Première pensée   (Translated after French text )
Vidéo :  https://youtu.be/NYPOfarT2w0
Texte et chant : Muette
Musique : Alain Illos

Dans le vase de mon cœur
L’amour est à ras bord.
Dans le tien, une fleur
T'offre une nouvelle aurore.
Dans le sol de mon cœur
S’est ouverte une crevasse.
Le tien, d’heure en heure,
Se durcit et se tasse.
Dans la salle de bain
Où j'me rends présentable,
Je n'me trouve plus aimable
Et je te cherche en vain.
Mes yeux n’ont pas compris,
Immobiles dans la glace,
Butés comme des impasses,
Et ce corps inutile...
Quand viendra-t-il ce jour
Où ma première pensée
N'aura pas ton langage,
Où ma première pensée
N'aura pas ton visage,
Où ma première pensée
Sera d'boire un café ?
Je voudrais comme toi
Etre hors la loi d’amour,
Mais je suis condamnée
A te faire vivre toujours.
Je voudrais comme toi
Faire juste un demi-tour
Et t’avoir oublié.
Dis-moi comment tu fais.


First thought

In the vase of my heart
Love is overflowing.
In yours, a flower
Offers you a new dawn.
In the soil of my heart
A crack has opened.
Yours, hour by hour,
Hardens and settles.
In the bathroom
Where I make myself presentable,
I no longer find myself lovable
And I search for you in vain.
My eyes have not understood,
Motionless in the mirror,
Stubborn like dead ends,
And this useless body...
When will that day come
When my first thought
Will not be of you,
When my first thought
Will not be your face,
When my first thought
Will be to drink a coffee?
I would like, like you,
To be outside the law of love,
But I am condemned
To keep you alive forever.
I would like, like you,
To just turn around
And forget you.
Tell me how you do it.

Première pensée avec Muette

Recording sessions from 21/04/2024 - 06/05//2024.
presets, mixing, processing and editing: Pier WILL.
________________________________________________________________________
- Made with MOOG & Modular / Multi-tracks
- Composed, arranged, performed, produced by Pier WILL & Studio 4H09
- Artwork - Pier WILL
- Acknowledgements - Ableton, AKG, Arturia, Audacity, Cantabile, Focusrite,
  Korg, M-Audio, MSI, Sony, SoundCloud, Teac, Techniks, Yamaha.
________________________________________________________________________
❤️🕊️🙏 

Heart of the Upper City

Beyond Forgetting is a piece written for my mother while going through the stages of chemo brain.  The forgetting, the lack of recall, wishing for things that no longer existed... Twenty-five years of suffering until finally passing away at age 89.  She was so loved and well-taken care of during this time. We as family had a longing of what once was in her life and ours.  Humbleness is perhaps the gift that was most learned during this time.  For there was no opportunity for selfishness, but simply showing love to a dear, dear beautiful mother.

Beyond Forgetting

I wrote a song called "Rapture" and the The Beating Edge Recorded a fantastic rocking version that I just love https://soundcloud.com/beatingedge/rapture?si=25980ccbeac641d88908cd1945d69048&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing but I decided to go down a rabbit hole and attempt to record a more acoustic version of the song.  I first played the song with just my acoustic guitar and I recorded it on my iPhone 16 pro.  I then used a stem splitter to separate the guitar from the vocals and then I used the iPhone recorded guitar as the centerpiece for the song. 
Guitar:  Taylor 114ce (Recorded on iPhone) 
Organ: playing my midi keyboard with logic pro Bebop organ sound
Bass: Playing my midi keyboard with native instruments Rickenbacker bass sound.
Vocals and back up vocals: recorded using a Rhode NT1 5th generation mic.
Copyright 2025 Joe Stroffolino
Lyrics:

These prophets who say the world's gonna end and they set a specific date
And then when it doesn't happen, their followers still think they're great

The sun rises the next morning and people stumble out of bed
Disappointed that the rapture didn't happen and they're still alive instead of dead

All these people going through the motions, trying to deal with the daily grind
Hoping the rapture comes soon and they're not the ones who are left behind

They claim they have a direct line to God but there was a glitch in the connection
But now they're certain of the expiration date so they issue a correction

The shepherd guides the flock and tries to keep them safe from harm
But how many times can you cry wolf before people ignore your alarm

All these people going through the motions, trying to deal with the daily grind
Hoping the rapture comes soon and they're not the ones who are left behind

Who cares about the environment if you think the world is gonna end
And you're convinced the second coming is right around the bend

So drill baby drill and chop down all the plants and trees
No need to spend money on curing terrible disease

In every generation throughout history, people were certain that the rapture would come
And they had followers willing to believe them as they fed them each a tiny crumb

In baseball you only get three strikes and then the umpire says you're out
But when it comes to doomsday prophecies, the true believers have no doubt

All these people going through the motions, trying to deal with the daily grind
Hoping the rapture comes soon and they're not the ones who are left behind

Rapture (Acoustic Version)

Det hände det skedde. 1417 ( 1993 ) Margareta Theorin ( Margareta )

Check out Dan van den Berg and Sergio Parraga on our original Double Vision.  Dan created the simply marvelous theme and development including the mesmerizing bass and Sergio's syncopated latin percussion goodness drives the music forward.  What a treat and pleasure to again be creating and recording with these outstanding musicians.  Follow their wonderful music and playing here:  
https://soundcloud.com/danarchx
https://soundcloud.com/sergioparraga

And for playlists of our music together:
https://soundcloud.com/jamie-rhind/sets/dazzling-em-dan-van-den-berg
https://soundcloud.com/jamie-rhind/sets/swinging-with-sergio-parraga

And as always, thank you for your generous time listening, for your comments and for your shares

Double Vision

I've been hearing so much AI music on SoundCloud lately that instead of jumping on the AI bandwagon, it's pushing me in the other direction where I want to do more songs with just me and my guitar.  
This is a live version that I played straight through from start to finish which I am using as an audition song for the Tucson Folk Festival.
And if you're curious, here's a link to a YouTube video of me singing a different version  the song live (iPhone recording). https://youtu.be/qMe4Uh39uhY?si=jBvf8uvDZQyDgiVg

Elvis in the 1970’s in his jumpsuit and his cape.
Some say he didn’t really die he just decided to escape.
Over the year’s there’ve been sightings like Bigfoot and UFO’s.
Of Elvis shopping at Walmart dressed in ordinary clothes.
They say it’s good to be king – but sometimes maybe it’s not.
When you’re coasting on your past glory and now, you’re lukewarm instead of hot.
If Elvis was still alive, he’d be approaching the century mark.
He’d be a tired old hound dog - would he still be able to bark.
If he put on a pair of blue suede shoes and he tried to shake his hips.
And he strummed his guitar on a street corner would people give him any tips.
They say it’s good to be king – but sometimes maybe it’s not
When you’re coasting on your past glory and now, you’re lukewarm instead of hot
There’s day’s when you feel like you’re trapped in a routine 
And you’re going through the motions, and you want to start fresh and clean.
Somewhere between 1968 and 1977 Elvis took a detour and he ended up in Heaven.
It’s nice to imagine that maybe he was sick of sick and tired of all that fame.
And one day he just decided to retire from playing the game.
If he sang that song love me tender, would it till make the young women swoon.
Or would they stare at him with curiosity like at the zoo when you see a baboon.
If he put on the black leather costume that he wore in 1968 
And he played the same set list would people still think he was so great?
Elvis in Black leather in 1968 strumming his guitar he looked so good
And his voice was really great.
At the top of his game in perfect form he could have stopped right then
He could have walked away - still would have still been a rock and roll legend
They say it’s good to be king – but sometimes maybe it’s not
When you’re coasting on your past glory and now, you’re lukewarm instead of hot.
They say it’s good to be king – but sometimes maybe it’s not
When you’re coasting on your past glory and now, you’re lukewarm instead of hot

Lukewarm King (Acoustic Live Version)

Venus In Furs

Shuttered

whatever it was it was 11.21.25

The Light shines. in the darkness, but the darkness could not overcome it.

Buy / Stream

Piercing Lights

Dragon of the Ivy is  a company owned and managed by Jane Johnson. Presently, all music is contracted through NorthStar Music Publishing for music library purchase and/or distribution through all music platforms worldwide.  Thanks to all for listening!!!!