No Reason Why is a song about love and following your heart despite all logic and reasoning that might argue against it.  Love always finds its own way, defines its own conditions, arrives at its own time and defies custom, class, decorum and etiquette. In many ways, love itself is the perfect illustration of serendipity.  For love plays by its own rules and conditions, picks its own time and place of arrival, sets its own stage, scene and act – and creates its own drama, atmosphere and ambiance.  Life’s never simple and contained in a pristine box on display for all to see, but instead is often complicated, unscripted, cluttered, messy and inconvenient.  All we can do in uncertain times is follow our hearts, not knowing where they will lead us – but simply knowing the path we follow is the only one that leads us to who we really are.  “There may not be a reason, Why I should love you, But I told them my answer, Was just that I love you, Just that I love you…”

~~~~~~~~~~

I recorded my original song “No Reason Why” in two takes on the guitar on Set 17 and once on the piano on Set 18 back in 1997, and they each present a different version and flavor of my song. Take one is strumming with a pick, very fast and pretty rough around the edges. Take two is strummed with my fingers, slower and the best version of this song. Take three is played on the piano and rough again, as I wasn’t used to trying to play and sing at the same time. Three versions, one song and one musical journey ~ enjoy! ♡ 🙂 Mark

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(Note: Emailed versions of these songs lose their chord alignment and formatting, so refer to the original post and/or the scanned lyric sheet as your guide!)

No Reason Why

“Listen To The Music”, Collected Works Volume IV, Copyright 1991, Mark D. Jones, All Rights Reserved

Verse One:

C       G                   D

Some say there’s no reason

       C                 D

Why I should love you

              C            G

And they talk all about it

              Em                 C

And they tell me what to do

              G                  D

But there may not be a reason

       C                 D

Why I should love you

        Em               D

But I told them my answer

       C                    D

Was just that I love you

C                    D

Just that I love you     (End)

Chorus:

           Em         D

I don’t need any reasons

          Em       D    C

I don’t need to justify

         Am        Em    D

Why I love you like I do

         C           D

Like I do, like I do

           Em       D    C

I don’t need to explain

         Am      Em       D

Why I do the things I do

        Am      Em              D

I just do the things that I do

         C         D

And I do love you

        C         D             G

Yes I do love you, yes I do

Verse Two:

C              G      D

There may be no reason

        C                    D

Why we should fall in love

        C                    G

But I know there’s a reason

         Em         D     C

Why I love you like I do

           G         D

I loved you the minute

              C                 D

That you came into my life

         Em          D

And I had to be with you

        C              D

Even if it wasn’t right

C              D

If it wasn’t right     (Back to the top)

In A Song is a simple, dreamy, whimsical little song that reminds me of watching clouds floating by on a summer day.  As a dreamer, I’m always pondering something in my mind and I recall the words, “I was thinkin’ of my life and where it has gone” came to mind.  In finishing that thought, I created a scenario of one who has lived a long life, looking back on their journey and describing a life lived with love.  I’ve traveled 22 years down life’s path since writing this song and I hope when I look back at the end of this journey, that I, too, can still say, “And I wrote down this song, just for you, It’s quite simple and short, But it comes from the heart, And I swear every word is true, I love you, yes I do.”

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“In A Song” is from Set 15 that I recorded back in the mid-90s, and is a short, tender love song about viewing a relationship within the context of a song, “I was thinkin’ of my life, And where it has gone, And my thoughts turned to you, In a song…My life with you in a song” Enjoy! ♡ 🙂 Mark

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(Note: Emailed versions of these songs lose their chord alignment and formatting, so refer to the original post and/or the scanned lyric sheet as your guide!)

In A Song

“Listen To The Music”, Collected Works Volume IV, Copyright 1991, Mark D. Jones, All Rights Reserved

        C                  G

I was thinkin’ of my life

      C       Am     G

And where it has gone

            F                          C           G

And my thoughts turned to you, in a song

     F          C          G

My life with you in a song

Em   C   G   C   Am   G   C

     F          C          G

My life with you in a song

     F          C          G

My life with you in a song     (End)

G      Em            C

I was thinking of you

            Em             C

And my life all these years

         Am                   G                  D

And I wrote down this song, just for you

              G              C

It’s quite simple and short

         G                     D

But it comes from the heart

D      C                G         D

And I swear every word is true

         G            C

I love you, yes I do

C          G          C

And you love me too

C          G                      Am              D

And the years have been very good to us

D        C            C          D

And to share my life with you

D     C Em      D

Is all I want to do

            C Am D             G

Because I love you, yes I do     (Slowly)

Em   C   G   C   Am   G   C

     F          C          G

My life with you in a song

     F          C          G

My life with you in a song     (To the beginning)

Often in life we find ourselves at a Crossroads and wonder which direction our lives should take.  Choices lead to decisions – either purposefully or by default due to our inaction – and we find our lives heading down roads we never expected to travel.  Life flows like a river and time never stands still for us, and this song soulfully reflects the pain of going forward without the one you need by your side – as it laments “’cause I’m lost here without you, And there’s nowhere to turn, I’m just standin’ at the crossroads, Lookin’ for my way home.”

~~~~~~~~~~

“Crossroads” is the first song of Set 15 that I recorded in 1997, and as it was the very first song of the set, I ended up recording it 3 times ~ and remarkably I got through each take without any major mistakes ~ a major miracle for me! 🙂 I’m sharing each version because each take has a different flavor to it. Take One is the most tentative, as it was the first song of the set. Take Two was strummed only using my fingers instead of a pick so it’s quieter. Take Three is more dynamic, but there are some awkward phrasings. So here you go ~ 3 flavors ~ vanilla, chocolate or strawberry ~ enjoy! ♡ 🙂 Mark

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This is Take 2 of my original song “Crossroads” that I recorded back in 1997. I strummed the guitar using my fingers instead of a pick ~ so it’s quieter and more reflective. Enjoy! ♡ 🙂 Mark

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This is the third and final take of my original song “Crossroads” that I recorded back in 1997. The third take starts out more dynamically, but there are a few awkward “without you” phrasings in this take that weren’t nearly as smooth as all the others ~ it is what it is, another day in my life ~ back in 1997! Enjoy! ♡ 🙂 Mark

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Emailed versions of these songs lose their chord alignment and formatting, so refer to the original post and/or the scanned lyric sheet as your guide.

Crossroads

“Listen To The Music”, Collected Works Volume IV, Mark Jones, Copyright 1991, All Rights Reserved

Verse One:

     Dm                        G

I’m standin’ at the crossroads

           Dm                   G

Lookin’ for which way to go

           Dm                             G

No use lookin’ where I’ve come from

           Dm         G

Tell me how will I know

         F                         G

What direction holds the answer

           Am           Dm

For the rest of my life

         F                       C

What direction should I turn to

     Dm        G

To carry me home

     F Am     G

To carry me home

               Dm                    G

’cause I’m lost here without you

                  F              G

And there’s nowhere to turn

            F                    G

I’m just standin’ at the crossroads

Chorus:

           F               G

Lookin’ for my way home

           F               G

Lookin’ for my way home     (Optional ending)

               Am                    G

’cause I’m lost here without you

           F                   G

I don’t know where to turn

            Dm       Am     G

I’m just standin’ at the crossroads

             Am             G

Without you, without you

             Am             G

Without you, without you

            Dm       Am     G

I’m just standin’ at the crossroads

             Am             G                 C

Without you, without you (without you)     (Optional ending)

Verse Two:

            Dm                          G

I’m just standin’ here without you

           Dm               G

Lookin’ down a lonely road

         Dm                G

Can’t find any street signs

            Dm              G

Pointing my way back home

          F                  G

Where will I go from here

                Am           Dm

Down that long dusty road

        F                         C

How will I find (my way) back home

            Dm           G

Without you by my side

             F    Am     G

Without you by my side

               Dm                          G

’cause I’m standing’ at the crossroads

                 F               G

And there’s nowhere to turn

            F                    G

I’m just standin’ at the crossroads

Do You Wonder symbolizes how I’ve always pondered life as far back as I can remember.  It’s a slow, short little song that’s probably best performed simply with a lone singer accompanied by a solo acoustic guitar.  It doesn’t require a big production – just a distant, dreamy and soft voice paired with the most stripped down accompaniment on guitar.  The intent is to simply reflect on life – years past, present and future – and the meaning of it all…”As the snow swirls around, Outside my window today, As I sit here watching the day, Do you think about life, Do you dream about love…”

~~~~~~~~~~

I recorded “Do You Wonder” on Set 17 in 1997, and it’s a short, whimsical little daydream of a song about my thoughts about life, “On a cold winter’s day, As the snow swirls around, Outside my window today, As I sit here watching the day…” This was my second take after my voice cracked while trying to sing at the very top of my range on my first attempt! Enjoy! ♡ 🙂 Mark

~~~~~~~~~~

I’ve already shared my version of “Do You Wonder” from Set 17 while playing the guitar, and now here’s the piano version from Set 18. On Sets 18 and 19 I tried experimenting for the first time playing the piano in the studio while singing a few of my songs, and it’s only appropriate with this song, as I originally wrote it on the piano ~ enjoy! ♡ 🙂 Mark

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(Note: Emailed versions of these songs lose their chord alignment and formatting, so refer to the original post and/or the scanned lyric sheet as your guide!)

Do You Wonder

“Listen To The Music”, Collected Works Volume IV, Copyright 1991, Mark D. Jones, All Rights Reserved

Verse One:

           Em               Bm

Do you wonder sometimes

           Em           Bm

Do you wonder at all

           Em               Bm

Do you wonder sometimes

          C                 D

At the meaning of it all

          C                 D

At the meaning of it all   (end)

            G                   Bm

I’m just wondering out loud

        Am              D

On a cold winter’s day

          Em                    D

As the snow swirls around

     C                        D

Outside my window today

       C                            D           (G  Em  Am  D)  x2

As I sit here watching the day

Verse Two:

           Em             Bm

Do you think about life

           Em               Bm

Do you dream about love

           Em              Bm

Do you ask yourself what

         C                 D

Is the meaning of it all

      C                 D

The meaning of it all

            G                Bm

I’m just thinking out loud

          Am   D

About life today

            Em                D

And the years that go by

          C                   D

As my life goes on its way

       C                            D           (G  Em  Am  D)  x2

As I sit here watching the day