Singin’ The Blues looks at life through the lens of time, family and memories within the perspective of progress as modern life encroaches on the very fabric of our lives. Our memories of what was and what has been are being slowly, but continuously, whittled and chipped away around the edges by time as life relentlessly marches forward.  Singin’ The Blues tells the fictional story of a singer returning to his grandparents’ farm and sitting on the front porch watching the rain, while recalling the days of how it used to be.  The singer realizes that “We must all, Carry on, Carry on, But I long, For the days, On my Grandpa’s farm.”  The singer then gazes out at new houses in the fields where he once played as a boy.  The singer never knew his grandfather for very long and verse four depicts a moving van driving away from what was now his grandmother’s farm – as time has indeed marched on,  “I can still see her now, The way she used to be, Like yesterday, The way it used to be…But you know, Time, Carries on…”

~~~~~~~~~~

I recorded my original song “Singin’ The Blues” as a demo on Set 8 in 1996, and it tells the story of ‘progress’ relentlessly marching on in our lives ~ and changing how things used to be, for better or for worse, “I’m just singing the blues, Watchin’ the rain fallin’ down, Sittin’ on the front porch, Of my Grandpa’s farm…”  Enjoy! ♡ 🙂 Mark

~~~~~~~~~~

(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!)

Singin’ The Blues

“Turn Up The Volume”, Collected Works Volume V, Copyright 1991, Mark D. Jones, All Rights Reserved

Verse One:

            G             E

I’m just singin’ the blues

G                E

Watchin’ the rain fallin’ down

G                 E

Sittin’ on the front porch

         A             E

Of my grandpa’s farm

         A             E

Of my grandpa’s farm     (End)

  G                E

I was a young boy

     G              E

So many years ago sittin’ here

G                   E

Listenin’ to my grandpa’s tales

             A          E

Of how it used to be

             A          E

Of how it used to be

            D

But you know

A

Time

           E

Carries on

A         E

Carries on

        D

And I never

             A

Knew my grandpa

            E

For very long

     A     E

For very long

Verse Two:

            G             E

I’m just singin’ the blues

G                      E

Thinkin’ of those times gone by

G                     E

Dreamin’ of the days

          A             E

On my grandpa’s farm

          A             E

On my grandpa’s farm

        G                 E

And I never understood

G                  E

Why it had to be that way

  G                    E

I never knew my grandpa

     A     E

For very long

     A     E

For very long

            D

But you know

             A

We must all

         E

Carry on

A       E

Carry on

        D

But I long

           A

For the days

                         E

On my grandpa’s farm

          A             E

On my grandpa’s farm

Verse Three:

            G             E

I’m just singin’ the blues

G                E

Watchin’ the rain fallin’ down

G                 E

Wind blowin’ cold

          A             E

On my grandpa’s farm

          A             E

On my grandpa’s farm

        G         E

I can see the fields

    G             E

As far as the eye could see

         G               E

When I was just a boy

               A          E

The way it used to be

               A          E

The way it used to be

            D

But you know

              A

Times are changin’

          E

Everywhere

A        E

Everywhere

            D

Now I’m lookin’

         A

At the houses

       E

Over there

A     E

Over there

Verse Four:

            G             E

I’m just singin’ the blues

G                 E

Watchin’ the movin’ van

G        E

Drivin’ away

             A              E

From my grandma’s farm

             A              E

From my grandma’s farm

        G               E

I can still see her now

      G          E

The way she used to be

      G          E

Like yesterday

               A          E

The way it used to be

               A          E

The way it used to be

            D

But you know

A

Time

           E

Carries on

A         E

Carries on

            D

I’m just singin’

      A

The blues

                         E

On my grandpa’s farm

          A             E

On my grandpa’s farm

            D

I’m just singin’

      A

The blues

                         E

On my grandpa’s farm

          A             E

On my grandpa’s farm     (Back to the top to finish)

Love You So is a fast-paced and joyful song about love, reunions and second chances.  The song tells the fictional story of a woman who had left for whatever reason and now plans to come home.  The guy wakes up to a brand new day with the realization that today’s the day as he prepares to drive to the airport to meet her for their reunion.  The song speaks to changed hearts, second chances, new beginnings, fresh starts and changed perceptions – with both realizing while they were apart that something was missing from their lives – and their future together would be much better than their lives were apart!  “Stay with me baby, Forever more, I don’t want you ever, Walkin’ out the door, And leave me standin’, Here all alone, I’m so glad that, You’ve come back home, And you said that you love me too…”

~~~~~~~~~~

I recorded my original song “Love You So” in two takes on Set 3 in 1996, and as each take turned out well I’ll share them both with you today. The song speaks of a woman who has decided to return home and the excitement of the reunion that follows ~ with both realizing they are so much more together than they were apart. Enjoy! ♡ 🙂 Mark

~~~~~~~~~~

(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!)

Love You So

“Turn Up The Volume”, Collected Works Volume V, Copyright 1991, Mark D. Jones, All Rights Reserved

Verse One:

F

Up in the mornin’

      G

And out of bed

F

Throw on my clothes

                     G

Make sure the dog is fed

F

Skip my breakfast

               G

‘Cause I’m runnin’ late

F

Out the door

            G

‘Cause I just can’t wait     (x3)

    C         G    D

To be with you again     (x3)

    C         G    A

To be with you again

Verse Two:

F

Startin’ the car

                G

And drivin’ down the street

F

Every red light

         G

Is the one I meet

F

Waitin’ for you

               G

Makes the time stand still

        F

‘Till I get there baby

            G

And you know that I will     (x3)

C         G    D

Be with you today     (x3)

C         G    A

Be with you today

Verse Three:

F

Miles and miles

           G

Runnin’ under my feet

F

You and I

         G

Got a date to keep

      F

You called me up

            G

Just the other day

                 F

Said you’re flyin’ in

          G

Comin’ home today     (x3)

            C                  G              D

And you said that you missed me so     (x3)

            C                  G              A

And you said that you missed me so

Verse Four:

  F

I see you standin’ there

           G

Walkin’ through the door

         F

And I realize

         G

That I want you more

F

More than I ever

       G

Ever thought I could

            F

‘Cause I didn’t believe

             G

That you really would     (x3)

C         G   D

Be with me again     (x3)

C         G   A

Be with me again

Verse Five:

        F

With you in my arms

          G

it feels like a dream

  F

I kiss your lips

          G

And it only seems

      F

Like yesterday

                  G

When it was you and me

F

Now you’re back home

                G

And you’re kissin’ me     (x3)

            C               G           D

And you know that I love you so     (x3)

            C               G           A

And you know that I love you so

Verse Six:

F

Stay with me baby

    G

Forever more

  F

I don’t want you ever

           G

Walkin’ out the door

      F

And leave me standin’

       G

Here all alone

F

I’m so glad that

          G

You’ve come back home

            C                  G         D

And you said that you love me too

            C                G         D

And you never never wanted to

C                   G  D

Leave me here all alone

      C                  G                  A

And together we’ll make this our home

      C                  G                  D

And together we’ll make this our home     (End)

Like A River is a reflective and introspective song that uses the analogies of a river and the wind to describe the ebb and flow of our lives, changing from calm and gentle to turbulent and out of control in mere moments.  Rivers and wind also symbolize the endless movement of time along a continuum, just as our lives exist along a timeline from birth to death.  Within these two analogies, we not only see ourselves flowing along in a river of time and blown along by the wind as if in a hot air balloon – we also see that others accompany us along the way – sharing with us this passage of time and precious opportunity called life.  “Life’s like a river, Just rollin’ along, That river keeps flowin’, On and on…”

~~~~~~~~~~

I recorded my original song “Like A River” in two takes as demos on Set 7 in 1996, and the second take is the better version.  The song compares our journey through life to a river and to the wind, as they both flow through periods of calm and turbulence, “Life’s like a river, Just rollin’ along, That river keeps flowin’, On and on…”  Enjoy! ♡ 🙂 Mark

~~~~~~~~~~

(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!)

Like A River

“Turn Up The Volume”, Collected Works Volume V, Copyright 1991, Mark D. Jones, All Rights Reserved

Verse One:

D              E

Life’s like a river

D             E

Just rollin’ along

       D              E

That river keeps flowin’

D         E

On and on

    A                  G

My life’s like that river

A             G

Just rollin’ on

A               G

Twistin’ and turnin’

A         G

On and on

       D              E

Sometimes that river

        D             E

Is as smooth as glass

       D              E

Sometimes that river

    D             E

Is rough and fast

     A                 G

My life’s like that river

     A              G

As calm as can be

      A                   G

But then come the rapids

       A      G

That carry me

D              E

Away like a river

D        E

Out to sea

        D             E

Don’t know the direction

D                     E

They’re carrying me

            A

Carrying me

            D

Carrying me

            C             G

‘Cause I know that river

             C             G

Keeps flowin’ to the sea

        D                   E

But I don’t know my life’s

D       E

Destiny

        A                   G

And I know that my days

      A                   G

Are numbered and few

           D            E

But I’m happy to spend

         D            E

All my days with you

       A

With you

       D

With you

       G

With you

       E

With you

Verse Two:

D                 E

Life’s like the wind

D               E

Just blowin’ along

       D                   E

That wind keeps on blowin’

D         E

On and on

    A                G

My life’s like the wind

A               G

Just blowin’ on

        A            G

Don’t know the direction

      A         G

Just blowin’ along

       D              E

Sometimes that wind

        D              E

Is as calm as can be

       D              E

Sometimes that wind’s

    D                  E

As strong as can be

    A                G

My life’s like the wind

      A         G

Just blowin’ around

        A                     G

Don’t know where I’m goin’

       A         G

Just coverin’ ground

           D               E

Like the wind that’s blowin’

       D        E

As it travels along

        D             E

Don’t know the direction

   D            E

It blows me along

A

Along

D

Along

            C                   G

‘Cause I know that the wind

         C                 G

Keeps blowin’ on forever

       D                   E

But I know that my life

         D           E

Won’t go on forever

        A                  G

And I know that my days

      A                  G

Are numbered and few

           D           E

But I’m happy to spend

         D            E

All my days with you

       A

With you

       D

With you

       G

With you

       E

With you