Some thoughts that have been percolating in my mind lately (cover photo:  photo of my halloween skeleton edited with a not to scale termite and silver spoon: adobe stock images)

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Copyright 2025
Vocals , Chords and Lyrics by Joe Stroffolino
Organ (playing my midi keyboard with sound from Logic Pro BeBop Organ)
Single Strum track  (playing my Taylor 114ce)
Second fast strumming track: PG music real track
Bass: PG Music real track
Piano:  EZ Keys2 (with sound from Native instruments Piano uno)
Drums: EZ Drummer 3
***
They say that life is a test but not everyone’s dealt the same hand
Some are born into privilege, while others struggle through quicksand
We play the cards we’re dealt as we try to find our way,
Doing our best to keep our heads above water as we go about each day.
People born with a silver spoon in their mouths, they’re rich and the die is cast
Other’s get a wooden spoon, which the termites eat, and it’s struggle not to finish last
They say money can’t buy you happiness, but it’s hard to put a smile on your face
When the game is rigged and you can’t even get to first base.
How many billions do you have to accumulate before you’re just running up the score
At what point do you decide that you don’t need anymore
Telling rags-to-riches stories, so the common man believes it’s true,
“Keep those taxes off the billionaires cause someday that might be you.”
 People born with a silver spoon in their mouths, they’re rich and the die is cast
Other’s get a wooden spoon, which the termites eat, and it’s struggle not to finish last
They say money can’t buy you happiness, but it’s hard to put a smile on your face
When the game is rigged and you can’t even get to first base.
 Politicians smiling and acting like they share your blues,
But they’d collapse in a minute trying to walk a mile in your shoes.
Lottery tickets selling hope, though the odds are that you’ll never win
You’ve got a better chance of being struck by lightning than ever cashing in.
You’ll be paying off those loans for the rest of your life from that useless college degree
As the corporations implement AI trying their best to replace you and me
 The universe is billions of years old; we come and go in a flash.
We spend our short lives obsessing over cash.
 People born with a silver spoon in their mouths, they’re rich and the die is cast
Other’s get a wooden spoon, which the termites eat, and it’s struggle not to finish last
They say money can’t buy you happiness, but it’s hard to put a smile on your face
When the game is rigged and you can’t even get to first base.

Life Is a Test

Taylor 114 CE (Strumming my guitar)
Logic Pro BeBop Organ (Playing my MIDI keyboard)
Logic Pro Classic Electric Piano (Playing my MIDI Keyboard)
Drums (EZ Drummer 3)
Bass (PG Music Real Track)
Vocals and Back up Vocals (me singing).
Copyright 2025 Joe Stroffolino
***
Cover art:  photo of Halloween skeleton edited with Adobe stock images.
***
Won’t You Please Just Go
Verse 1
It used to be that right and wrong were clear cut, black and white
And people had the courage still to stand and fight the good fight
It used to be that folks could bridge across the partisan divide
Do the right thing and set their differences aside
Now the tech bros want to colonize Mars, and create a brand-new utopia
And if you’re skeptical of their vision, you’re just a luddite with myopia
They’re dreaming of a world of like minds, a place with no dissent
But too much group think has a way of becoming malevolent

Chorus
Won’t you go, won’t you go, won’t you please just go
Get on that rocket ship and fly to Mars (good riddance)
You say you’ll build a better society on the fourth rock from the sun
But there’s lots of work on Earth that still needs to be done.

Verse 2
Columbus sailed west and began a bold new age of exploration
But life on a barren rock seems like a recipe for frustration
It’s easy to be seduced by all that science fiction snake oil
but once you get to Mars, it’ll be nothing but drudgery and endless toil

Bridge
Seems like there are better ways for billionaires to spend their cash
Than living in a tin can on Mars like high-tech trailer trash.
They say the higher you fly, the harder you can fall;
Why trade a living planet for a dusty red ball?

Verse 3
Things can get kind of messy down here on good old planet Earth
You can turn tail and and try to escape this place of humanities birth
You can wipe the slate clean but there’s something in our DNA
You can make people march in lockstep but eventually there will be hell to pay.


Chorus
Won’t you go, won’t you go, won’t you please just go
Get on that rocket ship and fly to Mars (good riddance)
You say you’ll build a better society on the fourth rock from the sun
But there’s lots of work on Earth that still needs to be done

Won't You Please Just Go (to Mars)

For my friend from Shrewsbury – and for everyone who is there for others with love and strength.

The Way You Stay is a very personal song I originally wrote just for a close friend. After hearing it, he told me I should definitely release it – and so I did.

It tells about the importance of being there for each other – especially when life gets heavy.

It’s about the quiet strength of caring and the love that lies within those moments. About two people who carry each other and the closeness that grows from it.

But this song is not only for him – it’s for everyone who cares for others, quietly, steadily, and wholeheartedly.

A song about trust, friendship, and the strength that comes from staying.

Behind the music:
From the beginning I knew I wanted a choir in this song. I thought about it for a long time, wondering how it could work. In the end, I recorded more than 24 vocal tracks – all with my own voice – and processed them in such a way that the choir is made up of many little Axels.

I truly hope you enjoy listening to it.

The video for the song is available on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/V3eWGTdakr8?si=Z14qJjSR7inY0-BH

____________________________________

The Way You Stay

He clears the table when the day is done,
he hides his worries from everyone. 
She takes his hand, and with her touch,
he feels he´s more than strong enough.

That’s the way you stay,
when the days get heavy.
That’s the way you love,
quiet but steady.
Two hearts leaning, all the way –
that’s the way you stay.

He keeps the light on late into the night,
she gives him reason, keeps his heart upright.
He hears her laughter, and it pulls him through,
that’s the reason she gives to do.

That’s the way you stay,
when the days get heavy.
That’s the way you love,
quiet but steady.
Two hearts leaning, all the way –
that’s the way you stay.

From far away I see you two,
the care, the trust, the gentle view.
It moves me more than words can say –
I hold you close, though far away.

That’s the way you stay,
when the nights turn colder.
That’s the way you love,
growing older.
Two hearts leaning, all the way –
that’s the way you stay.


The Way You Stay

We are born and then we die, that's what you can be sure of.  it's just how we live that counts.

Unfamiliar Song.

Thunder

It's a Japanese song. A song from my EP SUPERNOVA. I made this with the image of U2 playing slow tempo EDM. 95 BPM. 4m25s. The main genre is Rock. The lyrics are important for this song. I put my actual feelings into the lyrics. It's a very emotional song. Please listen carefully to the lead guitar in the last part. Link to major platforms : https://linkco.re/E2aRhZS6

Lyrics :
(1 2 3 4)

素晴らしい夜
とてつもない夜
重くのしかかる
今でも

何か変だと
僕は思った uh huh
その瞬間に
君は消えてた

捨てないで 僕を
捨てないで 僕を
捨てないで 僕を
捨てないで
捨てないで 僕を
捨てないで 僕を
捨てないで 僕を
捨てないで
捨てないで

捨てないで 僕を
(I love you)
捨てないで 僕を
(I love you)
捨てないで 僕を
(I love you)
捨てないで 僕を
(I love you)
(I love you)
(I love you)
Wooo Hooo
(I love you )
(I love you)
捨てないで 僕を
(I love you)
捨てないで 僕を
(I love you)
捨てないで 僕を
(I love you)
捨てないで 僕を
(I love you oh)
(I love you)
(I love you)
(I love you Wooo Wooo)

OH GHOST

Prologue to a fantasy adventure

FEARS FOR DREAM

lyrics

You talk about me yeah
You said that I was the problem
You told your friends that
You said that I wouldn't holla
We texted everyday
We talked whenever
You talk about me yeah
You talk about me
They believe the words you say
They believe I'm not here to stay
They believe the words you say
I'm packing my bags today

I thought you loved me
I really thought
I thought you loved me

When I can't sleep at night
It's you I'm yearning for
Why can't we get this right
I'm trying to not walk out that door
Stop talkin bout me
Stop saying the bad things that you say
Stop talkin bout me
Stop saying that things won't go our way
Let's try one more time

I thought you loved me
I really thought
I thought you loved me

I Thought Wrong

FIRST ECLIPSE ON MARS

==========================

Year 2015.

I'd only been composing music with my iPad 1 for four years.

I was lucky enough to find an app that allowed me to "make music" easily: Music Studio 2. It's the only DAW I've ever used, aside from trying out a few tracks with Garage Band.

I made an effort to learn, and so every night I searched the software's forum, where other users were asking questions, suggesting improvements, and posting their compositions (some of which were downloadable). Little by little, I got to know some of them and established some trust (I still write to them from time to time...). Yes, I was a forty-something among people twice my age (and much older... in some cases).

The most active was my friend Ronald, who suggested composing music related to the seven deadly sins. I chose envy.

A couple of years later, I completely reworked the melody and added new sounds with synthesizers I obtained from new apps I added to my collection. Although there was some underlying music that connected the two melodies, it couldn't be said to be the same. So I decided to give it another name, and called it First Eclipse on Mars.

I hope you like it.



18 Tracks native instruments MS2 and forum Xewton
3 Tracks kv331 Synthmaster
DAW Music Studio 2
Hardware. iPad
Mix……. My car 🚘

Cover art by Aynur Zakirov


Next composition…… Requiem for an Autumn

First eclipse on mars

ik theres a section missing but i could NOT get it to sound right for the life of me
also i didnt feel like making a new cover art so you guys are stuck with a recolor

INHUMAN by @bubu-327522373 : https://soundcloud.com/bubu-327522373/inhuman

Thunder

takechee