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

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Unpublished work copyright (c) 2016 by Jon Charles Iverson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 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Unpublished work copyright (c) 2016 by Jon Charles Iverson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 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!

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.

Suite of Love

Jonny Hummingbird