That's a fascinating projext and a major thinker on how we used to actually teach ourselves negativity. Been thinking a lot about this and more I do we seeded all the negativity in our heads both collectively and retain that as individuals. let's hope we completely flip that on it's head for the next generation. Great track Joe. You're a fabulous song writer man 👏🏻👌🏻🔆🫡

Each generatioh has it's fairytales, stories, reality and problems: every generation has it's own music, everyone his own song!

Howdy Joe! Another outstanding composition with fantastic lyrics about fairytales! Those tales really hard a dark edge to them! Loved it! great job!👍😎✌🏼

More interseting lyrics with a twist of humour.  :)

Good song with an original theme and you've done it again with an interesting text as always with a touch of irony. We love you for it too Joe

what a very true text! I even heard that it is good for the evolution of kids brains to hear those frightening stories to address and cope with their inner fears but might also be a folclorisitc tale in the German speaking parts if the world :-)

Joe Stroffolino Selection

A song about growing older and looking back and asking myself: Were the good old days really that great.

Rose Colored Glasses

In this track I used piano, electric guitar, Korg Minilogue, Rhodes, electric bass, drums and djembe.
Thank you for listening !
Composition: Julien Apelian
Recording studio: Audio Colors
December, 13th, 2024

Thrive

There was a scientist, he invented a time machine
he was looking to go back to those days wen life was not nearly so complex
He got inside, he pushed the button but his calculations were wrong
He ended up in the Juriasic era and was eaten by a T-Rex

Sometimes things don't turn out quite the way you expected
Sometmes you just gotta jump before all the dots are connected

Sometimes the answer's right in front of your snout
Sometimes you just gotta let those bottled feelings come out
Sometimes the truth is there but you just don't want to see it
Sometimes you gotta open up your mind and make a decision to free it

There was a prince who had royal blood and he was destined to become king and he wasn't very interested in taking on that job
One day he just got on his horse and he rode away and he never came back
he assumed a new identity and became a working class slob

Sometimes things don't turn out quite the way you expected
Sometmes you just gotta jump before all the dots are connected

Sometimes the answer's right in front of your snout
Sometimes you just gotta let those bottled feelings come out
Sometimes the truth is there but you just don't want to see it
Sometimes you gotta open up your mind and make a decision to free it

Sometimes you gotta step out of the box and see which way the wind is blowing. Head in the opposite direction and convince yourself to get going
Sometimes you gotta march to a brand new beat. Sometimes you gotta make a U-turn and head down a different street

Sometimes the answer's right in front of your snout
Sometimes you just gotta let those bottled feelings come out
Sometimes the truth is there but you just don't want to see it
Sometimes you gotta open up your mind and make a decision to free it

Snout

Copyright 2025 Joe Stroffolino
Guitar strumming tracks and picking tracks Taylor 114ce: Joe Stroffolino
Vocals & Backup Vocals:  Joe Stroffolino
Drums:  EZ Drummer 3
Bass:  PG music Real track

Hey sugar, hope you’re doing alright. I’ve been thinking about you.
Hey sugar hope you’re doing okay. Wonder what you’ve been up to.
It’s been a long time since I’ve seen your face, and you had me under your spell.
We’ve both taken a quite a few trips around the sun. Hope time has treated you well.
As for me, I’m a little worse for wear, I’ve gained some weight and lost some hair
But I try to watch my diet and exercise and take care of myself. 
You’re just a memory, it would probably ruin my fantasy, if we were to meet up one day and try to rekindle that old chemistry.
Cause chemicals have an expiration date and it’s probably too late to put ourselves in
 a test tube and get that reaction going again.
Hey, sugar I’ve been thinking about you.  Do you ever think about me too.
Time passes and my memory fades and you become more beautiful
I feel like a boxer who’s past his prime and I’m looking for one last fight
Sometimes I wake up and I think about you in the dark and lonely night
Time keeps on passing and there’s not much you can do
It’s easy to look back and regret those options you didn’t pursue
You can spend your days waxing nostalgic, you can cling to your fantasy
Or you can jump in that water under the bridge and take a chance on reality
You’re just a memory, it would probably ruin my fantasy, if we were to meet up one day and try to rekindle that old chemistry.  
Cause chemicals have an expiration date and it’s probably too late to put ourselves in
 a test tube and get that reaction going again.
You’re just a memory, it would probably ruin my fantasy, but it sure would be nice to rekindle that chemistry.

Just a Memory

Haven’t been on the cloud much lately. Been travelling across the southern Australian coastline, to the beautiful and remote Kangaroo Island. Its beauty seemed strangely juxtaposed to the horrors going on elsewhere.

Haunting Moods of Change

Cover Art: Wilhelm Grimm (left) and Jacob Grimm (right), portrayed by Elisabeth Jerichau-Baumann (1855) PD-US
Music and Lyrics Copyright 2025 Joe Stroffolino

Hansel and Gretel were abandoned by their parents in the forest all alone.
They stumbled across a delicious looking candy-coated home.  A cannibalistic witch captured them and put them in a cage. Those were the kind of stories they used to tell children at a young age.

The brothers Grim told stories that were a reflection of their time
There was disease famine and poverty and things were not going fine 
We had to sanitize the stories because our modern stomachs are weak
And you’ll get in trouble if you read a book to kids, and it makes them shriek

Three little pigs were in a brick house trying really hard to survive 
The big bad wolf came down the chimney, fell in a pot of water and was boiled alive.
Cinderella’s stepsisters wanted to marry the prince, but they couldn’t fit into her shoes so they chopped off their heels and toes because they had so much to lose 

The brothers Grim told stories that were a reflection of their time
There was disease famine and poverty, and things were not going fine 
Little Red Riding Hood in the bedroom with a wolf dressed in human clothes.
Wondering why her grandmother had sharp teeth and a snout instead of a nose. Jack climbed the beanstalk, there was a giant who wanted to grind up his bones and make some bread. He stole the magic harp and the hen that laid golden eggs and the giant ended up dead

There’s days when you want to take a sheet of tin foil and stick it in your baseball cap
To keep all those negative thoughts from getting in your head and making you a miserable chap
Did it all start when you were a child, and your mother read you that bed time story that perhaps in retrospect may have been a bit too dark and gory

The brothers Grim told stories that were a reflection of their time
There was disease famine and poverty and things were not going fine 
Now we environmental devastation, nuclear weapons and milk that might have bird flu
Just turn on the news you don’t need a fairy tale to put the fear of God in you
But if you take away all the parts that are dark, sick twisted and gory. 
Do you have anything left that actually resembles a good story.
***
Vocals and backing vocals -  Joe Stroffolino 
Guitars - Joe Stroffolino ( 2 Strumming tracks: Taylor 114ce and Fender Squire and I picking track:Taylor114ce)
Bass, Saxophone, Horns: PG Music Real tracks
Piano andi Strings: PG Music and Native Instruments
Drums: EZ drummer 3
Recorded, mixed and mastered with Logic Pro 11

The Brothers Grim

Archy has finally reached the elusive land of his dreams. But is it really all what it seems? Is there something evil in the air? Is there dark clouds at the horizon? Archibald Whim may step ashore, but what awaits him in this ever changing America?
This track was recorded in corporation with the ever so talented BribedAnt, that supported with bass and solo guitar along with a critical input in the mix and master process. Do look up BribedAnt on Soundcloud - it's a blast.

America – Archibald Whim X

There are people who believe you should love your neighbor as yourself
There are people who believe you should share some of your wealth
There are people who believe that only the fittest should survive
And if you’re poor and you’re weak it’s up to you to stay alive
There are people who believe you should teach a man to fish
Instead of giving him all his food in an already cooked dish
There are people who have an empathy deficit
They see people suffering and they don’t care one bit
They wear religion on their sleeves but if you’re in the wrong denomination.  They look at you like you’re an abomination.
People who treat politics the same as a religion and if presented with a new set of facts they don’t even budge a little smidgeon
Billionaires who have enough money where they could end world hunger in one day
Do they see people starving and think it is okay. We’re stronger together than if we are apart
If we could see ourselves as passengers on the same boat that would be a good start
We all share this this tiny rock as it floats through outer space
This planet is the lifeboat for the entire human race
Billionaires who what to create a colony on Mars. Let’s fix things here on earth before we travel to the stars
The world used to be full of undiscovered places but now humans have put footprints everywhere.
The continents touch the same oceans, and we all breathe the same air We live on one planet that we have to share
We’re stronger together than if we are apart
If we could see ourselves as passengers on the same boat that would be a good start
We all share this this tiny rock as it floats through outer space
This planet is the lifeboat for the entire human race. Billionaires who what to create a colony on Mars.   Let’s fix things here on earth before we travel to the stars

Empathy

An electronic/industrial piece, with some fusion elements.

Cosmic Call

Cast of characters:
The Beautiful Dark -- @thebeautifuldark -- Carl — Ovation acoustic guitar, lead vocals, lyrics, and compostion
Scratch Kelly -- @scratchkelly — Sarah —  vocals
one man verity show – @one-man-verity-show – Scotty – Epiphone Casino melodic  electric guitar and vocals
Joe Stroffolino-- @joseph-stroffolino --  vocals
Mistermark-- @user-432503709 -- Mark – triangle and vocals
K2 and the Three [and the Four]--@k2andthe3, @k2-kara –Ken -- drums
Llanpsych -- @llanpsych -- Tez – Fender Strat electric guitar
TexMex Shaman– @texmex-shaman –Stephen — Tom Andersen Custom T electric guitar, production, mix, and mastering
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)– @josh-clary-1 –Josh – Warwick fretless four-string bass

Mr Bringer-er Together-er is Josh. You may also know him as artist Entheogenic Psychnought, or the spine of Eclectic Collective. We all came across Josh in our own lucky ways, but he really sets a high bar for spreading constructive musical love and encouragement on SoundCloud. This song started out as a comment. I (Carl/TBD) went to call Josh Mr Bringer-er Together-er and my phone auto corrected it. the next morning K2 swooped in and said what I wanted so I used that as a trigger for the song.
So, I had a rough arrangement. We then invited a few artists, except Josh, to paint it for him. Scratch Kelly, aka Sarah, beamed through some amazing vocals. Not long behind Joe Stroffolino painted in some brilliant backing vox. Then Scotty (One Man Verity Show) chimed in with some amazing guitar, trippy backing vocals, and the super artwork you get to enjoy. Mark brushed in a triangle and some vox, and then Ken added those trusty drums. Tez then strutted in and added some super lead guitar, and not far behind him was Stephen with some epic rhythm guitar that showed the way for the song from that point of view showing a much better space to all the other instruments than the original demo guitar. That was a lovely lesson on less is more...

The song was now ready to give to the main man for him to paint, and he chose his trusty bass to put some strawberries on his own musical cake.

I now stared at 37 tracks and went... Hmmm Stephen, Help! Stephen mixed and mastered it to its crisp current form, and it was a very difficult mix. He basically had to merge 3 projects to one and really aced the challenging mix and master like the true shaman he is. We hope you enjoy the song that brought us together again. May it give us more togetherness like Josh so wonderfully demonstrates everyday

You da brother man Josh 🤘🏽

Lyrics

Magnet of human
Moulded by melody mind
Just jester Josh delivers this kind
Collective of creed worth all our belief
Friendship
Togetherness through skill and relief

Sharing, Caring
Composer of purr
Human vibrations of the highest occur
Let's celebrate this human some more
It's Mr Bringer-er together-er

Mr Bringer-er together-er
Mr Bringer-er together-er

Loving, Not shoving
Honing, Not moaning
Positive to give
In music he live
Loving his kids
Like he loves us
The luckiest kids who take this EC bus
Josh is the driver
Mr Music Jeez
More Mr Bringer-ers together-ers please

Mr Bringer-er together-er
Mr Bringer-er together-er

The Joshua Tree collecting collective
Physical dreams
Metaphysical pleasures
Skills. New.
Unconditional prime time
The only thing we tow is how we making new time line

Mr Bringer-er together-er

You are the rod
You cast your spinners
You reel us back in from lake bitter winter
It's Spring all the time in your World and Page
Our Mr Bringer-er together-er sage

We all love ya mate

Mr Bringer-er together-er
Mr Bringer-er together-er Oh oo
Mr Bringer-er together-er
Mr Bringer-er together-er Oh oo

Mr Bringer-er Together-er - The Eclectic Collective

DRUMAX No. 67 // LEANED BACK // Lean Back And Enjoy
@docfritz // All Musical Stuff, Drums & Percussion, Cover, Mix & Production
@joerxworx // Alto Saxophone
© 2025 | DRUMAX PROJECT | All Rights Reserved

DRUMAX No. 67 // LEANED BACK

I am anything but a pessimist. I am not depressed either. However, the world is in such a sad state that, when I look for song lyric topics, I can hardly find anything positive or fun. Instead of singing, you just want to cry. Or scream.

I wrote the following song in memory of the immeasurable pain and incredible will to survive of the Ukrainian people – neither as a lament nor as a protest song, just as an almost normal love song.

Although I don't know the basics of the Ukrainian language, I also decided to write this Ukrainian version too with a customized arrangement and the help of DeepL because this language sounds so extra beautiful – one special of so many diamonds of Europe's cultural diversity.

Image: Dmytro Kotenko who died on the third day of the Russian invasion. He was 21.

Music, lyrics, vocal prompt and production by ©Hans-Michael Albers. Vocal performance by suno4.5

Lyrics translation by DeepL:

Will I ever see you again?
Just once more?
Wandering through worlds, spaces and dreams.
No matter where, no matter when.

Losing all time forever
as if we were music.
Only us and nothing else anymore.
As if there were no war.

Coming together like two halves of a whole.
Barely able to breathe with happiness,
Your heart beating as loudly as mine.
In this moment.

Gazing at you silently as you sleep so beautifully.
So indescribably close,
I've never seen anything more beautiful.
And it was all true.

Why can't this continue?
Why are you a ghost?
Will I ever see you again,
Before it tears me apart?

Will I ever see you again,
Before it tears me apart?

Чи побачу я тебе ще колись? (Werd ich dich jemals wiedersehen?)

Rapture is a new collaboration between the Beating Edge and Joe Stroffolino, following the awesome Asteroids (The Original Was Better). Joe wrote both the lyrics and the original music, while the Beating Edge rearranged and recorded it in a punchy rock style, adding driving guitars, strong rhythm, and dynamic choruses. Vocals feature Tom on lead, with Joe and Mary contributing both backing vocals and lead parts on certain verses and the bridge, creating a layered and energetic vocal texture.
The song explores the absurdity and irony of doomsday prophecies, the obsession with the rapture, and the endless cycle of believers and false prophets. It blends satirical storytelling with a critical eye on human behavior, delivering a mix of humor, intensity, and thought-provoking commentary through energetic rock arrangements. 
Rapture is a track that engages both the mind and the ears, combining narrative, power, and fun in equal measure.
Copyright 2025  Joe Stroffolino & The Beating Edge

Lyrics:

These prophets who say the world's gonna end and they set a specific date
And then when it doesn't happen, their followers still think they're great
The sun rises the next morning and people stumble out of bed
Disappointed that the rapture didn't happen and they're still alive instead of dead

All these people going through the motions, trying to deal with the daily grind
Hoping the rapture comes soon and they're not the ones who are left behind

They claim they have a direct line to God but there was a glitch in the connection
But now they're certain of the expiration date so they issue a correction
The shepherd guides the flock and tries to keep them safe from harm
But how many times can you cry wolf before people ignore your alarm

All these people going through the motions, trying to deal with the daily grind
Hoping the rapture comes soon and they're not the ones who are left behind

Who cares about the environment if you think the world is gonna end
And you're convinced the second coming is right around the bend
So drill baby drill and chop down all the plants and trees
No need to spend money on curing terrible disease

In every generation throughout history, people were certain that the rapture would come
And they had followers willing to believe them as they fed them each a tiny crumb
In baseball you only get three strikes and then the umpire says you're out
But when it comes to doomsday prophecies, the true believers have no doubt

All these people going through the motions, trying to deal with the daily grind
Hoping the rapture comes soon and they're not the ones who are left behind

Rapture

A rowdy, good-time country track that mashes up rodeo grit with retro arcade chaos. Hang On, Donkey Kong tells the story of a cowboy who’s just as comfortable dodgin’ barrels on a pixel screen as he is ridin’ bulls under the Friday-night lights.

Fueled by acoustic strums, twangy electric riffs, fiddle runs, and a shuffle-driven groove, the song brings a playful honky-tonk swagger from the first quarter-drop to the last chorus shout. With humor, heart, and a whole lot of attitude, it captures what makes country music fun: big personality, bigger energy, and stories you can’t help but grin through.

If you like toe-tappin’, barroom-ready country with a modern kick—and a nod to classic arcade nostalgia—this track’s for you. Saddle up, grab the joystick, and hang on tight… Donkey Kong doesn’t stand a chance.

Donkey Kong

🎄 Once Upon A Christmas Time 🎄
Lyrics By: Thomas W. Peterson AKA RedHeart 
©COPYRIGHT 11–14-2025 All Rights Reserved ©


(Verse 1)
(Acoustic guitar intro with a slow, gentle fiddle melody)
The snow's a-fallin' slow tonight, outside this pane of glass
Looks like the kind of silent white that brings you back to the past
I poured myself a cup of cheer, sat down beside the glow
And let my mind drift back in time to winters long ago

(Chorus)
Oh, once upon a Christmas time, before the world went fast
When simple joys were easy to find, and happy moments seemed to last
Back when the tree was strung with lights that Grandpa used to hang
And a little boy dreamed through the nights of the carols that the church choir sang
Yeah, it's just a memory now, but it shines like tinsel on a low-hangin' bough
Once upon a Christmas time.

(Verse 2)
Mama baked her sugar cookies, dusted white as snow
We spent our time down in the valley where the cold wind used to blow
We didn't have much money then, but we had all the love
And every gift that we unwrapped felt sent from up above
The old brick fireplace was cracklin', throwin' shadows on the wall
We waited up 'til we heard the sound of Santa's quiet call.

(Chorus)
Oh, once upon a Christmas time, before the world went fast
When simple joys were easy to find, and happy moments seemed to last
Back when the tree was strung with lights that Grandpa used to hang
And a little boy dreamed through the nights of the carols that the church choir sang
Yeah, it's just a memory now, but it shines like tinsel on a low-hangin' bough
Once upon a Christmas time.

(Bridge)
(Pedal Steel Solo - slow, mournful, yet sweet, followed by a quick fiddle fill)
Things change, the years rush by you quick, you can't hold 'em in your hand
But every December, somethin' clicks, and I feel like that little man
I miss the innocence of youth and faces I held dear
But the magic of that simple truth is still alive right here.

(Chorus)
Oh, once upon a Christmas time, before the world went fast
When simple joys were easy to find, and happy moments seemed to last
Back when the tree was strung with lights that Grandpa used to hang
And a little boy dreamed through the nights of the carols that the church choir sang
Yeah, it's just a memory now, but it shines like tinsel on a low-hangin' bough
Once upon a Christmas time.

(Outro)
(Slow strumming of the acoustic guitar)
Once upon a Christmas time...
(Slight pause, gentle steel guitar bends)
Hope you find that feeling, too, this year.
(Fade out on the acoustic guitar and a final, lingering fiddle note)


🎄 Once Upon A Christmas Time 🎄

Harlan Crowe walks through twelve songs that feel like twelve reckonings.
This album is the sound of a man catching up to himself — not through grand gestures,
but in the quiet corners of life where truth waits patiently.

Across roadside confessions, kitchen-table honesty, worn habits,
and the small mercies he once avoided, Crowe traces the long arc
from self-deception to self-recognition.
He learns that patterns don’t break cleanly,
that kindness sometimes shows up disguised as duty,
and that a man grows steadier when he stops
trying to look steadier than he feels.

The journey isn’t triumphant.
It’s human.

Each track marks a different step toward humility,
courage, and the strength to face himself in full light.
By the end, he’s not a new man —
just one with fewer shadows,
walking forward in shoes that have carried the truth longer than he has.

Old Worn Shoes Don’t Hold Grudges

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.

Howdy,

Welcome to TBD.


All these creations are made by hard work and years upon years upon years of practice and trying to explain this world and the human condition to myself in the process through poems & songs.

Thanks for all of your wonderful support.

Peace and Love to Everyone,

🫛



What playing music does to your brain🔽

https://youtu.be/R0JKCYZ8hng?si=KJt33NWjUo63ieAm



A nice David Bowie Interview🔽

https://youtu.be/JRtZc_Nmo5w?si=1g1Wag87NdEumAc4




My Favourite Book on mindfullness🔽

Waking Up Audiobook | Free with trial https://share.google/xsAhpRSbEubR5MO7g

by Sam Harris



My favourite book on physical reality🔽

A Short History of Nearly Everything Audiobook | Free with trial https://share.google/YXkAxGmKhrGLuXvhr

by Bill Bryson


The Brothers Grim

Joe Stroffolino

Recent comments

Graham J Williams

Konrad Spittelberg

MIRANDA

🎸JIM🎙

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