Coursera

Berklee Coursera Songwriters Fall 2013

This is about my Dad's twin brother who vanished from a POW camp in 1941.  It is the first complete song I have ever written and I do apologise in advance for the sound quality :(

James

This is my Week 4 assignment in the fall session of Pat Pattison's online Songwriting course at Berklee. Now with Actual Guitar Playing (TM). (Well, I'm learning...) Feedback of any kind is welcome.

Lyrics:

(Verse 1)
When we were kids
He was my best friend
Through triumphs and screw-ups
No need to pretend

Then he moved away
And we fell out of touch
I think about calling
But not very much

(Pre-chorus)
I'll make plans to phone
With noble intentions
But then I can't locate
That mobile invention

(Chorus)
I've got to find a phone
So I can call him up
And tell him everything is beautiful 
Because that's something I would like to say

(Verse 2)
For all my life
She's been good to me
She's like my mother
Emotionally

As I grew up
We both grew apart
But we're still connected
By mind and by heart

(Pre-chorus)
I rarely make time
To give her a shout
I say I'm too busy
But that's copping out

(Chorus)
I've got to find a phone
So I can call her up
And tell her everything is beautiful 
Because that's something she would like to hear

(Verse 3)
Honesty's great
But not in every case
Sometimes we require
False praise and clichés

'Cuz one simple touch
Can make you feel better
And it doesn't matter
Who's giver or getter

(Chorus)
So someone should find a phone
So they can call me up
And tell me everything is beautiful 
Because that's something I would like hear

Someone should find a phone
So they can call me up
And tell me everything is beautiful 
Despite the fact it's not exactly true


.

Copyright (C) 2013 Robert Lee Dixon

Find a Phone

Distant Cellar

River Boat

Innocence

Her Fault

it wasn’t the heat of the summer air  		(F)
that kept her awake that night  			(F)
but that awful sinking feeling in her heart 	(F)	
and she’d thought long  of this moment,  	(F)	
so pretty, dressed in white	         		(F)	
smiling as she walked,  down the aisle 		(F)

chorus
her love had grown cold				(F)	
she was lost in the dream 				(F)	
of what might have been				(F)		
savouring her,      fault				(F)	

Ten heartless winters stole their  joy	(F)
as she blamed that mistake she made	(F)			
trapped with    three kids     and a dog    (B)
and they asked: “what’s wrong mommy?”(F)
why are you so sad?				(F)		
she was planning her escape		(B)

‘ wasn’t the kids or the dog being gone	(F)		
or the house being empty all day		(F)		
that kept that dead weight in her heart  	(F)
they’d been living together 			(B)
their own separate ways			(B)
too late…..   to run away 			(B) 		


Her Fault 2

You, you dazzle all of them with love
It’s nothing short of pure amazement
You leave them in a cloud of sparkle and haze
They, they just can never get enough

They all feel the smoke & magic
There’s nothing else quite so fantastic
You say “to have and to hold”
It’s filled with glitter and gold
Your love is smoke & magic

In the end, they will always see the light
They learn to see past the illusion
For all the glamour and glitz they choose what’s true
You can’t seem to ever win that fight

They all feel the smoke & magic
And you have them all enchanted
But when they’re free from your hold
They’ll see the glitter and gold
You are just smoke & magic

You, you try to hold on to the lies
Cause it’s too hard without the magic
So much to feel and lose if you don’t have your tricks
You’re nothing without your disguise

All you are is smoke & magic
Is there nothing quite so tragic
Cause there’s your glitter and gold
But there is no one to hold
You are just smoke & magic

You feel the pain of disguise
There’s so much to despise 
But can you give up the lies

All you are is smoke & magic
Is there nothing quite so tragic
Cause there’s your glitter and gold
But there is no one to hold
You are just smoke & magic

Music and Lyrics by Rynn in Wonderland

Smoke & Magic

Inspired by Burt Bacharach and his French Hormn arrangements. Holiday love song.

A Snowflake Fell

Magic Genie 2

LivingForYouWeek6

Radiate -

Just trying to write a song or two!  Please don't hold any sketchy playing or vocals against me :)

A Snowflake Fell

Tom Matthews 4