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

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

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

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

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.

Up From Here - remastered

Renato Jacobsen

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