O, beautiful. So real and gentle plainly told. It also put me in mind, indirectly, of another favorite childhood reflection song, one which also pulls on my heart, albeit in a different way. I'm forgetting the title of that one, a Christmas/family memory from the 3rd Blue Nile record. I believe right now I like yours better.

sweet song of childhood, love hearing you on the piano, dig the reminiscing vibes and your gentle dreamy vocals!

A really nice song. Love th meaning behind it. First songs on instruments are always precious. Fair play 🫡🧬🎶

Well it's been 3 years since I last landed upon this beauty Mark and thanks' to Steve's post in the garden it brought me back here today. I have to say that was purely superb just listening to the fine melodies on the piano here and your unique voice putting across those wonderful words that are worked around your own childhood experience and very well done my good friend.

Beautifully evocative, i too was the boy on the stairs. Great work lost in the archives thanks to Lee for the ressurection.

Heartfelt Mark... Wonderful picture of love too.

As a kid I had the habit of not wanting to sleep until everyone else in the house was tucked up in bed, for fear of missing anything I suspect. I would creep down stairs then sit in the dark on the bottom stair and watch, through a chink in the door, whatever it was that seemed so important at the time. Appropriately enough, the idea for the lyrics came during a particularly sleepless night. However, the inspiration for the melody came from playing on my brand new keyboard (my first ever - a 50th birthday present). Until now I have been thudding out notes on my computer’s QWERTY keyboard (this often sounded as subtle as a cat walking over it) so it has been a joy to play gentle, quiet notes without having to adjust the velocity later. The picture shows me in 1967, typically full of life at bedtime. I hope you enjoy listening to it and perhaps this might stir some happy childhood memories in some of you, or maybe some current nightmare scenarios with your own kids’ sleeping patterns.

Words and music by Mark Bennett
Played and recorded using Garageband software instruments

Stealing out of bed then,
Descend the stairs in silence,
Door affords a glimpse through,
Cigarette smoke that’s curling
I plead, ‘But I’m not tired,’
‘You will be in the morning.’
That’s how you’ll find me,
Sleepless on the stair.

Staying up late to watch, 
My first horror movie,
Was over before it started,
Was all too much for me,
Karloff was just a growl,
From the darkness of the hall
That’s where you’ll find me,
Sleepless on the stair.

An Apollo mission,
I knew that I was missing,
Something more important,
Than slumber and mere dreams, 
Of moons, stars and rockets,
Galaxies and comets.
You’ll find me dreaming,
Sleeping on the stair.

Sleepless On The Stair

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:

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