Ukelele Musings

I put this track together in May 25th 2019. Updated it today, on June 23rd 2025. I play all the instruments.

Living Room Ukelele Jam

The original song was written by Redd Stewart and Pee Wee King. This is my version performed on a baritone ukelele tuned in 4ths CFBbEb. I recorded this in October of 2020 and remastered it for this release on June 22nd 2025.

Tennessee Waltz

I originally recorded this track in June of 2022. Remastered it in May of 2025.

I do not own the copyright to this music. I am not profiting from its dissemination.

"Hey Jude" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles that was released as a non-album single in August 1968. It was written by Paul McCartney and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership.


Hey Jude

I originally recorded this in June of 2022. Remastered in May of 2025.

I do not own the copyright to this song. I am not profiting from its dissemination.

"It's Only a Paper Moon" is a popular song published in 1933 with music by Harold Arlen and lyrics by Yip Harburg and Billy Rose.


Paper Moon

I originally recorded this in June of 2022. Remastered in May of 2025. 

I do not own the copyright to this song. I am not profiting from its dissemination.

"Dream a Little Dream of Me" is a 1931 song with music by Fabian Andre and Wilbur Schwandt and lyrics by Gus Kahn. It was first recorded in February 1931 by Ozzie Nelson and also by Wayne King and His Orchestra, with vocals by Ernie Birchill. A popular standard, it has seen more than 60 other versions recorded, with one of the highest chart ratings by The Mamas & The Papas in 1968 with Cass Elliot on lead vocals.

Dream a Little Dream

I originally recorded this song on June 8th of 2022. Remastered in May of 2025.

I muted the strings of my baritone ukelele with a foam strip underneath the strings by the bridge to get the effect you are hearing.

Sad Song

Flowers.

Written in January 2024.

Published in July 2025.


During the first few months of last year, I was ill with my recurring kidney stone problems.

Fortunately, that passed.

I left some of the compositions I started unfinished, and some sketches were barely started.

This is one of them.

My mother lives in a typical Andalusian house in Seville.

One of the characteristics of these houses is that they usually have a courtyard where there are all kinds of flowering and non-flowering plants.

Obviously, they need to be cared for, watered, fertilized, etc.
My mother loves doing it, and in spring she reaps the rewards of her labor.

I always give my flower icons to the women I follow (I hope I'm not annoying them by doing that), so I thought it was interesting to draw inspiration from all of that to put this together.

17 Tracks native instruments MS2 & Old Xewton forum.
3 XPad 
2 iMini Arturia
1 iProphet Arturia
2 korg IM
1 Ob-xd 
1 flowtones 


Mix: my hear 
Software. Music Studio 2
Hardware.ipad

Cover. A part of the courtyard of my mother's house

Thank you for your comments

Next…. Crossroad

Flowers

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Aurora

Inspired by Erik Satie's 1920 Premier Menuet.
Artists are found in many forms and persuasions.
Loving those French Impressionists with avant-garde natures !!

Premier Menuet

Trop de prisonniers politiques dans le monde!
J'ai composé cette chanson sur un texte de Boris Vian,  un écrivain, poète, parolier, et  chanteur français que j’admire beaucoup.
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boris_Vian

Too many political prisoners in the world!
I composed this song on a text by Boris Vian, a French writer, poet, lyricist, and singer whom I admire very much.
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boris_Vian

Les images ne sont pas des vrais prisonniers
The images are not real prisoners
 Translation after the French text


Le Politique (par Boris Vian, Extrait)

Ils ont sonné à ma porte
Je suis sorti de mon lit
Ils sont entré dans ma chambre
Ils m’ont dit de m’habiller

Le soleil par la fenêtre
Ruisselait sur le plancher
Ils m’ont dit mets tes chaussures 
On chantait sur le palier`

J’ai descendu l’escalier
Entre leurs deux uniformes 
Adossé à une borne
Un clochard se réveillait

Ils me donneront la fièvre
La lumière dans les yeux
Ils me casseront les jambes
A coups de souliers ferrés

Mais je ne dirai rien
Car je n’ai rien à dire
Je crois à ce que j’aime
Et vous le savez bien

Ils m’ont demandé mon âge
J’ai répondu vingt sept ans 
Ils ont écrit de mensonges
Sur des registres pesants

Ils voulaient que je répète
Tout ce que j’avais chanté
Il y avait une mouche
Sur la manche du greffier

Mais  je ne dirais rien 
Car je n’ai rien à dire
Je crois à ce que j’aime
Et vous le savez bien

Qui vous a donné le droit 
De juger votre prochain
Votre robe de droit noir
Ou vos figures de deuils

Si vous voulez que je vive
Mettez moi en liberté
Si vous voulez que je meure
A quoi bon me torturer

Mais  je ne dirais rien 
Car je n’ai rien à dire
Je crois à ce que j’aime
Et vous le savez bien



The Politician (by Boris Vian, Excerpt)

They rang my doorbell
I got out of bed
They came into my room
They told me to get dressed

The sun through the window
Streamed onto the floor
They told me to put on your shoes
We were singing on the landing

I went down the stairs
Between their two uniforms
Leaning against a post
A tramp was waking up

They'll give me a fever
The light in my eyes
They'll break my legs
With their iron-shod shoes

But I won't say anything
Because I have nothing to say
I believe in what I love
And you know it well

They asked me my age
I answered twenty-seven
They wrote lies
In heavy registers

They wanted me to repeat
Everything I had sung
There was a fly
On the sleeve of Clerk

But I won't say anything
Because I have nothing to say
I believe in what I love
And you know that well

Le politique

“I Wish (I Was Like You)” is an emotional song about longing, self-denial, and the fear of hurting those we care about — wrapped in a dark, poetic vampire metaphor.

I love exploring different genres and diving into new musical worlds — and right now, it's musical theatre that's calling me.

This song is part of a musical project in collaboration with Sarah Paradise Brown, centered around themes of inner conflict, unfulfilled love, and the tension between light and darkness.

A new song with Sarah is already in the works — and there may be more to come as we continue to unfold this mysterious chapter.

Lyrics / Music / Vocals: 
Axel Menningen



"I wish (I was like you)"

You wake up with the sun in your eyes.
You breathe like nothing hurts.
You laugh like life is simple.
I watch you from the dark.

I try to move like you.
To speak like you.
But my steps are too heavy.
And something inside me always pulls me back.

I wish I was like you.
I wish I didn't want what I want.
I wish I could be close
without the fear,
without the hunger.
But I can't.

You hold my hand like it's safe.
You look at me like I'm still human.
And for a moment,
I almost believe it.

But the night speaks to me.
It whispers what I am.
And the blood calls louder
than your voice ever could.

I wish I was like you.
I wish I didn't want what I want.
I wish I could be close
without the fear,
without the hunger.
But I can't.

I don't want to hurt you.
I don't want to lose myself.
But if I choose you,
I lose what keeps me alive.

I wish I was like you.
I wish I could just love.
But I'm built for hunger,
not for peace.
Not for love.
Not like you.

I Wish (I Was Like You)

Tenor saxophones wrapped around a moog core with injections of spacey flute and beats. 
(Headphones recommended).

Pic. (possibly CERN) c/o Pinterest.

DOUBLE WIRED

Chill theme for the lazy summer afternoons

Beauty In The Tiny

Inspired by Yothu Yindi and early Midnight Oil, this track blends Aboriginal culture with modern music. Featuring (real) clarinet, didgeridoo, and guitar, it's a dreamtime journey where tradition meets contemporary sounds.


Inspiré par Yothu Yindi et les débuts de Midnight Oil, ce morceau mélange la culture aborigène avec la musique moderne. Avec des instruments réels (clarinette, didgeridoo et guitare), c'est un voyage dans le temps du rêve où la tradition rencontre les sons contemporains.

Yothu es-tu là ?

Cast of characters:
The Beautiful Dark -- @thebeautifuldark -- Carl — Ovation guitar, lead vocals, lyrics, and composition
K2 and the Three [and the Four]--@k2andthe3, @k2-kara –Ken -- drums
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)– @josh-clary-1 –Josh – Warwick fretless four-string bass
Mistermark-- @user-432503709 -- Mark –- VST timbale, production editing
TexMex Shaman– @texmex-shaman –Stephen — Tom Anderson Custom T electric guitar, production, mix, and mastering
J.J. Terrell– @j-j-terrell – electric piano and synth
Llanpsych -- @llanpsych -- Tez – Fender Telecaster HSS electric guitar

This song began as Carl's tribute poem to our drummer, Ken. Carl came up with the chord progression and started a project, to which he invited the rest of us. This is the third song Eclectic Collective has done that is a tribute by Carl to one of our members.  We couldn't feel more honoured than to be the subjects of his wild and boundless creativity.
  Fittingly, Ken was first in line to add his magnificent drums. Once we had drums, Josh had something to work with to add his bass, which he did shortly after the drums were up. Mark paid the project a visit next, helping out with a bit of production editing, and dropping in a mad percussion solo using his VST timbale drums. Stephen jumped in soon after, adding the melodic electric guitar riffs that appear throughout. Not to be outdone, JJ added some sonically thickening electric piano, as well as the throwback psychedelic synth that pops up towards the end. Finally, Tez came along and added the electrifying solo that appears about a third of the way in, as well as the one at the end. 
  Once the recording was finished, we turned it over to Stephen to mix in his always professional manner. 
  This song is all about our very talented teammate and brother, Ken, and it is well deserved, too. As mentioned, this is the third song from Carl about one of us. It's hard to describe the feeling of having someone who you respect take the time and energy to think about you in such a positive way as to produce a song about you. Then to have all your buddies join in to amplify it to a solid song is just mind-blowing. We are all very grateful to Carl for not only sharing his music with us, but for his thoughtful consideration of each of us as subjects. We hope you enjoy listening to this as much as we enjoyed creating it.

(Original lyrics by The Perfect Dark)
Karakoram human
You decorate good future
As many lose their Gods
You stand tall as suture

Rhythmic mountain maestro
Each day, graft, working hard
So kids can eat
Bruised back sees very best of yard

Still, beats get born of evenings
Deep love finds joules to jam
May generation X soothe meaning
Let's teach the younger pussies what we can

To Ken, from pen, to page, to Music
To friends, Now is when, Good sage soup soothes us
Honest and brave, To Jesus he save
Kudos our maestro of percussive wave

Karakoram human
You decorate good future
As many lose their Gods
You stand tall as suture
Sticks in hand
Cymbals a floating
Snare and bass backbone gland
Tom'ed Ringo Star man keep quoting
Keep life steady paced by hand

To Ken, from pen, to page, to Music
To friends, Now is when, Good sage soup soothes us
Honest and brave, To Jesus he save
Kudos our maestro of percussive wave

Rhythmic Mountain (The Beautiful Dark with Eclectic Collective)

Celtic Midsummer ( free download  mp3 )

Welcome to my SoundCloud page. My tracks are mostly highlighting my bass playing. I also play guitar, ukelele, some keyboard, sing, and whistle. Thanks for checking out the tunes.

Sad Song

Simon Wojcik

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