2024

MISTER SIMON

Sohnemänner feat:  R. Pappik, N. Weidemann & J. Ilja / Regie: Ingo Haeb

A weird little side trip about the movie Poor Things.

Lyrics:

I am my mother’s daughter
As he’s his father’s son
But I have known my mother’s heart
As no one else has done.
I sailed away for freedom,
For love, and for to run
Now I’ve seen all that men can do,
And not yet twenty-one.

The mist upon the river
The cold in which I sank
Then God the savior dragged me through
The mud upon the bank
But was I raised to heaven,
Or carried down to hell?
You may believe these stories;
I know not how to tell.

I’ve held my mother’s hands in mine
Well more than anyone
I’ve known my mother’s skin and blood
As no one’s ever done.
Now she and I together
Sit barefoot in the sun
I am my mother’s daughter,
As God’s his father’s son.

Credits:
Clara Weber: vocals
me: acoustic guitar, electric guitar, synths

my mother's daughter

Let Down Your Guard

Written in January 2024 for Ithaca Songwriting Challenge
Lyrics:
In the mirror, messy days
Candles help concentrate 
Roots from 25 years ago 
Attention, distant lights 
A bright dog, a burning past
A painting, an artist driven into the ground

Chorus:
In boxes and bedrooms to be found
Junk and riches
Dusty collections in the clouds 
The boxes and bedrooms’ final sound
What’s for keeping?
Don’t be sentimental now

The headdress, ship upon the ocean
Photo of the royal 
Tapestry from the war
Stamps from the priest
The kitchen table
The cracker tin the leaf bowl
Horses and the miniature town

In boxes and bedrooms to be found
Junk and riches
Dusty collections in the clouds 
The boxes and bedrooms’ final sound
What’s for keeping?
Don’t be sentimental now

Bridge:
Memory ablaze smoke and 
Mostly unfazed easy choice easy choice in control 

In boxes and bedrooms to be found
Junk and riches
Dusty collections in the clouds 
The boxes and bedrooms’ final sound
What’s for keeping?
Don’t be sentimental now

Songwriting Challenge Jan/Feb 2024

Boxes and Bedrooms (Demo)

Misty Muddy Morning

V1: Gotta get up, sit down, jump a little higher
No time to worry ‘bout stepping in the fire
Running in the rain to deliver the promiseE
Shakin’ the cash ‘fore it’s all worthless

Don’t lose your step, 
the bottom of the pile
nice to know ya son, 
was it all worthwhile?

CH: Tightrope
Walking on the tightrope
Walking on the tightrope
Better watch your step

SOLO on E for 2 measures

V2: Smoke, lava, steam, mud, mist and dust
Baby if you stand still you turn to rust
Never met the devil, I can feel him here
Hiding in the shadows bringing up the rear

Run a little faster, talk a little louder
Smile a little wider, 
you know you hit the big time

CH: Walking on the tightrope
On the tightrope
Walking on the tightrope
Better watch your step, better watch your step 

SOLO

BR: How ya gonna make it through 
when you just wanna lay down and die
How high can you fly?

V3: What’s it gonna be now that you are here
Step up to the plate, or see ya’ next year
Bigger than a bear, stronger than an ox
Doin’ time in the school of hard knocks

Don’t lose your step, 
Gonna go in style
nice to know ya son, 
was it all worthwhile?

CH: Walking on the tightrope
Walking on the tightrope again
Standing on the tightrope
Fallin’ from the tightrope my friend
Walking on the tightrope—-

Better watch your step

Tightrope

SWCH WEEK 1  TREASURE WE FOUND

True story.

Lyrics: (but maybe listen first without reading)

V1
i had a friend
two foot tall
furry and could jump right to the top of the wall
when we met
he filled my hands
he always felt it was his duty
to patrol the family lands

Chorus:
he was huge
he was poised
he made very little noise
he was long
he was lean

1 - he was a fast, efficient pouncer
but I think was never mean

2 - he was patient all the time that I spent 
looking at machines

V2
he was social
from day one
he just wanted all his people
to enjoy the grass and sun
he'd slip a collar
in a day
Didn't care how tight or loose,
he always found a way

V3
he looked at us
like he understood
though I Don't know if he knew we couldn't 
See the things he could
he slept two inches
from my feet
he'd tap me on the elbow
while I found him stuff to eat 

Bridge out of V3:
…and one morning, he was gone, gone, gone
for days, he was gone, gone, gone
now it's a week that he's been gone, gone, gone.

would I let him out again?
would I let him out again?
would I set him free again?
I would let him out again
i would let him break my heart again

going, going, gone, it’s time to be gone

V4
I was writing down these lyrics
we were sitting sad around
when my daughter sat up
and said… “what's that sound?”
i said I've been running / to the door for days, 
but She got up and looked anyways

now he is huge,
he is gray
and he came Back to us today
he is long,
he is well
it's a story he won't tell

he is here,
he is wise,
there's affection in his eyes
he is ours,
he is known
and he came 
back 
home.

and I will set him free again
just, not, tonight.

Credits:
tjw: vocals, acoustic guitar, electric bass
Clara Weber: vocals

gone

Don't wait to lay down the wildcard!

V1: thought this was a game of chance
but I was wrong, wrong, wrong
and now I’m worried that my hand won’t leave me 
strong, strong strong
too many cards in your royal flush
too few ways for me to beat the rush

Wildcard— I shoulda— shoulda put you down
Wildcard— my head is spinning round and round

CH: lay down the ace, lay down the queen
had a run like I’ve never seen
now it’s time to pay the price
i know I’ll take the odds— I can’t lose twice

V3: wildcard— I’m holding you in my hand 

BR: if I could, ya know I would
I woulda put you down
you were hiding in my hand
now there’s more than I can understand

V4: wild card— 
I shoulda let you go 
Wildcard—- 
now I’m feeling so low, low 
I’m gonna let you go

Wildcard

A weekend trip in which I encountered several ancient gods in their temple - specifically room 201 in the Cleveland Museum of Art, showing larger-than-life portraits of Apollo and the five Muses, as well as Cupid and Psyche.

Cupid's smile was interpreted to show what a jerk he is. Nobody else in the room is smiling, except maybe Psyche and Erato, and maybe that's because they've had his attention.

Lyrics:

i visited Olympus through the Cleveland door
nearly lost two fingers for a woman with a sword
froze my knees in the Erie breeze, but did it for the child
the gods do not find favor with a mortal who smiles

through Olean and Ashtabula, after Kalamazoo
Conneaut and Salamanca, bought a bottle there too
i didn’t have to do it, but i rode those extra miles,
‘cuz the gods do not find favor with a mortal who smiles

i visited Olympus through the Cleveland gate
so i could ask Apollo before too late
why he looked so solemn, with his laurel crown
with Cupid nearby grinning with his bedsheet falling down
he said: Would you buy a used guitar from a crocodile?
Mortals don’t feel favored by a god who smiles

Credits:
tjw: vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass uke, harmonica synth drum pad

the gods' favor

The Diary

Let’s make some noise
Pack the supplies
Celebrate the date
And the stars in your eyes

I’ll get it down in the diary
worlds and life and colors that you can’t see
Tell you if the trees 
are cold or flourishing 

Someday you’ll come with me and make your own entries

We’re going to be gone
Many cycles around our suns
You tend to the energy pools
We’re going to be gone
I’ll take the pictures that you’ve drawn
You know I’ll miss you
Miss you so

They say there’s life
Like you’ve never seen they’re massive beings
Tiny forms
Could be perfect for spice 
Could be perfect for spice x 4

Solo

Someday you’ll come with me and make your own entries

Chorus

They say some fly 
Rake apart with just one try
Don’t you fret
And don’t you cry 
And don’t you cry x 4

The Diary (Songwriting Challenge 1.21.24)

Lyrics

V1: Been busy at home, deep in my head
so many things on my mind 
kids are all gone, and the chores are done
but something — don’t feel right 
and then a noise from the couch 
my trusted friends, lay there
they stretch and yawn, 
and soon they’re standing near 

CH: No words are spoken, 
we all understand
everyone needs some time
pull on my coat grab my hat
before they start to whine
time to walk the dogs 
				
V2: all day long they lounge in the house
silently sleeping away
I’m busy at work, busy at home
we never make time to play
remember it well, when each was a pup
seems like yesterday 
now they’re gray, and so am I 
Must put their needs ahead of mine 

CH: no words are spoken, 
we all understand
All of us need some time 
pull on my coat, grab my hat
we all fall in line
time to walk the dogs 

BR: how many times
have we walked out this door 
only to find our way home
too many treats and too many squirrels 
won’t they leave me alone? 
time to walk the dogs — Again

Walk The Dogs

Perish Song


Ok to show how desperate for ideas I am, or how easily inspired, the two main sources for this song are: My phone alarm, and Pokemon moves.

I keep reading this Pokemon encyclopedia to my daughter every night, and the language in it is wonderful. The names of Pokemon alone are brilliant, but the moves of a couple of them caught my eye: Perish Song, Sweet Kiss, Powder Snow, Fake Tears, etc. Two Pokemon in particular seemed like opposites: Smoochum with moves like Sweet Kiss and Spirit Tomb with moves like Nasty Plot and Spite Chant(!).

So I tried as much as possible to only include Pokemon moves in the lyrics, but it needed a tiny bit of padding.

But I had playing with these lyrics for weeks but they only seemed to find a home when my phone alarm went off one morning and I wanted to figure out the simple melody (C-D-E-F and back down.) This melody didn't seem useful for too much, it was too simplistic, but I slowed it the heck down and brought these Pokemon into the ring to see what happens. 

Lyrics

Sing, my powder snow
Sing  my sweet kiss
Your fake tears and avalanche
Something is amiss

Your Avalanche and heart stamp 
Your sucker punch and spite chant


Sing your nasty plot
Into my spirit tomb

Sing your confusion ray
Onto my shadow loom

Your hypnosis and dark pulse 
Your memento and sucker punch

This is my Perish song
This is my spirit tomb

This is my Perish song
I perish without you

Perish Song

Those guys are such jokers!

Lyrics:

Lao-tze, Rumi, and Rilke
walk into a bar
this time they say nothing
they get served just as they are
Dogen walks in behind them
the bouncer asks for ID
he pulls a shard of mirror
looks deep, and says “it’s me”

you can stay here if you want,
but it’s time to go home
it’s time to go home
you can stay here if you want,
but I’ll walk you home

i walk in centuries later
never know just what i want
somebody does me a favor
puts a half empty glass down in front
i watch the careful hands
at the row of handles they pull
and i notice as i’ve been sitting
mine’s now half full

you can stay here if you want,
you can stay here if you want,
you can stay here if you want,
	and never leave home

you can stay here if you want,
	has your sediment settled?
you can stay here if you want,
	are you clear?
you can stay here if you want,
	are you ready to go?
are you ready to stay?
	are you ready to stay?

Credits:
tjw: 12-string guitar, electric bass, vocals, djembe, drum pad

Image: "Glass Half Full?" by Andrew Wilkinson, https://www.flickr.com/photos/andrew_j_w/3717563867

you can stay

Lyrics:

i open my eyes
to the morning glow
i know i must rise
but i’m feeling slow
i’m feeling slow
and my love is near
before the day blurs together
i would linger here
i would linger here

i linger here
then i rise and go
as the day blurs together
there’s one thing i know
my love i know
when the day moves fast
it turns on the center
and it slows at last
it slows at last

life slows at last
in the evening glow
the sun must pass
so the moon can show
the moon will show
through clouded skies
as the days blur together
and i close my eyes
i’ll close my eyes

i linger here
when my love is near
but the moon must rise
and then i’ll close my eyes
as the days blur together
i’ll close my eyes

Credits:
tjw: vocals, acoustic guitar

the days blur together

If you were a flower, I'd be your bumblebee
If I were a bird, I'd be sitting in your tree
If you were a stone resting in a stream
I'd rush over while you quietly dream
If I were a groundhog ravishing a plot
You'd be the radishes calling me to that spot
Or you might be hungry sitting at the breakfast table
I'm the salmon that was smoked to be the lox on your bagel

chorus:
In every iteration in every simulation
we'll always find each other
in our astral tractor beams
in every situation we'll fight the separation
even if reality isn't what it seems

I could be a lion tamer sparkling on stage
You'll stop the cats from eating me, as my trusty cage
Or maybe there's a world with you, an animal hoarder
smuggling me, a giant tortoise, over international borders
Out there you're a surgeon treating me, conjoined twins
separating organs and patching up the skin
But success would mean we'd be stuck as three
You can sacrifice half so it stays just you and me

somewhere I'm a backhoe  digging up a water main
You're the traffic cone blocking the right lane
Where I'm an old battered porch you are wisteria
Where you're a rotting compost heap I am your bacteria
Our proximity seems a tiny probability
But this connection is an undeniability
Being without you strikes me as perverse
I'll find you anywhere in the multiverse

universal remote

Lyrics:

she's walking downtown
her head hunkered down
trying to beat the rain
she's watching her shoes
she's coming unglued
always the same lane again
is it time or place
or is it just grace
suddenly feeling no pain

sweet relief
watching your smiling face
moving around in space
taking a break from the race
sweet relief

he just heard the news
now how can he choose?
wondering why, minds of men
his legs have their will
running downhill
always the same pain again
is there ever a why
in forest and sky
suddenly free beyond within

and what if there is,
is nothing to come?
what if what you feel
is always undone?
each moment of light
gives way to the night
remembering a distant sun?

sweet relief (draft r7)

You never told me you love me
You never showed me you care
You never told me you love
Now I´m married to your sister
And I don´t wanna lie
I always thought you were special
And I don´t wanna die
But Annie´s gonna shoot us 
Both right dead
You never told me you love me
You never showed me you care
You never told me you love
Now I´m married to your sister
Thereś something about the way
She holds that gun
Makes me wanna get in my truck 
And flat out run
You never told me you love e
You never told me you care
You never told me you love me
Now Iḿ married to your sister
And I don´t wanna lie
I always thought that you were special
And I don´t wanna die
But Annie´s gonna shoot us 
Both right dead
You never told me you love me
You never told me you care
You never told me you love me
Now Iḿ married to your sister
Now Iḿ married to your sister

You Never Told Me

The older I get, the more it all seems like a collection of strobe-lit moments. Do you know what I mean?

There is no video for this (yet), but imagine it in an empty coffeehouse or club, which is brightly lit (and maybe packed with people) every time I say "lightning."

Lyrics:

flashes of lightning
in the sky of your eyes
bringing me back to
my first surprise
holding you close,  then
letting you go
flashes of lightning
are all that I know

i want you to know me
i want to know you
but these flashes of lightning
make that seem hard to do
each one’s almost over
before it begins
but it's in that 'almost'
that we get to kiss

i want to see you
i want you to see me
but these flashes of lightning
don’t leave much time to see
each one’s almost over
before it can start
but it's in that 'almost'
that you touched my heart

am I your father
am I your son
am I your lover
for now, or for one
going the distance
when the distance is near
for now is for ever
for you I am here

flashes of lightning

I perform as a solo singer-songwriter with a guitar, but also like playing with other sounds. I tend to sing about love, loss, transcendence, and the passage of time, but I like songs with humor and "show don't tell." I like (to make and hear) recordings that feel organic but not sloppy, complex but clear, intentional but serendipitous. Finished albums and some singles are for sale on Bandcamp, and available for streaming on Spotify, Apple, Amazon, etc.

2024

timothy john weber