Well that was certainly different! Some definite attitude and cool lines...

These are the songs I made in 2019. I expect to make a lot more songs later on. They will be added to this playlist untill there are 12 songs. Then it's time to create part 2.
Enjoy listening

Birch 2019, part 1

A soundscape evoking anxiousness and uncertain territories while being able to find the confidence to embrace the journey.

Shimkari

Janice Merritt: vocals, percussion and arrangement
Peter Fulham: guitar rhythm, fills and solos
Bud Merritt: lyrics, arrangement, mix/mastering & photo
AI: None

NO TURNAROUND 
Intro 

Verse 1

I always wanted to be your safe full of treasures 

But you never tried to learn my combination

The numbers on that dial were oh so simple 

Why didn’t  you find trying it a sweet temptation?

	Chorus

	So I’m gonna travel a single lane for a while

	Leaving’s all that matters not where I’m bound

	Don’t wanna roundabout just need a straight line 

	No side roads and damn sure no turnaround

Verse 2

The credits are rolling ‘n there’s no backing up

My Mama told me hearts are made to be broken

They’re  all going to leave you sooner or later

Maybe that’s why you left so many words unspoken 

	Repeat Chorus

Solo

Bridge 

You used to tell me what you wanted to be

But wanting to be and being ain’t the same for me

	Repeat Chorus

Outro

No Turnaround

We walked tonight to the Guggenheim Museum
Her hair was blowing like it found its freedom
The city shimmered a restless backdrop
We talked of dreams we had and dreams we’d lost

She touched the glass where the paintings hung
Said, “Look how they capture the light, so young”
I saw a reflection that I couldn’t hold
A moment gone as the wind turned cold

Caught in the glow of a fleeting view
City lights blurred like dreams we outgrew
We’re drifting through moments we can’t reclaim
Like strangers with stories no need for names

Through the spiral halls we drifted slow
Each step we took felt like letting go
She whispered stories I’d never known
Of places she'd seen and the nights alone

Outside the doors the world was wide
Yellow cabs and the Hudson tide
She laughed like a child at the rush of it all
I watched her dance through the city's sprawl

She talked of staying of leaving too
The streets below us were painted blue
With echoes of footsteps and songs unsung
In that fleeting light we were both still young

Caught in the glow of a fleeting view
City lights blurred like dreams we outgrew
We’re drifting through moments we can’t reclaim
Like strangers with stories no need for names

1071 5th Avenue

Single Use & Recycled: songwriter, guitar
https://on.soundcloud.com/Wl2PybU0HXA8AxrTyl
Rob: bass, lyrics/vocals

I’ve got wind in my hair
Smile on my face
Needle point to ninety five
No one anywhere around

Back pinned to my seat 
She’s revving high
Pulling away clean and green
Front end up high

This jalopy has only one speed
It’s full throttle ahead
From stoplight to stoplight

Who want to take a ride
Take your life
Put it in my hands
Take a thrill ride

Check the oil, check the tires
Every night
Put a fresh shine on the paint job
Man, she looks so tight

I’ve got no reason to stop
No one gonna stop me
Needle up to hundred five
Red and blue lights all around

Hands pinned to my back
Feet spread wide
Got a fresh shiner on my eye
I know better


Take A Thrill Ride

😈🎹👱🏼‍♀️💔👩🏼‍🦳⁂©All Rights Reserved 11-2025
©Lyricist, Mixer, Mastering, Creator, & Pro License
***

TITLE: THE CURSE OF TIME
_________________________________________________________________
LYRICS:
(Narrative spoken opening)
This is a story of a jealous classical woman who had such a cruel ego, though she pretended to be nice.
She made sure that she had culled another woman with her lies into oblivion.
(Verse 1)
She walks in heels like she's floating on air
Throws her words like daggers
Doesn't care
She laughs too loud
Her lipstick's a scream
She’s the queen of the cruel
Or so it would seem

(Chorus)
Oh the curse of time
It always comes back
Turns the mirror cruel
The frame turns black
She thought she was golden
Forever divine
But no one escapes the curse of time

(Verse 2)
She called her names
Tore her dress apart
Left her standing in shadows
Broke her heart
But karma’s a painter with a heavy hand
Wrinkles and whispers
She'll understand

(Prechorus)
She can't see it yet
No she can’t see it now
But the years carve truth on every brow

(Chorus)
Oh the curse of time
It always comes back
Turns the mirror cruel
The frame turns black
She thought she was golden
Forever divine
But no one escapes the curse of time

(Bridge)
The clock ticks louder
It’s not so kind
Youth’s a fleeting stranger
Hard to find
Her beauty’s a ghost
Her laugh's a crack
She can’t outrun what’s staring back

(Outro)
Someday the curse will roll back on you & your minions too.

You'll Get Yours

The Curse Of Time

Hello again dear friends and Listeners,

For the occasion of the birth of my first Great-Grandson Hendrix... I give you the Re-Master of one of my personal favorite Piano and String improvs.

Liner notes will follow.
But In the meantime... simply Let Go and Let the Music take you where it will. Hopefully through the Beauty of Love and into the Heart and Soul of Creation.

(c) Gary Courtland-Miles
 p-line   Gary Courtland-Miles 2021, 2025

Photo (c) Martín Alfonso Sierra Ospino on Pixabay

Love Is Forever *

Idris is a genetically modified human, engineered to navigate spaceships through "sub-space" - allowing ships to traverse enormous distances. As such, he's a tremendously valuable asset and vulnerable to kidnapping. There are other costs: the process of navigation means being aware of the presence of terrifying entities that seem to wallow in sub-space... Another track inspired by Adrian Tchaikovsky's "Shards of Earth" novel.

The dusky sounding guitar is my Gibson 335 - I love the warm but crisp bite of those humbuckers!

Idris

Words and music written by Bartley Charles Mastin
Performance and production by Bartley Charles Mastin - All instruments and vocals.
Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved

Tuning: Standard
Instruments: Acoustic guitar, Slide Guitar(Open D), Bass guitar, Harmonica, Round shakers, Cabasa, Tambourine, Metal drum, Conga drum, Drum set.

Lyrics:
You don’t wanna go
To Memphis
Too many thieves
Too many fences

Anything you wanna do
As long as I’m with you
Let’s talk it out 
Let’s work it out

Don’t wanna ride
You prefer walkin’
Say you can’t sleep
You feel like talking

Anything you wanna do
As long as I’m with you
Let’s talk it out 
Let’s work it out

Leave them behind
Best left forgotten
Baby blue sky
Clouds look like cotton

Anything you wanna do
As long as I’m with you
Let’s talk it out 
Let’s work it out
Let’s dream about

Anything

another wee cover while i work on some original stuff - thanks to https://soundcloud.com/beau-fiasco for the bass!🤘🏻
GUitars drums vocals - lil old me 

 You keep sayin' you've got somethin' for me
Somethin' you call love but confess
You've been a'messin' where you shouldn't 've been a'messin'
And now someone else is getting all your best
These boots are made for walkin'
And that's just what they'll do
One of these days these boots are gonna walk all over you

You keep lyin' when you oughta be truthin'
And you keep losing when you oughta not bet
You keep samin' when you oughta be a'changin'
Now what's right is right but you ain't been right yet
These boots are made for walkin'
And that's just what they'll do
One of these days these boots are gonna walk all over you
You keep playin' where you shouldn't be playin'
And you keep thinkin' that you'll never get burnt (ha)
I just found me a brand new box of matches, yeah
And what he knows you ain't had time to learn
These boots are made for walkin'
And that's just what they'll do
One of these days these boots are gonna walk all over you
are u ready boots ? start walking 

my boots are made for walking 
boots are made for walkin
bbb boots are made for walkin
gonna walk all over you 
my boots are made walkin
boots are made for walkin
bbb boots are made for walkin
gonna walk all over you 

gonna walk all over u 
til your soul is black and blue 
and theres nothing you can do 
gonna stomp all over u

boots are made for walkin (cover)

Surfers like Us ….. composition, all guitar parts, arrangement, mix and cover photo 

Hey Everyone!
This is a continuation of my song „First Snow” ❄️ 
I hope you enjoy the live jam vibe I was trying to achieve here! 😎🎸
Many thanks for listening and support!

With a very special dedication to my dear Monika ❤️✨
Artur

Winter Ride

A fun story about a fat guy, blaming fastfood to did this all

Fat Guy

A song with a melancholic waltz-tempo. The story is a bit sad. 
The theme: 'So close, but still too far away'. 
The cellos underline these feelings.
It's tempting to listen to this sensitive song while drifting into your own memories...

The update from january 2021 contains some minor changings of the lyrics an a lot of improvements on the sound of the song.

The lyrics:
Maybe
(c) HWBerkhout 20219 / 2021 (update)

We were children and we played around the hills of our town
We were happy, we laughed and had fun
We grew up and we played up the hills all our time
There I met you, but I acted so late

You were always so close
But a lifetime away
We are living along
But also alone

But I hoped
Maybe...
Love comes
Maybe...

=solo 1=

We watched children while they played around the hills of our town
They looked happy, they laughed and had fun
You were in my room, you smiled so sweet, love stirred up in me
But I thought do I really know you?

You were always so close
But a lifetime away
We are living along
But also alone

=solo 2=

You were always so close
But a lifetime away
We are living along
But also alone

Then I knew
Maybe...
Love left
Maybe...

=solo 3=

You want to live your life 
And I took mine as it went
But I still see the hills 
of our town, 

You were always so close
But a lifetime away
We are living along
But also alone

We were always so close
But a lifetime away
We lived along
But always alone

Maybe...

Song about my son and me in our relation during the years
The song has a somewhat predominant way of playing of the 5 strings fiddle. But that makes it intriguing.

Dreams

The title is no mistake; it's about how the world turns.
An easy listening song with a nice solo in it with a nylon string guitar.

Mary - Go - Round

'We Are the Dutch' is a song with a big wink. So, nothing too serious, just fun! 
The song is mainly English, but has some Dutch language in it as well. 
I think Duch people will like that too.

It is a Rocksong with some Metall influences.
I now made an update from the original song (2019, april). I changed some instruments and improved the sound quality.
I also made some (small) changements in  the lyrics. 

The lyrics:
We Are The Dutch
(c) HWBerkhout, april 2019 / 16-12-2020/ may 2021

From out of nowhere we came and stayed
We had the best boats that were ever made
We created windmills that grind so swell
And wooden shoes that fit all well

Chorus 1
Come meet the Dutch
You'll love us
God made the world
We did our own

Ch 2
Our place is small
Still we need no wall
We love to trade
but we call it aid

Ch 3
We are the Dutch
So, don't fuck with us
If you call us blunt
We're also tall and blond

In Dutch:
Nederland ligt onder water
Maar we kunnen allemaal goed zwemmen
Want dat hebben we nodig voor later
(The Netherlands are below sealevel, 
but we can swim very well. Because of the future...)

We invented the microscope,
Discovered much land.
South Africa, Indonesia and even New York were in our hands
We have the dykes to keep dry feet
We make nice paintings when we feel that need

And now we have HipHop and XTC
We dance this beat while smoke Dutch weed
We blow our minds to stay at ease
And let's not forget, we have our cheese

Bridge
We don't wanna spend much money on NATO
At Easter we give flowers to the Pope, all we got
And we travel a lot!

Chorus 1
Come meet the Dutch
You'll love us
God made the world
We did our own

In Dutch:
We hebben mooie steden, die zijn echt 'in'
Ook hebben we een koning en Argentijnse koningin
Ooit was onze koning Napoleons broer
Maar nu is het weer een 'echte' Hollandse 'boer'
(We have nice cities, they are really popular. We also have a king and Argentinian queen. Once our king was Napoleons' brother. Now it's a 'real' Dutch 'farmer' again).

Solo

Chorus 1 
Come meet the Dutch
You'll love us
God made the world
We did our own

Chorus 4:
Come meet the Dutch
You'll love us 
We love to trade
but we call it aid 

Yes, we are the Dutch
So, don't fuck with us
Come meet the Dutch
You'll love us

Yes, we are the Dutch
...
We are the Dutch
...
but we talk too much...

We Are the Dutch

I compose songs, write lyrics and sing most of them. I don't have  'one'  style. It depends on my mood or on certain issues that are going on in our world. AND some listeners can even tell which songs are genuine 'Birchwood-songs' (!)

We Are the Dutch

Birchwood

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