THE SONGS:

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imp/THE FLYING DUTCHMAN:

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Before me the ocean, behind me the breeze, the North Star to show me the way

I'm coming home; I'm coming home.

Inside me a fire, beside me the moon, the four winds are blowing today

I'm coming home, I'm coming home.

From the Cape of Good Hope to the shores of Djakarta I ride on the crest of a wave

I'm coming home, I'm coming home.

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So don't cry for the Dutchman now don't shed a tear

I'm someplace that I'd rather be

'Cause here on the ocean's the one place on Earth I feel free

My home is the sea.

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This yearning that guides me, these voices I hear; I sail on towards break of day

I'm coming home; I'm coming home

A thirst for adventure, a quest for the truth; it's here on this ship I will stay

I'm coming home; I'm coming home.

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So don't cry for the Dutchman now don't shed a tear

I'm someplace that I'd rather be

'Cause here on the ocean's the one place on Earth I feel free

And sooner or later we all hear the call, and destiny guides us along

As I face the horizon I understand where I belong.

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Seven years have passed since I ventured ashore

          (As I sail seven seas)

Nothing more is left of a land long ago

         (Through the eye of the storm)

Nothing else is left of the place that I once called my home

         (Just to find what was once mine is gone)

As it was it is and it always shall be

         (One thought haunts me through eternity)

Not for kiss of angel or maiden I stay

         (Who is more cursed than they?)

Nor a devil's curse shall entice me or beg me remain

         (Onward I go as I face Judgment Day)

I'm coming home; I've seen enough....

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I combined two tellings of the Flying Dutchman legend. He's still cursed to sail the ocean for eternity thanks to a pact he made with the devil. But once every seven years he's allowed to set foot on land. If he finds true love on that day the curse is removed. Of course he doesn't find love. What he does find is a world where everything has changed and not for the better. He finds he'd rather be on the ocean where it all makes sense. To him we're the ones that are cursed.

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I wrote this song in 2005. It was inspired by "Southern Cross" by Crosby, Stills, and Nash.

The Dutchman is preceded by a little instrumental piece I had written for an unused song.

 

Instruments played:  6 string acoustic guitar (imp); 12 string electric guitars; electric sitar; bass guitar; slide guitar; drums; piano; keyboards; harmonica; tambourine; lead and background vocals.

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STRANGE WEATHER:

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I am lost and adrift on the ocean

I'm sailing this ocean with no sign of land

I'm alone and there's no one to guide me

The captain is gone he's lost his command

Storm is raging, it's swirling around me

I'm hoping I wake to find it's a dream

Dark as night and I'm taking in water

My fear is that things are worse than they seem

 

How it got to be this way I wonder; How I got here I don't really know

 

I recall there was talk of a mutiny

The captain was tied and thrown overboard

The two sides at odds with each other

Their cutlasses drawn and blood on the floor

Until daylight the fighting continued

And when it was over nobody had won

All that's left is this one lonely sailor

Who's one wish is only to sail towards the sun

 

How it got to be this way I wonder; How I got here I don't really know

 

Maybe someday things will turn out better

I can only hope that change is on it's way

Until then I'll steer this ship the best way that I can

And hope tomorrow brings a better day.

 

Kind of a political song without taking sides. This is the last song I wrote for this CD. I had the melody and chorus for years but it wasn't until 2018 that I was able to put it all together. 

I tried to give it a "Revolver"/ "Sgt. Pepper" era Beatles sound.

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Instruments played: 6 string acoustic guitars; bass guitar; 6 string electric guitars; lead guitars; drums; piano; keyboards; organ; tambourine; shakers; thunder tube; lead and background vocals.

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SOMEONE TO HOLD:

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She grew up in Texas, the youngest of four;

Three older sisters who moved out before she was nine

Her father would drift in and out of her life

She had very few friends and her mother would drink all the time

She'd spend her days watching tv and reading

'bout knights saving maidens and heroes who rescued the girl

And now that she's older she still has those dreams

She knows what she wants more than anything else in this world

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She wants someone to hold her

Someone to be there and love her the rest of her life

She wants someone to talk to

Laugh with her, cry with her, tell her that things are alright

And someday to be someone's wife

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She wakes in the morning and lays in her bed

She's ready to take on the world come ever what may

Hoping that maybe today is the day

She'll meet the man who will someday take her away

She knows that he's out there, she hasn't lost hope

If not in this sleepy old town then she'll look somewhere new

For that prince that will give her the love she deserves

The one that she's waited her whole life to give herself to.

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Sometimes songs turn out differently than envisioned. Another song written in 2018 (and one of the last songs to make the cut), it was intended to be a waltz in the style of The Eagles' "Saturday Night" but once I added the mandolin solo it sounded like a song you'd hear being played on a gondola in Venice.

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Instruments played: ukulele; 6 string acoustic guitars; bass guitar; brushes; mandolin; cabasa; tambourine; lead and background vocals.

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BLINK:

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Hello old friend, how have you been? It's been a while since I last saw you

You're looking good, you've aged well, looks like the years were good to you

Heard about Dan, such a shame, can't recall when we last spoke

Makes me sad, takes me back to a place so long ago

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When we were young; Invincible, the world was at our feet

We were strong, we had it all, there was no way we'd ever lose

I can't believe we've come this far; Just look around it makes you think

How did this happen when all I did was blink?

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And here we are looking back, thirty years have come and gone

A little frayed, a little grayer, a little tired of it all

Is that your son? I've got a daughter

She's the one thing kept me sane these last few years

Are you like me and do you long for a simpler place and time?

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Written in 2011 it was inspired by a chance meeting with an old childhood friend from Bayside that I hadn't seen in about 30 years. Might be the first song I ever wrote that didn't have any rhymes. Musically I wanted to write something in the vein of "Like a Rock" by Bob Seger.

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Instruments played: 12 string electric guitars; bass guitar; slide guitar; drums; piano; tambourine; bongos; vibraslap; lead vocal.

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WHY?:

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Well my baby's gone and if you look up above you'll see another star shining in the sky

But she left me here and I'm left wondering why

She's a restless heart and she can't sit still and on the wings of a nightingale she'll fly

Still I'm left behind and I'm left wondering why

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I'm wondering why she'd leave when I told her I loved her

Why she'd leave when I said that I needed her

Why she'd leave when I said I'd always be true

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Well she's no one's clown and she ain't no fool but she's left me with this emptiness inside

And this broken heart and I'm left wondering why.

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Obviously inspired by The Everly Brothers. I wrote the first line ("another star shining in the sky") the night in 2014 I'd heard Phil Everly had passed away. I finished the song the next day.

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Instruments played: 6 string acoustic guitars; lead guitar; bass guitar; drums; shakers; tambourine; lead and harmony vocals.

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THE MINSTREL:

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Come with me boys and I'll sing you a song

I'll teach you the words, drop your swords, sing along

The melody's simple, the key is in "G"

And I'd be delighted if you sang with me

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I am a singer, a minstrel by trade

I sing for a living though I'm seldom paid

I call on you brothers to join me in rhyme

We'll reach to the Heavens, Nirvana we'll find

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Da da da...

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Come with me boys and we'll travel afar

The deepest of valleys, the farthest of stars

We'll sing through the ages and transcend all time

We'll sing for the children, for yours and for mine

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Da da da...

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We'll walk through the garden you jesters and kings

We'll toast to tomorrow for what it will bring

We'll stand side by side, friend and foe, rich or poor,

Our guns will lay silent with love the reward

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Come with us boys and we'll travel towards peace

We'll gather our voices and ne'er will we cease

It's here for the taking, it's ours to embrace

Dark days behind us, a new dawn we face

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Da da da...

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This song took me three years and 45 minutes to write. I had the first couple of lines and the chorus written in '97 but it took until 2000  for the rest of the words to come to me. It was inspired by a bumper sticker I had seen that read "Make Music, Not War!"

I've always had a thing for "Hey Jude" and I tried to write a sing a long like that. The orchestral part at the end was inspired by "Talking Out Of Turn" by The Moody Blues.

This was the only song on this CD where I recruited outside help. The stellar vocal stylings in the final verse and coda were provided by Jim Del and Pat Montefusco. Thanks guys!

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Instruments played: 12 string acoustic guitars; 12 string electric guitars; bass guitar; mandolin; drums; keyboards; recorder; tambourine; triangle; finger cymbals; wind chimes; lead and background vocals.

Additional backing vocals by Jim Del and Pat Montefusco.

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BUCKET LIST:

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I wanna climb Mt. McKinley to the highest heights

Wanna cross the border see the Northern Lights

Wanna go to Niagara and see if it's as nice as it seems

I wanna ride a raft down Yellowknife

I wanna see Abe Lincoln larger than life

I wanna see the Pacific; I wanna see the Field of Dreams

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But I would throw it away and see none of this through

I'd call it a day if that's what I had to do

'Cause it wouldn't mean a thing unless I did it all with you

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I wanna lay in a field and watch a lunar eclipse

Get my kicks on Route 66

I wanna see Las Vegas; I wanna see The Alamo

I wanna see the Grand Canyon, they tell me it's great

I wanna see the Big Apple from The Empire State

I wanna see LA; Wanna see the Gulf of Mexico

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But I would throw it away and see none of this through

I'd call it a day if that's what I had to do

'Cause it wouldn't mean a thing unless I did it all with you

Because there's no place in this world that I'd rather be

Than by your side eternally

 That's on my bucket list, to live every moment with you

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I wanna stand on a corner in Winslow Arizona

Then take a drive south experience Sedona

Wanna watch a game from the front row at Fenway Park

I wanna stand on a glacier watch a pod of whales

Load up and hike the Appalachian Trail

I wanna see the Mississippi from the top of the Gateway Arch.

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I was undecided as to whether to include this song on the CD and as a result it was the last song considered for the album. It's the closest thing to a love song on this CD. While everyone else was watching the Super Bowl in 2016 I was writing this song. I wrote the line about Winslow Arizona as a tribute to Glenn Frey who had passed away several weeks earlier.

Musically the song was inspired by "I Believe in You" by country singer Don Williams.

For the record there are 21 places/things mentioned. I've done or been to 16 of them!

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Instruments played: 6 string electric guitars; 12 string electric guitars; baritone guitar; bass guitar; drums; mandolin; banjo; piano; keyboards; lead and background vocals.

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THE LONE RANGER:

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Well he burst into the room like a cowboy; and he left 'em laying in his wake

He said there's no better time than now boys to clean up this mess and set things straight

As a lawman he was definitely lacking, and he spoke a language all his own

But he sent all his enemies packing and when the dust cleared he stood all alone

He had an ego that was bigger than Texas; and he was stubborn with a head made of wood

He said no matter how long it takes us we'll bring order for the common good

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He and his posse rode through Dodge guns a blazin' as he looked for Enemy #1

And when he finally caught the man he was chasing, he found the bandit never had a gun

And he hated when you questioned his methods, and he wondered what the fuss was about

And though the town folk wanted him tarred and feathered

He always made his daddy proud

Still he always fell off his high horse; and he never learned a thing from the spill

And if you ask him why he did what he did when he did

He'll tell you it must be God's will

Yes he'll say that it must be God's will

Well he'll tell you it must be God's will

Yes he'll say it's the Almighty's will.

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I originally was going to write a song about our 43rd president but I changed my mind, though it did retain some of the original lyrics (the line about Enemy #1 was a reference to Saddam Hussein and the weapons of mass destruction). I went for the "Captain Parmenter-ish" old west hero who was a success in spite of himself.

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Instruments played: 6 string electric guitars; lead guitars; bass guitar; drums; cowbell; lead and harmony vocals.

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EILEEN'S SONG:

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There's a girl lives down the block I never see; But she sees me; She sees me

Long ago we carved our names upon a tree; we were young and so carefree

Now that girl she never comes out anymore; Open your door; Open the door

But it's locked and seems that no one has the key; To set her free; Set her free

And I peer into the window but there's no one to be found

And she's watching as I call her but she doesn't make a sound

She's behind a two way mirror sees the world go round and round

And she knows; Only she knows

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There are other kids out running in the street; Playing tag; Trick or treat

And they call to see if she'll come out to play; They're turned away; Turned away

She's the only person living in that home all alone; She's all alone

Though she sits in silence quietly in the dark; In her eyes there's still a spark

But I know inside she's crying but she never sheds a tear

And I whisper through the window words I know that she can hear

And I wish that I could find a way to take away the fears 

Only she knows; Only she knows

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And I wish that I could take her to a place so long ago

And I wish that she would come outside and say to me "hello"

And I wish that I could tell her how I've always loved her so

I think she knows; I think she knows.

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I woke up with this melody in my head one summer day in 2017. I immediately recorded about a minute or so of the melody on a digital recorder and left it alone until the fall. That October I went to visit my dear friend Eileen for the first time since she was diagnosed with ALS. The following day I spoke to a mutual friend and described my visit. In doing so I used the line about a two way mirror and from there I was off and running. I revisited the instrumental piece I had written earlier and combined it with lyrics that took several hours to write. It was a labor of love!

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Instruments played: 6 string acoustic guitars; slide guitar; bass guitar; piano; keyboards; drums; tambourine; lead and background vocals.

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...to whom it may concern

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A billion miles you travelled just to meet us; Many years it took you to arrive

You thought that you might learn a bit about us; It's such a shame there's no one here alive

I've thought about the things that I would tell you 

I've thought about the things that I might say

I always thought one day that I would meet you; I thought that I would see another day

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It's not as if we took it all for granted; But in the end I'm sure we'd all agree

We never thought that it could ever happen; We were cursed with eyes that couldn't see

Maybe someone else will take our place here; Maybe someone else will tend this land

Perhaps it will be home again for someone 

And grass again will grow where now there's sand

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This one is for anyone who'll listen; This one is for anyone who'll hear

Kings and queens and castles long forgotten; emptiness as dust replaces tears

I hope that there's a message in this letter; I hope that there's a lesson to be learned

I hope you hear me through the deafening silence...

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...to whom it may concern

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What would happen if astronauts from Earth visited some far away planet hoping to meet the inhabitants but instead found a dead planet and a letter from the last survivor of some self made catastrophe?

 

This was one of two "science fiction" songs I wrote following the events of September 11th, 2001. 

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Instruments played: 6 string acoustic guitars; keyboards; lead vocal.

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