when i was a little girl, i'd climb as high as i could go
up there, up above the world, i'd sing my little girl woes
my voice gave me wings, to lift me out of my little sufferings

'cause the heart of a little girl is such a delicate thing
as she learns how to care for and how to carry everything

as i grew taller, i climbed less and less high
my voice grew gradually smaller, as life taught me how to hide
the sound of my pain inside...this little bird forgot how to fly

'cause the heart of a little bird is such a delicate thing
as she carries the weight of the world on tiny, fragile wings

so take care of the little girls....take care
take care of the little birds....take care

for we all need to hear their heartfelt lullabies
to help draw the tears hiding in our eyes

Lullabies

A lullaby for waking:

I am like a hummingbird, trying to stay still in a world that's gone mad
As the cyclone swirls around me, the wind is slowly breaking me down
The force of it is frightening, but I'm so tired of fighting...
...so I'm gonna let it take me...

It's not so easy to surrender when you've spent your life bein' so strong
But holding on now won't keep me safer as the storm rages on
Letting go is frightening, but I'm so tired of fighting...
...so I'm gonna let it take me...

Now everything is upside down and my heart feels inside out
My soul keeps spinnin' 'round, tryin' to find solid ground
...there's none to be found...

Spin me 'round...spin me 'round again...
Spin me 'round...spin me 'round and then...
...all falls silent...

As I open my eyes, I see that everything we've known is changing
But I do believe we'll be alright...
It's just the universe, rearranging

What once was earth, now is sky...
Where we did walk, we now must fly...

Fly, fly...we will be alright, little hummingbird.

'Hummingbird'

I wrote this in early 2011 and haven't heard it in several years. I, sadly, don't even remember how to play it, but – the sweetness of the sentiment still rings true for me – an ode to that unknown someone who has graced my dreams for years – that playful belief that I'll someday meet that oddly familiar person and recognize them as one and the same.

This recording is about as rough as they get, created just days after I wrote it. I forgive myself the stumbling guitar picking and occasionally tentative voice. I hope you do, too. ;)

Gypsy Heart

The Best Part

well...here goes nothin'. see...i've got all these super rough, one-take recordings of my wee songlettes. they only existed to share with DSB (producer/best friend/human extraordinaire) and i never really intended for them to be heard by anyone else. BUT...a year later, i've rediscovered them and...i dunno...there is something kinda charming about their unpolished rawness. missed notes...clearing of the throat...imperfect. they are sweetly naked. just.....me & my guitar. *so...this....is my little test. if ya like this one...then perhaps i'll post another. :) enjoy!

bandit

feeling rather helpless as i watched from afar, i wrote this one shortly after the earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Japan.

the air you breathe in

this one is quite near and dear to my heart....a personal anthem, if you will. i spent several hours yesterday adding some harmonies to the original, rough recording (my first time trying such a thing) and i am immediately in love with the process. :)

i'm dedicating this one to my dear friend Anne-Marie, her gentle father, Pierre...and, mostly, to her beautiful, heartfelt mother, Therese, whom i suspect may need to hear this now. i love you...

home tonight

i wrote this in Nepal after spending 15 days trekking through the Annapurna range of the Himalayas. it was one of the most difficult yet rewarding experiences of my life as i traveled 115 kilometers on foot, carrying my own pack with tiny guitar strapped to it and camera at the ready. as i was trekking with two guys who towered over me, taking 3 steps for each of their single strides, i spent most of those hours alone and my trek became a beautiful, walking meditation of sorts. *powerful*

a little faith

This track was created by my dear friend ill-esha and I in late 2014 – the second song we've written together – a collaboration we fondly refer to as 'Sparrow.'

All production is expertly done by ill-esha, while I primarily write the lyrics and melody, with input from her as well. Vocals are performed by both of us, in harmony.

Lyrically, this song was written from the perspective of Earth itself – imagining what the planet might say to the corporations that greedily consume and manipulate in the interest of boosting their profits – at the great expense of bees and countless other species – threatening the integrity of our global ecosystem. 

_________________________________

I stumble, I fall – I fall to my knees
my blood runs black, I feel my disease
bitter fruit grows like invasive weeds
no way to un-plant their poisonous seeds

you might break my heart
but you can't take my soul

this silent spring is so deafening
your hollow words do not comfort me
they sour my taste for your company
won't let you pollute the air that I breathe

you might break my heart
but you can't take my soul

these amber waves of grain will never be the same
these amber waves of grain will never be the same

this is an emergency, an emergency
this is an emergency, an emergency

Amber Waves

annnd once again, i've added some harmonies to a one-take rough i recorded last summer, so...please forgive the imperfections! *i wrote this in vancouver, bc, shortly after my return from india. i have this bad habit of writing heartfelt sentiments into lengthy emails and, occasionally, rather than saving them safely in a draft folder...i hit that ominous 'send' button. this was inspired by one such, haphazard release of words. i felt a momentary regret...until this song arrived... <3

heartquakes

the silence at 5,416 meters (that's 17,769 feet!) is otherworldly...i miss it...
*my voice is a bit raspier than usual on this one...recorded about a year ago. perhaps i should've done another take...but...i can't be bothered. ;)

zipporah

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