52 Songs – Song of the Week #12 – Thank you

I knew that I wanted to do a song of thanks this week with Thanksgiving coming tomorrow, but I just couldn’t get myself to write a tune about Thanksgiving, so I decided to do a song of thanks.

It’s also curious that after two decades of being surrounded by the blues and blues forms that now, I’m writing all of this music with such a heavy blues influence. This tune was originally called Thank You Blues, but then I realized that there was nothing particularly bluesy about it outside of its chord structure and my phrasing, so I just decided on Thank you.

All has been quiet on the Web front since I’ve started posting the songs. I used to get some comments here and there, but since I’ve been doing the songs I’ve scarcely heard from anyone… That’s curious, but I’ll ride it out. The last few weeks I wasn’t sure that I’d even get a song up, resigned to not, and then bam! inspiration hit…

Anyway, here tis – Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Song: Thank you

Lyrics:

Spoken improvisation at beginning…

Thanks for everything
Thanks for so much
Thanks for my life
Even when I had it rough

Thanks for the lessons
Thanks for my health
Thanks for my wife
And everything else…

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you

Thanks for my kin
Thanks for opportunities
Thanks for my home
And all you’ve given me…

Thanks for my ears
Thanks for my sight
Thanks for my hands
and all you got right…

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you…

Spoken improvisation at end…

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This post and recording are part of the 52 Songs project, where I’m working to write, record and upload a new song every Wednesday – 52 Songs in 52 weeks or bust – Please feel free to share and enjoy, but kindly give credit to Matt Borghi and MattBorghi.com

52 Songs – Song of the Week #11 – Own Way Blues

This week’s tune was inspired by Son House’s Grinnin’ In Your Face… Back this week is the throaty singing, but what’s new is the a capella piece… I’ve posted Son House doing  Grinnin’ In  Your Face at the end of the post…

Song: Own Way Blues

Lyrics:

We all gotta go our own way, yes we do
We all gotta go our own way, yes we do
To go any other way, is the path of a fool

We all gotta figure it out now, yes we do
We all gotta figure it out now, yes we do
We gotta figure it out, if it’s the last thing we do

We’re all going home, yeah, yes we do
We’re all going home, yeah, yes we do,
We’re all going home, but Lord please don’t take me too soon.

 

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This post and recording are part of the 52 Songs project, where I’m working to write, record and upload a new song every Wednesday – 52 Songs in 52 weeks or bust – Please feel free to share and enjoy, but kindly give credit to Matt Borghi and MattBorghi.com

52 Songs – Song of the Week #10 – Playing Make-Believe

I almost didn’t make it this week. For one reason or another, I just had a lot of stuff going on and I just didn’t have anything, but a particularly irritating experience triggered this tune, and I don’t really know where it came from. For me, I was really trying to capture a Bonnie Prince Billy feeling, I’m working on that more and more with close, throaty microphone recording; if I can achieve 1/100th of what he’s able to do, I’ll be happy…

In hindsight, this tune, for me, is something that I visit in a lot of my songs. There’s a point of frustration, a need to move on, a need to make a break from what’s happening and this comes through a moment of clarity, an awakening of sorts that leaves one lamenting what was, but also eager to move on to what can be, the incredible openness of possibility… It’s like you’re outside of yourself, looking at yourself, and saying adios! I’m going on a trip with a purer, more peaceful, less effed up and cooler version of me… but alas there’s no separate self…

Song: Playing Make-Believe

Lyrics:

He knew he needed to let go.
The situation left him no peace.
He tried to relax his mind.
But the thoughts wouldn’t cease.
He gave himself a minute to break free.
He was tired of playing make-believe

I can’t live a fantasy or a dream;
Give me truth & being — Straight Reality
I can’t live a fantasy or a dream;
Give me truth & being — Straight Reality

He knew the beginning was near.
He knew that he had nothing to fear.
The moment, it changed him, that much, he knew
Where the road ahead would go, he didn’t have a clue
He looked back and yesterday was gone.
Nothing left but a song…
Improvised last few lines…

I can’t live a fantasy or a dream;
Give me truth & being — Straight Reality
I can’t live a fantasy or a dream;
Give me truth & being — Straight Reality

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This post and recording are part of the 52 Songs project, where I’m working to write, record and upload a new song every Wednesday – 52 Songs in 52 weeks or bust – Please feel free to share and enjoy, but kindly give credit to Matt Borghi and MattBorghi.com

52 Songs – Song of the Week #9 – It’s Halloween

This one’s a little bit early, but it’s appropriate for the day, Halloween. This new song marks a move towards my first attempt at writing seasonal songs. I’ve never really written a seasonal song before and I hope to write at least a few Christmas tunes and maybe a Thanksgiving tune, which I’m a bit stumped on for subject matter, at the moment… perhaps something about being bloated and sleepy will suffice… In any case, enjoy and please pass along. The feedback, so far has been great… Thank you.

Song: It’s Halloween

Lyrics:

Let’s wade through the leaves with our costumes & our candy.
The pumpkins light the way to the porches and front-doors.
Spent the whole year getting ready and, planning…
Trick or Treat, Trick or Treat, its Halloween

We’ve been waiting all year, its Halloween, its Halloween.
With our costumes we’re ready for candy.
We’ve been waiting all year, its Halloween, its Halloween
Its Halloween, its Halloween, its Halloween

Let’s dump out our bags and look through our candy.
It was a cold fall night but now we’re home and warm.
Can’t wait for next year, already planning.
Trick or Treat, Trick or Treat, It’s Halloween

 

We’ve been waiting all year, its Halloween, its Halloween.
With our costumes we’re ready for candy.
We’ve been waiting all year, its Halloween, its Halloween
Its Halloween, its Halloween, and it’s Halloween

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This post and recording are part of the 52 Songs project, where I’m working to write, record and upload a new song every Wednesday – 52 Songs in 52 weeks or bust – Please feel free to share and enjoy, but kindly give credit to Matt Borghi and MattBorghi.com

52 Songs – Song of the Week #8 – Nothing to Complain About

Song: Nothing to Complain About

Lyrics:

I’ve got nothing to complain about, nothing at all…
Sometimes my mind wanders and looks for what’s wrong…
I’ve got nothing to complain about, nothing at all…

I’ve got nothing to worry about, nothing at all…
Sometimes my mind wanders and looks for what’s wrong…
I’ve got nothing to worry about, nothing at all…

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This post and recording are part of the 52 Songs project, where I’m working to write, record and upload a new song every Wednesday – 52 Songs in 52 weeks or bust – Please feel free to share and enjoy, but kindly give credit to Matt Borghi and MattBorghi.com

52 Songs – Song of the Week #7 – 18″ Pool

Song: 18″ Pool

Lyrics:

18″ Pool – 8′ in Diameter
With yellow seahorses and clownfish on the side
18″ Pool – 8′ in Diameter
In the summer, it’s where I reside

Some folks might think it’s funny, a big man in a kiddie pool
But when I’m submerged in the water, I’m feelin’ pretty cool
The mockin’ don’t matter, don’t care what the neighbors think
When I’m in the pool, feeling cool, everything feels in sync

18″ Pool – 8′ in Diameter
With yellow seahorses and clownfish on the side
18″ Pool – 8′ in Diameter
In the summer, it’s where I reside

The first time I tried it out, I was more than little leery
But when the coolness hit my vertebrae, I was too relaxed to be wary
I lit up a tiparillo and blew out a smoke ring
The pool was the last necessity of the castle for this king

18″ Pool – 8′ in Diameter
With yellow seahorses and clownfish on the side
18″ Pool – 8′ in Diameter
In the summer, it’s where I reside

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This post and recording are part of the 52 Songs project, where I’m working to write, record and upload a new song every Wednesday – 52 Songs in 52 weeks or bust – Please feel free to share and enjoy, but kindly give credit to Matt Borghi and MattBorghi.com

Teag and PK will be playing October 15th  at Scene Metrospace in East Lansing with Lansing favorites Mighty Medicine. See the flyer below and click the link to download a printable PDF.

52 Songs – Song of the Week #6 – Occupy Wallstreet

The Occupy Wall Street protests that started in NYC’s Zuccotti Park have really inspired and moved me. For the first time in a long time I’m not just experiencing apathy, but instead I feel inspired, moved to act, like doing something. As I sit here at my desk typing these lines, I’m waiting for my chance to take part in these protests to question common foes that go across many colors, genders and political persuasions: Wall Street and the topsy-turvy existence it’s given all of us, and the corporate conglomerate that’s done little for the American people since its inception beyond diminish our communities and our way’s of life.

To learn a little more about the corporation, as entity, I recommend the movie, The Corporation — it’s sure to make you not feel very good, but to inspire action as it did for me.

We’ll get our chance with Occupy Lansing on October 15th.. in the meantime, I’ve written a song, Occupy Wallstreet, that I hope keeps us questioning Wall Street’s stranglehold on our country and the corporate culture of greed and corruption that has left so many of us unemployed and struggling.

Please pass this on. Also, I’ve made this track available for digital purchase through the Amazon, iTunes, and others *It’s not available yet, but when it is I’ll update the post*… Yes, of course, I’m using the machinations of the corporation, but it only serves to demonstrate the hold they have on things… In any case, all proceeds go to the NYC General Assembly/ Alliance for Global Justice… well, this is my small part, what’s yours? Together we can make real change for real good.

Song: Occupy Wallstreet

Lyrics:

Battered Global Economies, Bankrupt nations, no jobs.
The great recession’s greed & corruption, where does it stop?

Fat cats get richer, fundamentalists take our rights.
We’re losing our civil liberties with no end in site.

Banks too big to fail, foreclosing on our dreams.
We’ve lost perspective on what equality means.

We all want a good life, for our families to live well
Have’s and Have-Nots, a familiar tale

We’re gonna occupy wallstreet, it’s going down.
We are the 99% and we’re tired of being pushed around.
We can’t tolerate the greed & corruption of the 1%
We’re taking back our lives with non-violent protest

Wall street & mainstreet, tired rhetoric, the people lose
Our homes, our jobs, our families, a tightening noose

Abandoned by our government, we had hope, but that’s long gone
A people-powered marketing job, we had it all wrong

Bought and sold our freedom, must’ve thought we wouldn’t notice
Wall street and corporations are anti-American, at least that’s what they’ve show us

We’ve got a chance to make things right, turn them around.
Take a look at America and the gathering crowd.

We’re gonna occupy wallstreet, it’s going down.
We are the 99% and we’re tired of being pushed around.
We can’t tolerate the greed & corruption of the 1%
We’re taking back our lives with non-violent protest

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This post and recording are part of the 52 Songs project, where I’m working to write, record and upload a new song every Wednesday – 52 Songs in 52 weeks or bust – Please feel free to share and enjoy, but kindly give credit to Matt Borghi and MattBorghi.com

One of the things about the 52 Songs series and getting it off the ground in a ‘live’ format is the memorizing of words. I read that Trey Anastasio from Phish started using a teleprompter in the last couple years, and before that the crew would quickly write out lyrics on poster board and throw it under his feet as he was performing… with over 300 songs the crew never knew what to expect with a band that is known for not putting together setlists.

Similarly, a friend of mine was telling me about a singer/songwriter who he really liked, and she was getting right into the hook of his favorite song when a stage light went out and she wasn’t able to sing the tune because she couldn’t read the lyrics.

On the other hand using a music stand seems quintessentially uncool… so I’ve struggled, my memory has grown, and I’m even looking vitamins, recipes and exercises to increase my memory… Some of my friends, I’m sure are saying ‘…about damn time!’

Seriously, though the memorization of words is an operational detail that could be easily overlooked, but it’s something that has really hit me where I live as I get ready to launch the Teag and PK shows that we have coming. Anyhow, this post all came from watching this video where Dave Matthews talks about forgetting lyrics and sometimes just mumbling… been there…

52 Songs – Song of the Week #5 – Bacon

After the reception that I got to my novelty tune 18″ Pool, the first time I played it out (you can listen to it here), I decided I would like to do another novelty tune. I didn’t have any ideas, but as I was making breakfast, specifically bacon and waffles, I made up a tune on the spot and this is it. I  was also listening to Muddy Waters’ Got my mojo workin’ so it has a similar feel….

Song: Bacon

Lyrics:

I like bacon, I like bacon, real, real good.
I like bacon, I like bacon, real, real good.
I like bacon better than a big man should

I like bacon, it makes everything alright.
I like bacon, it makes everything alright.
I like bacon, it gets me through the night.

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This post and recording are part of the 52 Songs project, where I’m working to write, record and upload a new song every Wednesday – 52 Songs in 52 weeks or bust – Please feel free to share and enjoy, but kindly give credit to Matt Borghi and MattBorghi.com