1,526

(81 replies, posted in Songwriting)

I have posted a 3-chord waltz, "One of These Days" to the forum.  It is a meloncholy little number modeled on John Prine's 'Christmas in Prison'.  James

1,527

(2 replies, posted in Electric)

Have been toying with the idea of building a bass from a commercially available kit.  Does anybody have any exerience with these kits?  Are they worth the money?  Or would I just do better to find a decent used bass for about the same money?

1,528

(1 replies, posted in Songwriting)

Here is a simple little 3-chord waltz modeled on John Prine's "Chritmas In Prison" (which itself was modeled on a thousand other 3-chord waltz tunes).
[SONG]
{t:One of These Days}
{st:by, James McCormick, February 21, 2007}
{c:In 3/4 time, a 3-chord waltz}

The [G]world sure looks better with a [C]gleam in your eye
With a [G]dream in your heart your hopes will run [D]high
[G]Havin' a dream is like [C]heavenly grace
Put's a [G]bounce in your step and a [D]smile on your [G]face
{soc}
[C]One of these days you gotta take that first [G]step
[C]One of these days you'll do it you [D]bet
[G]One of these days just keeps [C]tickin' on past
[G]One of these days will [D]just be your [G]last
{eoc}
[D]A   [G]dream can be simple and a [C]dream can be large
A [G]dream will be wasted if you never take [D]charge
A [G]dream can get real when you [C]do what you can
But a [G]dream's just a dream, a [D]dream ain't a [G]plan
{soc}
[C]One of these days you gotta take that first [G]step
But [C]one of these days just ain't happened [D]yet
[G]One of these days you're gonna [C]be on a roll
[G]One of these days you'll [D]be in con-[G]trol
{eoc}
[D]A   [G]Dream can be precious and a [C]dream can come true
[G]Dreams aren't accomplished right out of the [D]blue
[G]Dreams can determine your [C]passion and worth
And a [G]dream only happens with [D]patience and [G]work
{soc}
To-[C]day can be that 'one-of-these-[G]days'
Get [C]out of the clouds and into the [D]fray
[G]Work on your dream and [C]do what you can
[G]Take the first step and [D]get with the [C]plan
{eoc}
The [G]world sure looks better with a [C]gleam in your eye
With a [G]dream in your heart your hopes will run [D]high
[G]Havin' a dream is like [C]heavenly grace
Put's a [G]bounce in your step and a [D]smile on your [G]face
[/SONG]

1,529

(1 replies, posted in Song requests)

Hello nanncinut - Here is a link for "Brave Companion of the Road" - sorry your reqwuest went unanswered for several days.


<a href="http://adamschneider.net/music/ng/?song=brave_companion_of_the_road" target="_blank"> http://adamschneider.net/music/ng/?song … anion_of_t he_road</a>

1,530

(1 replies, posted in Song requests)

Hello larryw - Are you looking for tabs for the lead parts on this song?  Can't quite understand your request.  Please be a little more specific.

1,531

(3 replies, posted in Songwriting)

Donna, great songs played and sung beautifully.  I'm inspired by the honesty of your lyrics.  Thanks for sharing them.  I shall give them all another listen soon.  James

1,532

(8 replies, posted in About Chordie)

Apparently when chordie's index was greatly expanded recently, some the new source sites contain listings with only lyrics.  Inconvenient, but not the end of the world.


The mighty admin's second son was born recently, so he is occupied with important family matters for the time being.  I'm sure when he settles back into a more normal routine that this matter can be addressed.


Until then, just make a note of the songs that are lyrics-only.


The prohibition on posting full lyrics applies only to the forum . . . posting the full lyrics of copyrighted songs in the forum is not allowed for legal reasons.

James McCormick

1,533

(1 replies, posted in Song requests)

hello chicklesB#1 - here is a link for chords to "Hide In Your Shell" but it has only partial lyrics. 


<a href="http://www.fretplay.com/tabs/s/supertramp/hide_in_your_shell-crd.shtml" target="_blank"> http://www.fretplay.com/tabs/s/supertra … your_shell -crd.shtml</a>


The full lyrics (but no chords?) are indexed here on chordie.  Once you learn this great old song, could your be so kind as to improve the listing here on chordie by editing in the chords to the lyrics?  If you need some help with that, let me know - it's not difficult, just a little tricky at first.


Downloading the tune - my guess is that there are Supertramp fan sites where you could find people with exactly what you want.  Try the Wikipedia link on Supertramp's page here at chordie - ther are bound to be plenty of links listed at the end of the article.  James

1,534

(6 replies, posted in Songwriting)

moddish - Now that you have written one song, you proably have the bug in your ear and will start to hear whisperings of other songs in your brain.  Of course there will be more songs!


Keep your ears and eyes open for ideas - the more you try to craft songs, the better.  James

1,535

(36 replies, posted in Songwriting)

Hello badeye - I just noticed the song you posted a couple of days ago.  Nice song - like the idea of the lyric.


There were some coding errors, so I did what I could to make it format correctly and appear all pretty in the forum.  Had to make some assumptions regarding title and line breaks - if I mangled it too badly, we can fix it - just let me know.  James

1,536

(3 replies, posted in Song requests)

Here is a link for "Saturday Morning" by Harry Chapin:

<a href="http://www.harrychapin.com/music/saturdaymorning/satmorn.chord" target="_blank"> http://www.harrychapin.com/music/saturd … atmorn.cho rd</a>

1,537

(3 replies, posted in Song requests)

Here is a link for the 'Swamp Witch' song:

<a href="http://www.e-chords.com/guitartab/idmusica/60897/keyb/viola.htm" target="_blank"> http://www.e-chords.com/guitartab/idmus … eyb/viola. htm</a>

1,538

(81 replies, posted in Songwriting)

Just posted "My House of Cards" to it's own thread.  It's a rant of the first order - doesn't even make much sense to me . . . but it's quite descriptive and it's fun.  Hey, Dylan became an icon with this sort of stuff - - - Happy Mardi Gras!

1,539

(1 replies, posted in Songwriting)

Happy Mardi Gras!  This little ditty is guaranteed to leave your fingers weak and your voice very sore by the end - - so, hold a cold beer to ease that joint pain and then slowly pour the contents down your parched throat to ease hoarseness.

Should pain in joints and throat continue, administer another cold beer.  Continue self-medication regimen until Rex & Comus meet at Melpomene & St. Charles.
[SONG]
{t:My House of Cards}
{st:by, James McCormick, February 19, 2007}
{c:A 3-chord, fiery-eyed, full-bore, howling, thrashing, stomping folkie rant . . .}

[C]Earthquakes floods and sandstorms, hoof and mouth di-[F]sease
Desparados [C]on the prowl like swarms of hungry [G]fleas
[C]Hurricanes and ice burgs don't give us any [F]proof
Marauding ants and [C]vipers are [G]coming through the [C]roof
. . . .
[F]Pestilence tornados seeping toxic [C]waste
[F]Mudslides, locusts, [C]raining toads and predatory [G]beasts
[C]Lava flows, choking ash, and that pesky rancid [F]goo
Teeming rats and [C]rabid bats are [G]coming after [C]you.
{soc}
I've [F]built my little house of cards upon the shifting [C]sands
A [F]monument to fu-[C]tility made with my own two [G]hands
[C]Some folks say I'm crazy, it's ludicrous they [F]say
But I'll stay right here and [C]build again, 'Cos it's [G]home sweet home to [C]me! . . .
{eoc}
[G]Oh, [C]cataclysmic cyclones, radiation by de-[F]grees
Serve me up a [C]nice warm jug of progress if you [G]please
[C]Stoke the fires and rev it up, the market must be [F]free
To flood the shelves with [C]plastic crap that [G]no one really [C]needs
. . . .
In-[F]somnia and depression with high blood pressure [C]too
[F]Intersecting [C]vectors are a-homing in on [G]you
Just [C]gouge another landfill and stack it up so [F]high
Don't bug me with no [C]questions about [G]who or how or [C]why.
{soc}
Oh I [F]love my little house of cards built on the shifting [C]sands
A [F]monument to fu-[C]tility made with my own two [G]hands
[C]Some folks say I'm crazy, there's a price I'm sure to [F]pay
But I'll stay right here and [C]build again, 'Cos it's [G]home sweet home to [C]me!
{eoc}
[G]Oh, [C]chop it down and grind it up then pave it with con-[F]crete
Without sufficient [C]parking that view just ain't com-[G]plete
[C]Who needs real happiness when we got so much to [F]sell
Some day it might be [C]worth some bucks, 'I'll [G]keep it, what the [C]hell!'
. . . .
[F]Mini-storage lockers sprawling far and [C]wide
[F]Crammed to the gills with [C]flotsam and jetsam in-[G]side
[C]Factories squeezin' widgets out, just make 'em cheap and [F]fast
This package it's de-[C]signed to sell, hey [G]it ain't meant to [C]last
{soc}
Oh I [F]love my little house of cards built on the shifting [C]sands
A [F]monument to fu-[C]tility made with my own two [G]hands
[C]Some folks say I'm crazy, it'll tumble down they [F]say
But I'll stay right here and [C]build again, 'Cos it's [G]home sweet home to [C]me!
{eoc}
[G]Oh, [C]bar codes in our babies, and radios in our [F]pets
We got GPS re-[C]ceivers to tell us which way's [G]West
[C]Mass-produced collectibles and sentimental [F]schlock
Pills in rainbow [C]colors to [G]stiffen up your [C]cock
. . . .
Full-[F]spectrum communications anywhere you [C]roam
[F]Gizmos that are [C]obsolete before you get 'em [G]home
[C]Luxury gourmet cruises for flabby-assed buf-[F]foons
Galley-hands from [C]third-world lands packed [G]fourteen to a [C]room
{soc}
Oh I [F]love my little house of cards built on the shifting [C]sands
A [F]monument to my [C]vanity made with my own two [G]hands
[C]Some folks say I'm crazy, it's gonna just wash a-[F]way
But I'll stay right here and [C]build again, 'Cos it's [G]home sweet home to [C]me!
{eoc}
[/SONG]

1,540

(4 replies, posted in Songwriting)

"Doctor, It Lives . . .!"  Rogerguppy has become our own Dr. Fankenstein breathing life into new songs.  I wonder if he has a hunchbacked Igor assitant lurking about!  Great song scrimmy82 and good work Roger!


The lyric makes me wonder if the the Miranda Rights should be amended to say, "Anything you SING can and will be used against in a court of law."


This songwriting forum has truly come to life with more new people sharing their creations - it is wonderful, absolutely wonderful.  James

1,541

(6 replies, posted in Songwriting)

Hello moddish - nifty little lyric there.  I'm left pondering the meaning - but that's cool too.  Doesn't it feel great to get that first song out of your system?  Keep 'em coming - the more the merrier.


Playing and singing together takes practice (but doesn't everything). 


I took the liberty of correcting the missing codes so that it would format properly in the forum.  You had simply not capitalized SONG at the front and omitted /SONG at the end (can't put the brackets on here or the statements would be interpretted as coding commands).


Folks have had problems with the tricky little codes for posting songs - I shall try to create a set of clearer instructions and post it prominently for all to see.  James

1,542

(11 replies, posted in About Chordie)

I use Safari on my Mac at home and have not seen any of these problems while using Safari browser.  However, have noticed ads blotting out other site content when viewing some chordie pages while using Internet Explorer on machines at work.  Perhaps it is an IE thing?

1,543

(9 replies, posted in Acoustic)

greetings lx rubin and WOW!  Just heard your stuff on MySpace and very much like the music.


Don't worry too much about what 'people think' about classical guitar - because most folks don't really think, they just react unfavorably to anything that isn't mass-produced, shrink-wrapped, and then shoved down their throats like it's something important.


Many people have no perceptual context for music other than what they encounter in their consumer-driven existance.  So, play your music and hone your art.


If you want to be mobbed by teeny-boppers, get some spandex (or whatever the current fashion affection might be) and dumb down your playing.  If you want to be a musician, continue to sharpen your already impressive skills and keep an open ear and an open mind.

1,544

(13 replies, posted in Songwriting)

Brilliantly done, Roger.  You and Ken have each created excellent interpretations of the song.  It is amazing how people can take the same words and chords and make different music.


I'm hoping to buy a microphone soon - other things must take precedence in our household.  Then, I shall offer my take on this song (as well as on others I have posted to the forum).


Thanks Roger and Thanks Ken . . .

1,545

(19 replies, posted in Acoustic)

The Zippo Bar - sounds like a great place, you have found a real gem.  Tell the owner he now has international exposure and that chordie users around the world are wishing he had a franchise in their hometown!  What is being played at the open mike?

1,546

(3 replies, posted in About Chordie)

Hello philleech - try this link for your lyrics & chords:


<a href="http://www.theguitarguy.com/ifyouwer.htm" target="_blank">http://www.theguitarguy.com/ifyouwer.htm</a>


There is also an article in Wikipedia about this old standard (I didn't realize it dated back all the way to 1916).

1,547

(13 replies, posted in Songwriting)

Hey ho mighty plunger warrior!  Just saw your 'With You" video and it's a great version - ya gotta love that ukulele instrumental break.  Good job, Ken!


Rogerguppy's interpretation will be posted sometime soon - I've already heard it and it's also excellent.  Two very unique interpretations of the same song - absolutely wonderful both of them.

1,548

(81 replies, posted in Songwriting)

Have just posted "So Vivid" in it's own thread.  After the rather snide "Those Menopause Pills" I figured I needed to write a nice song about when we first met!

James

1,549

(1 replies, posted in Songwriting)

This song is about those first moments of meeting someone who is incredible:
[SONG]
{t:So Vivid}
{st:by, James McCormick, February 17, 2007}

[C]Suddenly it feels like all my [Em]walls are blown away
De-[F]fenseless and exposed I am [G7]held within your sway
[C]Every little detail is so [Em]focused and extreme
Your [Dm]presence makes reality more [G]vivid than a dream
{sob}
My [F]senses are on overload and [Em]time is standing still
Each [Dm]fiber of my being is [G]having a fire drill . . .
[G7]So, [C]pardon me if I do stare, I [Em]don't mean to intrude
But my [F]world just got so vivid the [G]moment I met [C]you
{eob}
{soc}
You're [F]vivid like an ember [C]clenched within my hand
You're [G]vivid as a diamond [F]sparkling in the [G]sand
[F]Vivid as the sunshine [C]glistening in the dew
[G]Vivid as a whisper in a [F]dark and hollow [G]room
{eoc}
[C]Usually I'm glib and cool, as [Em]shallow as can be
[F]Confident and cocky is what [G7]all the world should see
It's im-[C]possible to maintain my [Em]studied attitude
Your [Dm]beauty and your charm have [G]blown my fortitude
{sob}
My [F]jaded heart feels empty now it [C]longs to be fulfilled
I've [Dm]never felt so hollow so [G]nerdy and unskilled . . .
[G7]So, [C]pardon me if I do stare, I [Em]don't mean to intrude
But my [F]world just got so vivid the [G]moment I met [C]you
{eob}
{soc}
You're [F]vivid like an ember [C]clenched within my hand
You're [G]vivid as a diamond [F]sparkling in the [G]sand
[F]Vivid as the sunshine [C]glistening in the dew
[G]Vivid as a whisper in a [F]dark and hollow [C]room
{eoc}
[/SONG]

1,550

(6 replies, posted in About Chordie)

Wonderful news!  Life shall be beautifully hectic for a while.  I'll keep an eye out for any user questions that I can answer.  James