Birds - Neil Young (Cover)

Janne Hennie

Luceole

Music For Older People (myself Included)

Songs with a twinge of humor (and some a bit more serious).

Joe Stroffolino - Joe on the Edge

One minute things are going fine
But life can turn on a dime
Every day you roll the dice
And sometimes you find yourself on thin ice

You go for a routine medical check
And they find something you didn’t expect
You’ve been eating healthy food you take a daily jog
Now you’re wondering if you’ll outlive your dog

You’ve been working so hard for all these years
 but what do you have to show for it
All these things you bought but what do you have to show for it

Some people spend their lives accumulating wealth
But what’s the point of money if you don’t have your health

It’s nice to set some long term goals and think about your future days
But sometimes you need to take a step back and make sure you’re on the right highway

You’re hanging by a thread that you used to think was a thick rope
Your road was very flat but now you’re climbing a steep slope

You get up in the morning and you go to work 
You get up in the morning an you go to work
You get up in the morning and you go to work
Five days a week

You’ve been working so hard for all these years
but what do you have to show for it
All these things you bought but what do you have to show for it


You wake up every morning  go  about your day
Sometimes you wonder if it’s goanna be okay
You try to take it one day at a time
Some days are bad others are fine

Incidental finding, life threw you a curve
You're driving down the highway and you're trying not to swerve.
Incidental finding, life threw  you a curve
You're driving down the highway and you're trying not to swerve.

Incidental Finding

Copyright 2024 Joe Stroffolino

Lots of people moving to the state of AZ
The desert seems like a nice a nice place to be
The only problem is there’s not enough H20
One day you’ll turn the tap and it’s not gonna flow
The climate keeps getting drier every single year
I guess we’ll have to take fewer showers and drink more beer

If you can’t stand the heat maybe you should get out of the kitchen
Maybe this isn’t the right place for you.
The sun up in the sky is 93 million miles away
But it feels a lot closer on a hot Arizona day

There’s not enough snowpack on the mountains up high
They say the Colorado river’s running dry
They’re ripping up lawns, replacing them with rocks
Instead of going barefoot, you walk around in crocs
The polar glaciers are melting in to the sea
I wish that they could scoop up an iceberg and drop it down on me

If you can’t stand the heat maybe you should get out of the kitchen
Maybe this isn’t the right place for you

Most of the rain falls in the summer
Monsoon season can be a real bummer
You get a big dust storm, they call it a haboob
You can watch scary videos on You Tube
You’ll be driving and suddenly you can’t see
You gotta make sure you don’t crash into a cactus or a tree

If you can’t stand the heat maybe you should get out of the kitchen
Maybe this isn’t the right place for you

A long time a ago, it must have been tough without air conditioning
People just had to sit around all day moaning and bitching 
Now the biggest thing we complain about is our high electric bill
As we lie on the couch watching Netflix enjoying the comfortable chill

If you can’t stand the heat maybe you should get out of the kitchen
Maybe this isn’t the right place for you
The sun up in the sky is 93 million miles away
But it feels a lot closer on a hot Arizona day

Can't Stand the Heat

It's a special honor that my dear friend Michele Ansani asked me if I would like to work on a song he wrote years ago called 'Alla Fine della Fine delle Fini' (To the end of the end of the ends) which is a great track. When I listened to it I said to Michele that I thought the song is already finished and asked what I supposedly could do with it. He said, that he wasn't going to publish it and wanted me to work on the root idea of the song to create something new.  Thank you so much Michele for being so generous to leave the basic song idea to my purposes (all flaws are mine).

Listen to his wonderful music here, you all know him anyway: https://soundcloud.com/michele-ansani

Michele Ansani: Seed idea
Me: Instruments, vocals, lyrics, arrangement.

Photograph from the top of Half Dome, Yosemite NP, CA, USA by A. Besinger  2022

One day I walked the shores of time
Wiping away the footprints left behind

Tossing stones into the sea  
Just to watch the ripples making their way back to me  

What if these dancing rings were just memories
Would they come to life once more to set me free?


Abandoned this place that I called home ￼
and took that boat I was hiding for so long 

Facing the storms, past the sirens song
The love of gods in mind may have led me wrong

Set course to the end of the end of the ends
So when you step off the edge of the world 
Make sure that your wings are spread 

When I stepped through the gates of Plutonion
Caught between Scylla and Charybdis I would be found

Sacrificed the ones to whom I belonged
A wise man would rather be envied than being wronged

Set course to the end of the end of the ends
So when you step off the edge of the world 
Make sure that your wings are spread 

Set course to the end of the end of the ends
So when you step off the edge of the world 
Make sure that your wings are spread

Off the Edge of the World (with Michele Ansani)

Music: Little Man Project & Janne Hennie
Lyrics & Vocals: Janne Hennie
Instruments & Mix: Little Man Project

Lyrics:

A demon came and poked me on my shoulder and said
Girl you're so stupid and bad
Stay away from people, you will only hurt them
And make them miserable and sad

When demons like that tries to push you down
Tell them to go back to hell
They just try to break you
But you're stronger than you know
Make them disappear from yourself..

The demon just kept going
Appeared every day
Whispered ugly things in my ear
But I chased it out
Watched it crawl away
I shouted: Don't come back, don't you dare!

When demons like that tries to push you down
Tell tem to go back to hell
They just try to break you
But you're stronger than you know
Make them disappear from yourself..

The demon returned tried again and again
To force its way into my mind
I will not feed it my negative thoughts
My weakness the demon won't find

When demons like that tries to push you down
Tell them to go back to hell
They just try to break you
But you're stronger than you know
Make them disappear from yourself...

The Demon

A little demo song about appreciation,,,,,,,,,you know who you are…………..cheers for having a listen


You never ask for more than nothing
A kinder heart you couldn’t find
And what you have you’d gladly give
Always there, to ease my worried mind

And when the wind was angry
And the sky got dark
I’d listen to you sing
And the light would shine around you
And make me smile again
You kept me under your wing

A smile can say more than a thousand words
Among the noise it’s hard now to be heard
But you always got an ear to lend for sure
Never hesitate, to open up your door

And even in my darkest hour
When no one’s getting through
You showed me nothing but love
Your arms wrapped tight around me
Making me feel safe again
You kept me under your wing

Under Your Wing

Travelling with Ghosts

Yesterday you told me that you‘ll leave our home today 
I think it’s okay cause you’re eighteen now anyway

It seems to me like someone pushed fast-forward on my tape
Keep holding back the memories in my head so they won't escape

Farewell my son, be safe when travelling with ghosts
They like to whisper in your ear, the things you fear the most

And when you‘re old and grey like your father is by now
Most likely you will think of me and drop a line somehow

Farewell my son, be safe when travelling with ghosts
They like to whisper in your ear, the things you fear the most

And when the time has come for you to meet your dad again
We‘ll be sitting on our cloud together, smiling now and then 

Happy birthday David!



Thanks a million for pre-listening: Michele, Gary, Judith and Brenda!

Travelling With Ghosts (David’s 18th birthday)

Merveilles. (translated after the French text)

Vidéo : https://youtu.be/szflIdLROGY

Texte:      Sanzen
Chant :     Orelya
Musique : Alain Illos

Moi, je vais devant moi, 
tant que je vois le ciel.
Que je pense et que j'aime,
 l'air, les fleurs, le sel.
Un brin d'herbe tressaille, 
au sommet des collines.
Et dans le ciel vaste,
c'est mon coeur qui défaille.
Quand nous étions amants, 
quand nous étions aimants, 
sous le ciel lourd d'octobre, 
quand la nature se change.
Et je vois, dans les prés, 
la splendide fraîcheur. 
Et flotte dans le vent, 
les images délivrées.
Moi, je vais devant moi, tant que je vois le ciel. Je fais un pas de plus, l'air, les fleurs, le sel.
Solo
Les brins d'herbe qui tressaillent, 
la céleste harmonie.
Quand la nature se change, 
quand je pense et que j'aime.
Quand nous étions amants, 
au sommet des collines.
Que dans le ciel vaste,
nous voyions des merveilles.

Wonders

I go ahead, 
as long as I can see the sky.
That I think and love,
 the air, the flowers, the salt.
A blade of grass twitches, 
on the hilltops.
And in the vast sky,
it's my heart that falters.
When we were lovers, 
when we were loving, 
under the heavy October sky, 
when nature changes.
And I see, in the meadows, 
the splendid freshness. 
And floating in the wind, 
delivered images.
I go ahead, 
as long as I can see the sky.
 I take one more step, 
the air, the flowers, the salt.
Solo
The twitching blades of grass,
 celestial harmony.
When nature changes, 
when I think and love.
When we were lovers, on hilltops.
 When in the vast sky
 we saw wonders.

Merveilles avec Orelya

Instrumental by Nver Avetyan: https://ultimatrailer.com/composers/
Vocals, Lyrics by Nadia Selvaggi

Time by Nver Avetyan & Nadia Selvaggi

Illusion machine. (Winkandwoo & Midisound)
=======================


Music created in July 2024
Editing, lyrics, vocals and covert art by Winkandwoo.

The original idea came from the chorus of the music. I thought of an accordion to create it, but unfortunately I couldn't find a good sound for the iPad for this instrument, so I scrapped the idea and replaced it with a soft synthesizer with some depth.

My partner in adventures, on this occasion, did the rest with an impeccable job full of creativity and elegance.

Thanks Clive, again, for this gift.

Listen to more from Winkandwoo here.

https://soundcloud.com/winkandwoo

Lyrics.

What are they feeding your mind
How are they seeding your kind

Illusion machine
It's bigger than you and me
Illusion machine
The demon's behind your screen

Why do they need you so much
When do they get in touch

Illusion machine
It's bigger than you and me
Illusion machine
The demon's behind your screen


8 tracks of native MS2 instruments and Xewton forum.
1 Track Sunrizer synth.
1 track Arturia iMini
2 Tracks Flowtones
2 Tracks Korg Im.

Mix…….. yes……. My car 🚘
Hardware iPad
DAW Music Studio 2

Thank you.

Paco.

ILLUSION MACHINE (Winkandwoo & Midisound)

""Birds" is the eighth track on After The Gold Rush. It features no instrumentation other than piano and Young's voice. It's a song of loss, with Young comforting a lover he's about to leave. At just over two-and-a-half minutes long, it's one of the shortest songs on the album, trailing in that honor only "Till The Morning Comes" and "Cripple Creek Ferry."
The song's structure is interesting because the six-line chorus is longer than both four-line verses. It starts with Young reassuring his lover that there will be "another one who'll hover over you beneath the sun." The chorus then paints an image of Young flying away from his "little one," ending with the sweetly spoken yet harsh assurance that "it's over."

It's a beautiful song (though Jimmy McDonough among others feel it was overworked in the studio) that's even more interesting looking at Young's life and career as a whole. He's always shown a penchant for abandoning people, from lovers to friends to bands. It's a notorious aspect of his personality, and one he himself has lamented on many occasion, both in interview and in song, for instance, "Running Dry (Requiem For The Rockets)."

"Birds" can be viewed as another song of Young chronicling his own tendency to burn bridges and leave people behind as he chases his muse. Or, it can be enjoyed simply as a tale of the universal complexities of romantic love".          Songfacts

Mastered Track: Distrokid Mixea

This is one about the election. The first line, I heard a lot on the news and talk shows right after the outcome, reassuring worried people that our country will make it through. I am not convinced we will, either way, it’s going to be a totally different America after these 4 years.

This song seemed a little over the top, so I went ahead and put in a gospel choir and a searing guitar lead just to make sure lol.

Sorry I haven't been on SC very much lately, I'm learning a new software app for my paying job and it is not making life easier, like I thought it would. I will be back soon!

And please pardon the vocals

I believe we’ll be okay
We’ll win this fight another day
Still, I would do it all again, because right is on our side,
And the truth can turn the tide
 
When kindness wins over greed
 It’s true that love is all you need
But If fear rules your life, your humanity will leave you
And then it’s hard to see the light
   
It seems to me // we’re all in this together
Money never will define a person's worth
And I realize, that nothing lasts forever
But we were meant to be good stewards of the Earth

I believe in you
And I hope that you believe in me, too
You  see, love has not died
It is lost somewhere inside
Our  spark will  bring it new life
So don’t give up, neither will I
Be who you        are and never hide 
If we raise our voices to the sky 
Love will not die!

We'll Be Okay

You’ve been thinking about those good old days when the future was a blank slate
And all those choices that you made that got you to this current state
If you could go back in time and give yourself some advice
Instead of choosing the safe path, maybe you should have rolled the dice

Time can pass so quickly
But in the moment, it feels slow
And then one day you ask yourself
Where did all that time go
You can dip your toes in the water 
And slowly easy your body in
Or you can walk up to the edge 
And jump in and swim

Those were your salad days but now your lettuce is wilted
You lost your mojo somewhere along the way
You tell yourself you can’t go back you’re goanna keep on marching forward
And somehow, it’s all goanna turn out okay

You can go through life agitated and tightly wound
You can live your life like a dog trapped in a pound
You can wake up every morning and do the same thing you did the day before
Or you can look at yourself in the mirror and say you’re not goanna take it anymore

You’re heading down the road towards an unpleasant destination
And you’re searching for a way to change your situation
You can dip your toes in the water and slowly easy your body in
Or you can walk up to the edge and  jump in and swim

Those were your salad days but now your lettuce is wilted
You lost your mojo somewhere along the way
You tell yourself you can’t go back you’re goanna keep on marching forward
And somehow, it’s all goanna turn out okay
Those were your salad days but now your lettuce is wilted
You lost your mojo somewhere along the way
You tell yourself you can’t go back you’re goanna keep on marching forward
And somehow, it’s all goanna turn out okay
Here’s hoping  that tomorrow’s goanna be a better day.

Salad Days

Christmas comes once a year. 
It’s a time of happiness and cheer and it’s also the one day that Uncle Lou gets to use his electric knife
He used to work in a butcher shop and all day long there was meat to chop.
But now he’s an accountant and his life is kind of dull in a mind numbing sort of way.

But when it comes time for Uncle Lou to cut the Christmas ham and turkey
he get’s a wild gleam in his eye
He says don’t worry I’m a professional
I know what I am doing 
as we all try to get out of his way

Uncle Lou’s got the electric knife
And we’re fearing for his life
That poor turkey had no chance
I think I’m gonna wet my pants
We’re afraid that Santa won’t come 
And if he does he’ll turn and run
He’ll take one look Uncle Lou
And his reindeers will be scared too

They say Electric knives have a high injury potential
And losing a finger is very consequential
But Uncle Lou doesn’t seem to care
He’s got the culinary version of a chainsaw in his hand
And he picks it up and he takes command
If he had a hockey mask you’d swear it was Friday the 13th
After a few minutes his job is complete
And then we all sit down to eat
Instead of saying grace we thank God that his fingers have survived for another year

Uncle Lou’s got the electric knife
And we’re fearing for his life
That poor turkey had no chance
I think I’m gonna wet my pants
We’re afraid that Santa won’t come 
And if he does he’ll turn and run
He’ll take one look Uncle Lou
And his reindeers will be scared too

Uncle Lou's Got The Electric Knife 2024 Version

Sunny day dreamer 

I’d like to be the man down the street
dancing music in  his  head, so sweet 
Good beat, a fucking  good beat
He's Dancing on this music so sweet

I’d like to be Sunny day dreamer
dreaming the world   coming better
Like a pure man without secret
with no more pain AND no regret

he's got a time
he’s  knows the way
he ‘s come running on a  sunny day

i' d like to know the meaning of the world.
Understanding people and their words
 Good time, spending a good time
Singing life on day on  night time

I’d like to know why the earth warming
wars and famines still existing
wake up with a smile on your face 
the future does not play dice

I've got a time
I ve   knows the way
I ve come running on a  sunny day


smile on your face
A pretty song to singing 
You are  ready for love
 It's life begin


You got a time
You knows the way
Think to Making  each day sunny day


--------------
Photo : Johnny clez 
 https://pixabay.com/fr/photos/homme-danse-monochrome-rue-dansant-5984098/

Sunny Day Dreamer

Avenir.

Comme un pauvre  Vagabond 
errant sur les chemins de sa  vie chiffon 
Comme un poète maudit 
Écrit sur le sable mouillé 

Refrain 
Ta  voie  est là, juste un premier pas  suffit pour partir 
laiss’ pas   la peur  te voler ton désir ton avenir

Copie le saltimbanque
qui jongle habile avec ses envies - envie 
La statue immobile
qui voudrait s’envoler  s’en aller


Comme une poussée de sève 
Réveille  ta vie , refleurit le Monde  tu rêve 
C'est dans cette  lumière qu’il te faudra tracer   ta route

Imagine le monde
C'est temps pour toi d’entrer dans la rond(e) tu vois 
C’est ça  C’est ce premier pas 
qui t’a fait saisir ta vie c’est  ça

!--- Translate

Future.

Like a poor Wanderer 
wandering the paths of his rag life 
Like a cursed poet 
Written on wet sand 

Refrain 
Your path is there, just a first step is enough to leave 
Don’t let fear steal your desire, your future

Copy the acrobat
who skillfully juggles with his desires - desire 
The motionless statue
who would like to fly away


Like a rush of sap 
Wake up your life, the world you dream of blooms again 
It is in this light that you will have to trace your path

Imagine the world
It's time for you to enter the circle you see 
This is it, this is the first step 
who made you grab hold of your life, that’s it

Avenir

Side Note : I dont expect this to get many listens as it is an almost 8 Min. Dirge  LOL. :{)   My goal here is to upload my catalog to date... thats something really want to do before this life is over.. ( Im feeling fine today ). Theres so many people out there like me.. who may not ever get the chance to share the creative spark within themselves ... the small ( or large ) contribution to the culture of humanity . This platform.. as others currently and in the past, brings the entire world together in one harmonious creative voice. And if nothing else, shows us that we can really all get along just fine woth each other if left to our individual creative desire to do so..

I am humbled by your kind and generous spirit and you willingness to share it. 

I have another version of this... it is a studio version. but this version holds the original spirit.  Headphones might be best.. it a raw track..

Lyrics / music by Bill Liggett

Well I had it and I lost it a couple of times
the good life fights like a fish on a line
ohh the one that got away
I saw her swim by the other day
well you lost your chance and it makes you mad
but I say time is all you ever had
oh.. you lost that itch
aint losin a sonofabitch?
But don’t be sad
the futures everything you never had
and don’t you cry
one and done is the biggest lie
the crime is never to have tried and never to have failed
and the good guy doesn’t always win 
and sometimes its the saint who has the sin
and the stronger man will do you in
but the digging of two graves will soon begin
impossible decisions at the crossroads
all roads lead to main street
go out fighting tryin to get it right
but a good left hook is gonna end the fight
oh.. break my bones today
and ill live to fight another day
they say come clean you gonna raise your hand?
 confess the crimes of another man
oh.. not without a fight
id much rather be dead right.
But don’t be sad
the futures everything you never had
and don’t you cry
one and done is the biggest lie
the crime is never to have tried and never to have failed
and the good guy doesn’t always win 
and sometimes its the saint who has the sin
and the stronger man will do you in
but the digging of two graves will soon begin
impossible decisions at the crossroads
all roads lead to main street

Dont Be Sad

Dear friends, I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
It can be noted that many people become extra kind and friendly during Christmas time, even if not everyone celebrates Christmas. Perhaps a ceasefire can be implemented in the Middle East - It has been talked about! Now, one can only hope that Mr. President Putin's heart will be transformed from stone to gold!

Lyrics in English
A Heart of Gold

Now comes the most beautiful time
you can see when the birds fly to us
they know that we now - have a heart of gold

When you meet someone in the town square
you can see that they bow and bow
and they smile at me - they have a heart of gold

You can hear that those who rule the world now
have softened and they say that now there will be peace
you can hope that they - have a heart of gold

Both mistress and master are friendly now
they give a meat bone to the dog and the cat runs free
everyone notices right now - that Christmas has come here

Lyrics in Swedish
Ett Hjärta av Guld

Nu kommer den vackaste tiden hit
man kan få se när fåglarna flyga till oss
de vet att vi nu - har ett hjärta av guld

Då man möter någon på stadens torg
man kan få se att dom niger och bugar sig
och dom ler mot mig - dom har ett hjärta av guld

Man kan höra att dom som styr världen nu
har mjuknat upp och dom säger att nu ska det bli fred
man kan hoppas att dom - har ett hjärta av guld

Både matte och husse är vänliga nu
dom ger ett köttben till hunden och katten springer fritt
alla märker just nu - att julen har kommit hit

Ett Hjärta av Guld (A Heart of Gold - A Christmas Carol) - 2024-12-22 12.17

Cover-Take On Me

Cast of Characters:
Joe Stroffolino-- @joseph-stroffolino -- Taylor 114ce acoustic guitar, main vocals, harmony vocals, lyrics, composition
Llanpsych -- @llanpsych -- Tez – Fender HSS Telecaster electric guitar
TexMex Shaman–@texmex-shaman –Stephen– Tom Anderson Custom T electric guitar, mix, mastering, and production
Mistermark-- @user-432503709 -- Mark – piano
K2 and the Three [and the Four]--@k2andthe3, @k2-kara -–Ken–drums
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)–@josh-clary-1 –- four string Fender Precision Bass with a plectrum

This song began as one of Joe's catchy, lyrically centered songs, which he wrote on his acoustic guitar, and filled in with VST instruments. He came up with the lyrics by sharing ideas with fellow SoundCloud musician Michele Ansani, who began the thought process of a song about becoming a musician.
Knowing that Josh is a fan of his work, Joe offered this song to him in hopes that he'd share it with the rest of the band. Of course, Josh jumped at the opportunity to work on his song, and immediately shared it with the rest of the group.
Ken went to work first, adding his driving, excting drums. Josh was having a hard time coming up with a good bass line for it, until Ken suggested that he use the power of the 1/8 note to propel it. Tez was up next with his clever fills you hear throughout the first half of the song. Stephen came along right after and matched Tez's energy for the guitar fills in the second half of the song.
It was still missing a solo in the designated spot, though, so Mark stepped up with his innovative piano solo you hear in the middle. If it sounds a little mechanical, that's because he's using an arpeggiator to achieve the effect. We thought it sounded good in a song about AI, though.
Once all the parts were dialed in, and Joe had gotten all his vocals tuned up, we asked one of our resident pros, Stephen, to mix it for us. He did that and mastered it, too, expertly, as always.
This is the first song we've ever done with Joe, and don't expect it to be the last. We all really enjoyed putting together, in no small part because Joe is such a competent, receptive, and gracious collaborator. We all hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed creating it.

Lyrics by Michele Ansani and Joe Stroffolino
Music by Joe Stroffolino (@joseph-stroffolino)

When I was thirteen I picked up my first guitar
it was my mother's, it only had one nylon string
I tried to play it like a rock star
I learned to play the Coca-Cola jingle
So I could teach the world to sing
When I was fourteen, I put on six new strings
I learned to play Beatles, I learned a Bob Dylan song
I sounded out of tune but I tried to carry on
At fifteen I wrote my first original tune
So bad it sounded like it might have been written by a baboon
When I was sixteen, I got a new guitar for my birthday
The metal strings sawed through my fingers
But I continued to play
And the calluses formed and every day I learned a brand new chord
I was obsessed with that guitar and I never grew bored.
I wrote songs every day and most of them were a mess
But I believed that through hard work, I could achieve success
Malcom Gladwell wrote a book that said it takes ten thousand hours
To become and expert at your craft
But now all it takes is two commands and an enter
And in two minutes you have ten versions of the same damn new song,
You just have to choose the type
folk, rock, rap, pop, metal, jazz, trap or blues.
You don't even need to write the lyrics,
your push a few buttons let the AI choose.

And people will think your songs are great even though you didn’t write or play a single note.
When I was 20, I did my first concert, it was time
it occurred in a village square
there were four cats all friends of mine
I was still using the plectrum and sometimes I got the chords wrong
at thirty I finally wrote what I thought was a decent song
It had a very well thought out structure

AI Sucks - Eclectic Collective

Music and Lyrics Copyright 2025 Joe Stroffolino
Vocals Joe Stroffolino
Guitar's: Fender Squire picking track  and Taylor 114ce strumming track Joe Stroffolino
Violin and Bass PG Music real tracks
Drums EZ drummer 3
Piano Logic Pro Session Player track 

All these people who claim they were abducted by alien UFO’s
They say they took them up onto the spaceship and examined them from head to toe.
Most people think those stories are made up, but what if they’re actually true
It kind of makes you wonder what motivates those aliens to do the things they do
If I ever get abducted by aliens from outer space, I think I might ask if I could hitch a ride off this crazy place. 
People who believe we couldn’t have built the pyramids without alien assistance
There’s days when I can’t find my car keys without lots of searching and persistence. 
Maybe we’re just 2 legged creatures and the earth’s an exotic alien zoo. 
And they come here on safari to see what we’re up to
If I ever get abducted by aliens from outer space, I think I might ask if I could hitch a ride off this crazy place. 
Even if they don’t consider me to be much better than a trained monkey
I could play my guitar to cheer them up whenever they feel grumpy.
They say the speed of light is as fast as you can possibly go
Maybe those aliens have access to information we don’t know
Maybe they just look at us in the same way scientists study bugs
They read the work of our most brilliant minds and they just shrug
Maybe someday if we start World War three, they’ll stop the missiles from firing
Or maybe they’ll just let us blow ourselves up because they find our behavior so tiring
Maybe someday if they think we’re ready, they’ll land a spaceship in times square
And although they’re usually naked, they’ll put on some underwear
If I ever get abducted by aliens from outer space, I think I might ask if I could hitch a ride off this crazy place. 
Even if they don’t consider me to be much better than a trained monkey
I could play my guitar to cheer them up whenever they feel grumpy.
There's days on earth when it feels like it might be kind of nice to get away
And getting abducted by aliens just might be okay.

If I Ever Get Abducted

Copyright 2025 Joe Stroffolino 
***
Vocals, Strumming and picking tracks (Taylor 114ce): Joe Stroffolino
Additional Picking Track: Native Instruments Sunburst Guitar
Bass, Drums and Keys: Toontrack EZ Bass, EZ drummer and EZ Keys
Fiddle: PG Music Real track (viola)
Recorded using Logic Pro 11 and mastered with Ozone 11
***
All those times when you tried to play at the at top of your game
lately your enthusiasm’s starting to wane
You’ve been trying so hard to re-ignite that fire in your belly
lately your resolve, it’s turning into jelly 
You've been trying to be the best that you can be
but maybe you’ve been barking up the wrong tree
if your Spidey sense starts to tingle, maybe it’s a sign 
that you should open up the curtains and let in some sunshine
Sometimes you need to listen to your inner voice
Every morning that you wake up you still have a choice 
You’ve been swinging for a home run, but you can’t even seem to get to first base
You feel stuck like a rat in a race, like one of those monkey’s they shot into outer space
There’s days when it feels like you’re hanging by the end of your rope
And you struggling so hard to find a solution so you can cope
if your Spidey sense starts to tingle, maybe it’s a sign 
that you should open up the curtains and let in some sunshine
Sometimes you need to listen to your inner voice
Every morning that you wake up you still have a choice 
You try to make it through each day and sometimes you feel like the missing link
White knuckling your way through all the changes, trying not to be the first to blink
People doing things fast with AI that you're sure would take you several weeks
But you swear you’re going keep doing things the old-fashioned way with your luddite techniques
Your life is like a river that’s constantly flowing, 
You get swept along by the current You’re never sure where it’s going
Sometimes it feels like you’re playing a game of musical chairs
You’re afraid that when the music stops, you’ll be the one whose left standing there

If your Spidey sense starts to tingle, maybe it’s a sign 
that you should open up the curtains and let in some sunshine
Sometimes you need to listen to your inner voice
Every morning that you wake up you still have a choice

All Those Times

Link to video where I tell the story behind the song : https://youtu.be/cilXaNM0IoI?si=IbBwc2wlxYTwoADH 


In Catholic school, whenever I misbehaved, the nuns used to pull my hair.
If I could go back in time and do it all again, I’d gab some clippers and shave my head bare.
I did eight years of hard time in Catholic school
I was never the kid who was considered cool
Eight straight years of Catholic School and somehow, I survived
Eight straight years of Catholic School.  Thank God I’m still alive  
My first-grade teacher was a nun, who if you’re penmanship was sloppy
She’d make you take all your books and stand there holding them in the back of the room.
She was like a witch except instead of a pointy hat she wore a habit
She carried a crucifix instead of broom.
I did eight years of hard time in Catholic School
I was never the kid who was considered cool
The cafeteria food tasted horrible, but I had to eat it
I had to wash it down with milk that was warm and sour
I’d try to fold my plate in half and throw it away, but the nuns would catch me and make me eat it
It’s like they had this secret food wasting detection superpower
Every year your birthday, it was customary for the kids in the recess yard,
To grab you and kick you and punch you for every year of your age.
I still have flashbacks of a girl with pointy hard black shoes kicking me really hard in my rib cage.
My fifth-grade teacher Sister Margaret she’d been teaching for way too long
It was time for her to retire but they let her teach another year and that was wrong
She had long grey whiskers growing out of her chin
She’d sit at her desk and trim them with of scissors and you sure as hell better not grin
She’d tell cautionary tales about innocent kids who got into cars strangers
She seemed to enjoy describing all the bloody graphic details of the danger.
I did eight years of hard time in Catholic school
I was never the kid who was considered cool
Eight straight years of Catholic School and somehow, I survived
Eight straight years of Catholic School.  Thank God I’m still alive

Catholic School

Hey everyone!
This track, Asteroids (The Original Was Better), started when I heard Beating Edge’s chiptune tune RND and got inspired to write some lyrics about the classic arcade game Asteroids. I added my acoustic guitar and vocals on top and sent it over to the band.
They liked it so much they decided to jump in and make a second part with a more rock vibe using the same musical base. We put both parts together into one track, starting with a fun spoken intro, a little vocal line to bridge the two sections, and finishing off with a hilarious outro.
It was a really cool collab and I’m stoked for you all to hear it!

Music by: Beating Edge
Lyrics by: Tom (Beating Edge) and Joe Stroffolino
Performed by: Beating Edge and Joe Stroffolino
Acoustic guitar (Taylor 114ce) by: Joe Stroffolino
Vocals performed by: Joe Stroffolino and Tom (Beating Edge)
At the moment, this track is exclusively available on SoundCloud.
Released on June 6, 2025.
©2025 Beating Edge and Joe Stroffolino

Lyrics:

[Spoken Intro]
Joe: Wow! This is a really cool Arcade!
Tom: Yeah!
Joe: Hey, check it out! Is that an Asteroids game over there?
Tom: Oh, wow!
Joe: I haven't seen that in like that forever!
Tom: That's definitely Asteroids! Let's play a game!
Mary (with a sore throat 🤦🏻‍♀️🤣): Oh yeah! Let's play Asteroids!

-->Joe

I used to play asteroids in the 1980’s
I liked to blow up rocks in outer space
The flying saucers would attack me
At an ever-increasing pace

I stumbled across an old vintage arcade the other day
I hadn’t played Asteroids in a long time
I popped a quarter into that old machine
And I watched my score start to climb

I watched my score start to climb
I watched my score start to climb
I watched my score start to climb

Time goes by so quickly
and playing that game really took me back
To those days when my future was unwritten
And I hadn’t gone so far down my current track

Pushing those buttons so fast and furiously
Standing in front of that arcade machine
Blowing up all those asteroids
On that black and white video screen

Blowing up all those asteroids
On that video screen
Blowing up all those asteroids
On that video screen

For a couple of minutes, I forgot about the present
I was back floating in outer space
Breaking big rocks into small rocks
I had a a big smile on my face

And then it was time for me to go
Cause I had errands that I needed to run
But that old video game
I sure had a lot of fun

It's not over yet

-->Tom

Just a single screen, all black and white
The whole room's dark except the TV's light
Rotate and thrust, it wasn't much
No one had seen a thing like this before

Now there's a 3D holographic thing
That no one plays, 'cause nobody can afford
With a visor on, your body's gone
It's kinda fun, but the original was better

We used to play all day, late at night
For the high score, it was do or die
No one knew what a quarter was worth
No one knew what the future had in store

Now there's a 3D holographic thing
That no one plays, 'cause nobody can afford
With a visor on, your body's gone
It's kinda fun, but the original was better

The original was better
The original was better
The original was better
The original was better

Now there's a 3D holographic thing
That no one plays, 'cause nobody can afford
With a visor on, your body's gone
It's kinda fun, but the original was better

[Spoken Outro]
Someone who wants to stay anonymous 😂: That was a lot of fun!

Asteroids (The Original Was Better) - Beating Edge & Joe Stroffolino

Cover art:  Taylor 114ce and my Peloton

Eating lots of cheese and hotdogs, eating lots of cake. and pie
I wish that I could switch to arugula and beets so I could be a more healthy guy.
It seems like everywhere I look; I see a delicious high calorie treat
But I only have one stomach and there's so much food to eat.
There's a Peloton in my basement, I need to go down there
Cause I. don't like how I look in my underwear
Why can't losing weight be as easy as losing hair.
I step into Starbucks for black coffee and walk out with hot chocolate and a muffin. Sometimes I feel like a teddy bear who's been filled with too much stuffing 
I tell myself that for lunch I'll have a side salad, and I'll skip the dressing but the more that I think about it it starts to feel depressing
there's the peloton in my basement I need to go down there.

If God said to Adam if you eat that fruit, you won't look good in your birthday suit, would he have taken a bite?  Based on my experience I don't think so.
If Moses led his people to the promised land and they found a place where desert was banned, would they have stayed there?  Based on my experience I don't think so.
There’s a Peloton in my basement. I need to go down there. 
I chew on my celery stick and I wish I was eating a French fry and I sip from my bottle of water but I'd rather be drinking a Mai Tai 
every day when I put on my clothes my pants feel a little bit tighter and every time when I step on the scale I realize I'm not getting lighter
There's a Peloton in my basement, I need to go down there
Cause I don't like how I look in my underwear
Why can't losing weight be as easy as losing hair.
Why is the food that tastes the best so unhealthy it's not fair.

Peloton in My Basement 2025 version

Carl from the Beautiful dark wrote a song today titled "Baldy Patty" and  it inspired me to write my own personal a song about baldness.  I started to lose my hair in my early twenties, and for awhile it bothered me and then one day, I decided to shave my head and I have never looked back. And now so many years have passed that I have been bald longer than I had hair. 
***
Guitar (two strumming tracks) Taylor 114CE 
Organ (playing my midi keyboard using the Logic Pro Organ plug in)
Strings (playing my midi keyboard using Native Instruments strings)
Piano: EZ Keys 2 (Indie Pop (tweed))
Drums (EZ Drummer 3)
Bass (PG Music Midi track with sounds from Native instruments Rickenbacker)
***
My hair’s falling out and I don’t know what to do.
My hair’s falling out, and I’m singing this song to you.

I’ve got hair on my fingers; I’ve got hair on my neck.  
I’ve got on my toes, I’ve got hair on my chest.  
But the one place I want it, it keeps falling out.  
My hair’s falling out and I don’t know what to do.

I shaved my head until the top of my skull was shiny
And I know it’s counterintuitive but I’m no longer bald and whiny.
When you’re young, you assume that you’ll always have hair
And then when you start to lose it, you think it’s not fair
Sampson in the bible when he lost his hair, he became so weak
But that guy on the bottle of mister clean is definitely no geek

I’ve got hair on my fingers; I’ve got hair on my neck.  
I’ve got hair on my toes; I’ve got hair on my chest.  
But where it’s missing on the top of my head, I no longer care one bit.
Because now when it comes to baldness, I don’t give a shit

My Hair's Falling Out

I have been using a CPAP machine for several months.  I am sleeping much better and I decided to take a stab at writing a song about it.  
***
Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy is a common treatment for obstructive sleep apnea. A CPAP machine uses a hose connected to a mask or nosepiece to deliver constant and steady air pressure to help you breathe while you sleep.
***
Copyright 2025
Vocals, Lyrics and Chords: Joe Stroffolino
Guitars:  Joe Stroffolino: Taylor 114ce (two guitar strumming tracks) and Fender Squire Picking track
Drums:  Programmed using EZ drummer 3
Bass:  Pg Music Midi track with .vst sound from Native instruments Rickenbacker
Organ: Joe Stroffolino: Playing Midi Keyboard with vintage B3 Organ sound from Logic Pro
***
Cover art:  Real (Non-AI) Photo of a Halloween Skeleton wearing my actual CPAP mask  (I was going to take a picture of me wearing the mask but believe it or not, the skeleton looks more attractive) 
****
CPAP Lyrics: 
I was snoring, so I had a sleep study, and they gave me a CPAP machine
It took a bit of getting used to, it was uncomfortable at first, but now it’s part of my nightly routine
When I first put on that CPAP mask, I tried to pretend I was like Darth Vader, part man and part machine, but actually I look more l like Jason in that hockey mask on Friday the thirteenth
The doctor said if I don’t wear that mask, I’ll be gasping for breath all night long and I know I’d better keep wearing it, if I want my heart and brain to stay strong.  I just wish I looked a little bit more sexy while I was wearing it.
Every night when I go to bed I wear a mask that covers my mouth and my nose and on the top of my head, connected to the mask, there’s a big, long hose.
They say when it comes to romance, you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover 
 But something about that CPAP mask makes me thinks it’s goanna be hard to find myself a new lover.
The doctor said if I don’t wear that mask, I’ll be gasping for breath all night long and I know I’d better keep wearing it, if I want my heart and brain to stay strong. I just wish I looked a little bit more sexy while I was wearing it.
Sometime you gotta try to put things in perspective
Sometimes you gotta try to be a little bit more objective
Sometimes you just gotta put function over form
Sometimes you gotta be willing to deviate from the norm
The doctor said if I don’t wear that mask, I’ll be gasping for breath all night long and I know I’d better keep wearing it, if I want my heart and brain to stay strong.
I know it’s very important to follow all the proper medical advice and I have every intention to keep using my CPAP device.  I just wish I looked a little bit more sexy while I was wearing it.

CPAP

Songs with a twinge of humor (and some a bit more serious).  
I do not use AI to create my songs. 
https://linktr.ee/joe.stroffolino
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.