Life is amazing. Flowers grow in sidewalks, hawks make nests on top of skyscrapers, sun is warm, rain is life giving.
I think we complicate life by confusing it with "living" by goals and imposed "desires" that make us anxious: need more money/have to live in a penthouse/bigger faster cars/
It's not bad to work and produce but when you lose sight of mortality/empathy/sharing. then your "productivity" will not bring you satisfaction or peace.
we are very temporary. It is just as easy to care as it is to hoard and to help as it is to hate.
anyways I hope you enjoy this song.I'mplaying around with guitar notes, no structure just let the fingers go wherever whenever

tiny little lizard scampers on the screen
grabbing tight the wires with his tiny little feet
gets into a spot of sun that hits him on his back
he's so happy now I wish I could always feel like that

happy little firefly flits across the lawn
flashing bright his small tail light ,singing his happy song
nothing here to slow him down or cause him pain or fright
I wish that when I walk out side I'd always shine that bright

So I'm the only one in the world today
the only one here to sing and play
I put on my Sunday best
I say to heck with all the rest
I'm going to walk among flowers and trees
No people here to fear or please
I'll let the sun warm my back
I'll let my light shine bright
Not worry so much about living
but just go celebrate life

it's not that complicated

Rodolfo https://soundcloud.com/rplanes first shared this beautiful piece with me 2 years ago, which has had a gradual development since I first wrote the lyrics back then. More recently Ce Mastro https://soundcloud.com/cemastro added some exciting backing vocals which transformed the chorus and then even more recently we invited Dave McKeown https://soundcloud.com/dave-mckeown to contribute some lovely sax that we believed was just what the song needed. Rodolfo's song has such a feeling of romantic innocence yet with a wonderful rhythmic flow, that I hoped the words might feel from a simpler time. We hope you all enjoy our song of innocence (and inexperience) which thankfully is a work of fiction. Thanks again to Rodolfo for sharing this magical piece and his great skills as well as Ce and Dave's unique gifts to make this one happen. 
We thank you all for taking the time to listen.

Rodolfo Planes - Music composition, instrumentation, arrangement, production and mix.
Ce Mastro - Backing vocals
Me - Lead vocals and lyrics
Dave McKeown - Sax solo and fills

https://continentalcollision.bandcamp.com/track/almost-lovers

Almost Lovers (by Rodolfo Planes / Mark Bennett)

Once we were almost lovers, without a care.
We weren’t like all the others, somehow we just didn’t dare.
We never faced the fact,
What we had wasn’t real,
Didn’t have to deal,
With the truth while we were putting on an act
We’d have to pay,
And quite how that would feel.

The moment when I discovered, not wanting to share,
You with any of the others, that I just couldn’t bear.
But when my back was turned,
You made out with a guy,
I thought was my friend.
Then I knew that my world had been overturned,
Put out to dry,
And what a way to end.

It’s not the way that I’d hoped this scene would play out,
Leaving the stage in the first act. 
It was cruel but at least I was left in no doubt.
C’est la vie, as a matter of fact.

Were never really lovers, just make believe.
Like sister and brother, with only ourselves to deceive.
I should have known right then,
I’d be out on my ear 
Instead of in love.
Waiting for the finale, not knowing when,
I’d disappear,
When the push comes to shove.

It’s not the way that I’d hoped this scene would play out,
Leaving the stage in the first act. 
It was cruel but at least I was left in no doubt.
C’est la vie, as a matter of fact.

Almost Lovers - Continental Collision (featuring Ce Mastro & Dave McKeown) Now Available on Bandcamp

Video; https://youtu.be/bYPsEd-WOQs?si=G8UxFbMa2avMsGUQ

Song written because of an observation I made of so many grandparents raising young children. Originally written for a friend to sing in the vein of John Mellencamp. He had done an excellent version of one of Mellencamp's songs.
I'll link to it as soon as I find it.
Sadley, my singer friend got sick and passed away. 
So, I was forced to do the vocal.

Grandma's got the baby

Grandma's Got The Baby

lyrics:

You explain how I feel
Pulled your strings
Of excuses
Make them real
So you don't have to listen to 
What I say

Maybe I am going crazy...
Cause it's hard to look inside

I want a way out of this
But you can't hear me
I want to stop all of this
But you won't slow down
I want an ending worth while
But you don't want it to end at all
And I'm still left feeling...
On my own...

Are you serious?

ARE YOU SERIOUS?!

Let them drain
I will adjust to whatever the soul demands
Even if I am killing myself
Even if I am killing myself...

My marionette
You explain how I feel
You pulled your string of excuses
Make them real
So you don't have to listen to
What I say, hey 

I want a way outta' this
But you can't hear me
I want to stop all of this
But you won't slow down
I want an ending worth while
(Are you serious?)
But you don't want it to end at all
(Are you serious?)
And I'm still left feeling...
on my own
(Are you serious?)

Perpetual...
Continuation...
Ongoing...
Fill in the ________

Perpetual...
Continuation...
Ongoing... 
Fill in the ________

My Marionette

You Got The Right (Out/Intro) - Bruno C.

Too Much Fun

A Place

Music by Mark Hendrick.
©Mark Hendrick 2000

The Living And The Dead (Mark Hendrick)

13 - 4 - 2024 - Noite

Be Right Back

Evocadora canción para todos los públicos, algo más rápida y elaborada que la versión de las Piano Sessions.

Evocative song for everyone, a little faster and more elaborated than the Piano Sessions' version: https://soundcloud.com/esemanolain-ruizzo/el-rio-piano-version

Lyrics/Letra:

Nunca pude destapar un río
para ver lo que tenía dentro
de su cuerpo húmedo....

Nunca pude preguntar al río
lo que llevaba con tanta prisa,
hacia abajo, en silencio...

... y el río pasaba sin mirarme siquiera...
... siempre ocupado en su deslizarse...
... siempre sin mirar atrás a escucharme,
sin parar a contestarme,
sin parar a decirme qué llevaba dentro...

Nunca quiso responderme el río,
nunca quiso ser mi amigo
y seguía su camino...

... y el río contestaba con preguntas evasivas,
“¿A dónde vas?”, yo le decía,
“Sin parar, con tanta prisa.”
“¿A dónde vas?, ¿a dónde vas...?”

El Río (A dónde vas)

Dear listener, Feel free to leave comments and I'll try to reply.

I've been making music for around 16 years now but because of the wonderfully generous community that is SC, I have learned so much in a short time. I look forward to learning even more by collaborating. 
I suppose my strengths are in lyric-writing and singing. I feel fortunate to have been able to work with some stunning compositions by some very talented SCers.

My very best to you, Mark

Some links to recent Continental Collision streaming sites, etc are available below:

Almost Lovers - Continental Collision (featuring Ce Mastro & Dave McKeown) Now Available on Bandcamp

markjbennett