An original composition
Lyrics

The first time you open your eyes
It could be anywhere in the world 
A peaceful forest
Or an ocean beach
A small town or village 
A quiet countryside  
A busy noisy city in a tent
A war-torn country with fire and bombs


I ask why this is
Is it just random chance 
Good luck,bad luck
Rich family or poor 
Good health, or disabled 
Some can see, but some are blind
There are those who can hear the world
To others there is just silence


Some die at birth, others in the womb
An accident can end life quickly
A sudden illness, threatens your life
Some die, yet some survive
Why is this?
Who is pulling the strings
Or is it just happening chance


Life is quite a mystery 
A dreamy and soft ride for some
Agony and pain for others
Life can be very short 
Does that mean it does not matter 
A long life can lead to journeys 
For others just mundane and boring
Does that really make much sense
Or does it really matter?

Music and Lyrics by Len Bennati FM Folk 2024
Mastering and Production by Tom Hanson

Mystery Remaster)

"The song "Morning Glory", about a hobo who approaches the home of an individual and spurns the patronizing attitude of the homeowner, was inspired by Buckley's early childhood. He lived in a small southern California community that was adjacent to a hobo camp.
Buckley is the father of the popular '90s performer, Jeff Buckley. Both father and son died tragically: Tim from a drug overdose and Jeff from drowning.
Tim left Jeff's mother before he was born, and he died when Jeff was eight. Father and son never got to know one another and Jeff held some resentment towards his father over the abandonment'. 
                Songfacts

Morning Glory-Tim Buckley (Cover)

An original Composition

Lyrics

A quiet time I love the best
Is the morning when the sun is rising
So calm and peaceful 
Just the music of nature 
To calm the soul 
The mind and the body 

A quiet time I love best
While biking along the trail 
Time to think about life
As it is and as it was
To calm the soul 
The mind and the body 

A quiet time I love the best 
An evening with a book 
Some music gently playing in the background
That helps me to focus
To calm the soul 
The mind and the body 

A quiet time I love the best
The night when all is very calm
The sound of white noise lingering
As I drift off to dream
To calm the soul 
The mind and the body 

These quiet times are the very best 
So tranquil and mellow 
Calming and relaxing 
My sometimes-weary mind
These times do calm my soul
My mind and weary body

Music and Lyrics by Len Bennati FM Folk Copyright 2024
Mastering and Production by Tom Hanson

Quiet Times (Remaster)

"Fogelberg's 1985 song "Sutter's Mill" tells the story of John Sutter, who was involved in the discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill in 1848. The discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill led to the California Gold Rush of 1849, which changed the course of California's and the nation's history."

Sutter's Mill - Dan Fogelberg  (Cover)

A new composition

Lyrics


A light in the dark
A beacon of hope
A world in chaos
Hoping kindness can break through


Compassion is not lost
Empathy is still alive
In small acts of the heart
We see love can survive


Every once in a while
A shining soul comes through
Reminding all of us
Some good still remains


Sometimes it's hard to believe
In goodness, in grace
But when we look closer
We see love's embrace

                                               
Give me a sign
Better days are to come
Hold onto this light
In darkness, we shall overcome

Music and Lyrics by Len Bennati FM Folk Copyright 2024

Every Once in a While

"The song "All the Lovely Ladies" was written by Gordon Lightfoot and was first released in 1975.
One of our most popular live songs. A Valentine to the audience, where we recognize "all the lovely ladies in their finery tonight," and then the "handsome gentlemen."

All the Lovely Ladies - Gordon Lightfoot (Cover)

A New Composition.......

Lyrics

Once upon a time 
I had a dream 
That said to me
Where are we going?
I am confused
What am I to do?


The path was unclear
A journey unknown
Fear of not knowing
An uncomfortable feeling
So, I just stopped thinking
And made my peace with what is


Lost in the unknown
Of what will be
When this journey ends 
What will we experience?
A feeling of nothingness
Or drifting toward the light


So many have come before
They have lived and they have died
Where are they now?
Just cosmic dust drifting away
Does the soul really live on?
When this human life ends 


These are the things one thinks of
When the age of time creeps closer
The end of the line
The end of the road
Visions of your life story
Pass before you as you drift away

Music and Lyrics by Len Bennati FM Folk 2024

Lost in The Unknown

"Song to the Siren" is a song written by Tim Buckley and Larry Beckett, first released by Buckley on his 1970 album Starsailor.
"Song to the Siren" by Tim Buckley is a haunting ballad about the dangers of giving oneself to a love that offers nothing in return. The song's lyrics are a metaphor for the Greek myth of sirens who lured sailors to their deaths with their singing. The song's images include: The sea, loneliness, yearning, doomed romance, and death by drowning".                Wikipedia

Song to the Siren - Tim Buckley  (Cover)

"Helpless" is a song written by Canadian singer-songwriter Neil Young, recorded by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (CSNY) on their 1970 album Déjà Vu.
In 1951, there was a polio epidemic in Canada and Neil Young contracted polio at the age of five. The left side of his body was permanently damaged, leaving him with a slight limp to this day. He later processed his memories of this time in the song Helpless.."                      Wikipedia

Helpless - Neil Young/ CSNY (Cover)

Most songwriters write songs about love, peace, happiness, anger, sadness and despair.......They write from the perspective of self or observation This new composition comes from observation with themes of sadness and despair. I can understand why many would not want to listen, but as a songwriter I have to write about what I am feeling and thinking about at the moment whether people like it or not. Since I returned to social media to promote some of my music I have found a very sad world. Lots of lost souls and self-absorbed and narcissistic people. I am not sure of the value of social media in society. I know it provides an outlet for those whom are alone and are socially isolated ,but it is not a replacement for human contact. Most humans want to be happy and free of physical and emotional pain, but I do not believe social media is going to make one  happier over the long term. The reality is that most people do not care about you, only your closest friends and family do and when that does not exist one suffers tremendous sadness, despair and emotional pain.

Lyrics

Living in a self-absorbed world
Where the focus is always on me
How am I doing?
Do I feel happy? Do I feel sad?

How do I look today?
Am I getting older?
It’s my birthday 
Come celebrate me

After all life is just about me
The world revolves around me
I am the most important person
Come see how happy I am

I stand here 
Taking a photo of myself
Won’t others think I’m so beautiful
Maybe handsome and debonair 

I am having a bad day today
Please comment and pity me
Help me to feel better
Just for a day

I need to feel happy
I need to feel young
I need to feel beautiful
Is this all I really am?

Quite sad really
When the focus is just on me
So self-absorbed I must be
I just want to be happy, like me, follow me

Music and Lyrics by Len Bennati FM Folk 2024

I Just Want to be Happy Like Me Follow Me

"Cowgirl in the Sand" is a song written by Neil Young and first released on his 1969 album Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere.
The song's lyrics are about a promiscuous woman, or perhaps three different women if each stanza describes a different woman. Author Nigel Williamson describes the lyrics as "obscure and dreamlike, addressed to some idealized woman." Music critic Johnny Rogan describes the lyrics as "oblique", describing the woman as being both "idealistic" and "idealized" by the singer, referring particularly to the line "When so many love you, is it the same?" Author David Downing suggests that this line reflects ambiguity as to whether increased sexual freedom is a blessing or whether it is a curse. Downing, however, feels that the next line, "it's the woman in you that makes you want to play this game", was already outdated when the song was released in the late 1960s. At the time of the song's initial release, Rolling Stone described the lyrics as "quietly accusative". Young himself has claimed that "Cowgirl in the Sand" is about his impression of "beaches in Spain", despite the fact that when he wrote the song he had never been to Spain.
Author Ken Bielen suggests an interpretation of the lyrics, in which Young is singing about himself. The sand in the title could be a reference to young people coming to California, which has many beaches. The woman in the first stanza could be a veiled reference to Young, since Young moved from Canada to California. Lines such as "Old enough now to change your name" and "Has your band begun to rust" could be references to Young's departure from the band Buffalo Springfield. The line "When so many love you, is it the same?" could be a reflection of Young's own ambivalence towards fame, and in Bielen's interpretation, the line that bothered Downing, "it's the woman in you that makes you want to play this game", could be a reference to Young believing that his own feminine side is causing him to seek fame despite the harassment that fame attracts."          Wikipedia

Cowgirl in the Sand - Neil Young (Cover)

As humans we all react differently to stories and images. I watched this video story yesterday https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDbmCOqaVTo&t=3s
which cased a strong visceral reaction in me. The story a very sad one about the short life of a young man Shaban al-Dalu who lost his life in Gaza a few days ago. The image at the end of him dying in flames with arms raised in his tent is one of the saddest visual images I have ever seen. This fire caused by a bomb also took the life of his mother and his brother as well , prompted me to write this song for Shaban. I have become disillusioned with the world in general as many of us ,not all, have become numb to the pain and suffering of others because of our belief systems. It just seems like it only matters when some sort of tragedy affects us directly........  Sha’ban al-Dalou burned alive before the world. May his death awaken us  https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/oct/17/shaban-al-dalou-burned-alive-israel-gaza

Lyrics

Underneath the smoke-filled skies
Screams of sadness and violence in the air
Many walk the road of empty promises
Where no one seems to care
They once had dreams
Flowing through their minds
But now they’re just memories
Lost in what seems like forever

Pictures used to hang on the walls of destruction
Frames of loving family memories
That told a thousand tales
Of laughter and dreams that used to be
Now they wander through desolation
Looking for food to eat and water to drink
Chasing memories that now seem so long ago
Wondering souls, they have now become

Where dreams go to die
It's where hope no longer exists
A desolate landscape of shadows
Of death and destruction
Where dreams go to die
Just trying to survive
In such a sad and miserable place
Stealing their souls, their hearts and minds  

 In this darkness, not so long ago
A young man died in the flames
Suffering and screaming
As he lay in his bed
Dreaming of a future life
In a place where dreams die
This sad and violent night
Took his life, it took his life

Music and Lyrics by Len Bennati FM Folk Copyright 2024
Mastering and Production by Tom Hanson

Where Dreams Go to Die (Remaster)

A new composition

Lyrics:

Common people, don’t give in
We rise from ashes, we’ll begin again
They say we’re powerless, but they’re wrong
Together we’re mighty, we’ll prove we belong

Common people for what cause
Dreaming of a better life
We work so hard and play the game
But they still don’t know our names

Common people, feeling lost
In a world that’s cold and unkind
We'll keep on pushing through the pain
Hoping for happier times

Common people with weary hearts
Carry the weight of broken dreams
In shadows where our voices fade
Looking for light in grace redeemed

Common people, bruised but proud
We'll sing our song above the crowd
Though our journey’s hard and steep
In the end, it's the hope we keep

Common people, standing strong
In the struggle, we belong
Through the darkest nights, we fight
Holding on to dreams in the night

Common people for what cause
Common people for what cause
Common people for what cause

Music and Lyrics by Len Bennati FM Folk Copyright 2024
Mastering and Production by Tom Hanson

Common People for What Cause (Remaster)

A new composition

Lyrics:

Here we stand on perilous ground,
Where hopes and dreams,
Are lost without a sound.
The compass spins, no way to steer,
Caught in currents of our doubts,
It’s all becoming clear.


Hearts turned hard like stone,
In the name of power played,
Compassions flow.
The violence whispers deep,
Yet it takes away our breath,
Love is abandoned in defeat.


Oh, we’re sinking in quicksand,
Grasping for the light,
Desperate for direction,
But it’s fading out of sight.
With every pull of anger,
It drags us deeper down,
In a world that’s turning cold,
We’re uprooted from solid ground.


Humans drifting in the dark,
Reacting out of fear,
Voices lost in impulsive sparks,
The truth disappears.
Is democracy a fading dream,
By decisions made by few.
As the watchers wait and see,
For the tide to pull us through.

Will we find our way again,
Rise above the fray?
Or fade into the silence,
As the light slips further away?
Will this be our final demise,
Or a chance to learn and grow?
Is this the quicksand of confusion,
There’s so much more to know.

Music and Lyrics by Len Bennati FM Folk 2024
Mastering and Production by Tom Hanson

Sinking in Quicksand (Remaster)

"The Reach” is set in Maine during the autumn season, painting a vivid picture of the landscape and the raw beauty of nature. The lyrics depict the changing colors of the birches as they begin to turn and the fog that meets the beaches, creating an atmospheric backdrop for the story that unfolds.
The song beautifully captures the timeless bond between a father and his son, symbolizing a tradition that has been passed down through generations in coastal communities. It speaks of lobstermen, hauling their catch by hand, and braving the stormy seas. This tradition serves as a metaphorical thread that connects the past to the present, showcasing the strength and resilience of those who rely on the sea for their livelihood.
“The Reach” symbolizes a sense of longing and the pursuit of knowledge. This particular stretch of the coast represents a deeper understanding of life, its struggles, and its endless teachings. As the protagonist embarks on a journey to the depths of their soul, they draw wisdom from the reach, taking everything it has to offer.
As the song progresses, the lyrics shift to reflect the changing seasons. The wind brings a chill, and the frost on the sill signifies the arrival of winter. The reach lies frozen, serving as a metaphor for the challenges and hardships that life inevitably brings. It is during these difficult times that the true lessons of the reach become apparent, offering guidance and strength."            Beatcrave

The Reach - Dan Fogelberg (Cover)

A new composition......

Lyrics 

In the shadow of the night the silence screams,
Our sorrows are weaved into our dreams
Anger like wildfire burns from within
But in this storm, we stand and resist

The world can feel so heavy, like a weight on our chest,
But together, like a chorus we sing through the mess.
A river of emotions, flowing wild and deep,
Yet in the tide of sorrow, it’s our promise we keep.

We are never alone when we are together,
Through grief and the pain, we are tethered
What once pulled us under, now fuels our fight,
With every tear that falls, we rise to new heights.

So let the rage be our canvas, painted bold and bright,
Transforming all the anguish into sparks that ignite.
Turn this pain into action, with hearts open wide,
In the hands of resilience, we’ll never have to hide.  

As we walk through the fire, our spirits intertwine,
Hand in hand, we’ll navigate in one direction.
For every storm that passes, there’s a promise to affirm,
Our strength grows ever stronger, as our hearts begin to burn.

Music and Lyrics by Len Bennati FM Folk 2024
Mastering and Production by Tom Hanson

We Are Never Alone When We Are Together (Remaster)

"Across the Universe" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles. It was written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney.
One night in 1967, the phrase "words are flowing out like endless rain into a paper cup" came to Lennon after listening to the voice of his then-wife Cynthia
I was lying next to my first wife in bed, you know, and I was irritated, and I was thinking. She must have been going on and on about something and she'd gone to sleep and I kept hearing these words over and over, flowing like an endless stream. I went downstairs and it turned into a sort of cosmic song rather than an irritated song, rather than a "Why are you always mouthing off at me? [The words] were purely inspirational and were given to me as boom! I don't own it you know; it came through like that." 
In his 1970 interview with Rolling Stone, Lennon referred to the song as perhaps the best, most poetic lyric he ever wrote: "It's one of the best lyrics I've written. In fact, it could be the best. It's good poetry, or whatever you call it, without chewin' it. See, the ones I like are the ones that stand as words, without melody. They don't have to have any melody, like a poem, you can read them."           Wikipedia

Across the Universe - The Beatles (Cover)

"Who Knows Where the Time Goes?" is a song written by the English folk-rock singer and songwriter Sandy Denny.
The song is a reflection in three verses on observed events ("Across the evening sky all the birds are leaving"). Denny writes that she does not count time ("Before the winter's fire, I will still be dreamin'; I have no thought of time" and in the last line of the short chorus asks rhetorically, "Who knows where the time goes?". The last verse includes the lines "I am not alone while my love is near me, I know it will be so until it's time to go.”         Wikipedia

Who Knows Where the Time Goes - Fairport Convention

Neil's beloved Pontiac hearse, "Mort" (a.k.a. "Mortimer Hearseburg"), was the inspiration for this song. Neil drove "Mort" from Toronto to Los Angeles, where he met Stephen Stills and formed Buffalo Springfield.

Neil was in Canada driving to Sudbury when 'Mort' broke down in Blind River, June 1965. (Which is contradictory to the lyrics; "well it was back in Blind River, in 1962, when I last saw you alive").    Songfacts

Long May You Run - Neil Young (Cover)

"Patterns" is a song written by Paul Simon and included on his 1965 album The Paul Simon Songbook, and later recorded by Simon and Garfunkel on their third album, Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme. The lyrics are about how life is a labyrinthine maze, following patterns which are, because we are trapped in them, difficult to unravel or control."                 Wikipedia

Patterns - Simon & Garfunkel (Cover)

“Angel from Montgomery” by John Prine is about a middle-aged woman who feels older than her years, and her desire to escape her marriage and home.
Prine wrote the song after a friend suggested writing a song about older people, and Prine was drawn to the idea of a woman who feels older than she is. The song's lyrics include, “I am an old woman named after my mother” and “How the hell can a person go to work in the morning/And come home in the evening and have nothing to say”.
Prine chose Montgomery as the song's setting because he was a fan of Hank Williams, who had ties to the city."           Google AI

Angel From Montgomery - John Prine (Cover)

"Mad World" is a 1982 song by British band Tears for Fears. Written by Roland Orzabal and sung by bassist Curt Smith, it was the band's third single release and first chart hit, reaching number three on the UK Singles Chart in November 1982. Both "Mad World" and its B-side, "Ideas as Opiates", appeared on the band's debut LP The Hurting (1983). This single was also the band's first international success, reaching the Top 40 in several countries in 1982–83. In the UK it was the 12th best-selling single of 1982.
"Mad World" was originally written on acoustic guitar when Orzabal was 19 after being inspired to write a new wave song in the vein of Duran Duran's "Girls on Film". After a few false starts with Orzabal on vocals, he suggested Smith sing it and "suddenly it sounded fabulous".              Wikipedia

Mad World - Tears for Fears  (Cover)

This song was inspired by a singer/songwriter I follow on Instagram Threads . Her name is Sara Syms. She posted this today "I am holding space for everyone not ok" which led to the creation of this new composition . She is very good. Check out her music  https://open.spotify.com/artist/59zNVUIdLrT7Wl0Zyc8CZj?si=GsHlBa8yTuKyi9b5uF012A
https://youtu.be/SDxzfqF7PSo?si=V5SiFcqaNQIA5DaQ

Lyrics:

I’m carving out a corner
Where whispers find the sunlight
I’m learning how to breathe in
It’s a little less hard each day


A fragile kind of strength
These days are like a canvas
The world outside is restless
With every breath, I become a bit calmer 


I’m holding space as long as I can
Like the steady, gentle tide
In the silence and the noise
I will hold this space


The storms may come and go
In the quiet of the evening
My compass lighting paths 
I’ll be the voice of reason in my heart.

Through the trials 
I’m finding peace
With every breath 
I am holding space.

Music and Lyrics by Len Bennati FM Folk 2024
Mastering and Production by Tom Hanson

Holding Space (Remaster)

"Down by the Water is a song on the American indie rock band The Decemberists' sixth album, The King is Dead. It was released as a single in 2010.
"Down By the Water" includes Peter Buck and singer-songwriter Gillian Welch, who contribute 12-string guitar and vocal harmonies, respectively.It also features accordion riffs and heavy harmonica reminiscent of Neil Young; particularly the song "Heart of Gold". "Down By the Water" has been compared to the music of Bruce Springsteen. It was featured for free download on November 2, 2010, on their official website. Meloy has said that The King Is Dead is more straightforward and heavily influenced by R.E.M., and "Down By the Water" is a prime example. Meloy himself has said that the song "started out as more of a paean to R.E.M. than I think any of us really wanted it to be".

Lyrically, "Down By the Water" is vaguely mournful. It has been described as "folksy", "uptempo", and "country-esque", and the chorus as "booming".      Wikipedia

Down by the Water - The Decembrists (Cover)

A new composition.....

Lyrics:

Tears of sadness are falling down
We are spinning round and round
Lost in forgotten dreams
Chasing shadows, chasing fears


The world is confused
Searching for answers 
Some wear fake smiles with a cynical view
 But the ghosts of despair linger everywhere

The laughter fades 
Where do we begin?
The weight of the silence we fear
Tears of sadness have become so clear


The sorrow is weaved into this song
The tapestry of sadness tries to belong 
The notes are breaking in shackles of pain
The chaos and confusion are dancing in the rain


In this whirlwind of madness
Sadness and heartache
 Are the eyes of this storm
The struggle together is where we belong

Music and Lyrics by Len Bennati FM Folk 2024

Tears Of Sadness (Remaster)

Luka Bloom (born Kevin Barry Moore; 23 May 1955) is an Irish folk singer-songwriter. He is the younger brother of folk singer Christy Moore.

This is track from Luka's LP called "Before Sleep Comes".
'Be Still Now' is almost Zen-like in the message and word-pictures created by Bloom.

        "...I watched the heron watching me
        and thought I heard him say
        just be still now, wait a while
        and let life come to you
        just be still now, all your dreams
        are on the breezes passing through..."

Cindy Reich
Celtic Connection, Denver, Colorado
April 2004

Be Still Now - Luka Bloom (Cover)

A new composition............

Lyrics:  

In the quiet echoes of a fading dawn
Once we danced beneath the stars
The civilization that once was
Had its chance and soon will fall


The rivers run heavy with lies
A never-ending stream of deceit
Ugliness and greed with a sinister grin
Words of kindness are buried alive


Isn’t it a pity the smallness they hold
Their hearts and minds are so cold 
Lost in the darkness of their souls
The darkness of shadows is upon them


The streets are weeping with tears
Compassion forgotten in this modern-day hell
They search for redemption in the ashes of time
But the clock just keeps on ticking


They lament for the love that once was
In the reign of chaos, they feel lost
Isn’t it a pity that humans can be so cold
The kindness of souls turned bitter and old

Music and Lyrics by Len Bennati FM Folk 2024
Mastering and Production by Tom Hanson

Darkness of Shadows (Remaster)

A new composition.....

Lyrics:

Hello, it’s me, I’ve been waiting 
Caught in the unknown shadows of my mind
Help me to shake these hopeless thoughts
And find some solace in the fate of time


The days feel heavy, dark clouds overhead,
Tangled in silence, the dark forces beneath us 
We yell but no one seems to listen
Just lonely cries from the jail cells of our mind


Take my hand and break these chains
The heartache cries softly in the rain,
Together we will rise and resist
Our fate will never go unchallenged


With every sunrise we rise with faith
In the distance we are learning to cope, 
Under the surface our dreams lie dormant
Waiting for the dark days to become bright


And if the world falters, we hold the line,
Joining together until the stars align,
Taking steps closer to our fate
In the darkness we hope to see some light


Hello, it’s me, just a soul on the mend,
With you all by my side, we’ll find purpose
Help us unravel, help us to see
That love is the only thing that can truly set us free.

Music and Lyrics by Len Bennati FM Folk 2024
Mastering and Production by Tom Hanson

Take My Hand and Break These Chains (Remaster)

“You Want It Darker” is solemn and chilling from the moment the song starts, the sound of a choir and organ contrast against a grooving electric bass line, carrying the same gravitas as David Bowie’s posthumous release, Blackstar. Cohen delivers haunting lyrics in his raspy baritone, talking yet almost singing, singing yet almost talking, in his trademark performance style.
Though “You Want It Darker” is a somber tune, it effectively tackles an enormous moral and philosophic dilemma without being presumptuous, a feat that only a master such as Leonard Cohen could manage. "             Medium

You Want it Darker - Leonard Cohen (Cover)

A new composition......

Lyrics:

Once upon a time, in a land of dreams,
Where the rivers ran wild and the sunlight gleamed,
The voices rose high, like the stars in the night,
Crafting tales of freedom, chasing shadows with light.


From the mountains to the canyons and the valleys   
With dreams in our pockets and fire in our souls,
We tried to convince those who just wouldn’t listen
But the whispers of silence began to take hold.


The pages are turning, and the stories grow thin,
In the heart of the land, where the battles began,
We sang with glory, but forgot how to fight,
In the twilight of hope it just slipped out of sight.



The lullabies are fading, like ghosts on the breeze,
While the winds carry echoes of faded beliefs,
We look closely, in the ashes and the dust,
What just happened to love, hope, and trust.

                                                         
Once upon a time, the last verse was written
Let us remember what we all once had
The chapters are now closing, and truth has become fiction
Reality is now settled, and the end has come

Music and Lyrics by Len Bennati FM Folk 2024
Mastering and Production by Tom Hanson

The Last Verse (Remaster)

I became familiar with this deep track from Dave's "Certified Live" LP which I used to own on vinyl.  The studio version appears on his LP "Alone Together" track  #6.

Sad and Deep as You - Dave Mason (Cover)

A new composition.......

Lyrics:

In the garden of dissonance
The truth wears a mask
With sirens of chaos
Dancing like puppets on strings


The towers of greed rise 
As the rich sip their wine
With a smile so deceitful
The truth is lost in the air.


What a pitiful world
A charade of confusion
Pawns on a chessboard an unending game
The dark show is ready to begin, and the hypocrite bends.


Fury and anger are raging
Is this all really serious?
The nightmare that haunts us
Feelings stuck in this circus, just trying to feel.


The fools and the kings try to rule the world
In the quiet of the storm, the truth is silent
Amidst all the madness we must resist
Before this land is forever broken

Music and Lyrics by Len Bennati FM Folk 2024
Mastering and Production by Tom Hanson

Dissonance (Remaster)

A new composition........

Lyrics:

Where are the safe places
They seem lost in the shadows
Trust is a whisper, barely holding on
We wander through the night waiting for dawn


Running on empty feeling tired
Searching for a warm and trusting light
Life is a long song, with echoes of pain
Trying to hold onto dreams and perpetual change


Paranoia strikes deep 
Fear and desperation
Where can we find some comfort
In a world so full of pain 


Can anyone really save us
What really happened to love 
Will we ever learn, or just lose all control
With helpless hope, and frozen love 


We are now standing but bound by chains
In search of safe spaces, through struggle and pain
If we throw out the anchors and fade away
Will the world ever remember us

Music and Lyrics by Len Bennati FM Folk 2024
Mastering and Production by Tom Hanson

Safe Places (Remaster)

"Silent Night" (German: "Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht") is a popular Christmas carol, composed in 1818 by Franz Xaver Gruber to lyrics by Joseph Mohr in Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria. It was declared an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO in 2011. The song was first recorded in 1905 and has remained a popular success, appearing in films and multiple successful recordings, as well as being quoted in other musical compositions. It is the world's most recorded Christmas song, with more than 137,000 known recordings.

"Stille Nacht" was first performed on Christmas Eve, 1818, at the Nikolauskirche, the parish church of Oberndorf, a village in the Austrian Empire on the Salzach river in present-day Austria. A young Catholic priest, Father Joseph Mohr, had come to Oberndorf the year before. In the aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars, he had written the poem "Stille Nacht" in 1816 at Mariapfarr, the hometown of his father in the Salzburg Lungau region, where Joseph had worked as an assistant priest.

The melody was composed by Franz Xaver Gruber, schoolmaster and organist in the nearby village of Arnsdorf [de], now part of Lamprechtshausen. On Christmas Eve, 1818, Mohr brought the words to Gruber and asked him to compose a melody and guitar accompaniment for that night's mass, after river flooding had possibly damaged the church organ.The church was eventually destroyed by repeated flooding and replaced with the Silent-Night-Chapel. It is unknown what inspired Mohr to write the lyrics, or what prompted him to create a new carol".        Wikipedia

Image: Hakan Erenler

Silent Night

"John Denver wrote this song about a 1910 Gibson "F-hole" acoustic jazz guitar his grandmother gave him when he was 12 years old. This was the same guitar she used to play, and it became Denver's prized possession, as he learned to love music playing the instrument. Denver would often talk about the guitar in concert appearances and interviews, as it was such an important part of his development. He was living in Tucson, Arizona when he got the guitar, as his father, who was in the Air Force, was stationed there.
Denver was a shy kid, and was forced to move around a lot because his dad was in the military. He spent a lot of time listening to the radio and playing the guitar, learning to write songs along the way. When he was 13, his music teacher asked him to bring the guitar into class, which he did. After playing some songs for the class, he became much more accepted at the school.
John Denver died on October 12, 1997 and his body was cremated along with this same guitar. The remains were spread over the Rocky Mountains.
"This Old Guitar" first appeared on Denver's eighth album, Back Home Again, as the last track. It was never released as a single, but was one of his favorites; the song appears on many of his compilations and Denver often performed it live."                SongFacts

This Old Guitar - John Denver (Cover)

A new composition inspired by a friend on Threads who posted a sunrise photo in Arizona. I love the quiet and still of the morning and I always find a sunrise peaceful, calming and a renewal of spirit for the day.

Lyrics:

Woke up to the quiet of the dawn
A brush of gold where the shadows had drawn
Sunlight on the horizon, a brand-new day
Chasing away all the troubles that fade


Smiles spread like wildfire
Life’s sweet energy flowing in rhythm 
As the light dances through the air
A canvas of hope where darkness once fell


Oh, the sunrise, it’s gleaming bright in the sky
Warming my heart, like a sweet lullaby
Feel the glow, it’s a river of gold
Washing over my soul, making me whole



And I breathe it in, this moment we share
A calm in the chaos, and love fills the air
Right now, I’m happy, I’ve found my way
In this morning light, I’m alive today


Watch the morning light rise slowly, let it wrap you tight
In the arms of this sunrise, everything feels right
Oh, I am happy, I am at peace
At least for one day, let my worries cease

Music and Lyrics by Len Bennati FM Folk 2024

Morning Light

A new composition with a reminiscence theme of my childhood years to high school graduation......
Lyrics:

In the year of twenty-twenty-five
Sixty-eight years since I came alive
Born in a valley where the mountains stand
In western Pennsylvania, my father’s land

                                                               
      
Lost in the woods, on adventures divine
Walking those miles 'til the stars realign
Smiling and breathing, the night wraps me tight
Finding my way in the soft, silver light


                                                                
 Oh, to be young when time slipped away
The echoes of age guide the songs we play
Through the good times and the heartaches
In this small town is where my roots are planted in the ground


                                                                
Little brother's laughter, a joy to behold
Friends sharing stories our lives intertwined
Seventy-four rolled in, and I found my voice
A guitar in hand, finally made the choice

                                                                                                                                      
                                                           
Bob Dylan music filling my soul
Learning those chords, I found my role
Singing as the music was blowing in the wind
Entertaining these moments with my friends

                                                              
                                                      

So, here’s to the valleys, the mountains so grand
To the dreams we cultivate with a gentle hand
In the year of twenty-twenty-five, I will thrive
In the melody of memories, forever alive


Music and Lyrics by Len Bennati FM Folk 2024

When Time Slipped Away

A different arrangement than the original version by Neil.....

"Neil Young's song "Comes a Time" is about finding shelter from troubles and then facing them again. The song's lyrics were inspired by personal events and romantic relationships."               Google AI

Lyrics:

Comes a time
when you're driftin'
Comes a time
when you settle down
Comes a light
feelin's liftin'
Lift that baby
right up off the ground.

Oh, this old world
keeps spinning round
It's a wonder tall trees
ain't layin' down
There comes a time.

You and I we were captured
We took our souls
and we flew away
We were right
we were giving
That's how we kept
what we gave away.

Oh, this old world
keeps spinning round
It's a wonder tall trees
ain't layin' down
There comes a time.

Neil Young

Comes a Time - Neil Young (Cover)

A new composition......

Lyrics:
In the midnight glow 
There’s a whisper of fear
The promises that were made
Are withering away


We’re painting in shadows
Caught in a spiral
No time to be passive
We are the spark that ignites


It’s a slow fade to the end
The leaders are in hiding
Fragile stands the heart 
Rise up or be silent forever


What are they so afraid of?
Just a flicker of truth 
Fear can’t be our compass
Let courage be the spark


We must gather our voices
For truth and for justice
In this fragile moment
We must never be afraid

Music and Lyrics by Len Bennati FM Folk 2024k

It's a Slow Fade

"City of New Orleans" is a country folk song written by Steve Goodman (and first recorded for Goodman's self-titled 1971 album), describing a train ride from Chicago to New Orleans on the Illinois Central Railroad's City of New Orleans in bittersweet and nostalgic terms.

Goodman got the idea while traveling on the Illinois Central line for a visit to his wife's family. The song has been recorded by numerous artists in the United States, including two major hit versions: first by Arlo Guthrie in 1972, and later by Willie Nelson in 1984. In Europe, the melody has most often been used for original lyrics rather than translations of Goodman's.

An article in the September 2017 issue of Trains magazine chronicles the writing and recording of the song and includes a biographical sketch of Steve Goodman.

While at the Quiet Knight bar in Chicago, Goodman saw Arlo Guthrie, and asked to be allowed to play a song for him. Guthrie grudgingly agreed, on the condition that if Goodman bought him a beer, Guthrie would listen to him play for as long as it took to drink the beer. Goodman played "City of New Orleans", which Guthrie liked enough that he asked to record it. The song was a hit for Guthrie on his 1972 album Hobo's Lullaby, reaching #4 on the Billboard Easy Listening chart and #18 on the Hot 100; it would prove to be Guthrie's only top-40 hit and one of only two he would have on the Hot 100 (the other was a severely shortened and rearranged version of his magnum opus, "Alice's Restaurant", which hit #97). In New Zealand, "City of New Orleans" spent two weeks at number one, charting throughout the winter of 1973.

Guthrie's version of "The City of New Orleans" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2017".             Wikipedia

City of New Orleans- Steve Goodman/Arlo Guthrie

"This collaboration between New York indie rockers the National and their fellow Brooklyn singer-songwriter Sharon Van Etten was written for the Tom McCarthy-directed sports comedy-drama movie Win Win. The song is played during its closing credits and was the first tune that The National had written specifically for a film. "We knew he was a serious director," frontman Matt Berninger told HitFix, mentioning that he enjoyed McCarthy's directorial debut Station Agent and The Visitor.

He added that the material of Win Win was "just the kind of thing our music would work well for. It's about very normal and good people trying to do their best and the struggle to be good."
Matt Berninger told Spinner about the song's music video: "Tom McCarthy and my brother Tom collaborated from afar while we were on tour in Europe and McCarthy was on his own press tour. Rather than try to tell the narrative of either the film, or the song, we thought it would be better just to show the spirit of collaboration that went into both. McCarthy pulled together some of his favorite out-takes and my brother, along with our lighting director Michael Brown, filmed us playing the song on stage in Helsinki during sound check. Tom McCarthy and his team wove it all together back in New York the night before the film premiered."
Songfacts

Think You Can Wait - The National (Cover)

“What makes a song is the singer, while what makes a singer is their dedication to music and their inner feelings.”   Dimash Qudaibergen

I have enjoyed music for as long as I can remember and cannot remember a day of not either singing or listening to music. I am self-taught when it comes to playing guitar but what I most enjoy is singing which I have been doing since around age 18. Now retired singing and playing the guitar is now just a hobby and something I do to help pass the time. Have always  loved the sound of a Martin guitar. Currently been playing a Road Series DR S2 for about 6 years. Thanks for listening. I also enjoy discovering the sounds of other talented musicians and singers here on SoundCloud.

Len Bennati FM Folk

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