DON’T RING THE BELLS
Janine Levinson    2021

I am leaving. It is over 
Call the lawyer. get a mover
I am walking out forever 
Tell the preacher cause It’s over

It’s the pealing of alarms 
Over the beating of our hearts
It’s the echoes of the sirens as they speed past in the dark

Don’t ring the bells before the house is burning down
We will be hearing them forever
Don’t freeze your heart just ‘cause there’s ice out on the ground 
Just wait for changes in the weather.

I am leaving, it is over 
Call an Uber, call my father
Please just lock the door behind me. 
Here’s the key because it’s over

Don’t ring the bells before the house is burning down 
You know we’ll hear them ring forever 
Don’t reach for pennies when we’ve earned so many pounds 
Don’t spend our future on a feather

One thousand Sundays 
One thousand Sundays

I am leaving - try and stop me 
don’t put on that Wilco record
I am running, it is ending, 
One more kiss and then forever

Don’t ring the bell before the house is burning down

Don't Ring The Bells

I asked Phil to do this cover with me because I thought his voice would be very nice on this tune. He created this nice bed for us to sing over. Thank you Phil, your voice sounds sweet, just like I thought it would ! And thank you Pete T.  for the beautiful tune

@phil-mcwalter - Vocals, music
Share the love: https: https://soundcloud.com/phil-mcwalter/blue-red-and-grey

Blue, Red And Grey - Who cover with Phil McWalter

Original instrumental by Mahan Mahan  https://soundcloud.com/mahan-mahan

Mahan sent me this instrumental track entitled "Janinerator."  Hmm.  I wonder who he really intended it for...   Anyway, I sang over it, totally unsure. It's really different for me. But here it is. Thank you Mahan!

Look the Other Way

Life before was just a bore
Sitting in a café with my
Laptop, looking at the door
And sipping on a latte as        

My head was swaying back and forth
To the rhythm of a mixtape
And my heels were tapping on the floor 
Waiting for my big break

I was thinking swiping left and right
On the faces on my cell phone I’d be
Looking up at mister right
Til’ you stepped into my safe zone

Look the other way
(hey, how are you?)
Look the other way  
(love your picture!)
Look the other way
(in your latte)
Look the other way
(goes my finger)
(I’m a terrible person )

And I’m Falling up
I’m Flying down
The floor is rising up
And I am falling down 

Memories get in the way  
When I go into that weird place, I just
Lock my heart and lock the door
And hide inside my suitcase

And my head is swaying back and forth
In the hallway of a stranger
With my necklace lying on the floor
Even now It feels like danger

Look the other way
Look the other way  
Look the other way
Look the other way
I’m a terrible person

Look The Other Way - with Mahan Mahan

Thank you Beach Boys, Pink Floyd and 10CC for being my loving childhood friends. Who else would have spent so many hours in my headphones with me? And thank you Jonathan Beckenstein for being my now friend and for joining me for this song. You understand it completely.

Guitars, organ, mellotron, mix: @Jonathan_Beckenstein
Song and vocals, "drums," synth bass: Janine Levinson 2021

Hang on to Each Other

Brian Wilson said to hang on to your ego             
But I don’t know if that’s the answer
Disintegration might be what the doctor ordered    
And anyway it doesn’t matter
We should just hang on to each other

Communication is the problem to the answer       
We do for love what’s necessary
Sometimes the white flag is the only one that matters    
When you think love is worth repairing
Then we can hang on to each other

Inside we hear a siren screaming
Inside the walls are fortifying
The words like bullets over parapets and trenches
Fire off all your cannons or surrender

The lunatic is in the hall but I am thinking      
That he could use an invitation
Words on the wing like pigs and dogs and laughing gremlins
Bounce harmless off our best intentions
And we will hang on to each other
We will hang on to each other        
We will hang on

Hang On to Each Other - with Jonathan Beckenstein

This Time of Year 
Janine Levinson 2021

Backing vocals, twinkle, exotic musical decoration: @phil-mcwalter
Song, vocals, keys, drums, bass, bee: Janine Levinson

This Time of Year

This time of year, you know 
Bugs of all types, you know
Six legged, eight legged, grown in a petri dish

This time of year you know
Bees of all stripes they go
All of them searching for nectar and perfect bliss

This time of year 
All kinda girls
Real or fictitious or dressed up in prison clothes

Over the wall they go 
Out on the lam ya know
Looking for your faces exactly like yours you know 
And I’m looking at you

This time of year you know 
Two or three years ago
You told me not to write songs about you, you know

I’ve got to tell you though
You’re the best guy I know
You’ll have to put up with songs ‘til you die you know
And I’ll write them for you

This time of year you know
Bugs of all types, you know
Creepers and crawlers -- bacteria probably

Put on their Sunday hats
Strut around town they go
Looking for someone exactly like you ya know
Just like you

This Time Of Year - with Phil McWalter

How To Lie With Statistics.  2021 Janine Levinson

You take the bottom
You take the top
You take the middle
And add them up
Then you divide
So everyone is average

And then you talk 
About it all
You make it so
You smooth it out
If you don't speak
Don't say the word
Then it won't be

May it never be

The sound of the word makes you average
And when you say the word it makes you average
And time will see what becomes of me
'Cause I don't believe in average

And so you speak
You speak the word
Then everyone is indistinct
The twenty-four, the ninety-three
The thirty-five, the seventeen

And not a one will hear his name
But instead will stand in line
And just because the world is round
Will join their hands and always rhyme

The sound of the word makes you average
And when you say the word it makes you average
And time will see what becomes of me
'Cause I don't believe the averages

Average things in a special design
Special things in an average design
Some times in your life, in your lifetime
Special things in a special design

You take the bottom
You take the top
You take the middle
You add them up
Then you divide
So everyone is average

And then you talk 
About it all
And wonder what
What can it mean
To then divide 
To find the mean
Of ninety five and seventeen

The sound of the word makes you average
When you say the word it makes you average
I don't believe in average

How to Lie with Statistics

Because Valentine's Day was yesterday, and today is today.  By Janine Levinson 2022.   **note - I made a mistake and used the phrase "coat of arms" when I meant "suit of armor." Wishful thinking with phrasing I think. Anyway, I like how it came out so I left it that way. You get the point of the song I hope <3

Everything Reminds Him of Her

He wants a whole new sky
He found the end of the stars
He stayed up all night long just looking

He needs a coat of arms 
Around his broken heart
To keep the pangs of love from shooting in

That’s because everything reminds him of her

He kept the car top down
And he just drove around
‘Cause there was her perfume on everything

He bought a brand new ride 
He put the Mustang down
Just for that new car smell of a Chevrolet

Because everything reminds him of her

Maybe if It’s always night 
Or maybe if I cross my eyes
Then you can steal away when I’m not looking
Or maybe make a deal with me 
And vanish from my memories
Just keep yourself away so I can face tomorrow’s

Brand new sky 
Featuring all new stars
He stayed up all night long just watching

And into a tiny hole 
Made in his coat of arms
Entered a spear of love just shooting in

And everything reminds him of her

Everything Reminds Him Of Her

Thank you Jonathan for adding your wonderful guitars!!

OKAY I WON'T                 Janine Levinson 2022

Guitars: Jonathan Beckenstein @jonathan_beckenstein
Song, bass, keys, vocals: me

Don't be sad    
Don't be shy    
Don't give yourself to every guy

Don't be hard 
Don't be small            
Don't be anything at all

Okay Mom, I won't      
Okay dad, I'll be     
Just what you want
But there's one thing 
I won't be me!

Don't be weak   
Do what's right   
Don't stay out too late at night

Don't be fat 
Don't be lazy  
Keep your mouth shut 
Don't act crazy

Okay Mom, I won't      
Okay dad, I'll be     
Just what you want
But just one thing 
I won't be me!

Time will tell if you destroyed me
Or just simply took my joy
Could it be that I annoy you
Or did you wish you had a boy?

Don't be me
Just be them
Satisfy their every whim

Don't be real,
Don’t be ferocious
Don't reveal my real emotions

Okay Mom I won't
Okay Dad I'll be
Your nice little girl
But just one thing
I won’t be me!

Okay I Won't  -with Jonathan Beckenstein

Thank you Antony for bringing this song to life. And thank you for the swell video too: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LxjceopiYvQ

Vocals, instrumental, production: Burn.It.Smith @burn-it-smith 
Song, vocals: me

I LOVE THE WAY YOU SMELL 

It’s not the way I walk 
- You’ve got a funny way of walking
It’s not the way I talk 
- I never listen when you’re talking

-But the other boys can go to hell 
‘Cause you know I like the way you smell

It’s not the clothes I wear 
- I don’t notice what you’re wearing
It’s not my movie star hair 
- Your looks are kind of overbearing

-But the other boys can go to heck 
‘Cause I just want to sniff your neck

Someone can be as pretty as you please 
Smart as a whip or crazy for me 
But I can’t see the forest for your trees
Cause when it comes to love I’m olfactory

When you’re around me you just stutter and stammer 
- ‘Cause the air around you has got some kind of glamour

-The other boys just aren’t as glamorous
The scent of you makes me amorous

What is it about me that’s so alluring? 
- If I told you it wouldn’t be reassuring

-For other boys I just don’t care
Come over here and let me smell your hair

-Yeah you don’t have to win me over 
Cause I really love the way that you smell

The Way You Smell  - With Burn.It.Smith

Some of Us is Me

2022 Janine Levinson
Guitar: Jonathan Beckenstein  @jonathan_beckenstein
   
I’m sorry that I’m not somebody else    
I’m sorry if I let my people down
I didn’t ask for anybody’s help        
I’m sorry that I waited for this long

But it’s like trying to move your life ahead with a stranger at the wheel 
While trying very hard to get along

I’m sorry that I wrecked my lover’s heart
I hope he knows I wrecked my own heart too
I should have looked somewhere outside myself
I hope there’s room for me inside of you

Cause I’ve been trying to stand up straight when I am broken past repair
And still trying very hard to fix what’s wrong 

Some folks have got it made 
Frolicking in the shade of live oak tree
But some of us we don’t sing so loud, 
And we’re looking down
Some of us is me

I sometimes wish tomorrow wouldn’t come
But yesterday has problems of his own 
Next to you’s the only thing I’ve got
I wish I knew someplace where I belonged   

And I’ve been trying to stand up straight 
‘Cause I was thinking you might share--
And make my little world not feel so wrong

Some folks have got it made 
Frolicking in the shade of live oak tree
But some of us we don’t sing so loud, 
And we’re looking down
Some of us is me

Some Of Us Is Me - with Jonathan Beckenstein

Impulses across a synapse, stars across a galaxy, love from me to you

Songs from a Satellite      
Janine levinson 2022
mixed by Russ https://soundcloud.com/russell-sinfield
#ChaosCookhouse


Songs from a satellite 
Circling the green and blue
And floating down all over you
Stars from a galaxy a forehead wide              
Rocketing from ear to ear
And shooting out of both our eyes

Kids are gonna study us baby for a thousand years to come

The glow of a distant star 
Shining on a distant life
And writing all about us
The quill of a distant pen
An etching of a single life
Took a millennia to write

Kids are gonna study us baby for a thousand years to come

The big swirl of dust and the capillaries
The wedding bells and the flower petals
As the bathwater drains to a tidal eddy
From the tips of the branches counting back to infinity 
The big swirl of dust, and the
Songs from a satellite orbiting the green and blue

Come in? 
Roy G. Biv, paging Roy G. Biv to the galaxy
Roy G. Biv, is there a Roy G. Biv here?
Roy?

Blue on a frequency beyond the light, invisible to human eyes
Is lapping all around us
And we, tethered to the perigee, effectively are bound to be
In love with the world

And the world is so in love with us baby!
The kids are gonna study us baby!
They’re gonna study us

Songs From A Satellite - mixed by Russ

I am grateful that Steve entrusted me with the wonderful guitar track that became this song. It was a real pleasure to write and sing over his fine playing.  I was apprehensive when he suggested we publish my first rough vocal, no fx and all, but then Steve did some mastering and blessed the tune with his lovely deep voice on the chorus parts. and I must say, I love how it came out!  Thank you for listening.

You Might Know Better

Music, Backing Vocals - Steve Vercelloni @Steve-vercelloni

I’ve got secret apprehensions
Things I think that I don’t mention
But I say you know best for me

I’ve heard lies that I won’t swallow
Rules that I don’t want to follow
But I say they’re okay with me

‘Cause you might know better
You might know better

I’ve been told that I’m a handful
But you don’t seem to notice so
I know that you’re the man for me

Must be times I’m unappealing
Times I’m bouncing off the ceiling
But you’re right there for all of me

And you make me better
You make me better

I’ve got secret apprehensions
Things I think that I don’t mention
But I say you know best for me

I’ve heard lies that I won’t swallow
Rules that I don’t want to follow
But I say they’re okay with me

‘Cause you might know better
You might know better
You might know best

You Might Know Better - with Steve Vercelloni  (first of three)

You Make the Grey Skies Blue

This is the second in a set of three tunes with the talented Steve Vercelloni https://soundcloud.com/steve-vercelloni 

Steve was nice enough to send over three really delightful guitar tracks. I did quick demo versions of vocals on all of them, and we decided we liked all three just the way they were, rough and raw. Steve added his nifty low vocals, mastered them, and here they are!

Steve Vercelloni - music and backing vocals, mastering
Janine Levinson - Vocals, lyrics

You Make the Grey Skies Blue

What’s the purpose of the night
Just to make it so I can’t see you 
What’s the purpose of the dawn
It just takes away the dark my eyes were getting used to
What’s the reason for my thoughts
They just make my heart feel so confused
What the devil’s going on
How come nothing goes the way I think it’s supposed to
    
I’m just confused
I’m so confused
And I need you
 
What’s the reason for your smile
It’s so disarming and I’m thinking
I could never even tell
If it’s persuasion or the real thing
But you clear the clouds
And bring the blue
You take the grey
And you make the grey sky blue
You make the grey skies blue
You make the grey skies blue

You Make The Grey Skies Blue - with Steve Vercelloni (second of three)

This song is the third in a series of three tunes that started with some very "in the zone" guitar tracks offered up by Steve Vercelloni for my songwriting pleasure. And a pleasure it was.

As with the first two, we decided to go with our very first pass and forego the fancy footwork. Also like the first two, this is a love song. Unlike the first two, however, this one is about the darker side of love.

Music and mastering, b-vox: Steve Vercelloni @Steve_Vercelloni

Special Friends

Sacrifice
And bad advice
I’m on thin ice
It’s no surprise

Compensate
And hesitate
You’ll get your way
You’ll have your day

Special friends
Means meet the ends
And we’ll pretend
We’ll make amends

Compromise 
Act hypnotized
They’ll authorize
You’ll be surprised

I Thought I Knew - Mixed and Mastered by Russ

Thank you, Jonathan @jonathan_beckenstein for your encouragement, the beautiful guitars you contributed here, and for the thoughtful and satisfying mix job!

Upon This Sea 
Janine Levinson 2023
Guitar and Mix: Jonathan Beckenstein

I don’t get tired, but I get weary   
Feels like my faith abandons me
And from the storm I have no shelter    
I have no boat upon this sea

I don’t feel bad, but I can feel hopeless      
And I can walk, but I lose my feet
I am strong, but I cannot carry    
I have no boat upon this sea
 
Upon this sea   
Upon this sea   
I tread a lifetime 

I am the spring that you will drink from
I give you life and cool your brow
You will not drown, but you will perish
And next to me you will lie down 

Upon this sea  
Upon this sea 
I tread a lifetime

I don’t get tired, but I sure get weary
Feels like my faith abandons me
And from the storm I have no shelter
I have no boat upon this sea

Upon This Sea - with Jonathan Beckenstein

Who'll Think of Me?    2016 Janine Levinson

Janine Levinson- Vocals, Real Drums, Piano
Doug Grean - Guitars, Keys, Bass, Percussion
Written by Janine Levinson
Produced, Recorded and Mixed by Doug Grean @terpsichords

Who'll Think of Me?    

These days, when I'm alone
Although I like the solitude
I worry about the future  
Who I'll be sitting next to
When the world stops turning

It's beautiful tonight
But I think  about the windy line
And who'll be on the other side
With a hand that's reaching out for mine 

When time stops going               
Where will I be?
With stars exploding          
Who'll think of me?
Who'll think of me?

Some days when I'm alone  
Although I'm not despairing
I think about conclusions       
And what I will be wearing

When clocks stop ticking          
What will I see?
With life exploding    
Who'll think of me?   
Who'll think of me?

Who'll hunt for cabbages? 
Who will sail the sea?
Who will make the sandwiches?
And who will dream of me?

Sometimes, when I feel blue
And this is not exaggeration	
To say that I'm consumed
With what will be my graduation

When the waves stop crashing 
Where will I be?
With stars exploding          
Who'll think of me?
Who will think of me?

Who'll Think of Me?

I was so inspired by the beautiful Varanda Velha by Soundwanderer - this melody and these words just appeared and demanded to be recorded. You can hear the wonderful original tune, and many other sound treats, here: @soundwanderer
Edit: The most talented Christian Zatloukal, Soundwanderer, is no long with us. He rings loudly in our hearts. <3 

Music: @Soundwanderer  (Christian Zatloukal)
Lyrics, Vocals: Janine Levinson

If I had a bell to ring
I think I’d ring from spring to autumn
If I had a bell to ring

If I had a hill so green
I think I’d roll from top to bottom
If I had a hill so green

If I had a song to sing
I think I’d sing from night to morning
If I had a song to sing

If I had a hill so green
I think I’d dance from spring to autumn
If I had a hill so green

If I Had A Hill So Green (Veranda Velha) with Soundwanderer

COUNTY JAIL

2016
Janine Levinson: Vocals, Piano
Jon Lock:  Guitar, Bass, Synth   @jonlock
Written by Janine Levinson
Produced by Janine and Jon, Mixed by Jon

Something I heard reminded me 
Of black phones in the county jail 
Talkin' through the safety glass    
They always had that certain smell

Of skin and sweat
I thought it was the scent of fear
But then, just now, I wondered if it was the tears
That make them smell that way

County jail, oh county jail
Is where you never want to be
County jail, I'll visit when
The police take my love from me   

How could it be that little things
Are worth more than your liberty?
Talking through the safety glass
You said these sorry words to me:

 “I’d do the same again if I had purpose to,”
And I wonder now, well just what am I worth to you
A sheet of glass away?

County jail, oh county jail
Is where you never want to be
County jail, I'll visit when
The police take my love from me

It’s a place where you go to get broken
It’s where you’re the worst that you can be
And no truer words were ever spoken, than 
If it’s you in there, there is no "you and me”

County jail, oh county jail
Is where you’re always gonna be
I visit now, and maybe then
But you won’t get the best of me

2016

County Jail   - Acoustic with Jon Lock

THERE WILL BE BILLS TO PAY
2016 

Janine Levinson- Vocals, Piano, Synths
Doug Grean –Bass, Programmed Beats, Synths
Written by Janine Levinson 
Produced, Recorded and Mixed by Doug Grean @terpsichords
Many Thanks to Bill and his Big Toupee

Charlie got a job at a nursery
Had a bunch of bills he couldn't pay
Didn't have the heart to reassemble it
So he just threw his old life away
While his job didn't pay

Maggie bought her soul with daddy's credit card
Thinkin' 'bout the bills got in the way
He didn't have the time to spend the day with her
So she just took the card and walked away
But she'd have big bills to pay

Bills aren't always about the money
Consequences, day by day
Do for yourself, 'cause to owe is lonely
Either way there's a price to pay

Teddy bought a stub, and won the lottery
But lost a little soul every day
He satisfied a long line of creditors 
But couldn't make the thoughts go away
Still had big bills to pay

But bills aren't always paid with money
Lose a little every day
Do for yourself, cause to owe is lonely
The cost to be free is to pay, and pay!

Charlie got a job at a nursery

There Will Be Bills to Pay

IT"S YOU THAT I ADORE
2016

mOag - Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Synth, Mix & Master @man-on-a-grill
Janine Levinson - Vocals, Piano
written by Janine Levinson

Pretty little plaything          
You walked into my door
Exactly like a hundred other playthings did before!

You wanted to be noticed        
It's safe to say you were                      
Unlike the hundred other souls who for my love do burn!
    
Of all the pretty creatures   
You're the one that I live for
There's no other way to say it's you that I adore!

Transcendental beauty     
But made of flesh and bone
My heart is captivated and it’s yours and yours alone!

Tell me that you feel it    
Say that you’ll be mine
I’ll kneel before you on the floor and beg a thousand times!

Of all the perfect beings  
you're more perfect than the rest
There's no other way to say it's you that I love best!

Transcendental beauty 
But made of flesh and bone
My heart is captivated and It’s yours and yours alone!

It's You That I Adore - with mOag

The homegrown acoustic version of this tune is here: https://soundcloud.com/janinelevinson/youre-the-best-thing-homegrown-version

YOU’RE THE BEST THING            

Box, burlap sack, case, metal grate, ceiling, guitar, bass, synth - Doug Grean
Song, piano, drums, vocals - Janine Levinson
Recording, mix, production - Doug Grean

I’ll just wait here in the purple pounding surf
Bob around, maybe catch a ride on a dolphin
I’ll just sit here in this boiling pit of lava
When you come I’ll be hangin' with the gremlins

I’ve got nothing else to do but to wait around for you
You’re the best thing

I’ll just stand here in this angry swarm of bees
Wave my arms, build a cabin from the stingers
I’ll just dig a hole and throw myself down in it
Dig me up, I’ll be rotten and I’ll need your forgiveness

I’ve got nothing else to do standing in the street for you
You’re the best thing

Fortified for frozen winters 
Cupboards full of franks and beans
It could be a long long while 
Good thing I’ve got lots of patience, 
Writing paper, reams and reams
Some for pen, and some to feed the fire

I’ll just wait here in my pretty pink fedora
Keep it blocked so it won’t betray a wrinkle
I’ll just hang around and paint my twitchy fingers
When you come I’ll be wearing all my twinkles
I’ve got nothing left to do than to sparkle on for you
You’re the best thing 
You’re the best thing

2017 janine levinson

You're The Best Thing

This song is about a dear cat boy who came to us last year on a rainy day.

Russell and I batted this tune back and forth for a long time and ended up landing on this very simple arrangement, with talented offspring Alex helping out on double bass.  Thank you Sinfields!!

Oliver                   

I loved you from the moment you arrived
It was raining hard 
And it was cold outside
And we were waiting for the sun

Oh yonder blue that you had never seen
The yellow sparkle on the evergreens
We were waiting for the sun

Oliver, impatiently
We watch the sky       
And breathe in time
And we wait for the sun to shine

I loved you from the moment that you came
Twas the barest moment of the tend’rest day
And we waited on the rays

Oliver, Impatiently
We watch the sky   
And pass the time
And we want very much to go outside 

Climb, the limbs are sturdy 
watch the birds, feel the breeze
There are ripples on the fish pond
Feel the grass under your feet

Oliver, impatiently
We watch the sky        
And pass the time
And we wait for the sun to shine

Oliver 2019. Janine Levinson
bass: Alex Sinfield @alex081099 
mix, master, wisdom: Russell Sinfield @russell-sinfield

Oliver (with two Sinfields)

Tick Tock        Janine Levinson 2020

it was only after i wrote, recorded, and published this song that I realized that figs do not exactly swell out of flowers.  Please forfig me.

I like the change of seasons for the angle of the light
and the feeling that the weather will be changing overnight

I like the air in the winter though it seizes in my lungs
and I cough like I am dying but I love that gentle sun

Tick tock        
I do a mic drop     
Onto the wet rot        
To make a new stalk

The summer melts my worries as the grassy hills turn brown
On the road as we are driving to the beach, where I will drown

Fall is reassuring :  No, we will not roast forever 
As the santa ana winds bend down and yield to cooler weather

Tick tock          
A yellow leaf drops      
Onto the wet rot        
To make a new stalk

I love you, sky!                  
I love you wind!
Pollen, nectar, bark and limb
I am of you, and you are mine
The leaf is born as winter dies

Spring is for seduction as the figs swell out of flowers
And the tadpoles grow their froggy legs  and rain comes down in showers

Tick tock          
A yellow leaf drops      
Onto the wet rot        
To make a new stalk

I like the change of seasons for the angle of the light
and the feeling that the weather will be changing overnight

Tick Tock

Seems relevant!    

Soap and Water Day                      2020 Janine Levinson

Is it Friday or a Monday?               
Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Sunday?
Are there flowers on the hill?              
Is the sky above me still?
All these questions never answered 
The present and the past are mixing  
Future out my window like a fata morgana
No you can’t go out to play! 
‘Cause It’s a soap and water day

Is it really 2020?        
Should I sleep or should I wake?
Lonely in a land of plenty            
Looking for a hand to shake

All this longing never answered 
Present and the past are melting
Looking out my window at mountain of molehills

No I can’t go out to play! 
‘Cause It’s a soap and water day

Disinfect me              
Strip me of my mortal sin
All this trouble to make me whole and clean again

Is it Friday or a Monday? 
Missing you with all my soul
Plant a flower for me someday
And let me know you’re okay

No I can’t go out to play! 
‘Cause It’s a soap and water day

Soap And Water Day

This is a cover of Phil McWalter's beautiful song, "Vodka and Caviar," done with his encouragement, advice, and assistance on glockenspiel and rainstorm.  @phil-mcwalter 
the original is here: https://soundcloud.com/phil-mcwalter/vodka-and-caviar

fresh mastering by @phil-mcwalter  Feb 2021.  thank you Phil!

I once flew across America
Just holding a balloon
Discovered a buried treasure chest
Full of gold doubloon 
I walked into a hurricane
And found myself back home
On a wild white stallion
Galloping through foam

It’s not the truth
But sometimes you can’t complain
It’s just the wind
Through a window on a distant train 

I sold my soul to a friendly gecko
Who left it on the bar
I ate a bag of sunshine
That exploded in my car
I flew with the Egyptian Gods
And travelled to the stars
And I dressed up like a Carnival King
With glitter in glass jars

It’s not the truth
But sometimes you can’t complain
It’s just the wind
Through a window on a distant train
It’s not the truth
But sometimes it aint too far
Just the echoes of days
On vodka and caviar

Some days are
Much better than others
Some nights I
Don’t bother

t’s not the truth
But sometimes you can’t complain
It’s just the wind
Through a window on a distant train
It’s not the truth
But sometimes it aint too far
Just the echoes of days
On vodka and caviar 

The walled up dust on a jester’s laugh
For a cask of sherry wine
The smell of sugar cane in the heat
The sun's incessant shine
Beat around my spinning head
A trail of petalled steps I said
Take me from the tower and sing
My songs around my bed

It’s not the truth
But sometimes you can’t complain
It’s just the wind
Through a window on a distant train
It’s not the truth
But sometimes it aint too far
Just the echoes of days
On vodka and caviar
Vodka and caviar
Vodka and caviar

Mr P's Bag Of Sunshine - with Phil McWalter  (McW's "Vodka & Caviar" Cover)

EASIER THAN LOVE         

2020 Janine Levinson 

There are simpler things In life than love
Like a blue sky calling when you're waking up
Or a flower when it opens from a bud 
Easier and prettier than love

It's simpler to enjoy a walk outside
Or taste a piece of fruit that sweet and ripe
But try explaining why we stay to fight
There's something here that just won't be denied

It's love making us irrational
It's love turns us into criminals
It's love that makes us act like animals
It's love.  it's indefensible.

There are smarter things for hearts to do than love
Like keeping time and pumping us with blood
If we dare to let our hearts dip into feeling 
As quicksand, we are pulled into the mud

It's love making things impossible
It's love and sometimes it feels terrible
But only love can make us feel so wonderful
It's love, and it's unbearable

It's not the same for everyone
It's one day pain and one day fun
But its been the same since time began
A paradox we're driven to
It's like a counterclockwise screw
We fall in love and it can't be undone, oh oh oh oh oh oh oh

There are simpler things In life than love
Like a clear day, blue sky hovering above
Or a flower when it opens from a bud ....
Prettier and easier than love

Song, music, artwork: Janine Levinson 2020

Easier Than Love

ICE FROM THE SKY

2020 janine levinson

I woke up this morning to ice from the sky
In my little piece of paradise
It should be warm; it should be temperate
And yet, ice from the sky

It's dry! so dry! said the ground to the sky
In my little piece of paradise
It should be flowing where I have flourished
And yet it's terribly dry

Withering and shrinking; waiting for a drink
A sprout or two will rise -- but never climb to the sky

I woke up this morning with tears in my eyes
in my little piece of paradise
I should feel warm and be contented
and yet, tears in my eyes

Muttering and sinking; watching for a cloud
A spout or two will rise -- but never a drop from the sky

A quake could shake the ground 
And if a tear were to hit it right
It would split with an awful sound
And day would turn to night

The sky could fall --be upside down
The clouds my bed  -- the stars my ground
The heavens pour and burn my toes
Ice will fly.  Still nothing grows.

I woke up this morning to ice from the sky
In my little piece of paradise
It should be warm; it should be temperate
And yet, ice from the sky

Ice From The Sky

Goodbye Feather             
Janine Levinson 2020

I sent Jon Lock a raggedy track with vocals, keyboards and some of the worst drums I've ever generated. He managed to make beauty in spite of all of that. I dumped those darned drums and mixed it up once I heard the lovely accompaniment he'd made. Thank you @jon-lock-5

Mellotron, Brass, Bass - Jon Lock @jon-lock-5
Song, vocals, keyboards, mix - Janine Levinson

Goodbye Feather 

It’s dark in the morning and you’re asleep
Warm and dreaming while I plan my retreat

I’m nobody’s no one, never wanted you as mine
You've got a real heart, I’m gonna leave you behind

I‘m not as good as what you'll find 

I wish I was as sweet as a song
And as clear as a windy piece of sky
I'd lift you, my Feather    
I'd keep us together
Instead of saying goodbye    
But I'm saying goodbye
Goodbye

Alone here this morning It feels black and white
I drew you in pencil 'cause I overlooked your light

Go find you a painter
With some deeper blues and greens
Not these pale shades of passion
That we're living in between
We're not as good as love can be

I wish we were as sweet as a song
As clear as a windy piece of sky
I'd lift you, my Feather and we'd stay together
Instead of saying goodbye 
But I'm saying goodbye
goodbye

good bye  

good bye    

good bye    

good bye

Goodbye Feather - with Jon Lock

The fine gentlemen at Mastering True Music (formerly FredTracks) sent this track -- and I was delighted to write and sing over it! They always send great, professional tracks made with real instruments. Such a pleasure to work with. And always a challenge to sing over a different style than my own!

Music, Mix: @masterigtruemusic
Vocals, vocal melody, lyrics: Janine Levinson

Something To Believe    

Give me something to think about 
Give my lonely soul relief 
Just some words I can mull around 
Give me something to believe  

I want more than your company 
Give me something of your heart 
Like a blanket to comfort me 
Like a fire in my arms  

Give me your love 
Give me your hope 
Give me your soul 
Give me something to, something to believe  

Give me your love 
Give me your hope 
Give me your dreams
Give me something to, something to believe  

Give me something to think about 
Give me memories of love
Give me something to think about 
Give me all your tears and blood  

Give me your love 
Give me your hope 
Give me your dreams
Give me something to, something to believe

Something To Believe --  with Mastering True Music

I'm glad you're here visiting. Thank you for stopping by.:)

These are my Soundcloud collaborations : https://soundcloud.com/janinelevinson/sets/janine-levinson-collaborations

Popular tracks by Janine Levinson