These songs were all inspired by my beautiful wife, without whom I would likely be in jail or dead.  Putting them together in this little suite has been long overdue.  I hope you enjoy them.

Suite of Love

On May 26th, 2021, Rod Garnett, Gordy Pratt, Kenny Putnam, and Dalyce Sellers performed this "Homegrown Session" near Sundance, WY.  This was only their second gig as a quartet, but these four professionals sound like they have been playing together for decades.  While their individual music credentials are impressive, what they produced that night was certainly greater than the sum of the parts, and their performance radiated jovial energy that enthralled us all.  This track is just a cell phone recording of a garage gig that was cleaned up a little in Audacity, so it doesn't do them justice.  However, the excitement and expertise still shines through, and I hope you have the time to enjoy at least some of it.  Cheers!

Black Hills All Stars, 2021 - 05 - 26, Sundance, WY

I wrote this song for my Great Aunt Eva while I was deployed to New Mexico in 1994.  (Eva was the family matriarch on my father's side.)  While in NM, I got a ride to Hobbs to play it for her in person at the center where she lived her last days.  She died about a year later.
Finally got it recorded live at the Hickory House in July of 2021 with Shel's help!  (See Jonny & Shel page also.)  Peace be with you.

Lyrics:
When we say “Great” Aunt Eva      it means more than “once removed” 
It means “wonderful, compassionate, and kind”.
Our amazing matriarch was a lady through and through, with a strength of heart you very rarely find.

When I was six we went to Wink to pick her up at home, then drove to Arizona for a while.
We visited Aunt ‘Vira in a Winslow nursing home, where Eva lifted up her sister with a smile.
The way back to West Texas was a magic odyssey:  volcanoes, trees of stone, and desert skies.
I never will forget the night Dad took us up to see   the pretty lights of old El Paso from on high.

The trip we took was my first look at Eva’s incandescence. 
I was in awe at how my Pa was humble in her presence.	
Though she was strong I was a boy and felt her gentle reach, 
When she taught me how to tie my shoes like no one else could teach.

The tale I’ve told was just the start of how I knew Aunt Eva, 
And just another leading role she’s played;
For many lives were blessed by her, and all of them shout “viva!”   
To her memory, and her selfless noble ways.

When we say “Great” Aunt Eva, it means more than “once removed” 
It means “wonderful, compassionate, and kind”.
Our amazing matriarch was a lady through and through, with a strength of heart you very rarely find.
Aunt Eva was a rare and wondrous kind.

Unpublished work copyright © 1994,2018 by Jon C. Iverson

GREAT AUNT EVA - -Jonny & Shel

This song was written and recorded in less than a week for a song contest held by a local radio station. It had to be something about working women, and my wife was a great inspiration.  As the only serious entry, it won the contest.  Like most of my postings, it was recorded with poor analog equipment years ago, then converted to digital format and cleaned up with software.

Unpublished work copyright (c) 2016 by Jon Charles Iverson

Dog, Love, War, & Grace

I Know She's a Working Woman

This song was written for my dear friend and brother-in-arms, Mark L.  He was the Navigator on our B-52 crew, and together we went around the world in 60 days.  I wrote this for Mark out of a deep appreciation for his skill, professionalism, and friendship, but most of all out of gratitude for his patience with me during ol' WW Storm.  The song begins with an audio re-creation of a bomb run checklist, which was typically run by the Navigator.  The lyrics tell a bit of Mark's story from an earthy combat aviator's perspective.  They take us through some of the highlights and adventures of his early Air Force career, then get a little cynical thanks to the post-war letdown and the strangely disproportionate media coverage observed by the combat veterans of air, sea, and land.  DISCLAIMER:  THESE LYRICS ARE NOT POLITICALLY CORRECT, AND MAY CAUSE A DISTURBANCE IN YOUR SAFE SPACE IF THE SONG IS HEARD THERE!
Like the rest of my older songs this was roughly recorded on poor analog equipment, then digitized and cleaned up years later.  

Lyrics:  (will be posted)

Unpublished work copyright (c) 2016 by Jon Charles Iverson

Navigator, Navigator

This is another song recorded on redneck analog equipment.  It was much later digitized and cleaned up with software.  Instrumentation includes a Yamaha PSS-380 keyboard/synth along with a Spanish classical guitar and an Ovation steel string.
     My last "war song"...This one was written for my last B-52 Squadron Commander, Ben B (aka Buccaneer).  He and I arrived on station about the same time at Griffiss AFB in upstate New York towards the end of the Cold War.  I was a 2Lt, and he was an O-5 Aircraft Commander, destined for greatness.  He served in various operational leadership positions before and during Desert Storm, then became the B-52 Squadron Commander after the war.  This was a challenging time in the B-52 community as we transitioned from decades of being America's primary Cold War bomber to more of a conventional weapons platform.  However, we still had to maintain our Cold War capabilities and expertise, so it was a tough time to lead a bunch of crew-dogs.  I admired all of my commanders, but I had such great respect for Ben that I felt moved to write this song for him before I moved on from that assignment.

Unpublished work copyright (c) 2016 by Jon Charles Iverson

A Buccaneer He Was

Some might consider this a novelty song, but it was actually based on real events collectively experienced by my co-workers in the late 20th century at the nearest mall when we lived in upstate NY.  (One of my co-workers claimed to have actually witnessed someone firing up a crack pipe in the foyer on one visit!)  It was an experimental song, as I had just obtained this Yamaha PSS-380 and was trying to meld it with acoustic guitar.  Additionally, the song is somewhat influenced by the heavy dose of Elvis Costello I was getting at the time.
     Like my other recordings, this was recorded with caveman equipment, then digitized and cleaned up with software years later.

Unpublished work copyright (c) 2016 by Jon Charles Iverson

The Madness of the Mall

     This song was written after spending about 4 winters in Upstate NY.  It is not a horrible place, but the sun does not shine often there during any season, and it can feel pretty oppressive to someone raised in a sunny place like the American West.  Not only was it often overcast, but those clouds did what they are supposed to do and produced a lot of rain and humidity.  That kind of weather really makes you want to take your beloved to the tropics, and it inspired this song.
     Unlike all the other songs I've posted, this one was recorded in an actual studio.  I could only afford to pay for two takes at the time, so it is just as rough as the other songs I've posted.  Like those, it was digitized years later and cleaned up with software.

Unpublished work copyright (c) 2016 by Jon Charles Iverson

A Little Trip to the Tropics

     This is a rough demo, similar to all my other postings, but it was recorded on slightly better equipment (TASCAM 4-track cassette).
     The inspiration for this song came during a bad illness.  I was so sick, and coughed so vigorously that an abdominal injury was sustained that took years to heal.  As I lay there I was reflecting on how I had likely brought it on myself, and that this was the harvest of badly sown seed (karma, if you prefer).  The transgressions that came to mind suggested something far worse was deserved than that sickness.  That understanding was very convicting, and with it came the realization that my present existence was entirely due to the grace of God.  At that point, the writing began...
     This song could be considered generational, but it could really apply to anyone.  It addresses the pendulum swing of over-reaction that can occur when one "changes his or her ways", and how God's grace continues to be necessary to have hope in the long run.  Ultimately this tune is an attempt to honor God's grace.  

Unpublished work copyright (c) 2016 by Jon Charles Iverson

Only By the Grace of God

This rough demo song is a message about marriage, but is really for any couple in it for the long run.  This the first new song I've put "out there" in decades.  Thanks for listening.  Feedback is most welcome.

Lyrics:
He's a broken man, with a damaged mind.  She's a wounded woman with a broken heart.
They’ve run a battered old truck, for 29 years, down some pretty rough roads yet have not broken apart.

He fails her; she shorts him, and sometimes together all they taste is gall.
Along the way they find their fears on the plate, but their bitter love tastes better, than no love at all
Because they’ve tried to understand each other’s damage, and realized that neither one is whole…
They share a broken love.  	     They share a broken love.

Sometimes the ride is sweet, and the road is smooth, there ain’t no rain and they roll with the wind.
Sometimes the truck breaks down, the weather--turns around,
And blows them off the road until their love starts to bend,

They get out and look around them in the rain; grit their teeth and feel the other is to blame…
They share a broken love.  	           They share a broken love.

You know, ain’t nothin’ in this world that’s really perfect.  Ain’t nothin’ in this world that’s fully true.
He says “All I’ve really got is us together.”  She says “All I fully feel is love with you.”
They share a broken love.  	           They share a broken love.

When the weather’s gone, they start, up the truck, get the dogs in the cab, and look-over the load.
He pulls back out on the way, she pours a,  cup of joe,
And their battered old truck keeps rolling right down the road.
They share a broken love.  	           They share a broken love.

Unpublished work copyright (c) 2017 by Jon C. Iverson

     I believe couples are meant to be together for life, but we are all broken individuals and none of us is perfect.  The brokenness of human nature often destroys unions, so it ain't easy to keep on truckin' for the long haul without serious maintenance, service to one another, and perseverance, and sometimes even that isn't enough.  It is a tough old road...

Broken Love

This is a rough recording of version 3.0 of a song I wrote many moons ago.  Revisions are based on professional criticism received at the Deadwood songwriters festival (apparently the original lyrics weren't very nice) Only a couple of lines were re-written for this recording(new & improved lyrics below). Thanks for listening!


I’ve been around the world and I’ve seen a lot of places, 
Observed a lot of people and perused a lot of faces.
There are happy looks and sad looks with their opposites inside,
And here and there I’ve seen looks that are clearly bona fide,
So, not that I was looking, though I couldn’t help but see, 
And I’ve gotta tell you, Shelley, you’re the only one for me.

I watch you in the morning, and I watch you in the night. 
I watch you when we’re laughing, and I watch you when we fight.
In public or in private it cannot escape my view
That no one has the precious kind of beauty that you do, 
So, not that I am looking though I just can’t help but see,
And I’ve gotta tell you, Shelley, you’re the only one for me.

There’s a lot more to our union than the way you’ve got me shook;
More than all the little thoughtful things, you read about in books.
There’s a fire from deep within that surges when I see your face
Not just a thrill of passion’s liquor, but a taste of heaven’s grace.

Oh you don’t think you’re pretty but the mirror lies to you.
We never see ourselves the way that others do. 
From nagging fears in our subconscious to the inversion of the glass,
Truthful image is distorted like your always smoking grass,
So at you I’ve been looking, though I still can’t help but see,
And I’ve gotta tell you, Shelley, you’re the only one for me.
Yeah, not that I’ll be looking, and I’ll never help but see
So I’ll always tell you, Shelley, “You’re the only one for me!”

Unpublished work copyright (c) 2018 by Jon C. Iverson

I've Gotta Tell You, Shelley!

This track is the first song from A Journey to Hope, an Easter Cantata by Joseph M. Martin, and is a beautifully arranged blend of two early American songs, "Come, Ye Sinners, Poor & Needy" and "Wade in the Water".  "Come, Ye Sinners", goes back to 1759.  The lyrics were by Joseph Hart, and the melody is only known as "early American".  It was first published in The Southern Harmony in 1835.  This number was tremendous fun to sing!
This recording was sung by about 70 volunteers and performed at Grace Lutheran Church in Sturgis.  Not sure the recording captures it, but the church’s acoustics are fantastic! I was lucky enough to sing the little 8-measure solo at the beginning when my wife, my son, and I participated in 2016. I've been doing “Come, Ye Sinners” live in church for years with just an acoustic guitar, and now my wife and I perform it as a duet (just did it for Ash Wednesday service a few weeks ago). 
Lyrics:

Come, ye sinners, poor and needy, weak and wounded, sick and sore.
God is calling.  Will you listen?  Will you come and be restored?

Wade in the water.  Wade in the water children
Wade in the water.  God is gonna trouble the water.
Wade in the water.  Wade in the water children
Wade in the water.  God is gonna trouble the water.

Come ye weary, heavy-laden.  (God is gonna trouble the water.)
God’s free bounty glorify.  (God is gonna trouble the water.)
True belief and true repentance.  (God is gonna trouble the water.)
Every grace that brings you nigh.  (God is gonna trouble the water!)

Wade in the water.  Wade in the water children
Wade in the water.  God is gonna trouble, God is gonna trouble,
God is gonna trouble, the water!

Come, ye weary, heavy-laden, lost and ruined by the fall.
If you tarry ‘til your better, you may never come at all.
Let not conscience make you linger, nor of fitness fondly dream.
All the fitness He requireth, is to feel your need of Him.

God is gonna trouble, God is gonna trouble,
God is gonna trouble, the water! 
God is gonna trouble, the water.  Come-------.

A Journey to Hope

The Call to Faith(Live)

10/16/2018 Update:  In case you're wondering about this song's title, I recently played it for an A&R guy from Warner Music Group and a Nashville publishing company VP, and they suggested the name be changed to "Sylvia Grace", so I took their advice.  "Graceful Waves" it is no more.

I began writing this song for my daughter 20 years ago while on a beach in Florida.  Some children were playing in the surf nearby and it made me think of how much she would enjoy doing that.  I finally dusted off the lyrics to finish them, added chords, and recorded this super rough demo.  Will re-record it when time allows.  
Lyrics:
I looked out on the ocean and an aching filled my heart, 
The topaz water sparkled like a million mirror parts.
The Gulf Coast sun was shining on the padded powder sand.
A fresh sea breeze was cooling off the creatures of the land.

My mind turned to your mother--how she would love that place. 
A stroll along that shore would take the sadness from her face.
But standing on the sand it wasn’t Momma that I missed,
Seeing children splashing laughing by the crystal water-kissed.

Sylvia Grace, I saw your beautiful sweet face.
Shine in the sun, in the waves and on the run.   
Chasing the tide; squishing sand between your toes,   
Oh Gracie D, you are our precious lovely rose!

But the years have flown by…

And now you’ve got your "big-girl" job in Denver,                
Engineering structures of great reach;
Selling steel and climbing the fourteeners.
I wonder.  Will we ever walk that beach…..together, but in that moment…

It wasn’t hard to picture you, there playing in the sand,
Splashing in the shallows,    with a sea-shell in your hand, 
Watching surf roll in and out, enjoying the illusion,
Of “moving” while you’re standing still in undertow’s confusion

Oh Grace!  I saw your beautiful sweet face.
Shine in the sun, in the waves and on the run.   
Chasing the tide; squishing sand between your toes,   
Sylvia Grace, you are our precious lovely rose!

Unpublished work copyright (c) 2018 by Jon C. Iverson

Sylvia Grace

I love to write, sing, and play music.  Pretty much all acoustic.  Would love to write, play, and record a lot more, but I still have a day job that eats up lots of brain bytes.  I'm also part of an acoustic duo named Jonny & Shel that plays here and there in the northern Black Hills (see additional link below).  Thanks for listening.

Jonny Hummingbird

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