℗ © Copyright Ian Stokes. All Rights Reserved
Recorded, mixed using Logic. Mastered in Soundcloud
Photography: Thanks go to Nigel and Libby Hume at Hume Photography.

Could Be A Good Thing

℗ © Copyright Ian Stokes. All Rights Reserved
Photography: Thanks go to Nigel and Libby Hume at Hume Photography.

The Dance

This is the 3rd Solo Album by Ian Stokes.
℗ © Copyright Ian Stokes. All Rights Reserved
Recorded and mixed using Logic. Mastered in Soundcloud
Photography: Thanks go to Nigel and Libby Hume at Hume Photography.

Dust All Over My Boots

This is the 4th Solo Album by Ian Stokes.
℗ © Copyright Ian Stokes. All Rights Reserved
Recorded and mixed using Logic. 
Photography: Thanks go to Nigel and Libby Hume at Hume Photography.

How The Wind Knows

Album Number 5

℗ © Copyright Ian Stokes. All Rights Reserved
Recorded and mixed using Logic. Mastered in Soundcloud
Photography: Thanks go to Nigel and Libby Hume at Hume Photography.
Guitars played on this track:  Taylor T5 (Koa Top) standard tuning; 
Taylor 714CE tuning C♯ G♯ C♯ F♯ A♯ C♯ (Capo 9th Fret)
LYRICS: 
See the lightning on the skyline
Hear that thunder roll
Feel the storm rising in the midnight air
Reaching out for my soul
Tell me can you hear 
Can you hear that thunder roll
Tell me can you hear 
Can you hear that thunder roll

See the snow capped mountain in a big blue sky
Hear that mountain stream begin to flow
And that stream becomes a mighty river
Reaching out for my soul
Tell me can you hear 
Can you hear that thunder roll
Tell me can you hear 
Can you hear that thunder roll

So many questions
Where are the answers to be found?
Is my head way up in the clouds?
Are my feet on solid ground?
Tell me can you hear 
Can you hear that thunder roll
Tell me can you hear 
Can you hear that thunder roll

From this headland looking out to sea
As the ocean breeze begins to blow
Wave after wave washes over me 
Reaching out for my soul
Tell me can you hear 
Can you hear that thunder roll
Tell me can you hear 
Can you hear that thunder roll

Hear That Thunder Roll

℗ © Copyright Ian Stokes. All Rights Reserved
Recorded and mixed using Logic. Mastered in Soundcloud
Photography: Thanks go to Nigel and Libby Hume at Hume Photography.

This acoustic guitar instrumental is played in DADGAD tuning (all tuned down a half step)using my Taylor 714 CE guitar.

Summer

The Chase

℗ © Copyright Ian Stokes. All Rights Reserved
Recorded and mixed using Logic. Mastered in Soundcloud
Guitars played: Morris Nylon String
Photography: Thanks go to Nigel and Libby Hume at Hume Photography.

Now the winter is nearly upon us, I thought it was time to do some more recording. I decided to use my nylon string guitar for this song, imagining the setting: arriving at a remote beachside bar in the sunshine, to discover the bar owner has taken the day off.............
Lyrics:
There’s a sign…… on the door
Says owner……. is away
Weather………looking fine 
Don’t feel like working ……….today

I should be back by sunset
If I’m not just close the door
Even so you’re welcome to stay
Make yourself at home
You can sleep on the floor
Don’t feel like working……….today

There’s plenty……. of ice cold beer
Help yourself ……..pull up a chair
Leave some money ……….in the till
You can sit ……anywhere. 

Put up your feet
Maybe take in the sky 
Let your worries 
Float away
Pull your hat down
Over your eyes
Don’t feel like working ………..today

Instrumental

I should be back by sunset
If I’m not just close the door
Even so you’re welcome to stay
Make yourself at home
You can sleep on the floor
Don’t feel like working……….today

There’s a sign…… on the door
Says owner……. is away
Weather………looking fine 
Don’t feel like working ……….today

Don't Feel Like Working Today

℗ © Copyright Ian Stokes. All Rights Reserved
Recorded and mixed using Logic. Mastered in Soundcloud
Guitars played: Morris Nylon String
Photography: Thanks go to Nigel and Libby Hume at Hume Photography.
LYRICS:
Up on stage with his walking cane
Wearing………………….. a panama hat 
Playing songs from ………way back when
A little bit of this ….and a little bit of that

Old time or maybe ragtime
Sometimes he played the blues
Dressed in style just like a music man  
In his suit and shiny shoes

Up on stage with his walking cane
Looking like a man living a life of ease
Playing songs …………from way back when
Sitting on a chair with his guitar on his knee

Old time or maybe ragtime
Sometimes he plays the blues
Dressed in style just like a music man  
In his suit and shiny shoes

With His Walking Cane

℗ © Copyright Ian Stokes. All Rights Reserved
Recorded and mixed using Logic. Mastered in Soundcloud
Guitar played: Taylor 714 CE in DADGAD Tuning (all tuned down a half step and capo'd at the 7th fret.)
Photography: Thanks go to Nigel and Libby Hume at Hume Photography

I wrote this his song imagining the days when travelling large distances by foot was normal and the hardship encountered by a traveller on a long journey when the winter weather closes in......
Lyrics:
The light was fading fast
A traveller far from home
Snow fell hard unyielding
Winter striking its blow

From far upon the hillside
He looked down on the valley below
Searching for a sign of 
Shelter from the cold 

Down there in the distance 
A glimpse of candle light
A window through the darkness 
On this bitter night

The prospect of a haven
On this lonely road
A simple roof and walls of stone
With shelter from the cold

Come inside, there’s safety now
There’s warmth here while you rest
There’s room there by the open fire
Beside the chimney breast

Here’s food to give you comfort
a warming cup to hold
Gather up your strength
While you have shelter from the cold

I know not how to thank you
There are no thanks to pay
The sun will rise tomorrow
And you’ll be on your way

Such kindness I shall ne’er forget
This story shall be told
A kind and gentle stranger 
Giving shelter from the cold

Shelter From The Cold

℗ © Copyright Ian Stokes. All Rights Reserved
Recorded and mixed using Logic. Mastered in Soundcloud
Guitar played: Taylor 714 CE in Open G Tuning (capo'd at the 3rd fret.)
Photography: Thanks go to Nigel and Libby Hume at Hume Photography
LYRICS:
Oh this life under the stars
I am weathered, I am worn
But these trade winds blow
And guide me home
Breathe in breathe out
No complications
I take my chances
When the dice are thrown

I’m thankful for the turning of the tide
Watch the waters flow and cast my fears aside
But there’s a time ………to take the strain
And the sun ……………….will rise again

I have no answers
To my questions
Though I wonder 
At the magic of it all
The hourglass
Tells its story
As these grains of sand 
Gently fall

I’m thankful for the turning of the tide
Watch the waters flow and cast my fears aside
But there’s a time ………to take the strain
And the sun ……………….will rise again

Oh this life under the stars
I am weathered, I am worn
But these trade winds blow
And guide me home

The Turning Of The Tide

℗ © Copyright Ian Stokes. All Rights Reserved
Recorded and mixed using Logic. Mastered in Soundcloud
Guitars played: Morris Nylon String in standard tuning.
Photography: Thanks go to Nigel and Libby Hume at Hume Photography.

I wrote this instrumental as a tribute to all buskers who bring a little joyful music and light to our streets.

The Busker

℗ © Copyright Ian Stokes. All Rights Reserved
Recorded and mixed using Logic. Mastered in Soundcloud
Guitar played: Taylor 714CE in standard tuning (all tuned down 3 semitones)
Photography: Thanks go to Nigel and Libby Hume at Hume Photography.
LYRICS:
Wake up wake up
The day is going by
The sun may not be here for too long
Wake up wake up
Pull back those blinds
Who knows what will be before the day is gone 

Sun comes up 
Sun goes down
And the years go drifting by
Sun comes up
Sun goes down
One day at a time 

Wake up wake up
A train is coming in
It won’t be long before that whistle blows
Wake up wake up
Stay or get on board
There’s only so much time 
Before it goes

Sun comes up 
Sun goes down
And the years go drifting by
Sun comes up
Sun goes down
One day at a time

Mmmm mmmm ……………….
Sun comes up … Sun goes down
Sun comes up … Sun goes down 
Mmmm mmmm ………………

One Day at a Time

One Day At A Time

℗ © Copyright Ian Stokes. All Rights Reserved
Recorded and mixed using Logic. Mastered in Soundcloud
Guitar played: Taylor 714CE tuned B F♯ B E G♯ B
Photography: Thanks go to Nigel and Libby Hume at Hume Photography.
LYRICS:
In the cool of the Arizona morning
There are no words to say
The sun lights up
The eastern sky
At the dawn…….
Of a brand new day

The tumbleweed is turning
Looking to put down some roots
Maybe it’s just my calling
To have dust ……
All over my boots 

I don’t see all there is to see
I don’t hear all there is to hear
There’s light and there’s shade and something in-between
And the distance …………drawing near

I’ve got dust all over my boots
I’ve got dust all over my boots
I’ve got dust all over my boots
I’ve got dust  …………. all over my boots

The slow and steady beat
Of these hooves upon the ground
Horse and rider as one
And at peace ………
With that sound

I don’t see all there is to see
I don’t hear all there is to hear
There’s light and there’s shade and something in-between
And the distance …………drawing near 

I’ve got dust all over my boots
I’ve got dust all over my boots
I’ve got dust all over my boots
I’ve got dust  …………. all over my boots

℗ © Copyright Ian Stokes. All Rights Reserved
Recorded and mixed using Logic. Mastered in Soundcloud
Guitar played: Taylor 714CE tuned DADGAD
Photography: Thanks go to Nigel and Libby Hume at Hume Photography.

Having just completed my third solo album, I thought I would do another acoustic guitar instrumental and it now being the month of May.................

The Month Of May

℗ © Copyright Ian Stokes. All Rights Reserved
Recorded and mixed using Logic. Mastered in Soundcloud
Guitars played: Morris Nylon String in standard tuning
Photography: Thanks go to Nigel and Libby Hume at Hume Photography.
I thought it was time to start writing and recording some new songs, with a view to putting together a new solo album over the winter. For this song I have returned to my nylon string Morris guitar. Hope you like it!
LYRICS:
Sitting…. In my rocking chair
Rollin…….. with the beat
Pickin …..out a tune
Keeping time… tapping my feet

Maybe I’m getting old 
Maybe I’m getting slow 
Maybe things don’t seem like they used to do
Maybe, maybe not…. I don’t know 

Sitting….. in my rocking chair 
Close my eyes and see
All the places I have been
Just rollin … with the beat

Maybe I’m getting old 
Maybe I’m getting slow 
Maybe things don’t seem like they used to do
Maybe, maybe not…. I don’t know

My Rocking Chair

℗ © Copyright Ian Stokes. All Rights Reserved
Recorded and mixed using Logic. Mastered in Soundcloud
Guitars played: Taylor 714CE in standard tuning (Capo 3rd Fret)
Photography: Thanks go to Nigel and Libby Hume at Hume Photography.
LYRICS: 
The young man searched the earth and sky 
But somehow searched in vain
Looking for the rainbow’s end
But all he found……. was the rain

And yet within the darkest woods
A camp fire burning bright
A old man sat so gently 
In the glow of the firelight

Are you the one they call the sage 
The one so old and wise
Is it you who sees the way
Though you have no eyes

The man looked up……… and on his face
He wore a gentle smile
You’re welcome here my son, he said
Come rest now for a while

I know not the answers
Here’s no book upon the shelf
Maybe you will find all you seek 
Is there inside yourself  

What words can know the sunlight
Or the breeze upon your skin
What words can know the answers 
Of all that lies within

They sat there in the silence
No need of words to say
The camp fire lit the night
Until the break of day

The young man….. bid farewell 
His searching now was done
He felt the breeze upon his skin
And walked towards the sun

The Sage

℗ © Copyright Ian Stokes. All Rights Reserved
Recorded and mixed using Logic. Mastered in Soundcloud
Guitars played: Morris Nylon String in standard tuning
Photography: Thanks go to Nigel and Libby Hume at Hume Photography.
LYRICS
Some say left
Some say right 
Some say straight ahead
Some say black
Some say white 
Some say paint it red

Some say that’s a yes 
Some say that’s a no
And some say…….. maybe 
Mmm … just maybe
Who can ever know 

Some say up
Some say down
Some say stay right here
Some say it soft
Some say it loud
Some just say it clear

Some say that’s a yes 
Some say that’s a no
And some say…….. maybe 
Mmm … just maybe
Who can ever know

Who Can Ever Know

℗ © Copyright Ian Stokes. All Rights Reserved
Recorded and mixed using Logic. Mastered in Soundcloud
Guitars played: Taylor 714CE in DADGAD Tuning
Photography: Thanks go to Nigel and Libby Hume at Hume Photography.

This is my first attempt at recording a guitar instrumental with a stereo matched pair of small diaphragm condenser mics. Hope you like it!!

Firelight

℗ © Copyright Ian Stokes. All Rights Reserved
Recorded and mixed using Logic. Mastered in Soundcloud
Guitar played: Taylor 714CE in standard tuning (Capo 1st Fret)
Photography: Thanks go to Nigel and Libby Hume at Hume Photography.
SONG NOTES and LYRICS:
I wrote this song about an imaginary character born and raised on the Mississippi, growing up to be a music man. It's not based on anybody real, but is a kind of tribute to all (blues) musicians down the ages, who have developed their own style of playing and have become admired by future generations. I was inspired to learn to play the guitar listening to great guitar players and fascinated by their ability to simultaneously play a bass line, percussive rhythm and melody, while singing at the same time. (For guitar players interested in how this song is played, it is capo'd at the first fret and played in Bflat, using the thumb on the left hand to play bass notes while stretching fingers 3 and 4 for hammer-ons.). Hope you like it!

They named him Mississippi
That’s where he was born and found
Raised by the crew of a steamboat
Never did like his feet on solid ground 
Could have grown up to be a gambler
But he’d seen where the money goes
So he just played the blues
And watched the river flow

So Mississippi he became a music man
His hat tilted to one side
He wore a watch chain in his waistcoat 
And a twinkle in his eye 
Those gamblers liked to buy him a whiskey
So he’d smile on the dice they’d throw
As he’d play them the blues
And watch the river flow

Now they say down in Mississippi
When you’re riding on the river at night
That if you raise up your glass of whisky
There’s a chance that you just might
Hear the sound across the water 
From the deck of that old paddle boat 
As he plays the blues 
And watches the river flow

Mississippi

℗ © Copyright Ian Stokes. All Rights Reserved
Recorded, mixed and mastered using Logic. 
Guitars played: Taylor 714CE in DADGAD Tuning
Photography: Thanks go to Nigel and Libby Hume at Hume Photography.

Acoustic guitar instrumental.

Reunion

℗ © Copyright Ian Stokes. All Rights Reserved
Recorded, mixed and mastered in Logic. 
Guitar played: Taylor 714CE in standard tuning (Capo 3rd Fret)
Photography: Thanks go to Nigel and Libby Hume at Hume Photography.
LYRICS:
The king said to the pauper 
How I wish I was like you 
Then I would not have to worry about 
The things a king must do

The pauper smiled and said well
I suppose that must be so
But some would say that being a king
Beats begging in the snow

The king looked to the distance
Said I see your point of view
But you must know that being a king 
Can be a burden too

The pauper nodded gently 
Said, I’m sorry for your pain
But some would rather bear that burden
Than be homeless in the rain

The king said to the pauper
Tell me what are we to do
It seems to me that I could learn
A thing or two from you

The pauper thought a while and said 
It might seem I've nothing to lose
But we might hear a different story 
From a man who has no shoes

The two men bid farewell 
To their different lives returned
And some will ask what happens 
When the page gets turned 

When the stars all realign
What will tomorrow bring
Is the king become a pauper
Or the pauper now a king?

The Pauper and The King

The Pauper And The King

℗ © Copyright Ian Stokes. All Rights Reserved
Recorded, mixed and mastered in Logic. 
Guitars played: Morris Nylon String in standard tuning. 
Photography: Thanks go to Nigel and Libby Hume at Hume Photography.
LYRICS:
London Town is a place to see
That's what I've been told 
Maybe I should go 
Before I get too old
Look through the gates of the Palace
Or even … number 10
Stroll down by the river Thames
And look up at Big Ben

Or..... I could sit here in the sunshine 
Upon my garden swing
Maybe write a song 
For somebody to sing
Just sit back, relax
And watch my worries disappear
The more I think it through
I like……. just being here

I could walk along the South Bank
Visit a gallery
Go down to the Tower
Take in all that history
Maybe a museum
See a dinosaur or two
Then go up a tall glass building
And just take in the view

Or..... I could sit here in the sunshine 
Upon my garden swing
Maybe write a song 
For somebody to sing
And when the evening comes
Just drink an ice cold beer
The more I think it through
I like……. just being here

Just Being Here

℗ © Copyright Ian Stokes. All Rights Reserved
Recorded, mixed and mastered in Logic. 
Guitar played: Taylor 714CE in standard tuning 
Photography: Thanks go to Nigel and Libby Hume at Hume Photography.
LYRICS:
From the northlands up in the mountains
To the southlands across the seas
You might ask me what I know
About the places I have seen 

And I might say that I’m not sure 
There’s always something new out there to learn
Grey skies follow blue and blue skies follow grey
Who can say when the weather will turn

But it’s funny…………. how the wind knows
Funny…………… how the wind ……………just knows
It’s so funny…………. how the wind knows
So funny…………… how the wind ……………just knows

Could go west to the setting sun
Could go east to the break of day 
And you might ask me what I know
About the places I'll see along the way

And I might say that I’m not sure 
There’s always something new out there to learn
Grey skies follow blue and blue skies follow grey
Who can say when the weather will turn

But it’s funny…………. how the wind knows
Funny…………… how the wind ……………just knows
It’s so funny…………. how the wind knows
So funny…………… how the wind ……………just knows

℗ © Copyright Ian Stokes. All Rights Reserved
Recorded, mixed and mastered in Logic. 
Guitar played: Taylor 714CE in standard tuning (Capo 1st Fret)
Photography: Thanks go to Nigel and Libby Hume at Hume Photography.
Song Notes:
For those who have expressed an interest in how I record my acoustic guitar, I use two small diaphragm condenser mics set up in an XY pattern mounted on a stereo bar within a reflexion filter. I record identical versions of the guitar tracks and then select one for the stereo left channel and one for the stereo right channel. 
Soundcloud has proved to be a wonderful place to connect with musicians and with people who love to listen to music all over the world. There is something truly magical and inspirational about receiving feedback from someone who has listened to my music. 
It’s incredible to be able to post a song on Soundcloud and know that someone - maybe on the other side of the planet - or as the song says "...down in the delta..." has somehow connected with my music.
Thank you for listening!!

LYRICS:
Winding its way through the canyon 
Like a snake in the mid-day sun
I could sit here for a lifetime 
And watch that river run
And somewhere down in the delta 
Where the river runs to the sea
Maybe someone is watching that river 
Someone just like me

Running wild, river running deep 
It’s something I can’t explain
But somehow I feel that river
Is running ………….through my veins

It’s a universal story
Under the mid-day sun
Another life in another lifetime
Will watch that river run
And somewhere down in the delta 
Where the river runs to the sea
Someone will watch that river 
Maybe Someone just like me

Running wild, river running deep 
It’s something I can’t explain
But somehow I feel that river
Is running ………….through my veins

Someone Just Like Me

℗ © Copyright Ian Stokes. All Rights Reserved
Recorded, mixed and mastered in Logic. 
Guitar played: Taylor 714CE in standard tuning (Capo 2nd Fret)
Photography: Thanks go to Nigel and Libby Hume at Hume Photography.
Lyrics:
Maybe one day I’ll go sailing
Out on the big blue sea
Where the fishes swim around, going up and down 
Like a fish …….was meant to be

What a lovely way to spend the day 
Just being out there afloat 
And oh what joy to shout ahoy
From the deck of a sailing boat 

Sailing along in the sunshine
Just me and the ocean breeze
Then across the bay I’d make my way
Back home in time for tea

Steady as you go
Steady as you go   

Maybe one day I’ll go sailing 
Out on the big blue sea 
Along the coast I could make the most
Of the nautical scenery

What a lovely way to spend a day 
Just being out there afloat 
See a smugglers cove or a treasure trove
From the deck of a sailing boat 

Sailing along in the sunshine
Just me and the ocean breeze
Then across the bay I’d make my way
Back home in time for tea

Steady as you go
Steady as you go

Steady As You Go

℗ © Copyright Ian Stokes. All Rights Reserved
Recorded, mixed and mastered in Logic.
Guitar played: Taylor 714CE in standard tuning (Capo 4th Fret) 
Photography: Thanks go to Nigel and Libby Hume at Hume Photography.
Lyrics:
The blind man lay down his walking cane
And rested by a stream
He thought he heard a minstrel sing
Or was it just a dream
A voice so calm and gentle
Full of love and full of grace
The air so sweet as if there was
Some magic in this place

The blind man sat contentedly
To hear the minstrel play
His words painted a picture
Of the dawning of the day
The rising of the morning sun
The light now giving shade
Such things he saw, such images
How could they ever fade

The minstrel played his song
And let the blind man be
At peace with at all the wonders
That his minds eye could now see
The oceans and the mountains
An eagle flying high
The colours of a rainbow 
Across the evening sky

He gathered up his walking cane
And softly bid farewell
My thanks to you kind minstrel
For the stories that you tell
Out there now ahead of him
A new path somehow lay 
As the minstrel’s voice began again
To sing and light his way

If all the stars could tell their tale 
What stories there would be
Of all that makes this universe 
Including you and me
What lies unseen beneath,
Beyond beginning with no end
For all we think we know 
What do we really “know” my friend

The Blind Man

℗ © Copyright Ian Stokes. All Rights Reserved
Recorded, mixed and mastered in Logic.
Guitar played: Taylor 714CE in standard tuning (Capo 6th Fret)
Photography: Thanks go to Nigel and Libby Hume at Hume Photography.
Lyrics:
Sometimes I like to go fishing 
Down on the river side
Being out there in the open air 
Watching those fish go by

With a pole and line in the water 
Sit back and just wait 
Never catch a fish
Never get a bite 
Never use any fish bait

You would not call me a fisherman 
Happy just to let things be 
I don’t bother those fishes 
Those fishes don’t bother me 

You might find me
On a summer’s day 
Down on the river side
Listening to the sound of a running stream 
Watching those fish go by 

With a pole and line in the water 
Sit back and just wait 
Never catch a fish
Never get a bite 
Never use any fish bait

You would not call me a fisherman 
I’m happy just to let things be 
I don’t bother those fishes 
Those fishes don’t bother me

Never Catch A Fish

℗© Copyright Ian Stokes. All Rights Reserved
Recorded, mixed and mastered in Logic.
Guitar played: Taylor 714CE in standard tuning 
Photography: Thanks go to Nigel and Libby Hume at Hume Photography.
Song Notes and Lyrics:
This song imagines one of those occasions when you by chance find yourself in a place where there is some great live music that somehow just seems right.....
Lyrics:
Somewhere in New York City
Or was it down in New Orleans 
Could have been in San Francisco
Or maybe it was all a dream
I was walking by an old blues bar-room 
When I heard somebody playing with some style
So I bought myself an ice cold beer
And listened for a while

Looked like he’d lived a whole life-time
Beard gone silver grey
The people in the place seemed spellbound
Happy just to hear him play
At home on stage under the spotlight 
Keeping time with his heel on the floor
I bought myself another beer
I stayed and Iistened some more 

He wore a fine silk waistcoat
Jacket on the back of his seat
Hat pulled down to his cheekbone
Boots tapping out that beat

He played until the bar-room closed
Right sound right time right place
He walked off into the night
With his old leather guitar case
Never knew his name
Don’t even know if he still plays
But I’ll picture that stage and hear that sound
For the rest…of my days

He wore a fine silk waistcoat
Jacket on the back of his seat
Hat pulled down to his cheekbone
Boots tapping out that beat

Fine Silk Waistcoat

℗ © Copyright 2024 Ian Stokes. All Rights Reserved
Recorded, mixed and mastered in Logic.
Guitar played: Taylor 714CE in standard tuning
Photography: 
Thanks go to Nigel and Libby Hume at Hume Photography.
SONG NOTES AND LYRICS: 
It's nice to be recording again with a view to completing my 5th Solo album over the next few months. I decided to go with just guitar and vocals for this song, which I think best reflects the lyrics. For those interested in how I record my acoustic guitar, I have used a slightly different technique for this song, using a blend of stereo small diaphragm microphones, together with Direct Input from my Taylor electro-acoustic guitar, played through a mixer into my audio interface. Hope you like it.

LYRICS:
I watch the dawn approaching 
The earth beneath my feet 
Spins in all it’s silence 
To the sound ….. of my heart beat

And over the horizon
These colours fill the skies 
I breathe in this morning air
Thankful for my eyes 

For I am but a fellow traveller
As we circle round the sun
For all this life we ever know 
We travel all as one

I watch the dusk approaching
The earth beneath my feet 
Spins into the moonlight 
To the sound ….of my heart beat

And I gaze up in wonder 
Beyond these starlit skies 
I breathe in this cool night air
Thankful for my eyes 

For I am but a fellow traveller
As we circle round the sun
For all this life we ever know 
We travel all as one

The Sound of My Heart Beat

The Sound Of My Heart Beat

℗ © Copyright 2024 Ian Stokes. All Rights Reserved
Recorded, mixed and mastered in Logic.
Guitar played: Taylor 714CE in standard tuning (capo 3rd fret)
Photography:
Thanks go to Nigel and Libby Hume at Hume Photography.
SONG NOTES AND LYRICS:
Let the rain come down 
Take this river to the sea
Let the rain come down
Take this river to the sea
Way out here
Just the rain and the river and me

Let the rain come down 
The things this old river has seen 
Let the rain come down 
The things this old river has seen
Way out here
It’s just the rain and the river me

From the top of this hill 
How this river flows
Doing what a river does 
What a river knows 
Let the rain come down 
Take the river where the river goes 

Let the rain come down 
What will be will be 
Let the rain come down 
What will be will be 
Way out here
Just the rain and the river and me

The Rain and The River and Me

℗ © Copyright Ian Stokes. All Rights Reserved
Recorded, mixed and mastered using Logic.
Guitars played: Taylor 714CE in open C Sharp tuning (Capo 9th Fret)
Photography: Thanks go to Nigel and Libby Hume at Hume Photography.

Having originally released this song on Soundcloud in 2021, I am delighted that the wonderful violinist Jessica Elisabeth has added her beautifully crafted playing to this remixed and remastered track. 

I hope you enjoy listening to this new version of one of my personal favourites.


LYRICS: 
These thoughts go drifting by
And I watch them fade away
Where they come from I don’t know
Where they go, who can say
It seems that there is always
A lesson to be learned
Another twist in the story
As the pages get turned

So I put on my walking shoes
Take it steady, take it slow
Turn my collar to the rain
Breathe in deep and let it go 

What are the rules in this game
Are there any rules at all?
These thoughts go drifting by
And down the waterfall
It seems that there is always
A lesson to be learned
Another chapter in the story
As the pages get turned

So I put on my walking shoes
Take it steady, take it slow
Turn my collar to the rain
Breathe in deep and let it go

Now I’m standing by the river
At the foot of the mountainside
Will the grass be any greener
Over on the other side
It seems that there is always
A lesson to be learned
Another time, another story
As the pages get turned

So I put on my walking shoes
Take it steady, take it slow
Turn my collar to the rain
Breathe in deep and let it go

My Walking Shoes Feat Jessica Elisabeth

My Walking Shoes Featuring Jessica Elisabeth

℗ © Copyright Ian Stokes. All Rights Reserved
Recorded, mixed and mastered using Logic.
Guitars played: Taylor 714CE in DADGAD tuning (Capo 9th Fret)
Photography: Thanks go to Nigel and Libby Hume at Hume Photography.
SONG NOTES:
This song reflects my growing awareness of the incomprehensible nature of a star in the sky, which has captivated the imagination of humanity since the dawn of time. All that amazing energy, captured in a little word of just three letters, the sun. 
LYRICS:
Such a little word “the sun”
With all its mystery 
Yet, without the sun my friend
Where oh where would we be?

With colours that glisten and dance all around
As far as the eye can see 
Without the sun tell me my friend
Where oh where would we be 

For who can say how it does what it does 
Painting the sky so blue
As pretty a picture as I’ve ever seen
Oh the things the sun can do

The years come and go like the ocean tide
But is time ever what it seems?
Without the sun, tell me my friend
Where oh where would we be?

Chorus

A Little Word

Some Day Soon

Acoustic Song by Ian Stokes    
Recorded at Deadline Studios, Leicester
© ℗ Ian Stokes. All Rights Reserved
Photography: Thanks to Nigel and Libby Hume at Hume Photography

Listening to buskers playing in the London Underground is a joy which brightens up the commuters day. The quality of musicianship is so high and occasionally, even on the busiest day, can stop you in your tracks, so that you just have to stay and listen to the end of the performance. I wrote this song in recognition of buskers everywhere, playing their music for us all.

Life is Good

Life Is Good

Sunrise

Cruel Cruel World

© ℗ Ian Stokes. All Rights Reserved
Recorded, mixed and mastered using Logic.
Guitar played: Taylor 714CE - in DADGAD tuning (all tuned down a half step).
Photography: Thanks go to Nigel and Libby Hume at Hume Photography.

I wrote this song as a tribute to the late great John Martyn.

Never Be Forgotten

© ℗ Copyright Ian Stokes. All Rights Reserved 
Recorded and mixed using Logic. Mastered in Soundcloud.
Photography: Thanks go to Nigel and Libby Hume at Hume Photography.

Thank you so much for all your comments on this instrumental, which are greatly appreciated. People have expressed an interest in the various tunings I use on different songs so I thought I would add a few explanatory notes.
The guitar I play on this track is my Taylor 714CE - in DADGAD tuning (all tuned down a half step).

Springtime

℗ © Copyright Ian Stokes. All Rights Reserved
Recorded and mixed using Logic. Mastered in Soundcloud
Guitars played: Rhythm - Taylor T5 (Koa Top); Lead - Morris Nylon String 

It's been good fun recording this song, which I started to write some years ago, sitting in a beautiful cafe in a wonderful town square in France.  Hope you like it!
LYRICS:
Behind her cool sunglasses and her long dark hair
No one sees the colour of her eyes
At her table in the corner of the cafe on the square
She watches the world go by

And he just longs to know her
As she comes to the cafe every day
But when he takes her coffee to her table
He can never find the words to say

Behind her cool sunglasses and her long dark hair
As the world goes walking by
From her table in the corner of the cafe on the square
She keeps him in the corner of her eye

And she just longs to know him
As he waits on her table every day
But when he brings her coffee to her table
She can never find the words to say

She raises her sunglasses to the top of her head
Holding back her long dark hair
At her table in the corner of the cafe in the square 
She looks up from her chair

As he brings her coffee to her table 
Just as does every day
His eyes meet hers for the very first time
No need for any words to say

Cafe On The Square

℗ © Copyright Ian Stokes. All Rights Reserved
Recorded and mixed using Logic. Mastered in Soundcloud
Guitars played: Taylor 714CE (DADGAD tuning - all tuned down a half step).
Photography: Thanks go to Nigel and Libby Hume at Hume Photography.

LYRICS:
Sometimes things get broken
Sometimes they can mend
Sometimes words are spoken
And forgiven ………in the end

Could be a good thing
Could be a bad thing
Who can tell …..how these things go 
Could be a good thing
Could be a bad thing
Don’t ask me……… I don't know

Old man at the table in the bar-room
Takes a breath and gives a little smile
Drinks his beer …..and thinks about a whiskey 
Just a little comfort…….. for a while

Could be a good thing
Could be a bad thing
Who can tell …..how these things go 
Could be a good thing
Could be a bad thing
Don’t ask me……… I don't know

Young man reaches the crossroads
Wondering if somebody switched the signs
His heart says … take the high road
His head says … that’ll be just fine

Could be a good thing
Could be a bad thing
Who can tell …..how these things go 
Could be a good thing
Could be a bad thing
Don’t ask me……… I don't know

℗ © Copyright Ian Stokes. All Rights Reserved
Recorded and mixed using Logic. Mastered in Soundcloud
Guitars played: Taylor 714CE (DADGAD tuning - all tuned down a half step).
Photography: Thanks go to Nigel and Libby Hume at Hume Photography.

I wrote this song during the lockdown, imagining how much more difficult things would have been in days gone by, when earlier generations had so very little means of communication. Travelling minstrels would go from town to town and entertain the local people. In my mind, I pictured townsfolk gathering to listen to a minstrel's song, bringing a message of hope, that their future would be brighter, all joining in to sing in candlelight, illuminating the darkness. I hope this song brings some joy in dark times.
LYRICS:
The people gathered round
To hear the minstrel sing
A song to bring them hope
That winter would turn to spring
The frost was biting deep
And the snow had lain so long
So the people gathered round 
To hear the minstrel’s song

The winds of change are coming
Let them hear you sing
The winds of change will turn
Winter into spring

Times may be hard
But somehow we know
That seasons will come
And seasons will go
So together all as one
With voices so strong
People gathered round
To sing the minstrel’s song 

The winds of change are coming
Let them hear you sing
The winds of change will turn
Winter into spring

Their voices all rang out
Out into the night
The magic of a song
Sung by candle light
Watching the flames
Of the candles burn
Waiting …for 
The winds of change to turn

The winds of change are coming
Let them hear you sing
The winds of change will turn
Winter into spring

The Winds of Change

The Winds Of Change

℗ © Copyright Ian Stokes. All Rights Reserved
Recorded and mixed using Logic. Mastered in Soundcloud
Guitars played: Taylor 714CE in standard tuning 
Photography: Thanks go to Nigel and Libby Hume at Hume Photography.
LYRICS: 
Some would say I’ve got no sense of direction
Some would say I’ve got no sense at all
Some would say I’m going round in circles
Like a clock ticking on the the wall

Maybe I do 
Maybe I don’t
Maybe I will 
Maybe I won’t

Some people say I move too fast
Some people say I move too slow
Some people say there’s no need to move at all
If you don’t know where to go

Maybe I do 
Maybe I don’t
Maybe I will 
Maybe I won’t

I might go looking for the sun in the morning
Or maybe in the afternoon
Sit back with a cold beer in the evening
And just look up at the moon 

Some would say head for the highlands 
Some say the lowlands are for me 
Some would say just follow your heart
Wherever that may be

Maybe I do 
Maybe I don’t
Maybe I will 
Maybe I won’t

I might go looking for the sun in the morning
Or maybe in the afternoon
Sit back with a cold beer in the evening
And just look up at the moon 

Maybe I do 
Maybe I don’t
Maybe I will 
Maybe I won’t

Maybe I Do

℗ © Copyright Ian Stokes. All Rights Reserved
Recorded and mixed using Logic. Mastered in Soundcloud
Guitars played: Taylor 714CE in open C Sharp tuning (Capo 9th Fret)
Photography: Thanks go to Nigel and Libby Hume at Hume Photography.
After trying out many different styles for this song, I eventually settled on straightforward acoustic guitar and vocals. Hope you like it!
LYRICS: 
These thoughts go drifting by
And I watch them fade away
Where they come from I don’t know
Where they go, who can say
It seems that there is always
A lesson to be learned
Another twist in the story
As the pages get turned

So I put on my walking shoes
Take it steady, take it slow
Turn my collar to the rain
Breathe in deep and let it go 

What are the rules in this game
Are there any rules at all?
These thoughts go drifting by
And down the waterfall
It seems that there is always
A lesson to be learned
Another chapter in the story
As the pages get turned

So I put on my walking shoes
Take it steady, take it slow
Turn my collar to the rain
Breathe in deep and let it go

Now I’m standing by the river
At the foot of the mountainside
Will the grass be any greener
Over on the other side
It seems that there is always
A lesson to be learned
Another time, another story
As the pages get turned

So I put on my walking shoes
Take it steady, take it slow
Turn my collar to the rain
Breathe in deep and let it go

My Walking Shoes

Thank you for visiting my Soundcloud page. 
It's great to connect with so many talented musicians here on Soundcloud! On this page you'll find my original songs (including 5 albums) and acoustic guitar instrumentals (including 2 EP's), together with various notes about guitars played, tunings, recording etc.

Musical influences for me have been many and varied including for example Bert Jansch, John Martyn, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Mark Knopfler, BB King, Jethro Tull, Pink Floyd, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Fleetwood Mac, Fairport Convention, Paul Simon,  JJ Cale, Eric Clapton, Colin Hay and John Mayer.

Hope you enjoy listening to my music.

Photography: Thanks go to Nigel and Libby Hume at Hume Photography.

Ian Stokes

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