"Give My Best" (#393, 200906)

Some lovers find you like a penny
Others leave you with a scar
Make a mark before they shut the door
A tattoo on your heart

Some lovers hold you like a midnight
Close their eyes and drink you in
Others lift you up and watch you float away
Like a feather in the wind

Give my best to New York City
She's always on my mind
The way she kissed my winter cheeks
Her breathe in the summertime

Autumn rain doesn't look the same
Outside my new address
I'm moving on but never really gone
Give my best

Some lovers break you like a mirror
Little pieces everywhere
Until the next one tapes you back together
To show how much they care

Give my best to New York City
She's always on my mind
The way she kissed my winter cheeks
Her breathe in the summertime

Autumn rain doesn't the look the same
Outside my new address
I'm moving on but never really gone
Give my best

She misses me I know it she's just too sad to show it
If you see her take a moment and give my best

Week 37b - Give My Best (200906)

A new idea!  Incomplete, needs work, but I’m excited about this idea.  This is about climate change and how it will (or to be more accurate, how it already is) prompting migration of people.  It’s inspired by this New York Times Magazine article: How Climate Migration Will Reshape America.  https://nl.nytimes.com/f/a/P6rcx8h4Ww8L6-7D-QqMJg~~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhQyJSP4QZAWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lm55dGltZXMuY29tL2ludGVyYWN0aXZlLzIwMjAvMDkvMTUvbWFnYXppbmUvY2xpbWF0ZS1jcmlzaXMtbWlncmF0aW9uLWFtZXJpY2EuaHRtbD9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD05JmVtYz1lZGl0X25uXzIwMjAwOTE1Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTIyMTk5Jm5sPXRoZS1tb3JuaW5nJnJlZ2lfaWQ9MTMyMDM3Mjk1JnNlY3Rpb25faW5kZXg9MSZzZWN0aW9uX25hbWU9YmlnX3N0b3J5JnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9MzgwOTAmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWRiNTZmMmM2NWIwMzQ0M2RhZTAzOTczMGVhYTQ4NjAzVwNueXRCCgBDUp1gXxpHHKFSFmFic3RyYWN0X3dhdGVyQG1hYy5jb21YBAAAAAA~

I like this melody, but it sounds very familiar, too familiar.  If you happen to recognize it, let me know.

Follow

Now let’s be honest
Who wants to leave all they know?
The blood and sweat and tears
Dollars spent helping loved ones grow

But let’s be honest
Where do you think you will go?
The floods and storms and fire
Creep up to the doorstep you own

If there’s one thing I’ve learned
Don’t wait for your voice to be heard

Follow

Move where the crops grow
Move where the river flows
Look out the window
Gotta go where the coins go

Follow

Follow where the land will grow

Follow - 9:18:20, 6.51 PM

The words of the poet Robert Frost made into a song at the Shetland Songwriting Festival

The Aim Was Song

Before man came to blow it right
     The wind once blew itself untaught,
And did its loudest day and night
     In any rough place where it caught.
 
Man came to tell it what was wrong:
     It hadn’t found the place to blow;
It blew too hard—the aim was song.
     And listen—how it ought to go!
 
He took a little in his mouth,
     And held it long enough for north
To be converted into south,
     And then by measure blew it forth.
 
By measure. It was word and note,
     The wind the wind had meant to be—
A little through the lips and throat.
     The aim was song—the wind could see.

The Aim Was Song

"Nobody Ever Knew" (#397, 200920)

I was once right where I was supposed to be
One by one my doubts got the best of me

Eyes like a sunset lips like a copperhead
Wrapped around my chest
So sharp my heart bleeds so heavy I can't breathe
About as naked as it gets

Nobody ever nobody ever nobody ever knew
I I could never I I could never could never let you

See these dreams pure saline
Through the steam like nicotine
Not a clue I wanted you
Fooled me too nobody ever knew

Can't go back to the way you looked at me
If I could I would fall at your feet

You're like a diamond bright as a full moon risin'
Out beyond the mist
Wish I could go there I'd hand my heart right over
Empty as it is

Nobody ever nobody ever nobody ever knew
I I could never I I could never could never let you

See these dreams pure saline
Through the steam like nicotine
Not a clue I wanted you
Fooled me too nobody ever knew

Week 39a - Nobody Ever Knew (200920)

Week 39 #songaweek2020. I really did wake up with this poem ("What did it take . . . shine") in my head, and the other lyrics were stream-of-consciousness afterwards. 

I woke up
With a poem in my head
A deep contented sigh from my soul
Only music
Only thought
Only underlying everything 
Only ever while we sing

What did it take? 
What sun was it that breathed on your skin?
Shine.

Poem In My Head

Did you know that all attraction is governed by the ancient brain?
When you feel it, it shuts down the newer parts
So when that person passes by you
and you feel like you're a clutz
It's not you, it's nearly every one of us

Cause we are animals
In the best possible way
We are animals & baby it's ok
If you wanna growl at your lover
Sniff one another
Sleep in a soft warm heap
Cause we are animals - right to this day

Did you know that it's cortisol that wakes you up each day?
It's the hormone that prepares for fight and flight 
If you wake up in the morning with anxiety again
Doesn't mean there's a danger in your life

It’s just we’re animals
In the best possible way
We are animals & baby it's ok
If you wanna growl at your lover
Sniff one another
Sleep in a soft warm heap
Cause we are animals - that's how we're made

[Interlude / your lyrics here ;) ]

Cause we are animals
In the best possible way
Yeah we are animals & baby it's ok
If you wanna growl at your lover
Sniff one another
Sleep in a soft warm heap
Cause we are animals - that's how we're made

Animals

key C

based on a poem by RUMI and a visit to Van Gogh Live September 24 2020

In this earth 
In this earth  
We shall not plant any seeds 
Sow compassion 
And Rows of love 
In this perfect precious field 
We shall not plant any seeds 
Sow compassion 
And Rows of love 

Love for all  
Is the art of life
Love will save us all
thru these tears we till
the soil we will reap in joy

in this earth

Little Cracks

Copyright Erin Wolf 2020

Guitar & Vocals: Erin Wolf
Lyrics: James Tristan Redding & Erin Wolf
Music: Erin Wolf

*This song uses a wide range of old unused prompts from Song-A-Week founder, James Tristan Redding (@jimtristan). Former prompts featured can be found following the song lyrics with the year the prompt is from. While I had hoped to use them as prompts in their own right, it seemed fitting to put them all together while also using Week 40's theme, "Ifs and Thens". Thank you for the wonderful inspiration, old friend!*

last call, but i'll keep nursing my
whiskey for one
i used to say i like myself better when I'm drunk
but that old me is gone
that old me is gone

i guess my best was pretty bad, hey
what i said is not what i wanted to say
but in the end, i pay for my mistakes
pay for my mistakes

all i ever wanted was to make you proud
but for all i know,
i've failed and let you down
if i could just make you smile
even for a moment
that would be just fine

it's 11:59 and here i am hoping
that you are my tomorrow morning
forget ifs and thens
how or whens
what do ya say

forget ifs and thens
how or whens
what do ya say

(vocalizations)
(because i'm too lazy to type them all out)

**********
old JTR prompts featured in this song (year)
1. make you proud (2018)
2. 11:59 (2018)
3. my best was pretty bad (2018)
4. you are my tomorrow (2017)
5. whiskey for one (2017) 
6. for all i know (2017)
7. pay for my mistakes (2016)
8. not what i wanted to say (2016)
9. i like myself better when i'm drunk (2010)
10. if i could just make you smile (2009)

It's 11:59 Somewhere

SAW 2020
I am doing a songwriting course and was asked to watch a movie for inspiration. I watched The Green Book and this song is the result

Another Bottle, Another Night

Julia's song for Week 41 #songaweek2020. I heard a reporter on the radio say "If you're looking for a metaphor. . ." and I loved that line so much I built this song around it. I don't even remember what he was talking about when he said it. Also I recycled the woodsmoke and lilacs line from this song - https://soundcloud.com/julia-tindall-bloom/2020-i-still-believe-in-love. 
Nathan played mandolin and slide guitar.

Feel me
Heat on your cheeks 
Breath on your skin

Breathe me
take me all in
Push me back out
Draw me in again
Over and over
Over and out
And in and out and in

If you’re looking for a metaphor
I’ll be the lilacs and the woodsmoke in the spring in your backyard 

Hold me
circle me round
apply
gentle pressure

If you’re looking for a metaphor I’ll be the deep earth 
With diamonds in the rough and a heart of gold 

See me
alive and in love
wander your gaze

If you’re looking for a metaphor I’ll be the black night and
When you wish I’ll be your twinkling stars

If you’re looking for a metaphor I’ll be your bread 
and when you’re weary I’ll be your featherbed

If You're Looking For A Metaphor

Nashville songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Godin Guitars Official Artist and Founder of www.songaweek.org.

His catalog of 500+ titles includes collaborations with hit writers Mark Narmore, Elliott Park, Steve Dean, and Pete & Pat Luboff, among others internationally from England to Australia.

Redding's music has landed cuts by numerous recording artists including Dan Whitehouse, Emma Gale, and David Easterling.