This is the lyrics version of my piano piece (https://soundcloud.com/konrad-spittelberg/the-clap-of-one-hand). (Roughly) same melody, but now with lyrics. 
If the melody left you puzzled about the title, maybe the lyrics will connect the dots. Hope you enjoy it — drop me a comment, I’m curious what you think!

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The Clap of One Hand - Lyrics
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The high priest looked the monk straight into the eyes 
“You search for wisdom, want to see through disguise 
Then hear the clap of only one hand, 
Imagine tasting the kiss of only one lip!”

The monk was puzzled, did not know what to make of this question 
His mind was racing without the slightest suggestion 
The meaning was hiding so deep 
He could as well go to sleep

And as he lay down he thought and he thought some more, 
And soon he’d snore a Monkish snore 
Deep in his dream he saw the cosmic law 
As it is and will be and has been before

To find the truth you need to see the world through different frames,
As place and motion, time and energy play Heisenberg’s games
The one single truth, the clap of one hand deceives the ancient lore

And then his dream shifted to our world
Where flags of dogma are unfurled
Where it’s en vogue to scorn the views of those 
Whose minds are differently curled

They yell their slogans convinced that it's only their kind who knows truth
They silence doubt and debate to keep everything smooth
They vote in blocs convinced others mean harm
They don't want to discuss they don’t want to disarm
They spit poison and phlegm - 
Them is us, us is them

The monk awakened quite surprisingly rested – and something like pride filled his chest 
The dream had opened his eyes and he knew the deep meaning that the koan expressed 
And so as fast as his feet could carry him he ran to the temple ground Requesting to see the high priest and as soon as he met him he told him the solution he found:

“Avoid the clap of one hand 
'Cause you can not understand 
The world in all its true colors if your mind cannot bend 

Every Current or Tide 
Must with others collide, 
A single stream is quite boring, nothing happens inside.

Seek out the voices that are not like your own – 
Don’t guard your comfort like a dog protects its chewed upon bone 
Be cautious if all of your friends do agree – 
You might discover greeater insights without cheap harmony

A field of only one crop may spark in sunlight like gold, 
But slight disease might turn these fragile monoculture to mold 
No coral alone can just survive with it’s kind – 
Reefs only thrive when hundredthousand curious creatures entwine

Don’t flatten the ground so that your pace can be faster –
'Cause if you don’t train your balance each false step means disaster 
All life, all vision needs to ripple and bend – 
Not frozen in uniformity but free to transcend”

The monk fell silent, his speech was complete - 
He wanted praisal, but the priest kept his seat. 
An awkard silence filled slowly the air, 
The priest just sat there with a calm, timeless stare

“I like your thinking—it rings wise, it rings bold, 
It has reason, it's crafted, it's gold. 
But, dear monk, there might be one subtle twist: 
There is one aspect that you seem to have missed.

You see the truth where opinions compete, 
That wholeness only grows where none is complete. 
But if no single view should stand out alone 
Then even your own view must be overthrown

You praise duality, the joining of two - 
But what if your view in itself is not true? 
What if the world isn't built as you claim? 
What if we’ll never know the rules of the game?"

Hear the clap of one hand 
Avoid the clap of one hand 
Hear the clap of one hand 
Avoid the clap of one hand 
Hear the clap of one hand 
… Reflect on the clap of one hand

The Clap of One Hand (Piano Poetry)

I can't seem to put down the guitar now that I've picked it back up! Played around with layering some kind of simple repetitive loops to create a hypnotic atmosphere on this one.

Image by Paul Bica (CC BY 2.0)

Sky Above Clouds

I have been hearing so much AI music lately on SoundCloud and these  thoughts have been percolating with me for a while and finally they coalesced into a song. (created without the use of AI).
***
Vocals & Back Up Vocals: Joe Stroffolino
Guitar Strumming Track:  Joe Stroffolino Taylor 114CE
Drums: EZ Drummer 3
Bass: PG Music Real track
Piano:  EZ Keys2 
Synth Bass: Logic Pro 
***
You got tired of struggling so hard to write a great original song
And then this amazing newfangled technology came along
Now you’re using AI to create music, and it’s a much easier process
And you’re convinced you found the ticket to achieving great success.
You tell yourself you’re a great artist because prompting takes a lot of skill
But deep down you know the AI did most of the work and you swallow the bitter pill
People complement you on your guitar playing and they tell you your voice sounds great
It makes you feel so good but you don’t ever set them straight
Those classic rockers used to write 10 or 12 good songs every couple of years
Now you’re posting two or three songs a day and hoping for a bunch of cheers
You’re rolling the musical dice, hoping you’ll come up with a catchy viral hit 
But there’s so much music flooding the internet that no one gives a shit
You tell yourself you’re a great artist because prompting takes a lot of skill
But deep down you know the AI did most of the work and you swallow the bitter pill
People complement you on your guitar playing and they tell you your voice sounds great, it makes you feel so good but you don’t ever set them straight
Some people believe we’re living in simulation and none of this is real
We’re just digital creations in a computer with the ability to feel
But even if that’s not the case, we’re quickly, heading to a place where no one’s going to be able to tell the difference.
You used strum your guitar, trying to capture lightning in a bottle and the songs that emerged came from you.
And now the songs you write with AI, what they’re saying, you don’t have a clue.
Music used to feel therapeutic, it was a window on your soul that you could share.
But now something feels missing because your songs no longer lay your heart bare.

Prompting Takes A Lot Of Skill

Thank you for listening.
Already registered on each distribution site
compositions/ sdmk 
arrangement /sdmk
Sample Sound / sdmk
 Instrumental  Mastering / sdmk

Fragments of life

So nice that my longtime collaborator friend @dough-factory has returned to SoundCloud after a break of a couple years! This is our first track working together since then and it came together in a really cool way. I was inspired by Ryan's electronic drums and bass to lay down some rhythm guitar as well as a few synth leads. Then he came up with some awesome lyrics/vocals that I think captures the vibe of this piece quite well.

Keep an eye out for more from us, we are thinking of pulling together a whole album or EP over the coming months.

Dive

The Way You Look Tonight" is a song from the film Swing Time that was performed by Fred Astaire and composed by Jerome Kern with lyrics written by Dorothy Fields. It won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1936.

With a little help from my friends

Stewart Roberts - guitar
Karen "Kiki" Jackson - vocal

We hope you'll enjoy ☀️

The Way You Look Tonight (Swing Time - Jerome Kern / Dorothy Fields - Kiki, Stu and Rob Jam)

Electric Horizon

Schalter Off

Frozen Brain

Todas as vezes que amei
Todas as cores que pintei
Todas as chances que busquei
Todas as causas que ganhei

E é só você que me importa
Nem o ar profundo me leva tão a fundo
E é só você que me importa
Sob esse sol nascem flores e amores
Um caminho

Todas as vezes que eu chorei
Todas as vezes que meus sonhos foram apenas vindos
Todas as letras que lhe dei
Todas as frases formadas, juntos

E é só você que me importa
Nem o ar profundo me leva tão a fundo
E é só você que me importa
Sob esse sol nascem flores e amores
Um caminho

Um Caminho

Giving and Taking (open invitation for a collaboration from IPG1) 
https://soundcloud.com/ipg1/giving-and-taking-vox-90-bpm
Paploviante: E-Bass, Music, Composing, Arrangement, Mix and Mastering
Lyrics IPG1:
Cloud Stepping (Chorus) Life is relative, 
to the one that’s living it Inside outlook, 
to giving and taking it 
Experience god’s works, all senses 
We were given just a little bit 
We couldn’t handle it all  the few we have 
can nearly fit the few 
we have can nearly fit
(Verse1) 
If we knew it all, and all, and all 
Then nothing would matter It’s all a puzzle to be solved 
We have always been the answer 
The plan of god without reward 
Evolves in different ways 
We are all awake in different dreams 
To let the devil play
(Verse2)
 Who amongst us hear the screams 
Of millions of lives lost,  and don’t look on it as savagery
 And wonder what’s the cost 
What’s the worth, and what’s the cost 
Are we listening or not 
Are we listening or not
(Chorus)
 Life is relative, to the one that’s living it Inside outlook, to giving and taking it Experience god’s works, all senses 
We were given just a little bit 
We couldn’t handle it all  the few we have 
can nearly fit the few we have can nearly fit

Giving And Taking IPG1 and Paploviante

Songs with a twinge of humor (and some a bit more serious).  
I do not use AI to create my songs. 
Recently I have had the urge to pick up my guitars (Taylor 114ce and Fender Squire) and I have been trying to use more guitar in my songs.  
My go to .vst plug ins are  EZkeys 2, EZ Bass and  EZ drummer 3) and my DAW is Logic Pro 11. 
I welcome your comments and enjoy listening to all the great music on SoundCloud. 
All songs are originals and copyrighted.