse B]
Now I'm jumping on polka dot mushrooms; 
The poor things! They don't have a chance.
I’m bored, ‘cause there’s no one to rescue,
So Mario, Link, and I dance.

Chorus:
Her name was Princess Rhonda Green
And I was really keen
To rescue Princess Rhonda Green 
She didn't need it. She didn’t want it.
Wasn’t waiting for a Hylian elf
She just wanted to rescue herself.

[Instrumental on Verse A Chords]

She said, “Don't call me princess. I’m Rhonda.”
And I’ve got my burdens to tote.
Forget about rescuing damsels
My name’s Rhonda Green. Make a note.

Chorus

Bridge:
She didn't get my memo
That she was supposed to wait.
And she didn't read the FAQ I wrote
                Em                     B7
 That her saving made me great.

So I went on slaying those monsters, 
But my heart just wasn't that in
So many things to think about 
And nowhere to begin.

They weren't even monsters, I noticed;
So I was unsure what to do.
I went and asked Rhonda for wisdom,
and she told me “this is true:”

Chorus Variant:
My name was Princess Rhonda Green
And you were really keen
To rescue Princess Rhonda Green 
I didn't need it. I didn’t want it.
‘Wasn’t waiting for a Hylian elf
I just wanted to rescue myself.
But,
“We all need a rescue now and then 
If you really want to know. 
Sometimes life can give you
Some mean old so and so.”

“It's complicated math, she told me
“To add up the arrows and the slings.
“But listening to each other is important
“the most important thing.”

Chorus

And I got it!!!
So I said thank you! 
And see you later, 
Rhonda Green.

Princess Rhonda Green (Patreon)

Album Photography by Lauren Mitchell (at the Melbourne Zoo) If you like this song, check out more of my music at https://www.patreon.com/DrMaryCCrowell

This is a short jazzy little song based on a dream I had once that there was this matrix-y honeycomb made of light with each little hexagon in the honeycomb being a consciousness that mingled freely as it desired with the other consciousnesses. 

And being alive was a bit like going in search of nectar to bring it back to the hive mind. 

This was recorded in Logic Pro X at my home studio. 

I’m a Little Bee
Copyright 2017 by Mary Crowell

I’m a little bee in a honeycomb of light,
A honeycomb of light, my dance is such a sight.
A honeycomb’s the place for a little bee like me
Little bee like me. It’s just the place to be.

Buzza buzza buzza buzza buzza buzz buzz. [X2]

We bees communicate with a buzzy little dance,
Insightful little dance, no meaning left to chance.
We bees don’t have a queen in this bee analogy,
Bee analogy, but it seems to work for me.

The other bees can smell all the things I want to tell,
And we fan each other well when it gets hot.
Our glowing little hive’s feeling full of light—alive!
How we buzz and dance and thrive on honeyhoneyhoney we have got.

I might become a bee, when I die or go to sleep,
Die or go to sleep, in nectar I go deep.
I go into the worldly world and see what I can see,
See what I can see, And fly back to the tree. 
[Reprise First Verse and buzz your way out of the song.]

I'm A Little Bee

I'm A Little Bee (Patreon Version)

If you liked this, check out more of my music at https://www.patreon.com/DrMaryCCrowell

This song is inspired by Agatha Crane, one of the possible investigators you can play in the second edition board game called Mansions of Madness. It's a great cooperative game not unlike Zombicide in which you play investigators trying stop an Eldritch Horror from happening. It's tough to save the world from Cthulhu, and we have failed many times. You download an app with the game that takes on the role of the referee/game master. We adore this game published by Fantasy Flight Games, and have now bought all the expansions for it. They need to make more! Alas, they don't seem to be supporting it anymore. *Picture me making a sad face.*

(Yes, I quote a bit of "My Bonnie lies one the ocean" at the end of choruses.)

Lyrics:
Agatha Crane
Copyright 2017 by Mary Crowell

Agatha Crane is going insane
As she wanders a mansion of madness.
The kitchen walls bleed, and all the halls lead
To a dimension of horror and sadness.

She sometimes gets scared as she wanders the lair
Of an eccentric who's living in Innsmouth.
As a mob outside swarms, our lady informs
"We'll need daggers to chop off their fins with."

Chorus:
Agatha is brave and wise until she hears the Eldritch cries
Of cultists. How the Dagon priest chants of deep ones now released!
Or Shoggoth wanders from the sea and warbles Tekelili-li.
Oh bring back, bring back, bring back Cthulhu to me to me
Oh pour Miss Crane a pot of tea.

The butler on staff gives a terrified laugh
Before blithely removing his eyeballs.
Singing begins, making worldly veils thin.
No fences will save them or high walls.

Chorus:

Reprise first verse

Agatha Crane is wracking her brain 
To turn all her horror to clues.
She'll play it by ear and conquer her fear
And pray that her mind will not unglue.

Oh bring back, bring back, bring back Cthulhu to me to me
Oh pour Miss Crane a pot of
Oh pour Miss Crane a pot of
 Oh pour Miss Crane a pot of tea.

Agatha Crane (Patreon Version)

A silly song I wrote for the SoulWriters song prompt "Eclipse" in the week following August 21, 2017. My Dad features as album art for this song as he rocks those eclipse glasses!

This version is revised to correct a decimal point error.

Lyrics

E-calypso

Copyright 2017 by Mary Crowell

Chorus:

Let’s dance the eclipse calypso

[Wait]

We’ll call it the “E-calypso"

[Wait]

Let’s dance the eclipse calypso

We’ll call it the “E-calypso”

The moon drinks the sun in sips so

Let’s don our glasses and see.

They’re celestial bodies we ship, so

Four Hundred times bigger than she

She’ll start dining with just a light nip so

Like a premium game’s first little fee.

Many folks make longish trips so

To watch their torrid totality.

We’re fans of the stellar, Ipso facto,

the sun’s the star, most agree.

Chorus

Some folks, they don’t give a rip, so

About this sight we go see.

They might tell us, “get a grip,” so

We ignore them while dancing with glee

Chorus

E - Calypso Revised

http://patreon.com/drmaryccrowell

I've been wanting to write a song about Dunbar's number a while now. Several weeks ago, the weekly song prompt for writers group I'm in was "walls". And I have weird ways of picturing how we store our sense of other personalities we know in our brains. For example, although I never played with Matchbox or Hot Wheels cars as a kid, I can vividly and painfully remember stepping on my son's collection when they were occasionally left out of their carrying case. And the carrying cases for these little cars were kind of cool. (Also, there's that Darth Vader carrying case for your Star Wars action figures.) So are all the people you know stored in their own little boxes in your mind palace?
Also, I knew I had to write this song so I could rhyme cortex with Gore-Tex.

Lyrics
One Hundred Fifty
Copyright 2017 by Mary Crowell

Sweetie?

Let’s stop looking at computers for a moment:
The Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, and Tumblr.
You can only track about one hundred fifty people
In your noggin—That’s Dunbar’s number.

Chorus:
I picture us all separated by walls
Stored in your brain like Matchbox cars
In one of those cute little carrying cases
That only has just enough spaces
For one hundred fifty or fewer (not less)
I hope I’m one of yours, I guess.

I fear I might be taxing your capacity
So I’m holding to my spot with tenacity
All the folks you try to know are out there just a shifting
Beating the door of number one fifty.

Chorus

Bridge:
I picture a zombie horde
Don’t wanna to eat your brain—just climb aboard
And be one of your one fifty.
No one wants to be the one that gets ignored.

Supposedly this number is the one your neocortex
Can handle. Count the parking where the folks are making Gore-Tex.
When the number of staff reaches one hundred and fifty.
They know it’s time to make new facilities.

Chorus
I think I’m one of yours, I guess.

One Hundred Fifty (Patreon version)

The old year of 2017 came to an end. The last song prompt for soul writers was due just before midnight. SJ Tucker asked us to write about qualities we would like to draw in for the coming year. 

I wrote most of this song on New Years eve (in the wee hours) after rehearsing for hours with my beloved friends in Play It With Moxie. I felt such a light in my heart. Incandescent seems insufficient to describe it. I feel like I have the sun in my heart. And I realize that one of the things I would like for 2018 to have is more music (listening and/or playing) with folks I love, and that for everyone to get to have more music with those they love. 

I slept and then finished the last verse over breakfast. I performed it for my band telling them it is a love letter to them and they open and whole heartedly joined in on the recording of this before we went through another full day of rehearsal for our 2018 GAFilk set.

Silly Dreamer 
Copyright 2017 by Mary Crowell 
Sometimes we disagree 

But we find our way—musically; 

My heart feels brighter than the sun 

That will soon return when the year’s begun. 

Fa la la la Fa la la la laaa 

Fa la la la Fa la la la laaa 



They’ll ask us for our year’s resolve 

My good intentions all involve 

The music that we’re gonna play 

If this silly dreamer has her silly way. 

Fa la la la Fa la la la laaa 

Fa la la la Fa la la la laaa 



Chorus: 

And for now we may 

Draw in sunlight 

Drink some peppermint tea 

Draw in patience and courage 

Because loving you matters to me. 

And we love music, 

So music matters to me, you see. 



I wish I could make clear to all 

It’s okay to talk without a brawl 

That cranky offhand thing we wrote 

Might be better said with measured quarter notes. 

Fa la la la Fa la la la laaa 

Fa la la la Fa la la la laaa 



Chorus: 

And for now we may 

Draw in sunlight 

Drink some peppermint tea 

Draw in patience and courage 

Because loving you matters to me. 

And we love music, 

So music matters to me, you see. 



While playing music or listening 

Happy or with tears glistening 

Please, know I hold you in my heart 

As we wait today for our brand new year to start. 

Fa la la la Fa la la la laaa 

Fa la la la Fa la la la laaa 



Chorus: 

And for now we may 

Draw in sunlight 

Drink some peppermint tea 

Draw in patience and courage 

Because loving you matters to me. 

And we love music, 

So music matters to me, you see. 

Music matters 

Music matters 

And you, love, you matter to me

Brian Richardson, our drummer and emcee for Play It With Moxie recorded and mixed us all and has also captured video that may be available at a later time. Thank you Brian Richardson (drums), Jodi Krangle (vocals), Amy McNally (vocals and fiddle), Teresa Powell (vocals), George Powell (vocals ), David Rood (vocals and trumpet), Sarah Rood (vocals) for performing on this with me! Mary Crowell (moi!) sang lead vocals and played piano.

Silly Dreamer

This one was inspired by a weekly Soul Writers song prompt "something wicked" and a dishwasher that was making an alarming noise. For the record, my husband did fix the problem that was causing the weird noise, but then the door handle broke for good later that week. So that dishwasher is alas no more.

Song Credits: Mary Crowell on lead vocals, piano, MIDI percussion; Amy McNally backing vocals and violin; Simon Crowell, backing vocals; James Mahaffey, bass. You All Rock Mightily! Vocals and violin recorded and mixed in Logic Pro X with an AT-4050 microphone. Bass recorded in James Mahaffey's private studio.

Album Art by Wesley Crowell

Dishwasher, You Have Broken
Copyright 2017 by Mary Crowell

Something wicked in the kitchen

Our dishwasher’s clickin’. Oh! It’s twitchin’.

‘Wond’ring if someone’s done bewitched it

My true love says he’ll try to fix it.

But what’s that greenish glow?

Frightening, I know—right?

Mm mm mm mm . . .



Cooking eggs up over easy.

The bacon juice is hot and greasy—

That sound behind me. I’m uneasy

Can we repair it easy peasy?

A portal opens, so.

I’ve gotten scared, you know? Right.



Chorus:

Dishwasher, you have broken.

Dishwasher, I’m not joking.

You can’t be bringing Deep Ones here, by gosh.

This bad behavior just won’t wash.

Dishwasher, Dishwasher, Dishwasher, Oh.



Warranties don’t cover portals,

Incursions by malign immortals.

I’m on hold and getting bored. In-

-fernal thing, why do you chortle?

The dangers you impose,

Mean we must now be foes.



Chorus

Something wicked in our kitchen.

The damned thing needs some love and fixin’

Or else a hammer—get my licks in.

‘Hear cackles now—donner, blitzen.

We’ll get a new one so,

I think this one can go.


Chorus

Dishwasher, You Have Broken

Adam Selzer has launched his podcast: Cemetery Mixtape about murder, history, and music! He has called on his various musician associates and asked us to write songs themed to each podcast. The podcast is focused on the lives and mysteries of people associated with famous people. Adam includes place names, landmarks, and finds all the interesting back stories that accompany the more prominent stories we are familiar with. 

I just listened to one of his podcasts about an actress working in Ford Theatre who was supposed to come on stage, but was interrupted by the Lincoln assassination.

My song is for Adam Selzer's podcast that discusses the First Riot in America in 1788, the "Doctor's Mob".  Check it out, here: http://cemeterymixtape.com

Disturbing album art created by Wesley Crowell

Lyrics:
Doc Mob
Copyright 2018 by Mary Crowell

Chorus X2:

Doc, Doc, Doc, Doc, Doc Mob!

Doc, Doc, Doc, Doc, Doc Mob!

Doc, Doc, Doc, Doc, Doc Mob!

What’s the matter?

Quit stealing our cadavers!



There’s a hospital in New York City

Some boys saw a sight there wasn’t pretty

Up in the window! Sound the alarm!

Climb up a ladder! It’s a severed arm.



“Whose that belong to?” A little boy cried.

“That arm’s your Mama’s!” John Hicks may have lied.

The boy found his father, told the story and sobbed.

They went to Mama’s grave and found it had been robbed.



Chorus X2:

Doc, Doc, Doc, Doc, Doc Mob!

Doc, Doc, Doc, Doc, Doc Mob!

Doc, Doc, Doc, Doc, Doc Mob!

What’s the matter?

Quit stealing our cadavers!



[Descant]

What ‘cha doing in that cemetery?

You’ve got dirt beneath your nails.

Dug up every Thomas, Richard, and Harry.

Folks are putting bodies up for sale.



They’re throwing brickbats in New York City.

Hit Steuben’s head. It wasn’t pretty.

Broken the window! Sound the alarm!

They’ve taken the prison. Save us from harm.



John Hicks found a chimney where he could hide.

If they had found him he’d surely have died.

Doctors swore oaths to the people who mobbed

That they’d never requested the church yards be robbed.



Chorus X2 with Descant

Doc Mob

The Library Song
Copyright 2017 by Mary Crowell

These lyrics are inspired by my Tuesdays volunteering at our local library last summer and Fall. There is a Tuesday book sale and a gardeners' kiosk. Our librarians and volunteers are helpful and wonderful people.

The bridge of the song is inspired by the lyric prompt "finding fire" and was part of the Soul Writers challenge of 2017 to write a song a week. I looked up the word "fire" in its literal and metaphorical meanings, and included some Dewey decimal references.

Simon Crowell guest stars in this one. I recorded the song in Logic Pro and used the Digital drummer Darcy (a favorite of Betsy Tinney's as well!) Wesley Crowell created my album art.

Lyrics: The Library Song
Copyright 2017 by Mary Crowell
Verse:
There’s a place you can go to buy a tote,
Borrow some books; you can sign up to vote.
There are newspapers and big magazines.
Old and the young come—all ages between.
Thank your librarian today (cause they’re doing well) 
Donate some cash or books. Show them and tell
All of the world that they’re great (‘cause they are.)
You’ll go farther here than you will in your car.
At the Library.

Chorus
At the computers folks are looking for jobs,
Typing up sermons, and corn on the cob—
Recipes. Activities
In the technology room,
And people find out—not assume
‘Cause they’re at the library reading.
they’re at the library reading.

Verse: 
It’s Tuesday—the Book-Sale is full swing.
Linda’s pricing books that people will bring.
Dale has his cart, and he’s sorting them all
While the Gardener’s kiosk is prepping for Fall.
Thank your librarian today (cause they’re doing well)
Donate some cash or books. Show them and tell
All of the world that they’re great (‘cause they are.)
You’ll go farther here than you will in your car.
At the Library.

Chorus
At the computers folks are looking for jobs,
Typing up sermons, and corn on the cob—
Recipes. Activities
In the technology room,
And people find out—not assume
‘Cause they’re at the library reading.
they’re at the library reading.

Bridge:
What fires you up? Do research to know
Maybe in three nineties with Rainbow Crow.
Or  seven eighties for Music and Dance
Or checking out Fiction for a fiery romance.
Or two oh two point three for the opposite of Heaven Heaven.
And fire safety’s in three sixty-three point thirty-seven.
The Library is the place for finding fire,
         Bb                                       F
You can think and learn to your heart’s desire
At the library!

They’re shelf-reading while sitting in the floor.
Grand folks are bringing kids in through the door.
The Teens in the teen room are looking for lore—
A thriving community. That’s what it’s for! 
Thank your librarian today (cause they’re doing well)
Donate some cash or books. Show them and tell
All of the world that they’re great (‘cause they are.)
You’ll go farther here than you will in your car.
At the Library.

Chorus
At the computers folks are looking for jobs,
Typing up sermons, and corn on the cob—
Recipes. Activities
In the technology room,
And people find out—not assume
‘Cause they’re at the library reading.
They’re at the library reading.
At the library, library, library,
At the library!

The Library Song

The Library Song (Patreon Version)

Lunar Eclipse is probably the most seventies thing I have ever recorded.  It's just some groovy groovy jazz.(with clarinet)I wrote it in the week following the lunar eclipse thanks to an excellent Soulwriters prompt from Jim Mahaffey: "eclipsed by the moment." I was actually writing cards and letters the evening of the eclipse and kept running outside to gaze at the moon as the eclipse progressed. I think I mentioned the eclipse several times in the cards themselves. It was such a glorious sight!

Enjoy!

Lunar Eclipse
Copyright 2019 by Mary Crowell

Chorus:
The moon doesn’t care
She’s drawing on the sleeves of the earth
Takes his robe, as he nibbles on her lobe
And my worldly thoughts
Are eclipsed by the Moment.

You are bright and round,
And darling you drown
All the world in your sweet silver light.
The shadow we throw
You take and you sew
into a pumpkin shawl that brings joy in this night.

‘Get up from writing notes,
Peek through the jamb, button up my coat
To watch you turn our darkness into gold.
Looking up from my place
At your beauty there in space
That is an honor that shall never get old.

Chorus

Bridge:
The earth and the moon
Are dancing to tunes
That Kepler could only imagine.
I’m gazing up high
At this opal in our sky. 
Gracing the solar pageant.

Chorus

Twenty minutes will slide
On this clear night you glide
Through the sky with your darkening dress
We’re snuggled between
To watch you. We lean 
In…. and sweet kisses we press.

Chorus

Lunar Eclipse

I got song pounced by a D&D song! Creating a song per week can be a grueling pace to maintain with everything else going on. So usually I just do enough of a recording to use as a reference for the tune later should I decide to give it a more finished treatment. 

"Bump Went Something in the Cellar" will be on my upcoming gaming album. (I'll start recording with Jeff and Maya Bohnhoff in November of 2019. I am SO EXCITED!) It began life as a response to a prompt for a weekly songwriter group I belong to. And then I shared this version with my patrons on Patreon who get access to downloads. 
If you want to learn more about my music for Patreon here's a link: https://www.patreon.com/DrMaryCCrowell

A bit about the recording process: One of the hardest things in Logic Pro X is getting decent jazz percussion. You can easily acquire almost any other style, but there isn't a virtual jazz drummer. I really really wish there were. But, you can max out the swing and mix and match percussion patterns until you get close. With this song, it begins in a quasi-klezmer non swingy way, and then a switch flips and it goes jazzy. Hence the need for two different virtual percussionists.

There is no clarinet, and the harmonies are relatively light and uncomplicated but very present in the middle and later part of the song. One thing you guys may like is that the song only lasts 2 minutes and 47 second--a third of the length of "Lunar Eclipse". 

Snack size song for a quick pick me up! Lol.

Bump went something in the cellar

Copyright 2019 by Mary C. Crowell

Album art by Wesley Crowell

Written Tuesday April 16, 2019 and Thursday April 18, 2019

Bump went something in the cellar.

We went down there together.

A skitter above us

And then a slam

Does nobody love us

Or give a damn?

We’re trapped with something in the cellar.

We’re trapped down here all together.

We’re gamers and good ones

And here’s our dice 

I understand once

You make it twice

Refrain One:

Bump— Bump— Bump in the cellar.

Bump Bump Bump Bump Bump in the cellar.

If I were the noise in the cellar (cellar)

I wouldn’t take us on when we’re together (uh uh)

Make us split up

'Cause then we're weak

I’d cook us for supper

Served up with leeks.

Why stalk the noise in the cellar (cellar)?

Party—get out XP together (Mm mm)

A skitter. It’s near us.

And then a roar.

I wish that it feared us

What’s a fighter for?

We’ll need our cleric in the cellar (cellar)

Fights go better together. (Mm mm)

The tiles always run red

We rarely talk

To ochers and undead

That ooze or walk.

Bump does something in the cellar (cellar)

So we all message together (Mm mm)

A skitter. We found it!

And then our mage

Cast something and bound it.

It’s in a cage.

We’ve dealt with the noise in the cellar (cellar)

Should have never locked us down here together (uh uh)

A rogue and a lock-pick

A killing spree

Before the old clock ticks

We’re out and free.

Bump went something in the cellar.

Bump Went Something in the Cellar

Bump In The Cellar

Tempting Fate was written for the Soulwriters Week #5 prompt "tempting fate." There was the optional musical prompt of including an ostinato. (repeating musical pattern) I was sight-reading through Sondheim's "Into the Woods" to get a feel for his compositional style, so this song shows some influences with it's heavy uses of the intervals of a second. (both major and minor) and the ostinato style I used.

Album art created by Wesley Crowell

Tempting Fate

Copyright 2019 by Mary Crowell

[Radio Edited Version]

Oh, I’m tempting Fate.

I don’t feel she’s gotten out enough lately

She’s been sewing other people’s shrouds for them

‘Thought I’d ask her out on a whim.

And see if she’d like to hang out with me and Lady Luck

Who’s dealing cards and out of _____ to give.

She’ll live and let live

What else to do with rogues and bards

That poor girl she’s been working too hard. 

Oh, I’m tempting Fate.

She’s been missing out on all the fun lately

Needs to be with all the saints and the sinners.

Sometimes nobody’s the winner

These legends of muses of Greece and the Nords

Have a way of getting bored, my friend.

Knowing the story’s end.

What else to do with rogues and bards

Those poor gals have been working too hard. 

But, I’ve been tempting Fate

She sent me spoilers. Oh honey, they’re great.

I can no longer have my hopes or fears

I bought her a heavy pair of shears.

We play a drinking game called “Prophecy”

Happens when she goes out with me. I’m sunk 

‘Cause I’m the one who got Fate drunk.

Bless the hearts of rogues and bards

Those poor Joes are working hard. 

Oh, I’m tempting Fate.

I don’t feel she’s gotten out enough lately

She’s been sewing other people’s shrouds for them

‘Thought I’d ask her out on a whim.

Tempting Fate

Mary Crowell Tempting Fate

Mary Crowell loves songwriting, gaming, mythology, and being creative! Check out her Patreon page: http://patreon.com/drmaryccrowell for more songs and music videos!

Dr.Mary.C.Crowell

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