Paul Nordquist's 2020 album is SEVERE UNICORN WARNING. Paul completed the album -- his first solo album since 1999 -- while isolated at home during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Severe Unicorn Warning (2020 album)

Paul Nordquist's 2021 album is WRONG ANSWERS ONLY. On 11/12/2021 it will be released and available through most online music stores and streaming services.

The cover illustration is by Ria Sopala (https://pixabay.com/users/pixundfertig-683277/) from Pixabay.

Wrong Answers Only (2021 album)

I'm writing a song a day in January 2022. Anything can happen.

JAMuary 2022

The third in a series of solo albums by indie rock songwriter Paul Nordquist. Release date: November 17, 2023. 

On this album, Paul Nordquist takes up the theme of striving and struggling, of discouragement versus encouragement. Explaining the album title, Paul says: "Dust and starlight are two outputs of the life cycle of stars. You can think of them as matter and energy, or as the challenges of on-the-ground reality set against our spirit and the things that give us hope." 

Credits: All instruments and vocal performances by Paul Nordquist. All songs written by Paul Nordquist except "Calling Zeus from the Roof of the Bus."  Album cover includes an illustration by Enrique Meseguer (https://pixabay.com/users/darksouls1-2189876/) from Pixabay.

Dust + Starlight (2023 album)

From the 2021 album WRONG ANSWERS ONLY.

Just had a talk with the honey bee
"Oh that woman, she keeps bopping me!
Why she do that thing 
Where she strike my wing?
Tried to explain I am not gonna sting.” 
  
I say, come on now, bee bopping woman,
Leave the bees alone.
Come on, come on, bee bopping woman,
Your heart is made of stone.
Don't be cruel, bee bopping woman.
Nature should be free.
I say, come on, come on now, bee bopping woman,
Can't you let them be?
Let them be.

If I get out of bed at this early hour
To argue with a potted plant,
Who are you to judge?
Who made you the judger?
And after you adjudicate,
You gotta help me move this statue of Madonna.
She is large and made of granite.
She is hard to budge.
I can't even budge her.
You have to help me move this weight.
Wait, wait!

Just got a text from a honey bee.
They say you are causing more misery.
Your bop hasn't stopped, 
But now on top
You're starting to hit them with squee-bee-doo-wop.

I say, come on now, bee bopping woman,
Leave the bees alone.
Come on, come on, bee bopping woman,
Your heart is made of stone.
Don't be cruel, bee bopping woman.
Nature should be free.
I say come on, come on now, bee bopping woman,
Can't you let them be?

Come on now, bee bopping woman,
Leave the bees alone.
Come on, come on, bee bopping woman,
Your heart is made of stone.
Don't be cruel, bee bopping woman.
Nature should be free.
I say come on, come on now, bee bopping woman,
Can't you let them be?
Let them be.

Bee Bopping Woman (album version)

From the 2021 album WRONG ANSWERS ONLY.

The henchmen and honchos
Are wearing black ponchos.
If I’m right about the omens,
It’s gonna be a bad day.

The misfits and mystics
Are trading statistics.
It’s gonna be a bad day,
Gonna be a bad day.

It’s a great day for anyone who likes a bad day.
This is your day if you were looking for another sad day.
What a lovely gift for the bad day people!

The shaman from Bremen
Just held up a lemon.
If I’m right about the omens,
Gonna be a bad day.

The Storm Queen from Washington Heights
Is honking and flashing her lights.
It’s gonna be a bad day,
Gonna be a bad day.

It’s a great day for anyone who likes a bad day.
This is your day if you were thinking we could use a sad day.
What a lovely gift for the bad day people!

It’s a great day for anyone who likes a bad day.
This is your day if you were looking for another sad day.
What a lovely gift for the bad day people!

Bad Day People (album version)

From the 2021 album WRONG ANSWERS ONLY.

Can you be the fool?
Could you take that role?
Be the fool you wish would come save you
From this clever hole?
Wise men have had their chance
And they screwed it up so bad.

Help me find the fool
Who doesn’t have a clue,
Someone who knows none of the answers —
I think it might be you.
Great leaders read the maps
And they led us straight to hell.

All your messing around,
School days you missed,
Daydreaming in the clouds
Prepared you for this.

You must be the fool
That the world demands,
Someone who knows none of the answers
And does not pretend.
Wise men threw up their hands
’Cause they screwed this up so bad.

Be the Fool (album version)

From the 2021 album WRONG ANSWERS ONLY.

I woke up with a gasp in a state of confusion.
Everything was looking glass, and truth was illusion.
Then I learned I was still in a dream, 
I was still in a dream,	I was held in a prison. 
Oh oh oh oh oh
Because prison is the inner wall you place between 
What is and what isn’t, oh!

I stepped over that line,
Then I hopped right back.
I leapt over that line,
I took one step back,
Then I straddled that line,
Then I stepped on a crack,
Then I grabbed that Book of Fact
And I broke its spine.

Next dream starts in a plane on a flight of corruption.
Official is personal gain, with no interruption.
Then I woke up a mess. I woke up. What a mess!
I was Valentine's Monster! 
Oh oh oh oh oh
I tried three times to confess. I tried to confess.
They said "You're an imposter." Oh!

I stepped over that line,
Then I hopped right back.
I leapt over that line,
I took one step back,
Then I straddled that line,
Then I stepped on a crack,
Then I grabbed that Book of Fact
And I broke its spine.
The librarian saw my act and she said “fine!” 
She said “fine!"

Then I woke up a mess. I woke up. What a mess!
I was Valentine's Monster! 
Oh oh oh oh oh
I tried three times to confess. I tried to confess.
They said "You're an imposter." Oh!

I stepped over that line,
Then I hopped right back.
I leapt over that line,
I took one step back,
Then I straddled that line,
Then I stepped on a crack,
Then I grabbed that Book of Fact
And I broke its spine.
The librarian saw my act and she said “fine!” 
She said “fine!"

’Cause I stepped over that line,
Then I hopped right back.
I leapt over that line,
I took one step back,
Then I straddled that line,
Then I stepped on a crack,
Then I grabbed that Book of Fact
And I broke its spine.
The librarian saw my act and she said “fine!” 
She said “fine!"

Valentine's Monster (album version)

From the 2021 album WRONG ANSWERS ONLY.

I spell checked it, autocorrected.
Grammar bot says no, no errors detected.

I’m not wrong, wrong wrong wrong.
I’m not wrong, can’t be wrong.

The fire is smoking. The flame is shrinking.
The liar is joking. The joker is winking.

I’m not wrong, wrong wrong wrong.
I’m not wrong, can’t be wrong.

I watched a robot smash through the door locks.
I’m not a robot. I clicked the check box.
The ice is cracking, the ground is shaking,
The trends keep tracking, the dam is breaking.

I spell checked it, autocorrected.
Fact checker says no, no falsehoods detected.

I’m not wrong, wrong wrong wrong.
I’m not wrong, can’t be wrong.
I’m not wrong, wrong wrong wrong.
I’m not wrong, can’t be wrong.
I’m not wrong, wrong wrong wrong.
I’m not wrong, can’t be wrong.

Wrong (album version)

From the 2020 album SEVERE UNICORN WARNING.

Well!
Here we go again.
We're off to Mars and Venus.
Well!
Broken down again,
A billion miles between us.
Faithfully, patiently,
Where you going, baby?
Go with me.

Well!
Here we go again.
Who made a bad decision?
Well!
Rain and snow again.
The worlds are in collision.
Faithfully, patiently,
Where you going, baby?
Go with me.

Something to keep in mind,
'Cause we live through this every time:
It's a long way to go to feel free.
You're a hard code to break,
But you made the same mistake about me,
You went there without me.

Well!
Here we go again.
Well!
Broken down again.
Faithfully, patiently,
Where you going, baby?
Go with me.

Here We Go Again

This composition is my entry in Soundiron's 25 Days of Composing competition. All the sounds you hear are from Soundiron's free Desk Bell instrument, which is built from samples of a classic "Ring Bell for Service" kind of bell. 

The mood of the season: joy mixed with urgency, celebration alongside frantic activity.

PS: Listen to the other contest entries (https://soundcloud.com/soundiron/sets/25-days-of-composing) -- people have applied a lot of skill and creativity to this composing challenging, with fun and interesting results!

Ding Ding Ding!

I'm writing a song a day for #JAMuary. These lyrics are from my 2016  notebook, and I wrote the music today. Uncomfortable subject matter.  A simple, one-take guitar/vocal recording. 

Creepy stalker Santa 
Knows a bit too much about you.
He knows when you’re awake,
And he sees you while you sleep.
He brought you more red dresses.
He thinks you like red dresses.
He knows your perfect dress size.
That’s one secret you can’t keep. 

Creepy stalker Santa
Knows what’s on your wish list.
He brought what’s on your wish list
And an extra thing or two.
He came in through the chimney
And left this awkward poem.
Creepy stalker Santa is in love with you. 

He says, “Come with me to the North Pole in the springtime,
In the springtime, when the ice begins to crack.
I want to fly around the world together.
The love I need from you is the only thing I lack.”

Creepy stalker Santa
Knows what’s on your wish list.
He brought what’s on your wish list
And an extra thing or two.
He came in through the chimney
And left this awkward poem.
Creepy stalker Santa is in love with you.

Creepy Stalker Santa (#JamuarySongADay 10)

I'm writing a song a day for #JAMuary. Number 21 is a silly song about a scary but not very specific monster. Be afraid -- be vaguely afraid!

Now the stories we’ve been hearing from the north and from the east
Talk of Appalachian demons and Monongahela beasts
You’ll rub your eyes in wonder when you see it drawing near
Then you’ll try to take a picture just to prove that it was here

Call in the priests and poets and a scientific team
’Cause this should not exist outside a novel or a dream
We have fantasy artists making sketches for the news
And Kraken Squad commanders who are shaking in their shoes

Unidentified monster!
Unidentified monster on the loose
If we knew what kind we’d tell you
We’re not trying to be obtuse
Unidentified monster!
Unidentified monster still at large
It could be right behind you, so watch out!
Unidentified monster

If you have to have a name, call it Late December Freeze
Call it Cellophane Tiger, call it Gorgonzola Cheese
You can follow its track as it roams across our nations
By the spike in Google searches for the Book of Revelations

Unidentified monster!
Unidentified monster on the loose
If we knew what kind we’d tell you
We’re not trying to be obtuse
Unidentified monster!
Unidentified monster still at large
It could be right behind you, so watch out!
Unidentified monster (aaaa!)
Unidentified monster (aaaa!)
Unidentified (aaaa!) monster

Now it could be miles away or it could be right nearby
We won’t know until we find it and we look it in the eye
We have orders to arrest it, in accordance with the law
If you see it call the tip line, that’s 1-800-WAAAAAA!

Unidentified monster!
Unidentified monster on the loose
If we knew what kind we’d tell you
We’re not trying to be obtuse
Unidentified monster!
Unidentified monster still at large
It could be right behind you, so watch out!
Unidentified monster (aaaa!)
Unidentified monster (aaaa!)
Unidentified (aaaa!) monster

Unidentified Monster (#JamuarySongADay 21)

I'm writing a song a day for #JAMuary. Song 22 is my version of reggae on acoustic guitar, with a story about a cat that defies pet stereotypes.

Well I never saw a cat do a trick like that
And I never saw a cat fetch a stick like that
And I have never known a cat that came
When you called it by name

Crazy situation
Defying expectation
Here’s my observation:
Your cat is borderline dog

Your cat
Your cat is
Your cat is borderline dog
Your cat
Your cat is
Your cat is borderline dog

Well I never saw a cat do a trick like that
And I never saw a cat fetch a stick like that
And what kind of cat would sit and stand
And roll over on command?

It’s the only cat in the nation
Defying categorization
What’s the explanation?
Your cat is borderline dog

Your cat
Your cat is
Your cat is borderline dog
Your cat
Your cat is
Your cat is borderline dog

(Your Cat Is) Borderline Dog (#JamuarySongADay 22)

I'm writing a song a day for #JAMuary. On number 29, I start with this nifty chord progression and just kept overdubbing stuff until I ran out of space in the mix.

On the Count of Six (instrumental) (#JamuarySongADay 29)

Written by Nathan-Andrew Leaflight and Paul Nordquist.

I asked my longtime musical colleague and collaborator Nathan-Andrew Leaflight to send me some lyrics that I could use for #JAMuary. He send me this poignant and witty tale of Bigfoot trying to adapt to the modern world. But I didn't manage to get this complicated production finished by the end of January. In the spirit of "better late than never," here's my JAMuary bonus track for you.

If you gave neanderthals a shave,
Dressed them up in business suits,
They wouldn’t rate a second glance
From brow-ridges to cowboy boots. 

The tale is different altogether
For the giant hairy guy.
No shave will help him pass much better
Than a camel through a needle’s eye.

Through swamp oak, beech, and evergreen,
In sunlight or in fog,
The best Woodwose no one had seen
On hill or creek-y bog.

He’s got to adapt, got to evolve,
Be a natural selection. 
When even trees grow camera traps
He still avoids detection.

But it’s a small world after all,
And only getting smaller 
For a walking anthropoidal wall,
Already four feet taller.

The wilderness is going fast,
Plagued with noise and human trash.
What option does a giant cryptid have?
Sasquatch has to find a job,
Become another working slob,
The man-beast of the woods has gone beyond!

If a Bigfoot leaves the forest 
And everyone’s there to see him,
Will the news-bites make a sound?
Will the cameras stick around?

Krampus Global, LLC was
A monstrous operation.
Far too big for one fell beast
To staff the celebration. 

He hired Bigfoot on the spot
For Krampusnacht parades.
The nine-foot brute that time forgot,
In a sneaky masquerade.

But the Skunk-Ape is a musky lad,
Unfit for human noses.
When he showed up, the people ran
To grab shampoo and hoses. 

And Wild Man though he might be,
His temperament is distinctly mild.
Bigfoot wouldn’t hurt a flea,
Much less bag a human child. 

If a Bigfoot leaves the forest 
And everyone’s there to see him,
Will the news-bites make a sound?
Will the cameras stick around?

A monster needs a certain flair,
Which our Yeti must be lacking.
The big ape had no wish to scare,
So Krampus sent him packing.

But fortune found the Hairy Man,
His new job befits his skills.
He leaves fake footprints in the wild,
And plays Bigfoot in films.

Through swamp oak, beech, and evergreen,
In sunlight or in fog,
The best Woodwose no one had seen
On hill or creek-y bog.

Bigfoot Troubles (Jamuary Bonus Track)

This song owes a bit to 80s new wave dance music. It's my first recording that uses vocoder, a vintage synth-voice sound that I love. This is one of the 14 songs that I wrote for fawm.org's February 2014 songwriting challenge. 

Strange Exhaust

A song from the album Dust + Starlight. Release date: November 17, 2023. 

Lyrics:
You tumbled down, got your knees dirty again
Back on your feet, you’ll try it some other way
One day in the future
You’ll look back, and you’ll say
“I’m so glad that I got started”

Write your doubts in dust
And let a breeze come through and sweep them
Carve your vows in stone
With all the sweat it takes to keep them
With blood and sweat
With heart and soul

Let’s start from hope, 
Start from the purpose that summoned you
It has a plan to break you open
It won’t vet where you came from
The game is farther ahead
There’s a light at the horizon
  
Write your doubts in dust
And let a breeze come through and sweep them
Carve your vows in stone
With all the sweat it takes to keep them
With blood and sweat
With heart and soul

Write Your Doubts in Dust

A song from the album Dust + Starlight. Release date: November 17, 2023. 

Lyrics:
I didn’t start that business.
I didn’t form my band.
I haven’t gotten off the ground
With anything I planned.

My new year’s resolutions
Have fallen off the wall.
I count a day a triumph
If I get anywhere at all,

Because I’m taking care of stuff.
That’s all I ever seem to do.
Taking care of stuff.
Pushing hard and never breaking through. 
Taking care of stuff
From dawn to dusk,
Still not enough,
My days fill up
With taking care of all this stuff!

My friends are climbing mountains.
I can’t even climb one hill.
I shake my head at people
Who have lots of time to kill.

When they went to cross the ocean,
The waters simply parted.
I’m two steps forward, two steps back,
And right back where I started.

’Cause I’m taking care of stuff.
That’s all I ever seem to do.
Taking care of stuff.
Pushing hard and never breaking through. 
Taking care of stuff
From dawn to dusk,
Still not enough,
My days fill up
With taking care of all this stuff!

And when my life is over,
They’ll write my epitaph.
No list of great accomplishments —
Don’t even make me laugh!

To sum up my life story
Four words might be enough,
’Cause years go by, and where am I?
Still taking care of stuff!

Taking care of stuff.
Taking care of stuff.
Taking care of stuff.
Taking care of stuff.

Taking care of stuff
From dawn to dusk,
Still not enough,
My days fill up
With taking care of all this 
Godforsaken, never-ending stuff!

Taking care of stuff.
That’s all I ever seem to do.
Taking care of stuff.
Pushing hard and never breaking through. 
Taking care of stuff
From dawn to dusk,
Still not enough,
My days fill up
With taking care of all this stuff!

Taking Care of Stuff

A song from the album Dust + Starlight. Release date: November 17, 2023. 

Lyrics:
I’m not leaving ’til it’s over,
’Til the music credits roll.
If there’s no bonus at the end of your picture,
I’ll yell and clap for the five-digit number.

I’m here for you,
To cheer for you.
Never give up, you superstar.
It’s always right
To shine your light.
I’ll say this over and over,
Every story needs to be told.
Every flower is here to unfold,
And you can’t clench those muscles forever.

If I could start this story over,
If I could travel back in time,
I’d fend off those who, when they saw you awoken,
Piled on more weight ’til your spirit was broken.

I’ll fight for you,
Hold tight for you.
Never give up, you shining star.
Grow past the pain,
Outlast the rain.
I’ll say this over and over,
Every story needs to be told.
Every flower is here to unfold,
And you can’t hold these blossoms inside you.

I’m here for you,
To cheer for you.
Never give up, you superstar.
It’s always right
To shine your light.
I’ll say this over and over,
Every story needs to be told.
Every flower is here to unfold,
And you can’t hide your blossoms forever,
They must be seen.

Barrage of Blossoms

A song from the album Dust + Starlight. Release date: November 17, 2023. 

Music & lyrics by Paul Nordquist and Rick Aster

Lyrics:
Roll on
Leave the night behind
Rock on
Like a Roman ghost
Dream on
As these thoughts unwind
In the Cosmic Mind
Is it what we feared the most?

Roll on
Rise above the mist
Rock on
Read the canyon wall
Hold on
Do the dreams exist?
Think you’ve got the gist?
Is there a god to call?

Call out to anybody here 
Universe
Band is on a mission
Calling out to Zeus
From the roof
Of the bus
We’re in the film of planet Earth
Added scene
Special Edition
Leave it to us

Roll on
Yesterday’s destroyed
Rock on
Pile of fossil bones
Hold on
Good to be employed
Reach into the void
Can’t leave well enough alone

Call out to anybody here 
Universe
Band is on a mission
Calling out to Zeus
From the roof
Of the bus
We’re in the film of planet Earth
Added scene
Special Edition
Leave it to us

Now, anybody here
Universe
Band is on a mission
Calling out to Zeus
From the roof
Of the bus
We’re in the film of planet Earth
Added scene
Special Edition
Leave it to us

Calling Zeus from the Roof of the Bus

An instrumental from the album Dust + Starlight. Release date: November 17, 2023.

Ursa Major and the Bear Minimum

A song from the album Dust + Starlight. Release date: November 17, 2023. 

Lyrics:
“You’re leaving the town that has everything,
Grass-covered hills and a view of the sea.
We’re losing the boy loved by everyone.
Why don’t you want to stay here?”

“The wind across the waters,
It’s tugging at my soul,
Calling me, ‘Come play with me!
There’s a world you need to know.’”

Even though the water is deep and wide
There’s a bell that guards our harborside.
Pull that rope once before sailing away
And I’ll know it will ring you home one day,
It will bring you safely home.

Letters are few and far between,
But the news that comes through is grim indeed.
War has broken out on the continent.
That is no place for my baby!

The postman said, “Lift up your head,
Have faith along with me.
The harbor bell has promised us
He is well and safe and free.”

’Cause even though the the water is deep and wide
There’s a bell that guards the harborside.
He pulled that rope once before sailing away
So I know it will ring him home one day,
It will bring him safely home.

Then the bell rang in a ship one day
A young man stepped down to the pier.
“I’m back! I’m here!”

’Cause even though the the water is deep and wide
There’s a bell that guards this harborside.
I pulled that rope once before sailing away
So of course it rang me home today. 

So even though the water is deep and wide
There’s a bell that guards the harborside.
Pull that rope once before sailing away
And you’ll know it will ring you home one day,
And you’ll know it will ring you home one day,
It will bring you safely home.

The Bell that Guards the Harbor

A song from the album Dust + Starlight, scheduled for release in November 2023. 

Lyrics:
Guess who came for a visit? 
A long-lost lover.
Just to say “How are you?”
And a knife in the back.

My heart has been battered by a gale force hammer.
You’ll find me buried under the ice, deep space freezer, wuh-huh.

I’m not one for grudges,
Don’t understand them.
If there were a problem,
I’d let you know. 

My heart has been battered by a gale force hammer.
You’ll find me buried under the ice, deep space freezer, wuh-huh.

Gale Force Hammer

Melancholy Bay

A song from the album Dust + Starlight. Release date: November 17, 2023. 

Lyrics:
Now comes the time when the man's gonna hand out candles.
We’ll each light up our holy flame, spread our love to every corner.
Now comes the part where nobody brought the candles.
Fingers pointing, casting blame. Welcome to our darkness!

Wander down the stairs. Forgotten rooms and ancient wisdom.
There's the Goddess. It's her hundred thousandth birthday.

So why does this story sound so damn familiar?
All of us have good intentions, still can't miss a chance to bicker.
Don't people get that we're here on a sacred mission?
Hard to keep your sight on it, grasping in the darkness.

Smiling Goddess says, “you're young, you're so brand new at this.
Don't keep score at every step across the wasteland.”

We're all trying to get back home,
And sometimes we go the long way.
Trying to get back home,
And everyone takes a different way,
Alone but not alone.
I won't be long.
Shine a light to help me make it home.

No one can say for sure where the path is winding.
If we help each other through the night, another day will dawn.
Now comes the part where we look for a happy ending.
The movie isn't over yet. It just goes on and on. It just goes on.

We're all trying to get back home,
And sometimes we go the long way.
Trying to get back home,
And everyone takes a different way,
Alone but not alone.
I won't be long.
Shine a light to help me make it home.

And sometimes we go a different way,
Alone but not alone. 
I won't be long. 
Shine a light to help me find my way.
I won't be long. 
Shine a light to help me make it home.

Long Way Home

A song for #fawm2024 songwriting workshop. Inspired by my glam-rock heroes T. Rex. The lyrics are hastily-written surreal nonsense.

Can you catapult me
To the top of the tree
From the drainpipe

Gotta wave around a sword
On a supertonic chord
In the drainpipe
In the drainpipe

Believe me when I blush
You’re giving me a rush
In the drainpipe

You’re giving me a scare
With your unicorn chair
In the drainpipe
In the drainpipe

Over and over
Over and over again
Again

It’s hard to read the news
When they’re leaving all the clues
In the drainpipe

With the rat-a-tat-tat 
Of the military cat
In the drainpipe
In the drainpipe

Over and over
Over and over again
Again

Now I’m in tune
With the Seven Rat Moon
In the drainpipe

Everybody knows
That you get a double dose
In the drainpipe
In the drainpipe

Drainpipe

I'm doing a challenge to record something every day for 111 days. For day 2 I came up with this atmospheric piece. It belongs in a fantasy movie in the scene that introduces a mysterious group of underground dwellers

Dark Fantasy Ambience

I'm doing a challenge to record something every day for 111 days. Day 3 features Arturia's Acid V instrument playing the main melody.

Acid Trance

I'm doing a challenge to record something every day for 111 days. Day 4 features two recent instruments from Soundiron that included containers of water as part of their technical design, the plucked Aquaalt and Aquae Organ.

Aqua Theme

Dance-pop anthem influenced by west African pop. Theme: Your unique creative work enriches the world. This is a track from Paul Nordquist's 2020 album SEVERE UNICORN WARNING.


Dance for the people
Who never drop their guard.
Dance for the people who do.
They're gonna need it,
I do believe it,
They'll need the grace
That only comes through you.

Chase every angle
Of light beyond the stars.
Trace every root of the tree.
You’ll find the mixture
To paint the picture,
The masterpiece
That only you can see.

Well, all right!
Let's follow through,
Cue the band
And crush the grape.
Ain't no sunlight
Brighter than you.
Can't afford to miss it!
This time I'll roll the tape.

Chant for the people
Who wake up with a smile.
Chant for the ones gripped with fear.
Light words to lift them,
Rich words to gift them,
And tender words
They're desperate to hear.

Well, all right!
Let's follow through,
Cue the band
And crush the grape.
Ain't no sunlight
Brighter than you.
Can't afford to miss it!
This time I'll roll the tape.

Severe Unicorn Warning

Roll the Tape

Folk-influenced melodic pop song. Theme: You fall in love with the Goddess of Wisdom, and your own wisdom flies out the window. This is a track from Paul Nordquist's 2020 album SEVERE UNICORN WARNING.

Sophia, can you explain?
My aim misses my target.
Sophia, light of my flame,
Your wisdom is all that I hope to gain.

Break it all down:
When can I hope to be enlightened?
Ah, break it all down:
Am I a fool, still in love with you?

Sophia, let me explain:
These flames burn up my reason.
Sophia, this is my shame.
Beside you, no other thoughts remain,

Fallen aside.
Everything died when I couldn't see you.
Ah, falling away,
I'm still in love with you.

Somehow I lost my way and found you standing there.
Why did the compass point only to you, to you?
Hold me. I can't let you go.
Please, no, don't say it's over.
Ah, me, I carry on too long.

Sophia, let me explain:
My aim misses my target.
Sophia, light of my flame,
Your love is all that I hope to gain.

I'll break it all down:
I never claimed to be enlightened,
I'll break it all down:
I am a fool, still in love, in love with you,
In love with you, in love with you.

Sophia

A new song for FAWM. For new bachelors, earnest cooking advice.

These Cooking Instructions Are a Joke

A FAWM 2020 collaboration: I wrote music for lyrics by Schantell Wharton. I aimed for a classic country-pop style of melody. The lyrics are meant for a female vocalist, so just pretend that you're listening to a woman singing this song.

He Wants to Be My Man

A new collaboration for FAWM 2020. I wrote music for lyrics by Rick Aster.

Slipping Into Something (Dark)

Life is tough. You'll definitely want the help of your own animal spirit guide -- especially if it's as hip as the zebra in this song.  This is a track from Paul Nordquist's 2020 album SEVERE UNICORN WARNING.

Living on the edge of a boring, humdrum, spirit-numbing eggshell world,
You need a spiritual guide with style and pride who can take you on a magical ride
On a carpet that flies. It's powered by your own surprise
When you open your eyes and realize

That you're right in the zone with your own personal zebra.
Now your cover is blown, got your own personal zebra.
When you answer the phone, it's your own personal zebra.
And you're right in the zone with your own personal zebra.

Life is bleaker than a worn-out, worn-down sneaker when you gotta run a marathon. 
Who's gonna feed you vegan rainbows covered in magical daydream sprinkles?
Who's gonna read your tarot, wheel your barrow,
Bust you outta the straight and narrow?

Yeah, you're right in the zone with your own personal zebra.
Now your cover is blown, got your own personal zebra.
Time to topple the throne with your own personal zebra.
And you're right in the zone with your own personal zebra.

Living in the back of a stripped-down, stoic, lithozoic big box store
When you run out of gas, and you blame this plastic gong cause it ought to be brass.
Everybody say “Oh, yeah!” Everybody say “Whoa, yeah!”
Everybody say “Zippy zippy zippy zippy.”
Everybody say “Oh yeah!”
Don’t let it throw ya mon frère, I’ve been trying to show ya that you are

Right in the zone with your own personal zebra.
Now your cover is blown, got your own personal zebra.
That's your mom on the phone for your own personal zebra.
You say, "Leave him alone, get your own personal zebra."

You got a Casiotone and your own personal zebra.
You're the ice on the cone with your own personal zebra.
Time to topple the throne with your own personal zebra.
And you're right in the zone with your own personal zebra.

Your Own Personal Zebra

Sorry I'm late. Here's my excuse. This is a track from Paul Nordquist's 2020 album SEVERE UNICORN WARNING.

I, I finally made it!
Kept you waiting. I’m so sorry!
Met a young lady,
Pretty thing named Fame-Glory.

She moves fast. Plans are drawn.
Then she laughs, then she’s gone,
And I’m none the wiser.

One more try never runs out.
One more chance,
Chance of a lifetime.
And it's better if you love each step,
If you enjoy the journey, because
This is all that we are.

I've been to the future.
It's not much brighter, not much bigger. 
Same bolt of fabric,
And our book of days has grown thicker. 

Easy gains quickly fade.
You’re back where you started.

One more try never runs out.
One more chance,
Lifetime of chances.
And it's better if you love each step,
If you enjoy the journey, because
This is all that we are.

First you’re up, then you’re down,
Then you’re up, then you’re down.
Never mind up or down;
We’re going the distance.

One more try never runs out.
One more chance,
Chance of a lifetime.
And it's better if you love each step,
If you enjoy the journey, because
This is all that we are.

First You're Up (Then You're Down)

I'm writing a song a day for #JAMuary. Song 28 is a fun, kid-friendly rundown of the first 8 planets, with a bit of gossip about each one, in a cheerful folk-pop style.

Mercury’s a speed freak
Venus working long days
Earth has got a blue streak
Mars is in a red phase
Jupiter’s in charge here
Saturn won the ring toss
Uranus reading Shakespeare
Neptune’s in the ice box

Eight major planets on this list
Born from the same planetary disk
Each travels round its own ellipse
To go see them, you would need
You would need spaceships

Mercury’s a hot rock
Venus is a goddess
Earth is the third rock
Mars is on the guest list
Jupiter has death rays
Saturn has a Titan
Uranus tilted sideways
Neptune holds a Triton

Eight major planets on this list
Born from the same planetary disk
Each travels round its own ellipse
To go see them, you would need
You would need spaceships

Eight Major Planets (#JamuarySongADay 28)

I'm writing a song a day for #JAMuary. Song 29 places a sweet, lyrical melody against a gloomy and depressing storyline. 

Why does every medium 
Say their crystal ball is broken?
Something they don’t want to see,
Don’t want to say, Fate has spoken.

When we run out of tomorrows,
Never run out of lame excuses.
“It’s not our fault. We’re victims too.
We had no other options.”

The end of the world comes,
But not with a whimper,
There’s barely a sigh.
We emptied the box of the Earth
And pulled out our prize:
The end. 

What do we do in the meantime?
Why do the flowers still bloom in springtime?

When we run out of tomorrows,
Still have plenty of twists of logic.
Someone will look in your eyes, 
Say, “You can’t fight human nature.”

The end of the world comes,
But not with a whimper,
There’s barely a sigh.
We emptied the box of the Earth
And pulled out our prize.

The end of the world comes,
But not with a whimper,
There’s barely a sigh.
We emptied the box of the Earth
And pulled out our prize:
The end.

The End of the World (#JamuarySongADay 29)

I'm writing 14 songs this month for #FAWM2021. This song describes a relaxed summer evening cooking dinner with friends, when no one's in a hurry and no one's sweating the details.

Toss me a lime or a lemon,
Either one. That’s a yam.
Find me a yellow or green one.
That one is good, in your hand.
I just need the juice.
I’ll put it to use.

Dinnertime’s running overtime.
Start the wine. Either one.
Summertime is the perfect time
To figure out what you are doing
After it’s done. 

Chop up a leek or an onion,
Either one. That’s a beet.
I have a nice piece of salmon,
If you’re still eating meat.
I’ll fry in the pan,
At least that’s the plan. 

Dinnertime’s running overtime.
Start the wine. Either one.
Summertime is the perfect time
To figure out what you are doing
After it’s done.

Lime or Lemon

Songwriter, producer, keyboards, vocals, and sometimes guitar and bass. Member of Bah & the Humbugs. Songwriting teacher/coach. Composer of theme songs, musicals, film soundtracks, meditation music.

Paul Nordquist

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