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1. “Long
Way From Where I’ve Been”
I
always loved this tune. This was written by a
friend I lived next door to in Nashville back
in late 80’s. I heard him perform this song and
told him when I have the opportunity to record
my own CD that I would like to record it. 16 years
later, he gave me the permission to cut it. The
swing/jazz feel is my version of good dancehall
song!
2. “This
Cowboy’s In Love”
True story…lyrics say it all.
3. “I’ll
Take Away The Blues For You”
This was one of the first 5 songs I wrote after
arriving in Nashville in 1987. I wrote this song
after I received a phone call from a friend who
was venting about her summer job.
4. “Hard
To Hold”
This song was written by husband and wife duo,
Gary and Mary Jones. My contribution is in the
second verse. I think this is one of the most
beautiful songs ever written. While recording,
this is one of those rare moments in the studio
when all aspects of the recording were in sync.
The music simply played out perfectly.
5. “Blue
Heartache”
I was attending several bluegrass jams at a local
bar in Lyons, CO when this song was written. I
liked how the words BLUE HEARTACHE sounded with
the melody I came up with. I didn’t write it with
anything specific in mind, the songs true spirit
is in the music.
6. “Come
Closing Time”
I had an upcoming gig with a very well known local
blues act, Mary Russell. One day while jogging,
I was thinking of a song we could record as a
duet. I recently saw the movie Walk The Line and
began humming a different arrangement that fit
us. By the time I got to the top of the hill,
the lyrics to the chorus for another song crept
in. I had the verses finished before I got back
from my run! The first verse describes the preparation
for a big night in the guys mind and the second
verse is his humble opinion. Intent on winning
her over, the chorus shows his modesty and confidence.
7. “Under
The Sun”
I co-wrote this song with a friend of mine, Becky
Martinek. We were throwing out ideas, and she
talked about some scenarios about her walks through
the Rocky Mountains surrounding where we lived.
We then started talking about something completely
unrelated and she made the comment, “that’s nothing
new under the sun.” A light bulb lit up and a
few days later, this song was written about my
personal journey in dealing with divorce.
8. “Pour
Me Back Down”
My two friends who were supposed to help me stack
hay hit the local bar instead of helping me and
showed up just as I was stacking the last 5 bales,
drunk! I later forgave them and on the drive back,
I wrote about the irony of how someone was dependent
on the bartender, of all people, to be brought
back to sobriety to save his relationship.
9. “I’ve
Got Something On My Mind”
This song is built around the sounds of the classic
country piano style. To me, this represents what
a country song must feel and sound like. This
was written about a personal concern I had at
the time when I felt communication was not happening
and this was a way to introduce how to talk about
it.
10.
“Devika’s Song (I Believe In Love)”
My foundation mare, Tigerlily, gave birth to her
first foal. It was 1:30 in the morning on a clear
starlit night emblazed by a full moon. For breeding
purposes, it is tradition to name the foal with
the first letter of the stallion, which began
with the letter D. I researched and found that
the name Devika meant ‘moon goddess’ in Hindu.
Feeling accomplished, fittingly I named the newborn
foal Devika. The song came from how excited I
was watching her stand, take her first step, nurse,
sleep, and begin her new life. This is related
to how a new parent feels when a child is born.
11.
“Be Good To Me”
This is my version of the blues - opposite of
what one would expect on a blues track. This is
not about feeling bad, losing a lover, or teaching
a lover a lesson, this is purely about one night,
one great night of passion.
12.
“Run Like The Wind”
I had a family relative who studied alternative
therapeutic approaches to animals and speaking
to animals. One day I was running through the
ritual of feeding the 4 mares and my one gelding,
JB. This particular morning, out of character
and routine, my horse, JB, decided to run fast
circles around me and the four mares, disrupting
the entire ritual which resulted in spilled buckets
of grain, horses eating from other piles, pasture
chaos and making me late for work. Once I was
at work, I got an email from my family relative
with the subject line “Me and JB’s conversation.”
This was a scripted conversation between her and
JB. Being skeptical, I read through it and was
not intrigued until the last statement left by
my horse JB. He broke their conversation by exclaiming
“You know…I can run like the wind!” This song
was written that afternoon while at work!
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