A collection of everything I have created both original songs and covers.

The Collection

Original Tunes

I composed this song many years ago but I updated the tune in 2023. 

Lyrics

I’m sitting here thinking
What are you doing 
I hope you’re doing fine; I do miss you so

That sweet smile you have
Leaves a picture in my mind
All I can do, is just think of you

Everybody needs someone to be close to
Everybody needs someone to confide with
Cause being lonely, never helped nobody, and all I can do s just think of you

When I’m with you
Everything seems so fine
I give you all I have, just give me love in return

I’ll share my love with you
If only you stay near
I really don’t know what I’d do, if some day you were gone

Music and Lyrics by Len Bennati FM Folk Copyright 2023
Production and Mastering by Tom Hanson

Everybody Needs Someone (Remaster)

An original composition.....This is my ode to a few of my favorite female singer/songwriters, Joni Mitchell, Stevie Nicks, Melanie and Laura Marling.

Lyrics

In every chord, in every verse, the story begins
The longing echoes of her soul reveals
Each melody and color, each lyric just like a brushstroke
Painting the canvas of her life, a heartfelt reprieve

And through the joys and the pain
Pouring her essence into each refrain
Like a flowing river or a stream of colorful thoughts
Capturing the moments, the essence of her heart

There is a story in every song she writes
A piece of her heart in every melody
And from the depths of her soul, the words take flight
In the tales, she finds her guiding light

The music carries her away in the white puffy clouds
To places unknown, where dreams do sway
Let her rhythm and melody guide you through the night
Through her tales, she finds some comfort and rest

So as her music plays on, the stories continue
Each note, each word, a love so pure
Through her tales of mystery, others find true sight
In the melodies and lyrics, we all find some delight

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

There is a Story in Everything She Writes (Remaster)

A new composition.. With a theme related to what I already knew about my passion for music, but also what I learned about helping others.
Lyrics
As the sun sets low in my little town
Swinging on the porch dreaming away
Music in my soul, a fire burning bright
But the future was not so clear

I had one passion, music it was
But what to do what to do with that
The path was not clear
Just a dreamer singing to myself

One day dad came with a question in his eyes
"Okay son, what are you going to do now?"
His words struck a chord, but no clear answer
To get a job I suppose

I took a moment to pause and reflect
Dad said I have a job for you
Music in my heart, but money was the need
But helping those children, I found myself

So, I made my decision on the porch at 17
Which led me in a direction of my fate
Two passions intertwined, a melody of hope
In my little town where dreams take flight
In my little town where dreams take flight
In my little town where dreams took flight

Mastered Track: Distrokid Mixea
Music and Lyrics by Len Bennati FM Folk Copyright 2024

Dreamer

My childhood and life long time friend Pat said he wrote this song but it been sitting around for awhile as he did not like the guitar chords he made. He asked me for help as we say "That's what friends are for". Pat wrote this song for his daddy. He wrote some wonderful lyrics and i could feel the love he had for his father in his  heart as I sang this song for him. I hope you all enjoy.

Lyrics

Daddy was a PA coalminer from 55-98
Out in the driveway, warming up the Pontiac, while hittin minus 8
He’d walk from the backdoor headin to work, seems like only yesterday
Pick up Timmy, his carpool buddy, every other day
Every day he came with a smile on his face
He’d look back at me and say


Wen you’ve been in a dark place, the sun shines extra bright
The birds sing louder, and the smell of the flowers, 
And the moon lights up the night
Laughter is sweeter, and your life couldn’t have been finer
At the end of the day is when you realize
Proud to be a PA coalminer


One day daddy came home without a smile on his face
His good friend Vie didn’t make it home that day
Daddy said they held him tight as he took his last breath
And as Vie looked into their eyes, this is what he said

I know we’re in a darker place, but the light is gettin bright
The angels are singin and the bells are ringin
And the halos light up the night
Please tell my family my life couldn’t have been much finer
And you my friend, always be proud who you are
A PA coalminer

As tears ran down my daddy’s face, he laid himself to bed
I wiped away the tears, and I opened up the curtain
And this is what he said


When you’ve been in a dark place, the sun shines extra bright
The birds chirp louder, and you smell every flower
And the moon lights up the night
Laughter is sweeter, but life couldn’t be finer
And at the end of the day, I’m so proud of you dad
For being a PA coalminer

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

PA Coalminer (Remaster)

A new composition which is sort of a pun on "time is on my side".......but also something more people like me start to think about as the window of time starts to narrow as a mortal on this planet called Earth.

Lyrics

The clock is ticking, hands are racing
Each second passing, leaving no tracing
Of moments gone, of dreams we held tight
Lost in the echoes, fading into the night

Memories flicker, like embers in the breeze
Lost opportunities, whispered on the trees
We chase the shadows, of what could have been
A silent lament, a haunting, mournful din

Time is not on our side, it whispers low
We're running out of chances, nowhere to go
The sand keeps slipping, through the hourglass' frame
A precious commodity, consumed by the flame

Will we ever learn, to seize the day
To chase the sunrise, and make it our way?
Or will we stumble, in the fading light
Lost in the darkness, swallowed by the night?

Time is a thief, stealing us away
Leaving behind whispers, of a brighter day
But the echoes fade, and the silence remains
A haunting reminder, of what forever changes.

Mastered Track: Distrokid Mixea
Music and Lyrics by Len Bennati FM Folk Copyright 2024

Time is Not On Our Side

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
Tom Hanson Mastering and Production

I Just Want to be Happy Like Me Follow Me (Remaster)

A new composition which came to mind as I was thinking about the realities of getting old and feeling left behind.
Lyrics:

We will be forgotten, faster than you think
But that is alright, like leaves in the spring
Our body will falter, it will go its own way
We befriend it now, let it guide our days
You can't hold on to everyone
 It is just the way the rivers run

Accept the weight of time, the beauty unfolds, 
The years are gifts of wisdom, a treasure to behold. 
And when the ones you love move beyond the skies,
Remember this truth, my friends, love never dies.

I am no longer young as I once was
 To carry all the moments of a lifetime
 Which lessons of life have sung
 Together they tell me, my journey is not done.
Until my last breath the memories will linger
Like footprints in the sands of time

Every tear, every goodbye, makes us stronger
Every crack in our heart lets the light linger longer
Love is not bound by time, nor by the stars above
It is eternal and infinite, the essence of love
We will see more partings with tears in our eyes




But we will hold on to the truth that love never dies
Mastered Track: Distrokid Mixea
Music and Lyrics by Len Bennati FM Folk 2025

Image: Bugra Cicek

Love Never Dies

A new composition that came to me from a book I have been reding called "Man and His Symbols" by Carl Jung.

Lyrics:

Woke up with the sunrise
Chasing shadows on the wall
Time’s a thief in disguise
It laughs as we stumble and fall
We walk on these winding roads
With laughter and sorrow intertwined
Each step a fragile note
In the melody of the mind


Oh, life is a short dream my friends
Where beginning and end embrace 
We travel many roads, it seems
Sometimes ending in middle space
Once a child as we drift to that old age glow
Savor every moment and never let them go


Meeting faces like the clouds
Some linger, while others fade
We share joy, we share our doubts
In this beautiful masquerade
Long stretches of peace, oh, they come and go
Like summer storms that pass too fast,
But in their hearts, they’ll always glow
Memories of love that lasts


Oh, life is a short dream my friends
A carousel that spins so fast
Like petals caught in a stream
Moments cherished, but never to last
From a child’s wild wonder to the elder’s sigh
Will we hold each second before it says goodbye


So, take a breath and feel the breeze
Let gratitude fill your soul
Each fleeting heartbeat is key
Unlocking joys that make us whole
It's not about the years we’ve seen
But the love we’ve shared, the steps we’ve tried
Through this journey, let your heart be keen
In every heartbeat, feel the nod


Oh, life is a short dream my friends
A tapestry we weave so fine
So, laugh and love in the moonbeam
Before the stars in darkness shine
From the cradle of laughter to the whispers of night
Embrace every treasure, let it guide you to the light


Life is a short dream my friends
So, dance before dawn
Hold each moment like a seam
Before it all is gone
In the end, it’s all we had
Did you live, did you love, did you care
Life is a short dream, my friends
Life is a short dream, my friends
Life is a short dream, my friends
Life is a short dream, my friends

Music and Lyrics by Len Bennati FM Folk 2025
Mastered Track: Distrokid Mixea

Life is a Short Dream My Friends

"Released in 1966 as a single from the album Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme, “The Dangling Conversation” didn’t do as well as the songs released directly before or after by the duo. Yet it endures as a poignant piece of songwriting, sung to the hilt by the pair amidst a lush orchestral production. Let’s look back at its origins and its meaning.
Simon does an excellent job on “The Dangling Conversation” of noting the details of the surroundings, while also sneaking in telling metaphors and similes that bring out the sorrow of the situation. Phrases like Couched in our indifference and Like a poem poorly written / We are verses out of rhythm evoke the kind of ennui that can so easily seep into unhappiness.

Simon also seems to be sending up the pretensions of literary types, suggesting that knowing the works of great poets like Dickinson and Frost won’t make up for a lack of emotional intelligence. Something similar happens in the final verse, when they attempt to talk of current events so that they can avoid the truth that’s gnawing at them. But then Simon drops the curtain in a series of biting lines: And I only kiss your shadow / I cannot feel your hand / You’re a stranger now unto me.

The phrase in the refrain the borders of our lives suggests how the pair feel hemmed in by their sudden lack of spark. It seems like a drastic move is necessary for them to truly escape. At that point, Simon & Garfunkel’s “The Dangling Conversation,” like the relationship it symbolizes, will finally come to its decisive conclusion."                              American Songwriter

Mastered Track: Distrokid Mixea
Image: Eyüp Çelik

The Dangling Conversation-Simon and Garfunkel (Cover)

A new song..........

Lyrics:
Looking back at those photographs
Is that really you 
Time really moves fast
While you’re just busy living life

Looking in the mirror
Seeing your life in front of you
Where have been 
And where are you going

Finding your way through dark spaces
In the shadows of your mind
Thinking of those places
 Like photographs in time

In front of you lies your future
What will be will be
The past is long forgotten
Only the present in your mind 

Take your time through this life’
Breathe in every moment
Cherish the life you have
Cause only one is given

Finding your way through dark spaces
In the shadows of your mind
Thinking of those places
 Like photographs in time

Music and Lyrics by Len Bennati FM Folk 2025
Mastered Track: Distrokid Mixea
Image: Gemini

Finding Your Way Through Dark Spaces

“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.