A kitchen cabinet with an open door showing yellowish vitamin bottles on a Friday was all it took me to revolt against working for the rest of the day... I just wanted to record what was popping up in my head, while dreading the thought that we're taking vitamins to go through the hard working days. This was on 11/05/21. On 11/17/21, I added the last touch: rattle sound from... a yellowish vitamin bottle. Acoustic and electric guitar, digital piano, a tambourine... and the bottle.

Modern Prayer

Yellowish bottle, unreadable label
Give us the strength to go through the day
What are your powers, are they greater than ours?
I'm hoping they work, 'cause we need them today

One presentation, two meetings, a dream
It's such crazy hours, unbearable stream
I should have been working at nights no more
It feels like I'm fighting an unwinnable war

I just want to write
And finish my song
I don't want to work, I just
Can't stop playing no more

Yellowish bottle, vitamin pills
Show me your power, strengthen my skills
Make my day end soon, just shrink it somehow
It feels like I'm living an endless now

Yellowish bottle, what else you have left?
How many wishes you're saving for last?
Come on, Happy Hour, I'm sitting here still
It's time to relax now, the end-of-day chill

I just want to sing
That's it for today
It's Friday already
I can't stop singing no more

I just want to sing
Go on with my song
It's fun time already
I can't stop singing no more

Dreamful Remastered

Modern Prayer

Buy Now

A song I made for my wife 21 years ago, when we had already been married for 11 years (yes, 32 years now). I was finally able to re-record it right before our 32-year anniversary Jan 6 2022, with a couple of edits to the lyrics. Updated 10/20/22 to be more acoustic, removed drums.

After All These Years

Girl, I made you this song
To show you how strong our love was to be
It seemed really certain  
So many years ago

Girl, I'm playing this song
Though now it's been long our love came to be
It seems even better
After all these years

Love, a boy and a girl
What else in the world would life ever be
It seems to get better
Year after year

Girl, we'd easily know
That after some time
Our love's bound to grow
Yes you know

Girl, we'll remember why
We've got lots of fun
And sometimes we cried
Yes oh my

Girl, I'm glad it is true
Undoubtedly you and I are so real
And it's gonna get better
Year after year

After All These Years

After all these years

Song I made for Eric, my son, when he was around 5 and would have night terror episodes, and I assumed it was because of playing video games for too much time. It was around 2003, so kids overplaying games was a relatively new thing, in the times of PlayStation 1.

Every Night (Eric's song)

Hey Eric,
You play your games too well
Hey, yeah, in the end
There's no one left to tell

Just a bit,
A little bit
Of playing, that is all,
Before you go to bed
For one more night
Of sighs in sight

Every night,
Scary night
Of witches everywhere
Just hold my hand
Then close your eyes
And say good night
To all in sight

Every night,
Scary night
Of shadows everywhere
Come grab my hand
There's nothing there
Just don't be scared
Of what's inside your head

Hey, Eric,
You played your part so well
Hey, yeah, dad's proud
And surely wants to tell (everyone in sight)

That just a bit,
A little bit
Of frightening thoughts a while
Is something one
Expects to come
From small and grown-up boys

Every Night

I'm not changing. I don't want to be somebody else.


I'm not two

Don't you ever ask me
To be another person,
You can change your mind,
Give it up,
Cause I'm not two.

I don't want no changes
When I'm the one in question,
Let me be myself,
Give it up,
Cause I'm not two.

I don't really know how
I don't want to be another.
You've been asking for changes,
I don't get it why you even bother.
What can I do if I just
Want to be me?

Won't you ever ask me
To be the same old person
You have been used to?
I'll give it up,
Cause I'm not two...

I'm not two

A cover of "Only You" that I recorded for my loved ones that are getting older. In special my mother, my mother-in-law and my aunt Nilda. A song that was a hit in their youth, immortalized by The Platters. Not from my time, but good music has no expiration date. Ringo's recording called my attention to it.

Only You (by Buck Ram and made famous by The Platters)

Valentine's Day 2023 song for my wife.

Whatever It Takes

For you, whatever it takes
Just for the sake of being
With you along the way
And if we get stuck 
Or hit the ground
I promise I'll stay 
For another round 

For sure, whatever it takes
Just for the thrill of being
With you along the day
Then we can make it
So we're the ones
Choosing to walk while
The world just runs 

But if I go on 
And stick around
Will you be staying 
Just by my side
Because it's the whole point
To share the ride 

For me, whatever it takes
Just for the likes of being
With you along the years
You had me then 
At first sight it's true 
But we've been together
Since day one through

Whatever It Takes

My version of John Lennon's song. Piano, acoustic guitar, bass.

Oh My Love, by John Lennon

I woke up one day with the bass line I start and end with in my head. I was having too many nightmares after a life event. The rest is history. Recorded 10/13/23, Friday the 13th... Interesting fact: I used a drum called “atabaque”, used in Brazil’s Capoeira, for the first time. It was in our basement since my son had Capoeira classes a long time ago and I had never really tried it. Added stronger bass on 10/25/23. Go to https://youtu.be/NDpHD8UjUb8 to see the video.

No Good Dreams

I don't want to dream no more
Too many bad ones in store
It's been such a dreary sight
All under this gloomy light

I don't want to dream no more
It's all like I've seen before
No escape from eternal night
A wrong that won't turn to right

There's no good dream left, they're gone
Whatever I change, triggers none
There's nothing a wish will bring
No after the winter, spring 

I wish I could dream like the kid
Whose hopes weren't the things I did
No surprise sad news one day
Big plans being just wasted away

No Good Dreams

Alternative version of this strange song I had already recorded.

Waiting

You've been waiting for 
The time of your dreams
Just to end up wondering
How far that really seems 

You've been waiting for 
That change to come true
When the truth is that
It's waiting for you 

Don't waste your time
Making sad excuses
You're the one being fooled
You're the one who looses

You've been waiting for
Good things to come by
But the most you do
Is sit, wish and sigh

You've been waiting for 
Someone that fits you
When just living with yourself
Is so hard to do   

Don't waste your time
On looming perfect chances 
They may vanish fast
While taking second glances

Waiting-version2

I sat at the piano late afternoon on 01/04/23 and thought I would create a song recording voice and piano at the same time in GarageBand, for the first time, believe it or not. I created the melody and the lyrics then, and on 01/05/23 I recorded it all, in one sitting. It took me around 3h to add the other instruments and backing voice. It's a song about this weird feeling I had after New Year's when things did not seem to be going the right way, and about aging. I added more instruments and remastered it in Logic Pro on 11/25/23, updated it in 05/13/24.

So not fine

That's so not true
I'm so not fine
Looking from outside
It seems an easy ride
But trust me

That's so not good
It's so not fine
Looking from your side
May blur the view and hide
What I see

It's not all right 
Living everyday like life is just a play
Is maddening
It's not all right
Dreaming every night that you will see a light 
The next day 

That's so not fair
It's so not right
I thought I had it coming 
And now I see it's going
Elsewhere 

That's so not true
I'm so not fine
Looking from this side
All seems like done and tried  
Believe me

So Not Fine - remastered

With the death of Denny Laine 2 days ago, I felt I had to record this song. It is one of my preferred from the Wings Over America records, composed by Paul Simon. So, my very slow version of the great Denny Laine's version, just me and the acoustic guitar.

Richard Cory (by Paul Simon)
They say that Richard Cory
Owns one half of this whole town
With political connections he spreads his wealth around
Born into society, a banker's only child
He had everything a man could want: money, grace, and style

The papers print his picture almost every place he goes
Richard Cory at the opera
Richard Cory at the shows
And the rumor of his parties and the orgies on his yacht
He really must be happy with everything he's got

But I work in his factory?
And I curse the life I'm living?
I curse my poverty?
I wish that I could be
I wish that I could be?
Oh, I wish that I could be?
Richard Cory

He freely gave to charity, he had the common touch
And they were grateful for his patronage and thanked him very much
So my mind was filled with wonder when the evening headlines read
Richard Cory went home last night and put a bullet through his head

But I work in his factory?
And I curse the life I'm living?
I curse my poverty?
I wish that I could be
I wish that I could be
Oh, I wish that I could be?
Richard Cory.

Richard Cory

The inverse of an epic song, which by definition is about praising heroic feats. Done days after the invasion of Ukraine, with the naive hope that a song can do something to change the unthinkable loss of innocent lives. I remember seeing on TV people celebrating Valentine's day in Kiev, just hours before. Hoping for a more peaceful 2024, that wars end, that those who start them realize that their acts may come back to haunt them and then do something to reverse course, if that's even possible.

You shouldn't have done that

You shouldn't have done that
Now the world just knows you are the maddest
You have made some people's world the saddest
And nothing you can do
Can really help

You shouldn't have done that
We always thought you were the meanest sad one
Now you've turned yourself into the stuck lone  
And nothing you can do
Can help you out

You are losing it
You are alone
You are so helpless
You will soon be gone
All the heavy weight you've built on crushing
What your crazy visions told you to
Is sitting on your shoulders while it's pushing
And dragging you down, too

You shouldn't have done that
So many affected by your madness
So many that now just lie in sadness
And nothing one can do
To help them out

You shouldn't have done that
The ones whose lives you ruined have summoned power
To make your riches gone and your world sour
And nothing you could do 
Would help you out 

You shouldn't have done that
The corner where you've put yourself is crumbling
All the eyes there are can see you tumbling  
And nothing you can do
Will save your soul

You Shouldn't Have Done That

Sorry to raise the bar a little higher, I made this two days ago for my wife. She said something on our 34th anniversary last week that made my brain immediately come up with a song. I really like how it ended up.

If Anything

Trust me,
If anything, I'm at a loss of words 
When I see 
Me in your eyes,
So nothing lies 
Between us as it's meant to be

To be here,
If anything, I'm lost in life
When not near 
Your glowing light, 
And that's not, right, 
At all what it's supposed to feel

To feel you
If anything, I'm at a loss of breath
When I do 
Have you there by my side
So all that I'd 
Be minding is my own heartbeat

	If anything, pretty words are due
	If anything, what they say is true
	If anything, what I mean is, too
	If anything, my everything is you

To know, dear, 
If anything, that this is what
You still fear, 
Really makes me laugh, 
Because my other half 
Is what you were born to be

If Anything

I started playing chords in the acoustic guitar, and this came up. 

All Around
 
One day
When time just seemed to go so slow
You said that life would take us 
Far away

We've since found
That life just seems to go so  fast
And then we saw it takes us 
Round and round
 
All around
From start to end
We move away
We turn and bend

All around
From here to there 
We're on the move
We're everywhere

So one day
When things just seem to go too wrong
We change the plan and make us 
Find our way

If I sound
Like we've been dreaming way too long
It's not like there's an option 
Lying around

All Around

Sometimes they come in different flavors and I have to try all. This version of All Around popped in my mind while listening to the first one posted earlier this week. So I decided to have some fun and record a totally slow piano ballad.

All Around
 
One day
When time just seemed to go so slow
You said that life would take us 
Far away

We've since found
That life just seems to go so  fast
And then we saw it takes us 
Round and round
 
All around
From start to end
We move away
We turn and bend

All around
From here to there 
We're on the move
We're everywhere

So one day
When things just seem to go too wrong
We change the plan and make us 
Find our way

If I sound
Like we've been dreaming way too long
It's not like there's an option 
Lying around

All Around - Piano

Remastered recording of this great Beatles song that I always wanted my own version of. Amazing what one can do these days to feel like a one-man band.

You Can't Do That - Remastered

A song about creating music and the loneliness in this time of remote work.

Again

Well, you know, 
I'm just here, no band, 
Guitar in hand,
So I might as well sing it through, 
Again

Well, you know, 
I'm just here, no plans, 
Time in my hands,
So I might as well do it once
Again

Then maybe I'll forget 
Along the day,
What made me let
Life go this way

Well, you know, 
I've been here, for so long, 
Strumming this song,
But I might as well play it through,
Again

Well, you know,
I’ve been here, all alone
One soul, my own,
So I might as well sing it through,
Again

And maybe I'll forget,
This rainy day,
I didn't get  
That life just goes its winding way

Again (Guitar In Hand)

A song about the intelligence we get just by being born humans, and still we can't figure a way to not have wars. We need to. The melody came up in my head on 04/10/24, I rushed to the piano and recorded it. A week later I went back to actually record it and added the lyrics and finished it.

Miracles of Nature

For more that I keep trying
It's hard to understand
The more I see the dying
The less I see an end 

How far are we from getting
We all deserve a land
Where children can play freely
And peace just sees no end

We're all made out of stardust
Like all the universe
And being born as humans
For better or for worse
We're capable of great things
Why can't we end the wars?

We're miracles of Nature
Intelligent from birth
Why can't we stop the suffering
For all it's really worth?

But miracles of Nature
What good is even there 
If we can't make the world nice
For people everywhere?

Miracles Of Nature

That's a bluesy song inspired by the most trivial thing: I tried a pair of jeans I had bought a couple of months before and it was a little tight, so somehow it brought a whole downwards spiral existential drama in my mind... Created on 11/22/22.

Up from here

Too tight, like jeans from smaller sizes tried in vain
It's not right, and makes me feel a certain type of pain
When thoughts push through my aching, tired mind
And make me want to find
What's up from here  

To this date, no reason to be worried we've been mindful
It's not late, no crack to fix, the scratches, just a handful
If we can drive it on like it's this engine
That runs on air while going
Up from here

Downright
Like water through the drain
That makes me wonder 
What's with all the rain

All right
Rain water through the drain
That makes me wish
The sun would shine again

Tonight, I hope it doesn't end a whole disaster
It's not right, the time is flying by and going faster  
I hope my sense of urgency does matter
And makes us have it better 
Up from here

Up From Here - remastered

How come we're the most intelligent beings in this planet, capable of so many great things, but we can't stop wars? Second version of this song of mine wondering about that. 

Miracles of Nature

For more that I keep trying
It's hard to understand
The more I see the dying
The less I see an end 

How far are we from getting
We all deserve a land
Where children can play freely
And peace just sees no end

We're all made out of stardust
Like all the universe
And being born as humans
For better or for worse
We're capable of great things
Why can't we end the wars?

We're miracles of Nature
Intelligent from birth
Why can't we stop the suffering
For all it's really worth?

But miracles of Nature
What good is even there 
If we can't make the world nice
For people everywhere?

Miracles Of Nature - Alternate Version

There’s a rock’n’roll soul inside of my quiet self. There’s a lot of talk about the supposedly imminent disappearance of rock as we know it. Not if it depends on me! And I believe the younger generations appreciate unique and beautiful songs — no matter when they were created (songs and listeners 😎). If you like mine, my latest songs are available as downloads to purchase at https://renatojacobsen.com, soon as a new album in Apple Music, Spotify and others. I’ll posting more there about my music and how I do it.

I’m a bedroom musician, doing the whole recording by myself in GarageBand since 2021 with a digital piano, acoustic and electric guitars, mandolin, ukulele, bass, harmonica, tambourine, atabaque and even a bottle of vitamins (!). I never played live, it’s not my thing, especially when I’m the whole band… Having my songs heard and hopefully, enjoyed, are the hope that keeps me creating.

All songs you find here are mine, except for a handful from artists that inspired me to do what I do. It impresses me when I record the primary track in one take, like “Long Tall Sally”, “Oh My Love” and some of mine, like “Doppler” (in about 3 hours I had the lyrics and recording done, including overdubs) and “So Not Fine”.  I’m more inspired when playing an arrangement for the first few times, so getting the initial voice and instrument tracks right quickly is the ideal situation. 

Recording for me is a total thrill, I love when I listen to the results and go building the layers until I’m satisfied that I did what I had in mind. Then it’s like I had an epiphany, it must be an adrenaline high.  Sometimes I wake up with the song in my head and have to quickly register it on my phone. I lost a bunch of those because I was too lazy to wake up, then never remembered them! Some were truly a dream…

I was born in Brazil, lived there for the first 35 years of my life before moving to the US. Thanks to all who listen, spend the time to write a comment and hit the like button. You make all the difference.

Renato Jacobsen

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