Heart Out On A Sleeve

Heart Out On A Sleeve 1

This is a song for and inspired by Woody Guthrie. It borrows liberally from his writings, be they his songs, journals or even a credo emblazoned on his guitar. From all I've learned about him, that would be quite alright with the Woodster, who loved borrowing from himself and others, making it his own. And he liked things simple and plain: 'All you can write is what you see.' I hope I've done right by him in this 'nothing fancy' take of 'Song for Woody.'  Special thanks to Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers for compiling much of Woody's wisdom in an essay that inspired my song.

Song for Woody

Gods, ghosts, wise men—common characters in Christmas stories. But what if they colluded to make Christmas a 90-day holiday? Seemed to work, didn't it, when Christmas trees and tinsel compete for space with pumpkins, witch hats and more in stores—and radio stations are 'rockin' around the Christmas tree' weeks before we carve a Thanksgiving turkey. You can thank those retail gods, Madison Avenue wise men and the Ghost of Black Friday Next (although, ironically, he becomes a voice of reason in this tale of excess). If you can't beat it, sing about it. Happy Hallochristmas.

Written and performed by Jeff Karoub.
Engineered and produced by George Luckey and Jeff Karoub.

Hallochristmas

I receive a daily email called The Daily Atom that consists of a short, sweet science fact. One day, the opening line was this: "The human heart weighs less than a pound." It didn't take long for me to decide that belongs in a song, and certainly would adhere to Paul Simon's songwriting advice: "Start with something that's true." To be sure, hearts of the anatomical and emotional kind had been on mind with the loss of my mother to congestive heart failure. It did my heart some good to write and I hope it does yours as well.

Thanks to Sienna, a kindergartener at Hicks Elementary School, for the lovely portrait of me. I played this song and another for her class as we talked about songwriting.

The Human Heart

The process of creation is mysterious, as is life itself. I'm skeptical and wary of those who always know. Nice work if you can get it, I suppose. But I'm comfortable sometimes being a bit adrift, as it seems more in harmony with the way things are. But what do I know? This song is inspired by words and wisdom from many sources, including Joe Henry and Soren Kierkegaard.

I Want the Mystery

Writing a song comes with a lot of questions: Do I like it? Will anybody else like it? Is it too much like something else? Is it too different from anything else? If these questions never occur to other songwriters, good for them. This is a song about songwriting, but also life in general—the act of putting something, including yourself, out there for criticism, praise or even indifference. Fun fact: First time I've used the word 'turd' in a song. My hope is you don't think it's a turd of a tune, but that part is out of my control.

Tell Me What You Heard

I composed the music to the words of a poem written in 1943 by Edward Mason Anthony. He wrote the words while a 20-year-old student at University of Michigan, after being deemed "4F" and turned away from military service. He desperately wanted to serve. 

Written and recorded with the blessings of his son, Ted Anthony. On the track: Jeff Karoub, voice and guitar; Erik Sherman, percussion.

Ann Arbor 1943

'Endless Grace' was inspired by a former colleague, Debing Su, who died in an accident in the Andes Mountains while on a solo vacation. She was an avid traveler but no mere tourist: She was an adventurer who seemed most at home trekking around the world, and loved to learn about other cultures and share her knowledge and experiences. I incorporated and paraphrased some lines from the Irish Blessing and an old saying among sailors ('Fair winds and following seas'), because they seemed so appropriate to her and her short but adventurous life. To me, she embodied the words of the bridge: 'See the world. Be the world. Break down the walls.'

Endless Grace

Production values matter, but sometimes you just grab the guitar, hit record and go. That seemed the right approach when this line came to me: "It's gonna be a warm one today—dress in layers anyway." Whatever the weather, you never know. No guarantees. Be who you are.

Gonna be a Warm One

I live a life of words and music. I make what I call 'rhythm & roots acoustic,' though I dabble in electronic and ambient elements. I have played on stages across the US and had my music played on radio around the world. I’ve also composed and produced soundtrack music for a global newswire. Here is where I hope to share some of the more immediate, experimental endeavors that might possess more passion than polish. Find more at jeffkaroub.hearnow.com

Jeff Karoub

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