Hey Man

Mastered by A7 Recording Studio

Photo: Gord E.

Lyrics:

Heard you couldn’t spend another day livin’ in the city,
Heard you changed your mind about the best way to be,
Heard the dream that you had as a teen only dragged you down,
The door to your soul had you lookin’ for another key.
 
Now the open road is your way out of the city,
Findin’ your highs through the changes in the scenery,
Feel your spirits lift through the continental drift,
Happiness an arbitrary trajectory.
 
Another place to be, another life to lead,
Destination changin’ by the day,
Another world to see, another destiny,
Destination certain to renew along the way.
 
Turn the page, you’re livin’ on a mountain high above a city,
Something changed your mind about the best way to be,
Life on the road had become a load that just dragged you down
The door to your soul wanted opening without a key.
 
Another place to be, another life to lead,
Destination changin’ every day,
Another world to see, another destiny,
Destination certain to renew along the way.
 
Fear, you’re facing that today. Near, the ones that show the way.
Clear, the light you’re following through the gray.
Dear, the road you’re travellin’. Here, the answers will begin.
Destination changin’ to the mystery within.
 
Another place to be, another life to lead,
Destination changin’ by the day,
Another world to see, another destiny,
Destination certain to renew along the way.

Destinations

Remixed and Remastered February 2 2025.  
=====================================
Exploring the magic of nothing to do.

It started out as a chord progression.  Walking down a street in Alice Springs I found the first line. Little by little it became this song.

Verse 1:
I’ve got a little bit of time on my hands
Quite unexpected not a part of my plans
But just the same I’ve got nothing to do today

It’s the kind of nothing that can fill all the space
That’s always been here surrounding this place
So full of busy that is constantly in my way

Chorus 1:
I could have started on a project or two
There were a million things that I could do
Instead I stumbled into something new... appreciation

Verse 2:
Look at the sky and there sits the moon
And wonder how it found its way back so soon
It's like its hardly even been away

I always knew there were stars in the sky
Tiny holes in the curtain- they're hard to deny
I didn't notice - there was always something in the way

Chorus 2:
How could I have missed it, it was everywhere
I didn't see didn't let myself care
But something stopped me - i discovered something rare ... appreciation

Bridge:
In these quiet moments i wonder what's true
Exploring the magic of nothing to do
It seems to me when I let myself be
I might dicover something new .. appreciation

Verse 3:
I can't explain how my life got this way
Why do i fill every moment every day
Life so very full there’s not enough room for me
When i finally saw the value of slow
The value of finally having nowhere to go
I got a glimpse of parts of life i could never see

Chorus 3:
Dont get me wrong i like the life that i've got
But it wouldn't hurt in fact it might help a lot
If Once in a while i opened my eye to see .. appreciation

Outro:
I’ve got a little bit of time on my hands
Quite unexpected not a part of my plans
But just the same I’ve got nothing to do
Oh... I got nothing to do

Appreciation

ROAD

Imagine a cool summer evening in San Francisco 1964.  All your Hippies have gathered for an apartment party.  The mood is easy.  The times are crazy.  Your buzz is peaking and in  walks Delilah Lilac.  She immediately casts a spell of love over the room.  The room is lifting off into space and it is propelled by her amazing positive spirit.  She has nothing but endless love for everyong and is always the focal point of attention.  All negativity is gone and life is magical again.

Delilah Lillac

Farewell (Demo)

Accept Me As I Am

Started the year off right in the virtual studio with my bandmates and #blabbuds from @bandlab.  Had a blast as per usual.  The idea, guitars and poetry come from @soundmindproject, the bass added by @dr_snave and our 2nd track with new drummer Dave @drummer1979. I added the melody and lead guitars.  It came together like it was meant to be.  Check it out and ENJOY!!!!

Breathe.... Dr.Sound....

call me
call me he said
but the silence says
romance is dead

i loved you
you idiot she said
how many years did it take 
to get that into your head?

all the good days
and the bad
all the moments
that we wished we'd neverr had

sometimes, he said,
i'm so happy i could cry
but most of the time
i'm wondering why

we're falling
falling through our time
and remembering 
is how we hold the line

all the good days
and the bad
all the moments
that we wished we'd never had

all the triumphs 
and the hurt
all the ups and downs
what was it worth?

The Triumphs and the Hurt

Simple chord progression done with rnb 101 guitar playing. Begins with harmonica bend. Vocal delivery mostly on the beat making it more suitable for folk.  A dorian for the ‘going on slowly’ prechorus. The chorus goes from G to D/F# cos’ I wanted a nice bass movement and it also gives it a borrowed chord. I get to play with loud soft dynamics within the chorus and being true to the subject matter ‘pls take what little I have to offer’ is given a minimalist treatment with only vox and guitar. So you have the fierceness of ‘at all’ which is done in almost the same style as ‘give it all’ by Rise Against. The sitar ( only fake instrument) plays a Khamaj raga which is Mixlodyian mode. Know it fucks with the groove but I had to be true to subject matter. Also handpan which is a Christmas gift. Chord progression goes to G which is the key of the bridge. Some superimposition on piano for bridge. G7 which leads to back to Am for deceptive cadence. Ended making the beginning each phrase on the half of each bar. Piano is playing D throughout. Also played with A and C but they didn’t sound as nice. Not since Hurt by Johnny Cash has a single note been milked so hard. Almost EDM drops in the song so I could have turned it into folktronica. Adlibs for the final chorus were done in one take so the length of the final ‘peace’ is random. Can hold a note for longer than that but it's improvised. 

Lyrically, it is a love song/tribute to my fave novel Shantaram. When asked, about my fave song or fave movie I have a list. But fave novel-there’s only one that has brought me inner peace. I was given it by Indian bassist in uni during my first exp as frontman. It manages to be both a page turner and also has a constant mood of inner peace. Great lines as well as great romance between author and Karla. Still a much better love story than Twilight. In that respect the song isn’t too faithful cos it’ mood isn’t ‘constant inner peace.’ There are ‘explosions’ in song. The Indians called the protagonist Shantaram-which means ‘a man of gods peace.’ Not religious but have respect for religion.


I ain’t got no time
I ain’t got nowhere to go (improvised. Dunno what it means)
Ani auni vevyone. Hashem yashav li (first line is a slight melodic variation of refuge by matisyahu. Live at Stubbs. It’s taken from the Psalm of David and is in Hebrew/Yiddish. Second line is directly taken. I’m told he pronounces it too strongly but it helps with the singing that way.)
You lay my refuge down like Atlantis to the sea ( giving props to Matisyahu and also Donovan.)
Going slowly Going on slowly Going on slowly ey.


Chorus
I am mistaken for your love 
Oh rest assured I mean you no harm at all (some contradiction here. Go with the second line).
Please take what little I have to offer
No it ain’t’ much 
But it’s all I got you see
To be a man of God’s peace (Shantaram)
 a man of Gods peace (you know how the comments section for ‘Starboy’ is 来个鸡蛋。Lai ge ji dan. which means give me an egg. It's what Chinese people think look what you've done sounds like. Couldn’t unheard it for a while. For this, it’s 妈的尬屁。Which means ‘your mother’s awkward fart.’ 

Verse 2:
Defined by what we can endure
Not by what we can inflict  (A line from the novel. Paraphrased)
I chase the sunset down
With the colors of my wit (a lot of drinking goes on in the novel. Also a lot of colors)
Going on slowlyy going on slowly

Bridge:

I am the mountains that tear through the wind. (Taken from folk song 1 that I wrote. Was the chorus of that song but I didn’t like how it ended so now it’s a bridge. It is similar to, “when they tell you you’re not enough you tell them you are more than enough”- queen of wakanda. ) Also pretty badass vibes which fits the author of Shantaram.
I am the pain that shatters the glass
I am vicious when I am cut, I am delicious and a nut (the improvised lyrics were better than the ones that I focused on writing for the 1st song so I kept these)


Shantaram

originals

Thinkin yesterday-solo project new remix

Shoegaze, indie, post rock and electronica from Manchester, UK
tomleonard_uk@protonmail.com

The Triumphs and the Hurt

Tom Leonard

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