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A CHANCE FOR LOVE
(2018)
This is a jazzy-type ballad about giving a budding relationship another chance before it all ends. Or maybe just a metaphor for second chances at anything in life. I wrote the whole song on piano. Music and melody first, lyrics last.
A FEELING
(2014)
The music and melody for this song was written many years before I finished the final lyrics. I had the idea for the opening guitar riff in 2002 and then forgot about it for nearly 12 years. It's a fun song about two people playing some cat-and-mouse game of love with each other. There are also several Beatles' song titles mentioned throughout the verses as well.
A GOOD DAY
(2014)
This song was inspired in part by my own life. I enjoy the way I live and try to always have a positive attitude every day. It was also written to bring more happiness to the world in the midst of all the anger and negativity that exists. It's a pretty song that I really enjoy playing.
A HEART ON THE LINE
(2008)
This song is basically about someone who is going through a difficult end of a relationship. Could be the end of a marriage or a friendship or a partnership. Whatever type fits for the listener. This song is not about any particular relationship or person but it was inspired by a friend of mine who had recently gone through a bad break-up. It was written in three different time signatures starting in 3/4 at the intro, 4/4 for the verses and 5/4 one quick time in the second verse. I felt this type of song worked very well acoustically without too much production because of the emotional tone. It was written in sections over a period of 3 days.
A LITTLE MORE
(2017)
I wrote this song around a single riff that repeats several times throughout the song. It reminded me of something George Harrison might have played. I wanted to record it with a 12-string guitar. But when I recorded it I didn't have a 12-string so I layered several different guitar parts together in mono to create a 12-string guitar sound. The message in this song is going "the extra mile" in life to achieve goals and dreams.
A LONG ROAD
(2016)
The concept of this song is about how everything worth doing in life takes hard work and dedication. I wrote it all on acoustic guitar. Music first, lyrics last.
A LONG TIME
(2017)
The main character in this song is struggling to be noticed. Could be in the work place or just in social circles. But they are desperate to be recognized for their abilities. I wrote it on guitar. Music and melodies first, lyrics last.
A LOVE GROWN COLD
(2007)
A hopeful song about an unsure type of romantic relationship. I feel that the characters in this song still have a lot of love for each other but have lost the way of expressing it. While some listeners may interpret this as a sad song, I wrote it with an optimistic feeling for the characters that they will get back the passion that has gone cold. But it is never actually definitively revealed in the song. This was the first song I wrote after a two-week dry spell in writing. It was the one and only time I ever went dry and I felt elated when this song came to me. The whole song practically wrote itself in about an hour. Melody and chord progression came first and the lyrics were written shortly after.
A NEW PLACE IN THE SUN
(2023)
I wrote this song on keyboard with the idea of producing it in the style of a 1970's R&B ballad. The song is about contemplation and self-discovery. It was written in about an hour. Music and melody first, lyrics last.
A STRANGER'S TOUCH
(2016)
This is a song about not really knowing the person who you are with. Someone that has a hidden dark side to their personality that they keep to themselves. And as time goes on it gets harder for them to contain that darker side. I wrote it as if it was a movie script. The characters were developed in that way. The majority of this song was written on guitar with some sections composed on piano.
A TIME AND PLACE
(2022)
I wrote this song about finding balance in life. Embracing everything both good and bad and seeing how everything works together. The whole song was written on acoustic guitar. Music and melody first, lyrics last.
ACCEPTANCE
(2017)
This was the last song I wrote with my cat Spike. Every song I've ever written was was written with him by my side since 2002. This song was written just 28 hours before he passed away on July 21, 2017. He was 15 years old. A song publishing company asked me to write a song about world peace and so I came up with this song with a message of acceptance for all people. It was written entirely on acoustic guitar. This is also the only song that I have a video of the writing session. I set up my video camera and sat on the couch with Spike and wrote this song.
AFTERMATH (2019)
I wrote this song to be a metaphorical statement about any situation that has led to negative consequences. The message is to think about the choices we make and what they might lead to later. The story in the song is strongly hinting at something like a major event such as a global catastrophe, natural disaster or anything else of that nature (stock market crash, etc). But the metaphor can be used for any situation that the listener chooses. I wrote the music and melody first on guitar and the lyrics last.
AGED AND UNSATISFIED (2024)
DESCRIPTION
ALL DAY EVERY DAY ANYWAY
(2014)
This song could be taken in a risque way which is how I intended it. But it also could be about anything really. The title came to me when I was thinking about the craft of songwriting and how I do it all day every day anyway. And the title led to the rest of the story for the song. It was written on both acoustic guitar and piano in about 2 days. Music and melodies first, lyrics last.
ALL I AM IS WITH YOU
(2006)
I wrote this song about 3 years before I ever released it officially. It is the typical big mushy love ballad. It modulates between three different keys and is the first time I ever did that in a song. The melody line of the chorus came to me in a flash while I was driving one afternoon and I just sang outloud to myself the lyric "All of my waiting is done. All of my searching is through."
I finished writing the body of the song when I got back home and wrote all of the lyrics the next day.
ALL MY LOVE
(2006)
I was inspired by the early Motown sound for this song. I wanted a horn section and a driving drum groove to go along with the simple melody line. This song was constructed with production in mind from the start. I kept the chorus melody very simple and the verse melody more complex intentionally which is rare for my songs. Usually they are the other way around.
ALL TOO FAMILIAR
(2022)
I wrote this song because I wanted an up-tempo piano boogie song for a live album I was writing songs for. The whole structure of the song consisting of the melody, chords and arrangement was written in about 5 minutes. The lyrics were then mostly written while I was in my car driving to the store to do some shopping. I finished the lyrics when I got back home.
ALL WE'LL EVER KNOW
(2005)
I remember changing the key of this song about six or seven times before settling on the key of B. This one was written in sections over the course of a week. I think the message is simply that we all have this one planet to share. It's our only home in space. The lyric "I must remember our time together is only for a little while" is a way of saying we should all be a little nicer to each other.
ALONE
(2021)
I originally wrote this song as a slow jazz song on piano. It took about a week to write it in small sections. Eventually I produced it as an upbeat pop song. The message in the song is about dealing with being alone in the world.
ALONG THE LINE
(2014)
This song was inspired by the style of some of the songs on Tom Petty's 1994 album "Wildflowers" as well as the Eagles' 2007 album "Long Road Out Of Eden". I wanted a soft easy-listening vibe for it so I played brushes on the drum track and added the 3-part harmony "oohs" at the end. I wrote the song on guitar in about an hour. Music first, lyrics last.
ALWAYS KEEPING SECRETS
(2008)
I always pictured the characters in this song to be a young man in his mid twenties and an older woman perhaps in her late 40's or early 50's engaged in a sneaky kind of relationship. The character of "Mrs. Robinson" comes to mind here. This is one of my favorite types of song to write for some reason although it doesn't actually reflect my own life. The first idea that came to me for this song was the melody of the bass line. I wrote the entire song on the bass and fit the chords to match what I was playing. The lyrics were subsequently written only a few minutes after writing the body of the song. All in all, this song was written in about 45 minutes.
AN AVERAGE DAY
(2014)
I wrote this as a jingle to be used for the theme music for a local radio show. I was interviewed by the hosts and was asked to write a short song to open and close their weekly show so this is what I wrote for them. It was written on acoustic guitar. Music and melody first and lyrics last.
AN OCEAN APART
(2019)
I wrote this song about how love can cross all barriers including distance. The music and melody was written over the course of a week. Lyrics written last in about an hour.
ANOTHER NIGHT
(2023)
This is a song about insomnia and the struggles that go along with it that many people in the world face. I wrote it on acoustic guitar in about an hour. Music and melody first, lyrics last.
ANOTHER TOMORROW
(2015)
I wrote this song with the concept of living life to the fullest. Nothing is promised or guaranteed. And no one knows how long we have to live. So I wanted to write a song that is a reminder to live as happily and productively as possible everyday. The song was written entirely on acoustic guitar in two days. The lyrics were written just a few minutes after the melodies were finished.
ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING
(2023)
This is a song about two people together living their lives however they want without fear of judgement from anyone else. It's a romantic song that I wrote in about 20 minutes on acoustic guitar. Music and melody first, lyrics last.
ANYTIME ANYPLACE
(2016)
This is a simple song about two people who are wild about each other and really can't get enough of "it". The music and melody was all composed on piano. The lyrics were written days later while I strummed the song on acoustic guitar.
ARE YOU READY TO MOVE ON
(2022)
I wrote this song on acoustic guitar. Music and melody first, lyrics last. It started with a riff that became a repeating theme through the song. Originally I had a slightly different opening riff that led into the main riff while I was composing the song but I scrapped that idea. The song is about life changes and being indecisive about whether or not to make a big change. It also could be about forced life changes that we have no control over.
AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED
(2023)
This song was written very quickly one afternoon on my classical guitar. I picked up the guitar and immediately began finger-picking the main riff along with chords, melody and lyrics right off the top of my head. I recorded a quick demo of what I could remember of what I just played and sang and it became the final composition of the song. One of my favorites that I've written. It's a romantic song about being content with one person in life.
AT A MOMENT'S NOTICE
(2022)
This song started out as a blues song which eventually evolved into a pop ballad. The chord progression is reminiscent of the 1950's styles and the message of the song is about cherishing what you have in the moment while it lasts. I wrote the music and melody on guitar first and then the lyrics after.
AT ANY COST
(2016)
This is song is about the fear of losing one's own mind. I believe I was inspired subconsciously to write this song after learning about Glen Campbell's Alzheimer's Disease. The whole song was written on acoustic guitar.
ATTRACTION
(2010)
This is one of my favorite songs that I've written. It's a primal kind of song about basic human attraction without any concerns about political correctness or societal perceptions. I knew I wanted a really soaring guitar intro so I constructed the intro according to which notes I wanted the lead guitar to play. The melody and chord structure went through many changes over the course of several weeks before it was finished and a few days later I wrote the lyrics. While I was developing the chord structure, I felt it had a latin type of sound. Kind of like what is heard in old Western movies with the classical guitar and the whistle. So I used a classical guitar in the chorus.
AWAY FROM YOU
(2009)
This is a blues tune that I had in mind for several years before I actually finished writing it. The main character of the song seems to me to be a guy (or girl) who is ready to move on from a relationship that has lost all of it's passion. I think there is a bit of anger in the characters as well. This song gave me the chance to play more lead guitar work and I also played two drum tracks at the same time in the style of the Allman Brothers Band.
BABE IT'S YOU
(2006)
This is the first time I attempted to write an R&B song. I had been listening to some of the hit R&B songs at the time and wrote this one in about an hour on keyboard. Melody and chords took about 15 minutes and the lyrics were written the next day in about 45 minutes. There are counter lyric lines over the main verse lyrics which I was very pleased with.
BACK TO THE LOVE
(2012)
I wrote this song as a message of love and peace. It's not meant to preach to anyone but it's just simply saying that if we all focus on love and peace instead of hate and violence, we all could make a better world to live in. All the music and melodies were written on keyboard in about 10 minutes and the lyrics were written in about an hour a week later. I used a moog synth bass for this track.
BARE BONES
(2012)
This song was written entirely on keyboard in about 3 hours. All the music and melodies were done first and the lyrics written shortly thereafter. It's basically a song about human arrogance in thinking we can control nature, but nature is always the one who is really in control. I sang 4-part harmony in the choruses.
BE THEIR STRENGTH
(2011)
This song was written for the victims of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. It was mainly composed on piano. Music and melody first, lyrics last.
BEFORE I LEAVE
(2023)
This is a ballad I wrote on acoustic guitar. It's about someone who knows they are nearing the end of their life and is saying goodbye to their loved ones and to life itself. I pictured someone in Hospice care surrounded by their loved ones. It's not necessary about an older person but anyone of any age. It was written in about an hour. Music and melody first, lyrics last.
BEFORE THE SHOW IS OVER
(2023)
I wrote this song on acoustic guitar over a two day period. The story seems to be about someone who is happy with their life the way it is but they also feel some regret for certain choices they've made. This is one of my favorite songs that I've written.
BELIEVE
(2006)
After I wrote this song in 2003 it stayed in demo form until I finally re-recorded and released it officially in 2006. My idea for this song was about someone who had been fired from a job, perhaps wrongfully and is bitter about it. The main character is basically speaking to their former boss with petty insults like "Too fast for you, too slow for me. Too complicated for you, easy for me." The whole song was written over two days with the melody first and lyrics last.
BELIEVE IN ME
(2015)
This song has a 1950's feel to me. It's a somewhat cynical song. But the protagonist is frustrated because his/her significant other is always discouraging rather than encouraging. The idea that knowing someone believes in what you're doing can be powerful in helping to achieve success is the concept in this song. It was written in sections over a 2-day period entirely on acoustic guitar. Melody and music first, lyrics last.
BETTER IN LEATHER
(2014)
I had the title for this song in my head for about five years before I actually wrote the song. The story is metaphorical in that it can be applied to the risque or to simply enjoying a good book. I really enjoyed playing with the words while writing the lyrics and had a great time recording it. First I composed the music and melodies on acoustic guitar in about an hour and then wrote all the lyrics after that.
BETTER IN THE BACK
(2022)
This song began as a title that I heard someone say at a gig. They were saying how they thought the acoustics of the room sounded better in the back of the venue rather than up close. I went home and wrote the entire song in about 10 minutes. Music and melody first, lyrics last. This song was written entirely on piano but I ended up recording it on guitar instead.
BETTER TO BE SORRY THAN SAFE
(2015)
I wrote this song while on one of my daily walks around my neighborhood. The title had been in my mind for many years but without any concept or music ideas attached to it. I just thought it was a funny twist of the common phrase "better to be safe than sorry". But it occurred to me that it could make sense that being sorry for something and owning up to a mistake and then accepting the consequences would be better for a person's self-respect and integrity rather than keeping "safe" and hiding the truth. When that idea hit me, I immediately started humming a melody for it. Before I had finished my walk back home, I already had the lyrics to the first verse and chorus. I finished writing the rest of the song that night on acoustic guitar.
BEYOND THE UNIVERSE
(2015)
The arrangement for this song changed drastically with each revision I did to it. It took several weeks to decide on the way I ultimately recorded it. There were originally many fast-changing chords and an intricate melody weaving it's way throughout the song which is how I made the demo recording. That was how I intended to record it up until the day that I actually did record it which is when I completely changed the arrangement and simplified the chords and melody. The whole song was composed on acoustic guitar. I believe the concept in this song is being open-minded to all possibilities and an optimistic attitude towards life.
BLACK CLOUD
(2012)
This is one of my favorite songs that I've written. It is a very dark song but the story is one that I'm quite proud of. It is about a man sitting alone in a dark, small prison cell on the eve of his execution date. The image I had in my head while I was writing it was of the man sitting in his cell looking out the small window into the night sky and in the distance he can see the noose hanging from the gallows which is where he will be going in just a few hours the next morning. As he is sitting there he is pondering all of the things he did in his life that brought him to this moment and wondering how and why he got there. I was inspired by the old western movies as well as the early delta blues players of the 1930's and 40's to write this song. It was composed entirely on piano in about 2 hours. Music first, lyrics last.
BLACKMAIL
(2008)
This is a song about some of the dark sides of life and how anyone could easy fall through the cracks so-to-speak, or become mixed up with the wrong kind of people. The lyric "complete the sale to hide the tale" both figuratively and metaphorically sums up the main idea of the song. The word "tale" could also be interpreted as "tail" as in the phrase "cover your a$$/save your hide". The main character could be someone who has committed a crime and is being blackmailed by the only person who knows about it so they will keep it secret. Or it could be any other situation that the listener interprets it as. This song stayed in demo form for 5 years until I re-recorded and officially released it 2008.
BLIND SPOT
(2008)
I wrote this song as a piano-ballad right from the start. The title was inspired by something a former teacher of mine used to say to his students all the time. My thoughts about what the story of this song should be about were in a metaphorical way referring to someone who is courting someone who he/she wants to be in a relationship with. The first lyric that came to my mind was "you've just gotta check your blind spot and I'll be there waiting for you" which is basically saying "I'll be here when you're ready". The body of the song was written in about 20 minutes and the lyrics were written about an hour later.
BON VOYAGE, GOOD LUCK, ADIEU
(2021)
This song was written on acoustic guitar over a 2-day period. Music first, lyrics last. It's about letting go of someone who uses others for their own gain. But also still having sympathy for them at the same time.
BOTTOM TO TOP
(2023)
I wrote this song very quickly on my acoustic classical guitar. The opening riff came about immediately while I was finger-picking and then I started singing random words to an arbitrary melody which all became the final words and melody. It's a simple song about perserverance the struggles we all have to face while trying to live each day.
BRING BACK YESTERDAY
(2007)
This song began with the title which was inspired by the Foreigner song "That Was Yesterday". It was written as an R&B song about wanting to be able to go back in time to either fix the past or to re-live a better time of life. I used both piano and guitar to compose the song and it was written over a period of 2 or 3 days. The time signature changes in the choruses from 4/4 to 7/4 and back to 4/4. The song wrote itself that way and really gave the song a nice edge.
BY CHANCE
(2012)
This song was written around the drum beat. I started playing that particular groove on the kit and immediately began hearing the chords that should go with it. So I recorded about 5 minutes of me playing just the drums and then used that as a foundation to write the song to. It took about 3 days to finish all the music and melodies on piano and then another day to write the lyrics. This song has a jazz feel to it which I really liked. The story is about two people meeting each other in the park (or anywhere) and eventually falling in love. It has become one of my favorite songs that I've written.
CALL IT QUITS
(2023)
This song went through several arrangement changes before the final version. Originally I intended it to be a rock song but it became an R&B song. I wrote it all on acoustic guitar. Music and melodies first, lyrics last. The story is about two people in a relationship finally talking about everything they each feel is right and wrong and how to keep things going.
CALL ME
(2016)
I wrote this song on piano. It has a jazzy feel to it. All of the chords and melodies were written in about 5 minutes. But I didn't finish writing the rest of the lyrics until about a year later. It's a simple song about wanting to be there for someone at all times. Whatever they need they can count on you being there. That was the concept in my mind when I was writing it. The lyrics took about an hour to finish.
CARRIED AWAY
(2005)
Here is a ballad about someone who gets a little carried away with their dreams of being in a relationship with someone who may not even know they exist. It does not go as far as being a stalker-song but rather just someone who may be too shy to do anything about the feelings he/she has for a person. By the end of the song, it becomes clear to him/her that an actual relationship will never happen with the person.
CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE
(2017)
This song is about growing up and learning from the mistakes of youth. It's one of my more jazzy songs. I wrote it all on guitar. Music first lyrics last.
CHECK IT OUT
(2017)
This song originally started as an idea for a rap song. But as I began developing the concept for the song and the musical ideas for it I decided to take it in a more R&B/smooth jazz direction in the style of Sade. Written both on acoustic guitar and piano.
CHOICES
(2016)
This song has a country feel to it. I wrote it entirely on acoustic guitar. The concept is about how all of life is a series of choices. How each choice leads down a different path and to think carefully about each choice.
COLLISION COURSE
(2017)
I wrote this song as if it were to be the soundtrack to a movie. The "script" of the song is about an asteroid billions of miles away in space that is on a collision course with Earth. But it also is a metaphor for any event in a person's life that causes major changes in one way or another. I'd love to see this song in a sci-fi movie or perhaps a drama. I wrote it all on guitar. Music and melodies first, lyrics last.
COME AND GET IT
(2019)
This song started as just a bass riff that I came up with one night in the studio. The rest of the song was built around that. I wrote it to sound like a James Brown type of song. Music and melody written first, lyrics last.
COME AND GO
(2014)
This song was written about the struggle to stay relevant. The idea that there is always someone a little bit faster, smarter, stronger, younger, etc. who is ready to take the place of whoever is number 1. It is also about second chances. If you fall down, you can get back up. If you lose, you can win again.
COME BACK HOME
(2009)
I wrote this song as a tribute to Bo Diddley who I had the pleasure of knowing and performing with as a young teenager. The song doesn't actually talk about Bo but rather is about how he felt about things. He always believed in helping the youth of the world to stay off the streets and away from drugs. I used his famous "Bo Diddley Beat" on this track. Most of it was written in 2002 but I didn't finish writing it until 2009 when it was finally officially released.
COME RIGHT OUT AND TELL YOU
(2007)
This is a love ballad about someone who is finally ready to tell the person he/she is attracted to that they have feelings for them even though there is a good chance of being rejected. The whole song was written in about an hour with the melody and chord structure first and lyrics last.
COME TO ME
(2023)
This is a song that I almost didn't record because I couldn't decide how it should be produced. I originally wrote it as an electric piano ballad but it became an electric guitar rock song. I'm happy with the way I chose to produce it and I'm glad I didn't let this song get lost to the ethos. The story is about two people having a secret love affair and wanting to let the secret out and face whatever consequences come from it.
COMING BACK TO YOU
(2014)
This song was written in about 15 minutes on guitar. Music and melodies first, lyrics last. It is similar to another one of my songs called "Tired Of Your Games".
COMMON DESTINY
(2023)
I wrote this song on acoustic guitar. While I was writing it I thought it had a medieval sound to it so I used flutes in the recording to give it a bit of that sound. The story is loosely about fate, coincidence, luck and a bit of planning ones own destiny along with someone else.
CREATURE OF THE NIGHT
(2016)
To put it bluntly, this song is about a sex-crazed woman on the prowl for as many "victims" as she can get. The music and melodies were composed first with the acoustic guitar and then I wrote the lyrics a few days later.
CRUEL WORLD
(2006)
I think this song is just a statement of how the world and/or life can be very unfair many times but that happiness can still be achieved with just a little bit of effort. It has a message of hope but also that it's OK to feel a bit down or depressed sometimes. The entire song was written in about 15 minutes. Melody first, lyrics last.
CRUMBLING
(2023)
I originally wrote this song on acoustic guitar but later it became a piano ballad. The song is about someone who feels their world is crumbling around them and they are trying to figure out how to survive it all. I wrote it in about 30 minutes. Music and melody first, lyrics last.
DEBT
(2014)
I wrote this song in the style of an old delta blues song. It is both humorous and serious at the same time. Many people in the world struggle with debt so I wrote this song in addressing that. But it is still meant to be a fun song even if it is a serious subject. It was not written about me or anyone else in particular. But I'm sure there are people who have lived or are living the story.
DEEP IN THE DARK OF THE NIGHT
(2008)
This song began with the title which was inspired by a line in the Bee Gees song "Paying The Price Of Love" which says "Deep in the dark of the night I'm a man on a mission" so I just used the first part of the line and made up a story around it. I was only writing acoustic-style songs during this period (mid-2008) but I have always felt this could have been produced or performed in a full-band style as well. It took about a week to write this song completely and it was written in sections.
DEEPER
(2016)
I wrote this song while sitting in my car in the parking lot of Walmart. All of the melody, story and most of the lyrics came to me within 5 minutes just sitting there in the car. I began singing and beatboxing the ideas to myself in the car. As I drove home I continued writing the song in my head and outloud with my voice. By the time I returned home the whole song was composed and I began the process of arranging, producing and recording it. The chorus was the first thing I wrote with the idea of someone falling deeper in love with someone with each passing moment and unable to stop the force.
DESTINY
(2016)
This song is about working towards dreams and goals. And knowing there is a destiny waiting... but not being sure exactly what it is. I wrote it all on acoustic guitar. Music first lyrics last.
DIGNITY
(2010)
I wrote this song with an R&B/Disco groove in mind. The melody came to me one morning while I was walking around my block like I do most days. I hummed the melody as I walked and began singing arbitrary words which slowly started to take shape. The line "You've gotta have dignity to find the purity of the love in your heart for someone" was what I was singing repeatedly by the time I got back home and I began working on the song immediately in the studio. The title was originally from a demo that I had been working on 6 years earlier in 2004 which was mostly just an instrumental. Although the style of that demo song was nothing like the style of this song. It took a few days to finish the whole song. The lyrics were written several days after the melody and chords were finished.
DIRTY LITTLE SECRET
(2013)
This song is about a love affair. I pictured the story as being a man who is in a secretive relationship with a married woman. He wants the relationship to be out in the open, but she is scared to leave her husband and also afraid of what her friends would think when they find out she has been having an affair. I wrote the whole song on piano. Music and melody first, lyrics last.
DO YOU THINK IT'S FAIR (2024)
DESCRIPTION
DOCTOR-PATIENT PRIVILEGE
(2011)
This song started with the title. I wanted this to be about a improper sexual relationship between a doctor and a patient. But the doctor becomes fearful that the patient may want to blackmail him to keep his misconduct a secret. This apparently doesn't bother the doctor who is more-than-willing to pay whatever price is necessary to continue doing the dirty deed.
There is another idea behind this song that I also had in mind which was to make fun of the tabloid rumors that can plague a celebrity and cast them in a negative light. I took this idea and made the character play along with whatever it was being said and then develop my own pseudo-tabloid story for the character which all could be completely made-up. The melody and chord structure were written in about 2 days and the lyrics were written about a week later over a period of 3 or 4 days.
DONE
(2017)
The music for this song was written back in 2002. But I completed the vocal melody and lyrics in mid 2017. It's a very dark song which adequately reflects the emotions I was feeling during that time (April-December, 2017) when my cat Spike was fighting for his life and after he passed.
DON'T BE AFRAID
(2022)
This song started as a title that I heard someone say at a gig many years before I actually wrote the song. I composed the entire song on acoustic guitar in an afternoon writing session based on a descending guitar riff. Music and melody first, lyrics last.
DON'T EXPECT A THING
(2012)
I wrote this song completely on piano in about an hour. All the music and melodies were composed first and then the lyrics written afterwards. It was meant to be a blues song in the style of the original Mississippi delta blues players in the 30's and 40's. I think it's about someone who is trying to make a decision about their life and their future. Maybe he/she is reflecting on their past and wanting to make a change for the better. There is also a relationship story intertwined within the context of the song that deals with moving on without bitterness.
DREAM COME TRUE
(2020)
I wrote this song on acoustic guitar. Music and melody first, lyrics last. The main character in this song is lamenting a breakup with someone he/she is still in love with. The story is one of loyalty and devotion.
DREAMING OF YOUR LOVE
(2020)
I wrote this song on acoustic guitar. Music and melody first, lyrics last. I wanted this song to conjure up images of walking on the beach with a soft breeze and waves rolling in on a beautiful day. It's a romantic story of love.
DREAMS
(2014)
This song was inspired by the style of The James Gang in the way I wanted to produce it with just bass, guitar and drums without overdubs. The time-signature changes were in the style of the band Rush. I wanted it to have a hard rock edge but with soft vocals to contrast it and a positive message of success in the story. It was written entirely on guitar in about 45 minutes. Music and melody first, lyrics last.
DREAMWORLD
(2007)
This song is about the fantasies people live out in their dreams where anything is possible. The main body of the song was written in about 30 minutes on an acoustic guitar and the lyrics were finished about an hour after that.
DROPARAZZI
(2011)
The title of this song is a play on words of my name and the word "paparazzi". I wanted to write a song about fame and all of the things both good and bad that go along with it. The rumba drum beat was the first idea that came to me and I wrote the rest of the song around it which is something I don't typically do. But it really worked in this case. Over the drums I added a repeating staccato piano riff which has an almost oriental sound to it. This is one of my favorite songs that I've written. The main body of the song was composed almost entirely on piano one afternoon in about 3 hours. But I came up with most of the lyrics while I was driving in my car a few days later as I was humming the melody to myself. I began to sing words that all seemed to work perfectly. So I pulled into a store parking lot and wrote down all of the lyrics onto a napkin and then finished the song completely when I got back home.
D-R-O-P-J-A-W
(2009)
This is my theme song. I wrote it while I was in high school during lunch hour as a rap song that had different parts so several people could participate in it. During the school year I would regularly have a few fellow classmates each do a particular vocal part of the song while I would rap the main lyrics over all of their parts. It was always great fun. I didn't actually record and release it until 8 years later because I really wanted to establish myself as a serious songwriter before releasing a funny type of song like this one. There were also some additional verse lyrics I wrote just before recording it.
EASIER TO SING IT THAN TO SAY IT
(2014)
I wanted to write a country ballad about how it's easier to tell a person how you are feeling by-way of a song rather than saying it with words to them. It was written on both guitar and piano over a period of 2 days. Music and melody first and lyrics last.
EASY TO FORGET
(2006)
This song is about the homeless people around the world. The ones who many of us try to avoid and turn away from. There is a very high percentage of homeless people in the area I live in and after seeing them everyday, witnessing how other people react to them and how I have interacted with them inspired me to write this song. It was written with both sides represented (the fortunate and the less-fortunate) and took about an hour to write the main body of the song and another hour or so to finish the lyrics. I used an acoustic guitar to write the whole song.
ELATION
(2019)
I wanted this song to have a very peaceful sound to it. And then to create a story that lyrically describes how elation feels. It's one of my favorites that I've written. Words and music were written in about an hour followed by the lyrics afterwards that same day.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH
(2023)
I wrote this song on acoustic guitar with a Bossa Nova groove in my mind for it. The chord structure is based around a series of major seventh chords with the vocal melody winding it's way around those chords. The story is about deciding to make changes for one's self to have a better life.
ETERNAL LOVE
(2011)
I was inspired to write this song by some friends of mine who got married. So this is what I consider to be a wedding song. The whole song was written on piano and took several days to finish the melody and chord structure. The lyrics were written the same day I finished writing the main body of the song. I had the idea for the melody when the line "Eternal love will always last" came to me and I began singing it repeatedly. The rest of the song was based on that line which also inspired the title of the song.
EVERY DAY WITHOUT YOU
(2007)
I've always wondered what this song is about exactly. It could be about a relationship that has ended badly or perhaps a death in the family. In any case, it's a sad love ballad written with a slight R&B style. I used both piano and guitar to compose this song one afternoon. It took about 3 hours to finish the body of the song and another hour to write the lyrics.
EVERYWHERE IS WHERE YOU WILL BE
(2006)
This was one of the first songs I ever wrote. I won an Honorable Mention Award in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest for this song. It was written in 2003 but I officially released it in 2006. The idea behind this song is basically "no star is too far / no goal is unattainable". It was written entirely on piano and only took about 30 minutes to write the entire song. While I was writing, I knew that I wanted to feature an extended synthesizer lead solo at the end as a way of building intensity. Winning the award for this song really helped build my confidence as a songwriter. It was the first time I'd ever been publicly recognized for my merit as a writer. I submitted just the demo of the song to the contest. The album version that I released 3 years later was a new recording with the same arrangement.
EVOLUTION
(2023)
I wrote this song as an acoustic guitar ballad but it became a piano ballad when I recorded it. It's about the evolution of technology and living in a digital age that is progressing almost too fast. A cautionary tale of sorts.
FANTASY
(2005)
I believe this song to be about a made-up relationship in the main character's mind that doesn't actually exist in reality. But the person he/she is fantasizing about is also thinking about them at the same time, but neither of them know they are doing so. The body of the song was written on piano in about an hour after the melody came to me very quickly along with the lyric "You are a part of my fantasy. My night and day and in my dream." The lyrics were finished a few days after the melody and chords were finished.
FAREWELL SOMER
(2009)
This song was written as a tribute to and in memory of Somer Thompson and her friends and family. Somer was a 7-year old girl from Orange Park, Florida who was abducted and killed in October, 2009. The news made national headlines and I felt moved to write this song for her. The opening guitar riff is the first thing that came to me and the rest of the chords and melody were constructed around that. I wrote the whole song on acoustic guitar in sections over 2 days.
FED UP
(2022)
I wrote this song on piano as a jazz song with an old fashioned feel to it. The story in the song is about being unsatisfied with the status quo of life and wanting to make some changes. The melody and chord progression was composed first and lyrics written last over a couple of days.
FINANCIAL BUSINESS
(2006)
I had the title of this song for a few years in my mind before actually writing the song. It was something I said in high school to a friend of mine while we were joking around about something. For some reason I said something like "always remember to take care of your financial business". The song itself was written one day while I was just jamming along to a programmed drum riff in my studio one afternoon and I had the keyboard set to the moog bass sound. I began playing what ultimately became the bass riff of the whole song. After about an hour, I had written all of the music for the song just by having fun jamming with it. The lyrics were written that same night. There is not much of a melody on this song and it is no surprise that there are only 2 chords that alternate back and forth through the entire duration. Since it was written as a jam song rather than with a set melody in mind, the chord structure remained very simple.
FLY AWAY
(2005)
I had the idea of writing a song about someone who wanted to be a pilot. That idea quickly turned metaphorical about wanting to "fly away" from the struggles of life. The chord structure took quite a while to get right. There really are a lot of chords in this song. I wanted each chord to change along with every note of the melody. The way the chords climb up as the melody goes up was my idea of an airplane climbing up into the sky.
FOLLOW THROUGH
(2019)
This is a simple song about persistence in life. To never give up. Or to always finish what you start even if things get very difficult. This song was written very quickly. All the music and melodies were composed in about 10 minutes on guitar and the lyrics followed very soon immediately after.
FOR ME NOW
(2009)
This song was written during the time my mom was in the hospital receiving treatment for advanced Cancer. The piano riff was written before I found out about her condition but the vocal melody and the lyrics were written after. Although this song is not actually about any particular person or event, the tone is sad and probably reflects what I was feeling at the time. It seems to me that the main character in this song is someone with an illness who is speaking to his/her family and friends and telling them that everything will be okay.
FOR YOU
(2010)
I wrote this song for my mom to sing. Her style of singing and tone of voice are very similar to mine with a few distinct differences. I had her voice in mind while writing the melody. Both piano and guitar were used to compose this song. Another reason why I wrote this song was because I wanted my mom to have a goal to look forward to. She was in the hospital being treated for Cancer when I wrote it and this was my way of helping her to have a reason to live. She had been a professional musician for many years before I was born and this song put her back in the music business.
FOR YOUR LOVE
(2015)
This song was composed entirely on acoustic guitar in about 4 hours. I wrote the choruses first. It's another "longing for love" kind of song where the protagonist is struggling to find the way to win the heart of the one he loves.
FOREVER AND A DAY
(2022)
This is a love song where the main character is professing their eternal love for someone. I wrote the whole song on acoustic guitar. Music and melody first, lyrics last.
FOREVER DIDN'T LAST LONG
(2008)
This song began with the title. I really liked the concept of "forever" having a definitive end point. There is a bit of sarcasm through the song but a general feeling of disappointment and longing with regards to the ending of what was once a strong relationship. The lyric "our forever didn't last too long even though we thought we had it all" shows the sarcasm and the disappointment all in one line which the rest of the song was based on. Approximately 90 percent of this song was composed on piano in sections over the course of a week and the lyrics were written as I strummed the chords on acoustic guitar a few days after that. There is no actual event or person that this song is written about although I have known many people who have experienced this type of situation.
FULL MOON SPELL
(2008)
This is one of my favorite songs. I got the idea for it while I was driving home one night and I noticed the full moon in the sky. It really was mesmerising to me because the atmosphere made it look twice as big and it was almost like being under a spell. So I began constructing the song as soon as I got home and it was written in about 45 minutes. I wanted it to have a very spooky vibe almost as if it could be played in a scary movie. The keyboard intro was meant to mimic the sounds of the night. I tried to play sounds that inspired images of crickets and darkness and perhaps low fog with moon beams shining down. The beat of the song changes radically from the choruses to the verses as a way of portraying the moon's affect on people, tides, animals and so forth.
GET AWAY
(2023)
I wrote this song on acoustic guitar in about 10 minutes. While I was writing it I was imagining how Kurt Cobain of Nirvana might have recorded it. That's the style that was in my mind for this song. It's just a simple song about those times in life when a person just wants to be left alone. It's also meant to be a bit humorous and not taken too seriously.
GIFT OF LIFE
(2012)
This is a song about new life. Particularly child birth but it can also be the birth of anything such as an animal or plants in a garden. I wrote it as a gift for a close friend of mine on the birth of his new son. The way I recorded it was by playing and singing it live in the studio with no overdubs. It was written entirely on piano in about 2 hours. Music first, lyrics last.
GIVE IT A CHANCE
(2008)
The idea for this song came about because of a piano finger exercise that I would do just as a warm-up before a gig or recording session. Eventually after a few months, I began to hum a melody while playing it and the song started to take shape. It's basically about someone who ventures out on the town just to get out of the house and relive some boredom. He enters a club or restaurant where he meets a girl and they both take an instant liking to each other. This could be about a one-night-stand or a lasting relationship depending on the listener's interpretation.
GIVE ME YOUR BLUES (2019)
This is a fun blues song with some subtle suggestive overtones. It's just basically about being there for someone to let them be themselves, share their pain, or anything they are going through. And to have fun together at the same time. It's one of my favorite songs that I've written.
All the music and melodies were written on acoustic guitar and then the lyrics were written a few minutes later.
GOING CRAZY
(2013)
The main character in this song starts off feeling mental chaos from lust or infatuation for someone. By the end of the song, he (or she) has learned how to control those emotions in a healthy way. This song was written on both piano and guitar and took me about 2 hours to compose. Music first, lyrics last.
GOING NOWHERE FAST
(2022)
This song began as a simple guitar riff that I just randomly started playing on acoustic guitar one morning. It had a melancholic sound to me so I started playing and singing arbitrary lyrics while putting myself in that kind of mood. The whole song essentially wrote itself in about 10 minutes.
GOOD MORNING (2019)
I wanted to write just a happy song about a new day and new possibilities. It's a very optimistic song. I started this song by strumming the guitar and all the chords just immediately came out exactly as they are on the finished song. I wrote the lyrics in about 10 minutes just after writing the music and melodies.
GOODBYE
(2006)
This song was written as a tribute to the victims and families of the World Trade Center attacks in 2001. I wrote it only a few days after the attacks happened but didn't officially release it for another 5 years. The song doesn't actually mention anything about New York or the World Trade Center specifically so that it can be applied to many different situations. But those events were what inspired me to write the song.
GOPHER IT
(2009)
I wanted to do a song that featured a long drum solo, so I wrote this song to do just that. I originally began my musical career as a drummer and so I felt it was time to do something that showcased what I had been known for doing for my first 12 years as a musician. To pad it out, I wrote a short bass solo, guitar parts, horn parts and vocal harmonies to go before and after the drum solo. I recorded a demo of the song in 2002 and then re-recorded and officially released it in 2009.
GUARDIAN ANGEL
(2015)
This was one of the fastest songs I ever have written. I got the title for it after a local radio DJ was speaking highly of me and my music on the air. He jokingly said that he would want me to be his guardian angel if he happened to be in danger. It was a joke but I really liked the title. So I immediately went to the piano and the first thing I played became the chords and melody for the song. I also began to sing random lyrics that ended up becoming most of the final lyrics. After about 5 minutes nearly the entire song was written. I only had to change a few of the words in the verses when I went to record it a few months later.
HANGING ON THE VINE
(2021)
This song is in the narrative of someone giving advice to a friend who is in love with someone but they are afraid to make any sort of move towards being with them. And the advice to them is to basically try now before it's too late. The title of this song is something I heard in an episode of the television show The Shield in 2002. It remained an idea for a possible song in my mind until 2020 when I finally wrote a song around it. I wrote it on both keyboard and guitar over a 2-day period. Music first, lyrics last.
HAVE A LITTLE PATIENCE
(2023)
This song was written in under 10 minutes one morning while I was strumming the acoustic guitar. The majority of the chords, melody and lyrics came to me pretty much immediately out of the blue and only went through some minor changes when I began to record it. It's a song about the value and the virtue of patience and not rushing anything.
HAVEN'T I
(2016)
I wrote this song entirely on acoustic guitar. It went through many changes before it became the final version that I recorded. I intended it to be a soft acoustic ballad initially. But over time it evolved into club dance track. I wrote it with the concept of someone devoting all of their time and emotions to someone but without ever really getting anything in return or even any acknowledgment from the person.
HE MUST BE A SAINT
(2010)
This is a country song written about a relationship that ends when the girl runs off with another man. It's a pretty common theme but I tried to put an original spin on it, such as the sarcastic lyric "He must be a saint. Apparently that is something I ain't". I've always been very proud of the way the lyrics were written in this song as well as the chord structure. I used both piano and guitar to compose the song over the period of several weeks in many sections and the lyrics were written several days after the body of the song was completed.
HEARTBROKEN
(2007)
Here is another sad love ballad written in R&B style inspired by the songs on Luther Vandross' last album "Dance With My Father". The melody line for the chorus is what came to me first while I was doing yard work one afternoon. I began singing the words "Never again will I feel this way. You're the only one my heart beats for" to the melody over and over again as I worked. Upon completing the yard work, I immediately went into the studio and began composing the song.
HEARTBROKEN AGAIN
(2021)
I came up with the melody for this song while I was driving to a gig. All the music was composed first on both keyboard and guitar and the lyrics were written last.
HELL OR HIGH WATER
(2014)
This is a song about determination to accomplish any goal or dream in life. It was written mainly on guitar and partly on piano in about an hour. Music first, lyrics last.
HELP ME PLEASE
(2023)
This song began as a guitar riff that I was humming over for about an hour. Eventually the melody became pretty well established from the arbitrary lyrics I was singing and I finished writing all of the lyrics in about 10 minutes. It's just a simple song about humility.
HER NEXT FLING
(2009)
This is a comedic country song about a guy who knows a girl in his hometown who has a reputation of getting married a lot and he is just waiting for his chance to be "her next fling". The guy doesn't seem to mind the fact that she probably won't want to stay married to him for very long because he just wants to be with her for as long as she will let him. The song was written very quickly on an acoustic guitar in about an hour. Lyrics were finished after the chord structure and melody had been composed.
HERE WE GO AGAIN
(2021)
I wrote this song on acoustic guitar. Music and melodies first, lyrics last. The story is about two people in a relationship that goes around in circles, bickering and nothing getting resolved. But still being there for each other regardless because they made a commitment to each other.
HONESTLY
(2013)
I wrote the music and melodies to this song in about an hour all on piano and the lyrics over the course of a week. It is about commitment. The main character in the song is professing that no matter what he is doing, what he goes through in life or where he is in the world, his heart will always belong to the one he loves.
HONEY
(2014)
This song was written around a piano riff that I composed as a warm-up exercise for my hands. While playing it I began singing random words that eventually became an established melody. It was clear to me from the start that the song would be happy and pretty so I chose to write a girl that everyone loves because she is so sweet. Thus, the title "Honey" was applied. The girl could be anyone who fits that description. Or it could simply be someone who is the object of someone's affection.
HOW CAN I LET YOU GO
(2016)
This song originally was part of another song I wrote called "I Wish You The Best" which I took out of the song and just forgot about. It has a 50's style progression and I always thought it was a pretty melody. So nearly ten years later I decided to finish it as a complete song on it's own. It's a story of love, loss and acceptance. I wrote it all on acoustic guitar.
HOW FAR
(2022)
This song was written on acoustic guitar around a simple idea of descending major seventh chords over a 7/8 time signature. I did not intentionally write it in 7/8 but I noticed that is how I was playing it while it was being composed. I produced this song in jazz style with 3-part harmony vocals in the choruses.
HOW MANY TEARS (2019)
This is one of my favorite songs that I've written. It's a song that I believe many people can relate to. The theme is about overcoming depression or just sadness of any level. And maybe not even completely overcoming it but rather learning how to live with emotional pain in our lives. Asking the universe "why me?" is a theme in the song too which I feel a lot of people can understand.
I wrote all the music and melodies on acoustic guitar and then wrote the lyrics immediately after.
I BELIEVE
(2010)
The idea for this song came as a flash with the melody line and lyrics "I believe this is where we belong..." and I proceeded to build the entire song around that line. It was written entirely on acoustic guitar. The whole time I was writing it, I knew it would be a tribute song to my parents and one for them to perform on with me. On the recording, my mom played rhythm acoustic guitar and my dad played slide guitar and the lead solo. They both are singing harmony with me in the choruses. I sang the melody with that one lyric line while I strummed various chords to find the correct chords that corresponded with the melody. The body of the song was completely written in about 20 minutes and the rest of the lyrics were finished about a week later.
I CAN SEE THE UNIVERSE
(2016)
This song is about seeing the metaphorical "bigger picture" in any given situation. I wrote it on acoustic guitar. Music first, lyrics last.
I CAN'T BELIEVE IT
(2020)
I wrote this song very quickly on keyboard. Music and melody first, lyrics last. The main character in the song is realizing that a dream of being with someone has finally happened. The whole song was written in about an hour.
I CAN'T FIGHT IT ANYMORE
(2020)
I wrote this song both on keyboard and guitar in about an hour. Music and melody first, lyrics last. It's an angry song about disloyalty and betrayal. The main character of the song is no longer hiding their feelings of hurt and is letting the other person know it.
I CAN'T GO BACK
(2023)
I wrote this song about someone wishing they could go back in time to either re-live or fix things in their past... but knowing they cannot. The way I began to write this song was when I was finger picking one of my acoustic guitars that was tuned to standard tuning. Normally I play in "open D" tuning and somehow the picking pattern and chords started happening in standard tuning. I would not have written it had it been in "open D" tuning. When I recorded the song for the album I had to re-learn the entire song and all of the riffs that I wrote originally in standard over to "open D" which I did. This is one of my favorite songs I've written.
I CAN'T STAY
(2008)
This song is about the many "groupies" that latch on to a band while they are on the road touring. The main character of the song is a happily married man who is not interested in any of the one-night-stand offers from the girls he meets while on the road. The first line that came to my mind was "I'm a committed man with a ring on my hand. It might mean nothing to you, but it means something to me." I used both guitar and piano to compose this song over 2 days. Lyrics were written a few days after the melody and chords were finished.
I CONFESS
(2023)
This is a song about opening up to someone and letting them know how they feel about them. But at the same time accepting that they might not feel the same way. But still being hopeful that they do. I wrote it on acoustic guitar. Music and melody first, lyrics last.
I DON'T GET IT
(2015)
The majority of the music and arrangement for this song were written in 2002 but never had any lyrics. Then one day I was playing guitar in my home and this song popped into my mind for some reason. As I was playing the chords, the story idea started developing into a "longing for the old fashioned ways" type of thing. There are also modern social comments in the verses but it is not meant as a political statement one way or the other.
I DON'T MIND
(2016)
This song began with a short guitar riff that I built the rest of the chords and melody around. The whole song was written on acoustic guitar. It went through many arrangement and production changes before I decided upon the Latin style that it is on the record. It's one of my favorites that I've written.
I GOT HIT BY A TRAIN LAST NIGHT
(2006)
This is my delta-blues tune which started as just a title. It is a metaphorical reference to something big or traumatic happening in a person's life. But there is a lot of comedy fused into the lyrics. I sang this song with an accent which was my attempt at sounding like John Lee Hooker or Muddy Waters. This song also gave me the chance to play a lead guitar solo which I had not done much of up to that point on my songs.
I GOT THE DROP ON YOU
(2019)
This is a blues song I wrote in the early style of the Mississippi delta blues players from the 1940's. I even used my "blues voice" to sing the song. Many listeners don't recognize that it is my voice. The song was written on guitar in a couple of hours. Music first, lyrics last.
I KNOW WHO YOU ARE
(2010)
I wrote this song in jazz style for my friend Taylor Roberts to play lead guitar on. The chord structure was constructed out of 9th's and 13th's to give it a jazzy tone overall. Taylor's fantastic guitar playing enriched this song more than I could have imagined when I was writing it. The story is about someone who finally can see through all the lies of the person he/she is in a relationship with. It is not about anyone or anything in particular. The whole song was written on guitar in sections over the course of a week.
I KNOW YOU'RE MISSING ME
(2022)
I wrote this song from the perspective of someone who has been forced to go away from the one they love for whatever reason and they are trying to comfort the one(s) that are missing him/her. Music and melody written on guitar first and lyrics last.
I LIVE FOR YOU
(2008)
I think this song is about an elderly couple who have been together for many decades and are simply telling each other that they still love each other and will be together for as long as they live. That was the way I was thinking about it while writing the song. I used guitar and piano to compose this song in about 20 minutes. The recording features my cat Spike purring at the end as the song fades out.
I MUST ADMIT (2024)
DESCRIPTION
I NEED A FRIEND TONIGHT
(2016)
This song is about those times we all know and understand when you just need someone to talk to because you're a bit sad or upset. I wrote it on both piano and acoustic guitar. Music first, lyrics last.
I REMEMBER
(2007)
This is a tribute to my maternal grandfather Tom Souder who was a very big part of my life along with my grandmother Elizabeth Souder. I wanted to write a song that appropriately expressed my respect and love for him and so our family could enjoy it too. The lyric "You had a way of creating your own destiny. Finding every possibility. Nothing was out of your reach..." was a very accurate description of my grandfather. He was very intelligent and could make anything, fix anything or create any type of successful situation for his own life or his family. I wrote the whole song in about 45 minutes on an acoustic guitar. As with my other tribute songs, this was also written in a way that it could be interpreted many ways by people for their own lives.
I SAW YOUR FACE
(2023)
I wrote this song on acoustic guitar. The message of the song is rather deep and emotional from my perspective. I had the idea of someone feeling like they are on the edge of life or death but being pulled back from that edge because of someone special in their heart/mind. The circumstances could be anything depending on the listener. This is one of my favorite songs that I've written.
I WILL TRY MY BEST (2024)
DESCRIPTION
I WISH I WAS THE ONE
(2007)
I remember writing the main body of this song very quickly one night right before leaving for a gig. I was playing the acoustic guitar and started strumming out this song along with singing the vocal melody for the choruses. After only about 5 minutes, I was able to strum and hum the entire song all the way through. I then left to play the gig and when I came home, I wrote all of the lyrics. This song seems pretty straight-forward to me about a guy that wishes he could be in a particular girl's life but she still hasn't gone for him yet. I didn't write it with any definitive outcome at the end. The listener will have to decide whether or not they actually do eventually get together.
I WISH YOU COULD READ MY MIND
(2022)
I wrote this song very quickly on guitar while sitting on my couch. My idea was to write a song that could be something fun and simple to play and sing but that had a strong emotional message to it. This is a romantic song where the protaganist wishes that their love interest knew how they truly felt for them in their heart.
I WISH YOU THE BEST
(2008)
This is a song about understanding and forgiveness, I think. The main character of the song is a guy who has strong feelings for someone but she doesn't seem to have feelings back although she's willing to give it a try. He knows that it may not work out between them so he is saying that he understands if she wants to walk away at some point. I had the lyric "Even if you leave me I still wish you the best of everything..." in my mind initially which gave me the idea for the title. The rest of the song was based on that thought and was composed in about 30 minutes on piano. The lyrics were written several days after the body of the song was finished.
I WON'T GIVE YOU THE CHANCE
(2007)
This song was loosely inspired by the Eagles hit "Already Gone" in content. My idea was to write a song about a guy who discovers his girlfriend or wife is planning on leaving him for another man and he decides to leave her before she has the chance of telling him she's leaving. It was written half on guitar and half on piano in about 3 hours. Lyrics were written the same day a few hours after the melody and chords were composed.
IF
(2014)
This song was written over several weeks and went through many changes before I completed it. The melody was written rather quickly but it took many different chord structure experiments to find the right progression for it. The story is simply about someone professing their never-ending dedication to someone. I wrote it mainly on acoustic guitar and a bit on piano.
IF I HAD KNOWN
(2023)
This entire song was written in about 5 minutes on acoustic guitar. The idea I had that afternoon was to start with nothing and then to immediately pick up the guitar and play and sing a song completely off the top of my head without any planning at all. This song is the result of that. The only thing I changed about it when I began to record it is I produced it in reggae style which it was not written as. It's a song about remembering past mistakes and wishing to be able to go back and fix them all somehow.
IF NOTHING ELSE
(2021)
I wrote this song on acoustic guitar. Music first, lyrics last. It started by me just finger-picking on my classical guitar and the melody started happening as I was humming along. It's a song about reflecting on the past and being grateful for the lessons learned along the way.
IF WE'D NEVER MET
(2022)
This song was written mainly on acoustic guitar and a little bit on piano. Music and melody first, lyrics last. I wrote it as a romantic "what if?" type of song.
IF YOU ONLY KNEW
(2021)
I wrote this song in it's entirety while I was driving home from a gig. All of the melodies and lyrics came to me within five minutes and I was singing it to myself as I was driving. When I got home I figured out which chords would go with the melody and immediately recorded a quick demo of the song. The album version was recorded several months later. It's one of my favorite songs that I've written. The story is about holding on to feelings for someone that is unavailable and/or that person doesn't realize how special they are to them.
IF YOU WERE WITH ME NOW
(2022)
This song started out as a slow acoustic ballad but it became an up-tempo pop/funk song with slap bass. I decided to produce it in that way in order to emphasize the urgency of the emotional message in the song. It was written on acoustic guitar in about 30 minutes. Music and melody first, lyrics last.
I'LL BE THERE (2019)
This is a simple song with a simple message of always being by someone's side no matter what. It's a song about devotion and loyalty. I wrote this song on acoustic guitar in about 15 minutes. Music and melodies first, lyrics last.
I'M A FOOL
(2012)
I wrote this song on piano in about 30 minutes with the intention of it to be a very standard-type blues song. The music and melody were all written first in the first 10 minutes and the lyrics were quickly written afterwards. The story is basically about someone who knows that they made a mistake in their relationship and is openly admitting it.
I'M ALL YOURS TONIGHT
(2018)
This song was written relatively quickly while I was playing random things on the keyboard. It has sensual and sexual overtones in the story. The music was all written in about 10 minutes. Lyrics were written a few days later.
I'M NOT AFRAID (2019)
This is a song about overcoming fears. It is also a metaphorical song about maturity and growing up. All the music and melodies were written first on acoustic guitar and then the lyrics were written about 10 minutes later. I ended up recording the song on piano to give a slightly different feel to the music. The song was also originally written in 4/4 time but I recorded it in 3/4 on the album.
I'M WITH YOU
(2020)
This is a romantic song about loyalty, love and devotion. I wrote it both on guitar and keyboard in about 20 minutes. Music and melody first, lyrics last.
IN DUE TIME (2024)
DESCRIPTION
IN MY DREAMS
(2022)
I wrote this song on acoustic guitar in three writing sessions that spanned an entire year. I would work a little on it and then leave it for several months while I finished other songs. Then I'd come back to it and work some more and then leave it again for a few more months until finally finishing it. It's a very simplistic song but it has a universal message in it about connecting our dreams to our reality. I wanted to give this song enough time to construct the lyrics adequately and also to determine an appropriate way to produce it.
IN MY MEMORY
(2016)
This is a song about someone who knows they will die soon and is saying their last goodbye's to everyone. It's kind of like a last will and testament in song-version. I think it could go nice in a movie someday, perhaps. I wrote it on both keyboard and acoustic guitar. Music and melodies first, lyrics last.
IN THE DARK OF THE DAY
(2019)
I wrote this song as an acknowledgement to people suffering with depression. The idea of only seeing darkness even when the sun is shining is what inspired me to write the song. All the music and melodies were written on guitar in about 15 minutes. Lyrics written the next day.
IN THE END
(2012)
I wrote this song on piano in about 30 minutes. Music first, lyrics last. The main character seems to be willing to expose all of his or her faults in order to "cleanse" their soul. It could either be about someone on their deathbed wanting to make peace with everyone they did wrong or it could simply be about someone wanting to start a new chapter in their life.
IN THE KNOW
(2009)
This song is about someone who has either witnessed a crime or knows too much about an illegal operation and is being hunted by the people who committed the crime. I was inspired by the Don Henley song "New York Minute" which is about this same type of story. The majority of the melody and chord structure was composed on guitar in about 4 hours. I wrote the lyrics in sections over 2 or 3 days while playing the chords on piano and guitar.
IN YOUR EYES
(2010)
I wrote this song with the idea of a man discovering that his girlfriend or wife has been cheating on him and he has had enough of the relationship. My main focus when writing the lyrics was to create a very clear images of the scenes in the story for the listeners. I composed the song on both guitar and piano in about an hour. On the final recording, my dad is playing rhythm and lead guitar along with Rob Peck, also on lead and rhythm and Hal Saylor on drums.
INTO THE DARKNESS
(2023)
This song went through many changes before it became what it is on the final version on the album. I originally wrote it on acoustic guitar as an upbeat country song. And then I changed it to a slow blues song. And finally I chose to produce it as a pop/rock ballad. It's a song about recovery, acceptance and self-discovery.
INVISIBLE (2024)
DESCRIPTION
IS IT WRONG
(2010)
I think this song is about someone who is questioning their own feelings about whether or not to take the plunge into a committed relationship. He/she sways back and forth in their decision and this concept led me to write the song as a fast-paced rock song to simulate the rush of emotions. The whole song was composed on acoustic guitar in about 30 minutes. Melodies first, lyrics last.
IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK
(2021)
I wrote this song on acoustic guitar. Music and melodies first, lyrics last. It's a simple song about wanting to spend time with someone who never seems to have the time to give. A hopeful but melancholy song.
IT AIN'T ENOUGH
(2017)
This song is about someone who is deeply depressed and trying to find any element of hope to hold on to in their life. By the end of the song he/she does seem to find that bit of hope. I wrote it all on guitar. Music first lyrics last.
IT FEELS LIKE YESTERDAY
(2021)
I wrote this song as a 20th anniversary tribute to the victims and families of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center. This is my third 9/11 tribute song. Most of the song was written on keyboard. Music first lyrics last.
IT WON'T BE THE LAST TIME
(2020)
I wrote this song on electric guitar. All of the music and melody was written in about 10 minutes. The lyrics were written the next day. I was just strumming my stratocaster one night when I started playing this progression. I recorded a quick demo of it so I could write the lyrics to it later. The story is about going through a wide range of emotions and how to get through difficult situations. Starts off cynical and then acceptance and perseverance.
IT'S ALL OVER
(2022)
I wrote this song on electric guitar while in a very jazzy mood. The opening chords happened immediately while I was playing. It was totally unplanned but I really liked it and just kept developing it from there. It's kind of a mix of a blues song and a jazz song. The story is about ending one phase of life and starting a new one.
IT'S ALL RIGHT
(2019)
This song was written on keyboard when I began playing the opening riff just out of the blue. It reminded me of a Pink Panther kind of swing which I was pleased with. I wrote all the music and melody in about 20 minutes and then finished the lyrics about a week later.
IT'S ALL RIGHT TO CRY SOMETIMES
(2020)
I wrote this song as a gift of love and sympathy for a very close friend of mine whose brother had recently died. It was written on piano in about 10-15 minutes. The music and melody was written first but the lyrics happened nearly at the same time I was coming up with the melody.
IT'S GONE TOO FAR
(2023)
I wrote this song on piano about all of the things in life that can start innocently but get taken too far. Human greed and power are some of those things mentioned. The whole song was written in about an hour. Music and melody first, lyrics last.
IT'S NO MYSTERY
(2017)
This song was written both on guitar and piano. Music and melodies first, lyrics last. The message is about simple cause-and-effect in life. When you work hard you reap the benefits. Or if you are lazy and don't work hard then you don't get any benefits.
IT'S NOT ALWAYS SO EASY
(2022)
I wrote this song on acoustic guitar about overcoming obstacles and also helping others whenever possible. All of the music and melodies were written first, lyrics last.
IT'S NOT EASY
(2017)
I wrote this song around a bass riff that I came up with one night in a 5/4 time signature. It's a song about persistence and hard work.
IT'S ONLY A BROKEN HEART
(2007)
This song began with just the title. There is a song by Tom Petty with the same title although it is a completely different song but I was inspired to use the title because of that song. It is a sarcastic title in the same vein as saying something like "it's only diabetes" or something similar in nature. Throughout history, a broken heart has been described as one of the most devastating feelings a human can experience. So I used that thought to write this song about going through the initial hurt and then eventually recovering. The style of this song was inspired by the Bee Gees song "Hold Me" which was recorded by Kenny Rogers. I wrote the melody and chords in about 15 minutes on guitar and the lyrics were written about an hour later.
JADE
(2017)
I got the idea for this song when I saw the name tag on a girl in the drive through window at Taco Bell one afternoon. When I pulled up to the window and saw her name tag I immediately knew it would be a great title for a song. I had always wanted to write a song with a person's name as the title. I think the word "jade" is a fascinating word anyway. So I wrote the song about a person named Jade who has an overwhelming ability to fascinate people in a romantic or provocative way. A small bit of melody and lyrics hit me right then for the choruses but it wasn't until about 3 years later when I actually wrote the rest of the song. It was written on guitar. Music and melodies first, lyrics last.
JUST A DREAM
(2014)
The story in this song is basically about being able to live any type of life you want within a dream. A fantasy-land of sorts. But it's also about doing what is necessary to achieve that dream so it can become a reality. I wrote the majority of the song on acoustic guitar and a bit on piano. Music and melody first, lyrics last.
JUST A MEMORY
(2007)
I wrote this song on acoustic guitar in about 30 minutes. It's about someone who still hasn't really gotten over the break-up of a relationship. The line "I'm not sure just how I feel right now or if I'll be all right" was the first thing that came to my mind and the rest of the song was easy to write after that.
JUST IN CASE (2019)
The idea I had when I was writing this song was about someone who is going off on a long trip, or possibly a mission such as a soldier being deployed overseas. But it could be about any type of trip but mainly a trip that could pose an element of danger (mountain climbing, fighting in a war, etc). The person is wishing their loved ones to be strong and to find a way to carry on if they should not be able to make it home. It's a very emotional song but it's one of my favorites that I've written. All the music and melodies were written on piano and the lyrics written shortly after. The whole song was written in a total of 15 minutes in two separate writing sessions over the course of a week.
JUST LET GO
(2023)
This song was initially written pretty quickly in about 15 minutes. The idea of the song and the chord structure was all there but in the following days I changed the main melody and lyrics quite a bit. It was all written on acoustic guitar. It's a song about personal growth and knowing when the correct thing to do is to let something go when it's either not worth the time or is damaging to yourself in some way.
JUST ONE MORE DAY
(2011)
This song was written as a tribute to the 10-year anniversary of the events of September 11, 2001. Although there is no mention of New York or the World Trade Center in the lyrics so that it can be interpreted by anyone in their own way, the song was written with those feelings in mind and is dedicated to all the victims, families and friends of the attacks. I originally hoped to have a choir sing on certain parts of the song and I wrote the chord structure and melody with that intention, although I never actually was able to get the choir.
LAST WISH
(2015)
I remember coming up with the opening piano riff for this song immediately after sitting down at the piano one day. It was the first thing I played that morning and I thought it was beautiful but I had no idea where it was coming from. That was all I had for many months. It became a little piece I would play as a warm up sometimes but never developed into a song for the longest time. Then one day I sat down and the concept for the song came to me while I was playing. As I was humming and playing, all of the rest of the chords and melodies flowed out effortlessly. The concept is about someone who knows they are about to die due to a tragic error or mistake on their part and they are alone. I pictured two scenarios in my mind... accidentally driving off a cliff, or being a pilot in a plane that is about to crash. The person is making one final wish that they could somehow have more time to live so they can say goodbye to their loved ones. He/she doesn't want them to suffer for his mistake even though he knows it will happen anyway. It is a sad song and I felt a very close-to-home kind of sadness the whole time I was writing it. About 30 seconds after I wrote the last verse which completed the song, I got online and discovered that the father of 3 sisters who are all friends of mine had just died. I knew him and he was also a fan of my music. So I decided to dedicate this song to the Hoehn family.
LATE LOVE
(2010)
This is an R&B song written about a relationship that seems to be in limbo. The main character in the song is hoping to eventually secure the relationship and is willing to wait as long as it takes because "love is better late than not at all" as is said in the lyrics. This is one of my favorite songs that I've written. It was almost entirely composed on piano in sections over 3 days.
LET HER IN YOUR HEART
(2022)
I wrote this song on acoustic guitar. Music and melody first, lyrics last. All of the choruses were written first before the main story/lyrics in the verses. This is a song about one friend asking advice from another friend about what to do when an former casual "fling" comes back into their life.
LET ME LOVE YOU
(2013)
I wanted this song to have a romantic, slow R&B flavor to it. I pictured a couple having a candle-lit dinner and then slow-dancing to a song on the radio. With that thought in mind, I wrote this song. The main character in this song is very much in love with someone who still is not ready to give her heart away. He just wants her to let him love her the way she deserves. The whole song was written in about 2 hours on piano. Music first, lyrics last.
LETTING YOU GO
(2007)
This is a Rock/R&B song about someone ready to put an end to a bad relationship and is very determined and confident about his/her own ability to be self-sufficient. I love to play this song on keyboard as a warm up in the studio as it is one of my favorite songs that I've written. I used both guitar and piano to compose the main body of the song in about 2 hours and then wrote the lyrics the next day.
LIFE STORY
(2022)
I really like this song. It was a lot of fun to write and record. When I was working on the lyrics I was picturing someone in their 80's who was recalling to themselves all of their life experiences. And now nearing the end of their life they are happy with who they are and where they are.
LION IN WINTER
(2022)
I wrote this song on piano. It started as a riff that I played immediately and I really liked how it sounded so I kept developing it from there. The whole writing session was about an hour to finish all the music, melody and lyrics. It's a song about acceptance.
LIVING IN A FANTASY
(2023)
I wrote this song initially as a very simple, pretty acoustic guitar ballad. When I began producing it I decided to do it in a modern R&B style which I think works really well for it. The lyrics were written to be a bit vague on purpose to give it a sort of dream-like feel.
LIVING IN SIN
(2023)
This is just a fun, edgy kind of song with a bit of risque thrown in over a dance beat. I wrote it pretty quickly on acoustic guitar but produced it as a keyboard-driven song. It's just about lust and passion and abandoning all rules in the heat of the moment. All very superficial. But still fun to write about.
LONELINESS WON'T LAST
(2015)
I wrote this song with a message of hope and survival. The basic story is about the heartache that can happen in life with failed relationships. But there is always hope for the future and a life of happiness. I wrote the first initial melody and lyrical ideas with the piano and then finished it all on acoustic guitar in about 3 hours.
LONG DISTANCE LOVER
(2018)
The song is about a long-distance relationship which could be about two people who have been separated for some reason. Or possibly about two people who met online and have developed a relationship with each other. There are sexual overtones throughout the song but in a romantic way. This song went through many changes while I was writing it. I originally produced it in a hip-hop style and then as hard rock. Finally settled on a funky jazz pop style after I started playing that opening drum beat one day while messing around in the studio. Music and melodies were all written first. Lyrics last.
LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT
(2006)
I wrote this song about my idea of two people who are friends first but aren't sure if they should also be in a romantic relationship together. The "love" that the title refers to is more of a deep friendship love than a romantic love. I used both guitar and piano to compose the song over the course of 2 or 3 days.
LOVE IN SEASON
(2012)
This song has a Latin sound to it. It was written entirely on piano in about a week's time. The lyrics were finished several days after the music was finished. When the idea for this song popped into my head one day, it was difficult for me to begin writing it because I could tell it was going to have a lot of parts to it. There are many instruments that are playing different things at the same time. I wrote separate parts for vibraphone, trumpets, piano, bass, multiple layers of percussion, drums, guitar and vocal harmonies. The metaphor used in this song was to relate the seasons to love. Each season has it's own characteristics and attributes as does love or relationships. But through it all, we will always have seasons just as we will always have love. This is another one of my personal favorite songs.
LOVE'S OPEN DOOR
(2011)
I composed the body of this song on piano one afternoon. The main character is perhaps a well-known person in the media and has found someone he/she is interested in romantically. The story is about the courting stage of their relationship. Many celebrities have had their love lives revealed through magazines or news programs so I felt this was an interesting concept to write about although the main character doesn't necessarily have to be famous.
LULLABY
(2016)
This song began as a silly little tune I was singing to my cat Spike along with random silly lyrics to go with the melody one night as a lullaby to him. But I realized I liked the melody a lot so I turned it into a real lullaby. It was written on acoustic guitar.
MADE THIS WAY
(2021)
This is a blues song I wrote on acoustic guitar. It's about being true to who we are inside. Accepting all flaws and everything else good or bad. Music and melodies were written first, lyrics last.
MAKE IT LAST
(2011)
This song has a "use it while you got it" message to it. The lyrics talk about the more frustrating or superficial things about living a life of fame. But also how great it can be when you're "on top" so-to-speak. I began writing this song in 2004 and it stayed in a rough demo form until I finished writing it 7 years later. It was completely written on guitar. The lyrics were finished the day after all of the melodies and chords were finished.
MAKE IT STOP
(2023)
This is a song about someone being stalked by someone who was a brief fling. The movie "Fatal Attraction" has a similar theme. The subject is a very serious one but I really enjoy writing these types of songs. The imagery I have in my mind while writing the characters are always very vivid which helps in the melody and lyrical composition. It's not a song about my own personal experience but rather my empathy for people in that situation.
MAN ON THE MOON
(2009)
I wrote this song as a tribute to Michael Jackson, his fans and his family. As a huge and devoted fan of Michael Jackson since I was a child, I felt naturally moved to write this song. All of the melodies and chords were written entirely on piano in about 15 minutes and I wrote the lyrics about 10 minutes later. I feel this is one of the best and emotionally powerful songs I've ever written.
MAYBE
(2019)
This is a song about questioning everything. Questioning the meaning of life and all the other various things in life. But there is also an element of survival and hope and happiness to the song too. The song was written very quickly on keyboard in about 20 minutes. Music and melodies first, lyrics last. But it took several weeks of experimenting in the studio to get the production right.
MAYBE, MAYBE NOT
(2012)
I came up with the initial idea for this song in 2002 and made a very quick, unfinished demo of it at that time. Over the next ten years I always wanted to re-work this song and finish it but the timing was never right for it. It was always missing the right groove. Then in January of 2012 I was playing around with the different drum programs on my keyboard and came up with the beat that ended up being used for this song. Once I had that, the rest of the song came together very quickly. The final result sounds completely different than the original demo and most of the lyrics needed to be re-written. It took about 2 days to finish all the new music and lyrics for this song using both guitar and keyboard to compose with.
MERCY
(2016)
This song was written as if it was a short movie script about the mafia or any other similar organization. The protagonist is someone who has decided to leave the business and is now on the run for his life. He is hoping that they will show him mercy when they ultimately find him. The whole song was composed on acoustic guitar in about an hour. Music and melodies first, lyrics last.
MIRACLE
(2015)
I wrote this song entirely on keyboard. The music, melodies, chords and arrangement were all completed in about 15 minutes and the lyrics were written within the hour. It's a song about appreciating and recognizing true love.
MISERY LOVES COMPANY
(2014)
This song is basically about not giving in to the negativity that exists in the world and to focus instead on the positive. The idea that negativity breeds more negativity and that positivity leads to more positivity. I wrote the whole song very quickly on acoustic guitar in about 20 minutes. The lyrics were finished after I wrote the melodies.
MISLED
(2008)
This song targets the tabloid media and how they print up complete lies to sell their papers. Another way it could be interpreted is as anyone who is the victim of a lie or conspiracy and is trying to clear their name. I wrote the whole song in about an hour on piano.
MOTHER NATURE'S CHILDREN
(2014)
This song was written very quickly on acoustic guitar in less than 10 minutes. When I was writing it, the words "Mother Nature's Children, come back to Heaven..." just came out and I did not know what it meant. The lyrics were all written simply by singing arbitrary words in free-form style while I was writing and they all became the final lyrics. My lyrics rarely ever happen that fast so this was very exciting for me. Even after the whole song was written, I still wasn't exactly sure what I meant by it. So I decided to leave it up to the listeners to put their own meaning to it. Now, I have come to believe that the song is about faith in humanity. We all live on this same planet and need to try to do our best for ourselves, each other, and the environment. The "Heaven" in the lyrics I think refers to Heaven-on-Earth. It's one of my favorite songs that I've written.
MOVING ON
(2022)
This is a song about making a life change in a big way. The whole song was written on acoustic guitar. Music and melody first, lyrics last. This is one of the few songs that I played lap steel guitar on when I recorded it.
MUSHROOMS
(2008)
I wrote this song when I was ten years old. At that time, I was only a drummer and could not play guitar or piano so I sang the lyrics with an arbitrary melody into a tape recorder and saved it for 15 years. This was one of about 8 other songs that I sang into the tape recorder that never ended up being used. When I decided to finish writing this song completely, I used the original tape recording as a guide and kept all the same lyrics. I then constructed a brand new melody and wrote the music around it. There are very few times when I write music to lyrics and this is one of those rare exceptions. The title is used as a metaphor for deception. The message of the song is basically saying "don't get taken for a ride" and is not about any substances at all. It was written with an innocent mentality.
MY DOOR IS OPEN
(2023)
This is a song I wrote on guitar but later turned it into a piano ballad. It's about keeping the metaphorical door open to a relationship that has ended. It could also be applied to other things in life. I really like the emotional sentiment in this song.
MY FRENCH CONNECTION
(2022)
This is the only song that I've written lyrics that include any other language besides English. In this case, French. The story is about a worldly American celebrity who has spent his life as a wandering philanderer but has reached a point in his life where he is considering settling down with one woman he meets in France. After writing the short bit of lyrics that contain French words, I needed a lot of help pronouncing it all correctly. I received coaching from some friends of mine who are from France but even after many hours of practice I still did not pronounce the lyrics properly. But it's as close as I could get.
MY HEART WILL FIND A WAY
(2009)
I wrote this song with the intentions of it being completely sung acapella. I used an acoustic guitar to compose the melody and then recorded it in 4-part harmony with each vocal part double-tracked. It is a hopeful song about the power of love and courage overcoming any obstacle.
MY MY
(2023)
I wrote this song on acoustic guitar in about an hour. It's a sentimental song about love, respect and admiration for life and relationships.
MY PROMISE TO YOU
(2008)
This song was written as a tribute to both my grandmother Elizabeth Souder and my grandfather Tom Souder. The lyrics are written in a way that it can be interpreted in many ways by the listener. But I was inspired to write it after my grandmother passed away in December of 2007. It is a "beyond-the-grave" type of song where the main character is speaking to his/her widowed spouse and saying that it is okay to move on and find love again. This is one of my most emotional songs and I'm very proud of the overall composition. Both guitar and piano were used to write it over the period of several weeks.
NEVER LOOKING BACK
(2014)
This is a song about pure determination and the will to succeed regardless of whatever gets in the way. Leaving the past behind and moving forward. But always remaining happy and positive throughout everything. I wrote it on both guitar and piano over a period of two days. Music first and lyrics last.
NEVER NOTICED
(2022)
This song was written on acoustic guitar in about an hour. Music and melody first, lyrics last. The story is about someone who has tried to gain the attention of their love interest for a long time, perhaps even years, but now has given up on trying. They both are on good terms with each other but the implication in the lyrics is that there were probably signs that just either weren't noticed or simply ignored by the other person.
NO ESCAPE
(2005)
Here is a song about a relationship where the woman has some kind of psychological or emotional hold over the man which keeps him at her beck-and-call at all times. He is unable to escape her grasp for some reason due to her psychological manipulation of his emotions. I wrote the main body of the song entirely on piano in about an hour and the lyrics were written the next day. There is no particular event or person that inspired the characters in this song but the idea came to me in a flash one day and seemed like a great idea to write about.
NO MATTER WHAT (2024)
DESCRIPTION
NO MORE PAIN
(2012)
This is one of my favorite songs that I've written. It's a very tender song about the cycle of life. How all things that are in existence now will one day no longer be here. It is not meant to be a doom-and-gloom song but rather a song about cherishing the life we have, our family and friends and to appreciate nature. It was written on both guitar and piano in about an hour. Music first, lyrics last.
NO TURNING BACK
(2021)
This is a song I wrote on acoustic guitar in about an hour. Music first, lyrics last. It's a song about moving forward in life regardless of what obstacles stand in the way.
NOBODY HERE BUT US
(2015)
This is another song that was written very quickly. All of the melody, music, arrangement and lyrics were composed in about 10 minutes. I had been working all day in the studio recording music and it was very late at night, probably around 3am. So I laid down on the couch and was just about to fall asleep when I heard this song in my head. I was very exhausted and could hardly move, but I picked up the guitar and began instantly composing this song. As tired as I was I still knew that I needed to record a demo of it so it wouldn't be lost forever. So I turned on my little recorder and played and sang the song and then went to sleep. There were only a few lyrics that I changed later when I went to record it.
NOT ANYMORE
(2016)
This is kind of an angry blues song about a breakup. The protaganist discovers he's being cheated on and decides to end the relationship. I wrote this song on guitar. Music first, lyrics last.
NOT FREE YET
(2023)
I wrote this song on acoustic guitar in about an hour. Music and melody first, lyrics last. Though a lot of the lyrics were arbitrary lyrics I sang while trying to establish the melody and they ended up becoming the final lyrics. It's a song about all of the people in the world who are suffering various degrees of hardships in their lives. It could be major issues such as victims of war oppression, segregation, hatred or even minor conflicts with friends or co-workers. Just a song about having empathy and love for people.
NOT MEANT TO BE
(2011)
I believe this song shows the main character reflecting back on his/her youth and wondering if they made the right life/career decisions and if they're in the right place in their life. It could also be in the form of a dream. Or even an "afterlife" statement as is revealed in the last verse "When I was alive, I really had everything". The word "alive" could also be a metaphorical reference to a successful career that has ended.
NOT SO BLIND
(2012)
This song is about seeing past the superficial things in the world. Certain things in advertising, media, politics, and many other things can be ambiguous or disguised in a way to mislead people. Those were the thoughts I had in mind while writing this song. I played and sang it live in the studio with no overdubs. It was written in about 3 hours entirely on keyboard. Music and melodies first, lyrics last.
NOTHING VENTURED NOTHING GAINED
(2023)
This song started as just a melody I was singing to myself around the house while doing some cleaning. And while I was singing and humming I could feel that the song wanted to be a bit upbeat with almost a 70's disco groove. I did a version of that style when I produced this song. It's about taking risks and doing the best you can in life.
NOTHING WRONG
(2016)
This song is about self-acceptance, self-discovery and finding one's identity. I wrote it all on acoustic guitar. Music and melodies first, lyrics last.
NOW I'LL SLEEP
(2012)
This song was written to be both a country song and a blues song. I wrote it mainly on piano in about an hour in sections. The music and melodies were all composed first on one day in about 30 minutes and the next day I finished the lyrics. It's a reflective-type song about a person's past and where they are going in their life. The main character seems to have lived a rather rough life and is getting older and ready to "sleep" which could mean retire or change their lifestyle or maybe even die.
NOW IT'S FOREVER
(2008)
This is a blues song I wrote in about 20 minutes on acoustic guitar. It's about how fast life can change with just one choice, word, or action. Some of those changes aren't always a good thing. The title refers to something that has happened quickly to change a person's life and now it's going to stay with them for the rest of their life.
OFF THE GRID
(2016)
This is a song that can be taken literally or metaphorically. It can be about leaving all of the "modern world" behind and retreating to somewhere to live off the land away from everyone. Or it can more conceptual/spiritual about cleansing the soul. I wrote it on acoustic guitar. Music and melodies first, lyrics last.
OH STRANGER
(2007)
This is one of my favorite songs that I've written. The common theme is "fire" which is a metaphor for lust and passion. Many different situations can be applied to this song such as a one-night-stand or any kind of romantic relationship. But my idea when writing the song was leaning more towards the one-night-stand approach. There are many fast chord changes in the intro, outro and refrains which signifies flames in a burning fire. It took about 3 days to compose the main body of the song on acoustic guitar in sections and the lyrics were written the same day that I finished writing the chord progression.
ON AND ON
(2021)
I wrote this song on acoustic guitar. The melody and chords came about because I tune my guitar to open D and this particular chord progression is very simple to play in that tuning. It's a song about accepting the patterns in life whatever they may be.
ON THE BRIGHT SIDE OF DARKNESS
(2015)
I wrote the majority of this song while walking through a local park. The melodies all came to me at once and I started singing to myself random lyrics to establish the melody. Once I got home I finished the rest of the chords and lyrics in about an hour on piano. It's a song of hope. Trying to find the good in every situation. Even at the lowest points in our lives, there is still a reason to smile if we look hard enough. That is the message I was saying in this song.
ON THE STAGE
(2014)
This is a song about the life of a traveling musician. It follows him through the traveling, the hotel rooms, and actually being on the stage. I wanted to place the listeners actually inside the mind of this character so they could really feel what it's like to be on the stage in front of thousands of people, riding on the tour bus, and finally having a bed to sleep in after many days of traveling. It's one of my favorite songs that I've written. Although it is not actually about my life, I have experienced some elements of the story.
ONE DAY
(2014)
I wrote this song with the concept that anything can change in one day. All it takes is one day to decide to do something for good or for bad. World-changing events can happen from one day to the next. And it is up to each person individually to decide what kind of choice to make. The song was written over a period of about 3 days in sections. The music and melodies all were written first rather quickly in about 20 minutes on acoustic guitar and then the lyrics were finished over the next few days.
ONE MOMENT IN TIME
(2013)
I was inspired to write this style of song after hearing several tracks from Paul McCartney's 2012 album "Kisses On The Bottom". That soft jazzy sound is what I loved about that album and I wanted to do a song like that. This song is about treasuring every moment in life whether it is good or bad. Every moment is special and cannot come again. The music and melodies were written in about an hour on piano and then I wrote the lyrics over a period of several days.
ONE MORE FACE
(2012)
I wrote this song over a period of 2 days on guitar. The melody and chords were written first and the lyrics were written about an hour later. The main character in this song seems to be someone who has lost a lot of hope for their lives. They may be depressed or even maybe even considering suicide. Someone close to them is telling them that their life is worth living and that they are not just "one more face in the crowd". That was the main idea I had while writing this song. I played and sang this song live in the studio with no overdubs for the recording.
ONE STEP AHEAD
(2007)
I originally intended this song to be a duet between me and my Nashville buddy Bryan Wain. He has a significantly lower voice than mine and the second and fourth verses were intended to be for him to sing as is indicated by the key modulation from the first and third verses. I wrote it as a pop/rock ballad but it became more of an R&B/Bossa Nova type of song when I ended up recording it by myself without Bryan. The story is about the frustrations of life and how it can be very hard to ever get ahead. I used both guitar and piano to compose this song over the course of a week. Melody and chords first, lyrics last.
ONE VOICE
(2012)
This is my tribute song to Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees. Robin along with his twin brother Maurice and older brother Barry have been hugely influential to me in my songwriting and producing career. It took me over a month to be able to write this song due to the overwhelming impact Robin's death had on me. This is my first totally classical piece that I've written. I wrote an entire orchestral backing track which features oboe, timpani, violins, harp, vibraphone, tuba, trumpets and one lead vocal track. I played all of the parts on keyboard. I decided to make this a classical song as a nod to Robin's final solo album "Titanic Requiem" which was released just a few weeks before he died and is a completely classical album.
ONLY AS GOOD AS THE CROWD
(2012)
This song was written to be a jazzed up blues song. The music was loosely inspired by Jim Croce's "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown". The storyline deals with the importance of the fans of an artist and how the fans are really the ones who determine their success. I wrote it in sections on both guitar and piano over a two-day period. Music and melody first, lyrics last.
ONLY HUMAN
(2019)
This song is about how we are all connected on this earth. And we all have the same things to deal with and wonder about every day. All the music and melody were written in about an hour and the lyrics were written shortly after the same night.
OUT OF TUNE
(2008)
The musical concept of "out of tune" metaphorically is applied to a romantic relationship in this song. Or it could simply mean something is out of balance. But in this case, I was writing about two people who had drifted apart and the main character really wants to get back together again. The whole song was composed on piano in about 20 minutes. Melody and chords first, lyrics last.
OUT ON YOUR OWN
(2009)
I wrote this song very quickly one night about a man who realizes that his wife or girlfriend is ready to move on from the relationship because he has nothing more to offer her. He knows and understands this and is wishing her well. The whole song was composed on acoustic guitar in about 30 minutes.
OUT THE DOOR
(2012)
I wanted this song to sound like an old blues song recorded in the 1940's. The chord progression is a simple descending chromatic walk-down that repeats throughout the entire song. It was written in about 20 minutes on piano. The melody was written first very quickly and the lyrics shortly after that.
OVER THE LIMIT
(2017)
This is a song about substance recovery. The protagonist is someone who used to be heavily involved in partying, drinking, drugging and running with a wild crowd. But now has left that part of their life in the past and is now doing what he/she has to do to stay clean. I wrote this song almost entirely on piano and a little bit on acoustic guitar. Music and melody first, lyrics last.
OVER YOU
(2008)
This song was written as a fast rock song but ultimately became an acoustic song with no rhythm section on the recording. It's very straight forward about someone who has finally gotten over a love interest. I really love how the chord progression is structured in such a way as to make the key modulations very subtle. I'm also very proud of the lyrical content. The story is not based on any particular person or situation but the concept is very universal. Most people can probably relate to this song on some level. It was written on acoustic guitar in about 2 hours.
OVERSEAS
(2008)
I wrote this song as a tribute to the men and women serving in the military overseas. The melody and chords were composed on both piano and guitar in about an hour and the lyrics were written in sections over 3 days. Parts of the song show the main character in battle but still keeping his family in his heart and taking the time to read the letters they send even though 99% of his time is taken up by his various service duties.
PARTS UNKNOWN
(2018)
I wrote this song on acoustic guitar. The chords work very well in "open D" tuning which is the way I play guitar exclusively. I started strumming those opening chords just randomly to myself and the whole song took shape very quickly after that. As I was writing it, the rhythm kind of reminded me of some of the earlier Eagles songs ("Peaceful Easy Feeling", "Lying Eyes", etc...). The story is about a new relationship where both people are a little unsure of where it could or should go. But they're willing to give it a chance and put their trust in love. All the music and melodies were written first and then I wrote the lyrics a few days later.
PAY THE PRICE
(2018)
I wrote this song on keyboard in about 15 minutes. The story is about someone who made mistakes which caused a relationship to end. And he/she is now "paying the price" emotionally for what happened. All the music and melodies were written first and the lyrics were written shortly after.
PEACETIME
(2022)
This is one of the first songs I wrote immediately after graduating high school and building my recording studio. I wrote it on keyboard using an ethereal synth sound as if it were to be used for a movie score. I never did anything with it for 20 years until I finally decided to record it with an acoustic guitar and simple production. It's an idyllic song about world peace. That's basically it.
PERMANENTLY ENGAGED
(2014)
I had the title of this song along with the melody and first half of the chorus in mind since 2004. But that was all I had until I finished writing it 9 years later. It's a comical country song in the same vein as another of my country songs called "Her Next Fling". Two people get engaged but never do anything about it. Never get married and perhaps don't even live with each other. It's a light-hearted song with a story that is not meant to be taken too seriously. It's just pure fun.
PHOBIA
(2006)
This is my suspenseful psychological song about fear and paranoia. I put myself into a scared emotional state to write this song and it became a very intense experience. I tried to remember every situation in my life that made me feel scared and also created make-believe situations in my head to give the song the authenticity that it needed. There is no melody in this song and thus the lyrics are in rap-style. The music revolves around just one minor chord and one bass note. I didn't want to complicate the music too much to where it would take away from the message of the lyrics. It was written on keyboard in about an hour.
PICK UP THE PIECES
(2022)
This is a song I wrote several years before recording it for an album. I was conflicted about how it should be produced and what instrumentation to use. In the time that I wrote it until finally recording it I developed my skills as a harmonica player a bit more and then decided to play harmonica on this song. It's a song about friendship and the frustrations that come from a friendship where one person gets into a lot of trouble and is always coming to the other friend to get them out of a jam. But the friendship still remains strong.
PLASTIC
(2011)
This song began as a title. I was originally thinking of the financial devastation that credit cards can cause a person and so the term "plastic money" was originally what I was thinking about. Slowly I began to think of the word "plastic" in the metaphorical sense regarding anything superficial or fake. I believe a lot of what is seen on television and printed in the newspapers is very plastic and superficial. Including how many people relate to each other. Those are the thoughts I used to compose this song. I initially began writing it in 2002 and it stayed in an incomplete rough demo form for 9 years until I decided to finish it in 2011.
POISONOUS
(2005)
This song is about the dark sides of life. It could be anything the listener wants to apply it to such as drugs, gambling, alcohol, crime, etc. I wrote all the music and melody on piano in sections over 2 or 3 days. The lyrics were written about a week after that. My idea for the music was for it to be almost a classical piece. The intro is many layers of keyboard strings and synthesizer tracks to simulate an electronic orchestra.
PRECIOUS TIME
(2022)
This song has a bit of a melancholy feel to it. It's about being aware of the passing of time and trying to use it wisely. All of the music and melody were written on acoustic guitar and the lyrics were finished a few weeks later.
PRETTY BIRD
(2016)
I wrote this song while playing piano one afternoon while it was lightly raining outside and I had the windows open. I looked out and saw what I thought was a bird sitting on a tree branch in the rain and I just started playing and singing the first things that came to mind. I wrote nearly the entire song in 5 minutes this way. After I finished playing, I got up and went over to the window and noticed it wasn't a bird but just an irregular shaped leaf that just happened to look like a bird. A nice song came from it anyway!
PREY ON ME
(2023)
This was a song I wrote in the style of something Johnny Cash might have recorded. It went through many changes in the lyrics before it was finished but all the melody and chords were finished being written in about 5 minutes. The lyrics took a few months to finish. It's a song about overcoming anything in life that attempts to keep you down.
PRIVATE NUMBER
(2009)
The main character in this song is a "player". Someone who is a womanizer and has many sexual encounters with different women. I don't think he should be classified as a chauvinist but he simply doesn't ever commit to anyone. Apparently he is quite happy with his ways and has no intention of stopping. He tells each new woman that he will give her his private number that only she will have, when in fact he has given that number out to many women. I was very proud of the way the lyrics were written in this song. The main character is not someone I know personally nor does it describe my own life. But I'm sure there are many people, both male and female, who fit the description. The song was written on both piano and acoustic guitar in about 15-30 minutes.
PUT YOUR BEST FOOT FORWARD
(2016)
This is a song of optimism. Rising to the occasion. Continuing to try even when it is very difficult. I wrote it all on acoustic guitar. Music and melody first, lyrics last.
QUIET AND PEACE (2019)
The message in this song is about respectfully asking to be left alone. There are times when we all need solitude to take time for ourselves to think and rest. The title is a reverse of the more common phrase "peace and quiet". All the music and melodies were written on acoustic guitar in about 10 minutes and the lyrics written later in about an hour.
QUITE A NIGHT
(2017)
This is one of my favorite songs that I've written. It's about someone who has a wild and crazy night and then passes out only to wake up and not remember anything about what happened or even where they are. I wrote it on guitar. Music and melody first, lyrics last.
READY FOR THE WORLD
(2008)
This song is about progressing to bigger and better things in life. Perhaps one goal has been reached and now it's time to move on to the next goal. It has a positive and uplifting message. I composed the song on both piano and guitar in about 3 hours one night. Music and melody first, lyrics last.
REAL LIFE
(2011)
This song directly targets the paparazzi and tabloid media. I started writing it in 2002 and it stayed in a rough demo form with unfinished lyrics for 9 years until I decided to re-write and re-record it in 2011. It was written entirely on keyboard.
REFLECTION
(2014)
The chords and melody for this song were written around one guitar riff that repeats throughout the entire song. I found which notes I was playing and constructed a chord progression that went well with it. What I feel this song is about is self-observation and soul-searching. Trying to discover who we are deep down. It was written in about 3 days on guitar. Music first, lyrics last.
REGRET
(2015)
This is a song about self-forgiveness and finding the strength to forgive yourself for something. The regret is there and the only way to move on in life is to find the way to peace-of-mind again. It may involve an apology or perhaps harsher consequences. But it ultimately will lead to a clear conscious. I wrote the whole song in about 30 minutes on acoustic guitar. The melodies were written first and the lyrics written just a few minutes later.
RELAX
(2008)
This was originally just an instrumental piece I wrote in 2003 on piano and would occasionally play it to myself for fun. It always felt very relaxing to play or listen to it. The melody was already part of the piano part and I finally wrote lyrics to it 5 years later in the same emotional tone as the music.
REMEMBER WHEN (2024)
DESCRIPTION
RIGHT HERE AND NOW
(2013)
This song was written on piano in about 30 minutes. I set the keyboard to the clavinet sound which was inspired by many songs on Stevie Wonder's 1973 album "Innervisions". It's basically about a man (or perhaps a woman) who discovers that his significant other has been cheating on him and he is letting her know that he is leaving her.
RIGHT HERE IN MY SOUL
(2008)
I've always felt that this song is about escaping from the troubles of the world and finding peace in solitude. The main character is saying that he/she needs to be alone at the moment but will return soon to his/her friends and family. I think everyone can relate to this at some time in their life. I composed the song both on guitar and piano in sections. The music and melody were written first and the lyrics were written several days later.
'ROUND THE TABLE
(2012)
This is just a silly fun song about food! The section that has all the various foods sung in a fast sequence was mostly written when I was still in high school. I had about half of it completely written and memorized for over 10 years before turning into an actual song. I decided to make the rest of the story about a Thanksgiving get-together (or any other holiday where many family members might get together for dinner) and then added many more foods to my already-memorized list. The tempo and time signature changes in the second half of the song to add a more comical feel to the song. The music was taken from another song I started writing in 2002 but never finished. I just applied a new melody and wrote the lyrics around it to complete this song.
SACRIFICE
(2016)
This song is about someone who is looking for the ultimate sacrifice to make in order to win the heart of the person he loves. Something to really prove his love. I wrote the entire song with the acoustic guitar. Music and melodies first, lyrics last.
SACRIFICE OF LOVE
(2007)
This song is about someone who is upset about a relationship that has ended and is basically saying that the one who left him has thrown away something great that they had together. I originally wrote this song as a fast rock song but later turned it into a slow R&B ballad with a hard beat and moog bass. This is one of my favorite songs that I've written. It was composed on guitar initially as a rock song and then altered slightly with the aid of the piano after it became an R&B song. The lyrics were written about a week after the music was finished.
SECRETS
(2005)
I wrote this song on both piano and acoustic guitar in sections over a 2-week period. The main melody and chord structure was actually composed in about 30 minutes but I tweaked the individual chords themselves repeatedly until they worked to give the sound I wanted such as making some chords a 7th or an augmented, and so forth. The story is about a guy who discovers he is being cheated on and is wondering how many other secrets are being kept from him. Although the main character is male, it could be applied to a female in the same way depending on the listener. The line "You say you're here, but you're there. Behind the mask that you wear, what other secrets are you keeping from me..." is what the whole song was based on.
SET UP TO FAIL
(2023)
The message in this song might sound cynical but it's really a song of perseverance and hope. It's about overcoming obstacles and succeeding when up against impossible odds. I began writing this song on the organ as a blues song and then finished writing it on the acoustic guitar.
SHORT TERM LOVE
(2022)
I really enjoyed writing and recording this song. It's a song about "friends with benefits" and secret late-night hookups. This has never been something I've done in my life but it was a lot of fun writing the characters and exploring the subject vicariously through them when I was working on the lyrics. I wrote all of the chords and melody on piano in about 10 minutes. I finished up the lyrics with the acoustic guitar the next day in about an hour.
SHOULD I
(2014)
The story in this song is about someone who is questioning themselves on whether or not they should commit to a relationship. The beginning of the song starts out with them unsure and by the end of the song they have decided that they will commit. I wrote it entirely on acoustic guitar in about 30 minutes. The melody and chords were first and the lyrics last.
SHOW YOU THE WAY
(2006)
I feel this song is about the main character trying to deal with someone who is very spoiled and has had everything handed to them in their life. This particular person may be a family member, friend or significant other to the main character. He/she is basically telling the person to grow up and act mature. The whole song was written on guitar in about 20 minutes. Music and melody first, lyrics last.
SILLY BOY
(2014)
This is an apologetic song about someone trying to make amends with their love interest. He/she is genuinely sincere and can only hope the other person is willing to forgive them. I wrote it on both guitar and piano in about 45 minutes. All of the music was written first and the lyrics last.
SINS
(2008)
This song was inspired by the hit television show "The Shield". I wrote it with the hopes that I could somehow get the song in the show. It's about corruption in any form and can be interpreted to fit many different situations depending on the individual listener. I composed all of the music on piano in about 20 minutes and wrote the lyrics a few days later.
SIX FEET UNDER
(2008)
This song is a dirge that began with the title. It metaphorically refers to depression and sadness. I wrote an unfinished piece of it on piano in 2001 in about 15 minutes and it stayed in rough demo form until I finished writing and recording it in 2008.
SLIPPERY WHEN WET
(2018)
I was inspired to write this song after seeing a sign in a local park that said "Slippery When Wet" on a boardwalk after it had rained. I continued my walk and began coming up with the melody ideas for each part of the song and humming to myself. After about 20 minutes I had most of the melodic parts composed. When I got back home I finished writing the music and then wrote all of the lyrics.
SLOW DOWN
(2018)
I started writing this song on acoustic guitar with just the main chord progression. Eventually I developed a piano riff to accompany the chords which I played to myself repeatedly in the studio for about an hour. I recorded a brief demo of the chords while just strumming the guitar and then didn't finish writing the song until a few months later. The story is about appreciating the moment and living in the "now". Music and melodies were written first, lyrics last.
SLOW MOTION
(2016)
The idea for this song came to me in 2012 but I didn't finish writing it for another 4 years. It started as a title along with the melody and partial chorus lyrics. Essentially I stopped working on the song because it wasn't developing in my mind for one reason or another. It wasn't until I was looking through some old notes and found the bit of lyrics and other ideas for this song that I jotted down for myself that I set to finish writing it. I remembered the original melody and within 2 days I had finished writing the entire song using both guitar and piano. The story is about someone who can't seem to get ahead in life and is perpetually frustrated by it.
SMILE EVERYDAY
(2006)
I wrote this song on acoustic guitar. The melody and chords were composed in about an hour and then tweaked a bit over several days. The lyrics were written a few days later. I regularly perform this song live and it has become one of my most popular songs. It is simply about being optimistic and positive about life and to remember to smile everyday.
SOCIAL DROPPING
(2020)
This is my social comment song about the Covid-19 pandemic. The title is a play on the phrase "social distancing". I wrote this song on both guitar and keyboard over a period of several days. Music and melodies were written first, lyrics last.
SOMEBODY LIKE YOU
(2018)
This song is about having gratitude for being loved by someone. I wrote all the music and melodies on piano in about 20 minutes. The lyrics were written shortly after.
SOMEDAY
(2005)
This song was inspired by the war in Iraq as well as the consistent negative news reports from around the world. The message is saying we need to focus on love and positivity or else we won't survive much longer. I composed the music on piano in about an hour and wrote the lyrics the next day.
SOMEONE SPECIAL
(2013)
This song is about any special "someone" in a person's life. It could be a special friend, lover, relative, pet or anyone else the listener chooses. I kept the production simple with just a piano, vocal and orchestral strings in the background. I began writing it on piano but finished the majority of it on guitar. The whole song took about 3 hours to write. Music first, lyrics last.
SOMETHING
(2016)
This is a song about the powerful yet unexplainable feelings that can take over a person with regards to attraction, lust and love. It was written entirely with acoustic guitar. Music and melody first, lyrics last.
SOMETHING INSIDE
(2021)
I wrote this song while playing my electric guitar early one morning. The chords and melodies all came to me pretty fast. The lyrics went through many re-writes and revisions. The story is about breaking out of one's shell and “coming alive" so-to-speak. Taking risks, etc. When I produced the song I recorded it with 1980‘s synthesizers and drum machines to give it a retro sound.
SOMETHING MORE IMPORTANT
(2008)
I wrote this song in sections over the course of a week on acoustic guitar. It's about a guy who is desperately trying to maintain a committed relationship with someone who always seems to have something more important to do other than spend time with him. The gender roles could also be reversed depending on the listener's interpretation. There is no particular person or situation this song is based on. Just a universal concept.
SOMETHING NEW
(2018)
I wrote most of this song on piano and a little bit on guitar. It's a story about the beginnings of a relationship and a hopeful attitude for the future. The whole song was composed in about 30 minutes. Music and melodies first, lyrics last.
SOMETHING TELLS ME (2024)
DESCRIPTION
SOMETHING'S WRONG
(2021)
This song started as a bass riff which eventually evolved into a chord structure. The bass riff also evolved into something different than it was originally but the whole song has a funky grove. The story is about being uncertain about the direction a relationship might be going in. All the music was written first and the lyrics last.
SOMETIMES IT'S BEST TO SAY GOODBYE
(2023)
This is one of my favorite songs that I've written. The lyrics are about two people who realize their relationship is really over and coming to terms with that. They decide it's best to end it instead of continuing on past the "expiration date". Most of the song was written over the course of a couple hours on acoustic guitar.
STAND UP SHOUT OUT
(2008)
This song is about determination and confidence in one's own abilities. Not to the point of being cocky but just the sheer will to succeed. It was written in about an hour on piano. Music first, lyrics last.
STANDING ALL ALONE
(2008)
This song was composed in about an hour entirely on piano. The story is just about someone going through a tough time in their life. Could be about a breakup or any other type of loss. There is an element of hope that comes through in the last verse.
STAY ALL NIGHT
(2008)
This is a pretty straight-forward song about a young love or lust. The guy is trying to persuade the girl to stay with him overnight and she is very nervous about it. The opening line "You've been worried what you're mama might think about you being with me. But your mama, she ain't here right now. And this is where you should be..." was the first lyrical idea I had after I composed the melody. The song actually began with just the title and was written both on guitar and piano in 2 or 3 hours.
STAY AROUND WITH ME
(2016)
The idea for this song began as just a simple guitar riff. I wrote the entire song on acoustic guitar in 2 writing session about 17 months apart. I composed all of the chord structure and melodies in the first session and finished the lyrics in the second session. The story is about 2 people who can be happy just being together regardless of what other hardships may be happening in their lives.
STAY AWAY
(2008)
I wrote this song very quickly on guitar one night in about 20 minutes. It's about a guy telling another guy to stay away from his girlfriend or wife. Pretty straight-forward concept that most people can relate to, I think.
STAY WITH ME
(2022)
This song went through many changes and re-writes. Initially I wrote it as a simple acoustic ballad on acoustic guitar in a major key. I then changed it to a hard rock song meant for heavily distorted electric guitars. I still wasn't satisfied with it so I decided to change all of the major chords to minor chords. This led to it's final re-write and I recorded it as a pop song.
STEALER OF HEARTS
(2007)
This is a favorite song of mine and my friends and family. It's about someone who uses the front of a romantic relationship to satisfy their own needs from someone and then disregards them just as quickly as they found them. The main character is someone who has been a victim of their cold-hearted ways and warns that "the next man you hurt just might return the favor".
STILL ALIVE (2024)
DESCRIPTION
STILL MY LOVE
(2015)
This is a bluesy song I wrote on keyboard in about 2 hours. I was just jamming in the studio and this song started playing itself under my fingers. So I started singing along and the melodies were composed then. The lyrics were written immediately after.
STRANGER
(2014)
I wrote this song with the idea of a person who got involved with an organized crime business and then decides to get out because of the terrible things he or she has witnessed. Then having to go into hiding from the hit men sent after him to make sure he doesn't talk to the police. It was written on acoustic guitar in about an hour. Music and melody first, lyrics last.
STRUGGLING
(2016)
I wrote this song on keyboard over several different writing sessions. It evolved dramatically from how I initially started it. It began as a fast pop song and slowly became a droning ballad with orchestral production. The concept is about the difficulties of making ends meet. How some people work hard for little pay and can barely support themselves or their families. This is an unfortunate yet common thing in the world so I wrote a song about it.
SUFFER IN SILENCE
(2021)
This song was written very quickly on my classical acoustic guitar one afternoon. I had the title in mind for many years before actually writing a song to go with it. The whole song was written in about 10 minutes and it's one of my favorites that I've written. It's about all of the inner struggles that each person lives with on a daily basis that no one else knows about.
SURVIVAL
(2014)
I approached the writing of this song as if I were writing an apocalyptic movie script. Imagining if there were no more laws or government and resources were scarce... how far would/could a person go to survive everyday. It was an interesting thought and so I wrote the song about it. I don't necessarily believe that will happen to the world. But it could. It's also a song about the human spirit and will. It was written in about 30 minutes on guitar. Music first, lyrics last.
TAKE YOU HOME
(2014)
The story in this song is about a guy and a girl who have both known each other for a long time but never really talked or became friends. I picture them as being college students together. The guy has always had a "thing" for the girl and dreamed of how they could be together one day. The song developed over several days with the music and melodies being constructed first and the lyrics last. It was written on both acoustic guitar and piano.
TENFOLD RETURN
(2022)
This song went through many changes before I decided on the final way to record it. Originally I wrote it as a slow acoustic guitar ballad. But I recorded it as an up-tempo disco song. All of the music and melody was written on acoustic guitar and the lyrics were finished later. The whole writing process took about 20 minutes. But I didn't record it for another 7 years because I was so unsure of how to produce it.
THAT'S HOW I FEEL
(2009)
This is a fun song about being carefree and limitless. I pictured someone who works very hard at their job and finally gets a vacation away from the stress of life and wants to forget about everything for a little while. It was written on both piano and guitar in about an hour. I recorded a rough demo of it in 2002 which was never released. Seven years later I re-wrote some of the verses and made a new recording which was released in 2009.
THE ANSWER
(2015)
This is one of my favorite songs that I have written. I love the concept of the story. It's about realizing that we all are connected on Earth and are traveling on the same journey around the sun together. It also addresses the many questions humans have had for thousands of years about the meaning of life and is there something else after death and if there is a God and so forth. The message in this song is that the "answer" is that we don't need to know the answer because we all are here and will eventually find out one way or the other. And to be loving and caring for each other in the time that we are given. I wrote the whole song on acoustic guitar in about an hour. All the music and melodies were written first and then the lyrics last.
THE BEGINNING
(2016)
This is a song about the uncertainties of life. The end of one thing is the beginning of another. It's also a message of peace and unity. I wrote all of the music and melodies on piano. Lyrics were written with the acoustic guitar just afterwards. The whole song took about 15 minutes to compose completely.
THE BEST
(2009)
I wrote this as a fast 2-beat country song which was inspired by my Nashville friend Bryan Wain. It's a simple song about a guy who is in love with a girl and is asking for her hand in marriage. It was written in sections over 2 days on guitar. Music first, lyrics last.
THE LAST ONE
(2016)
I wrote this song on acoustic guitar. The melody, chord structure and most of the lyrics were composed in two 20-minute writing sessions. The rest of the lyrics were composed over a year later when I decided to record the song. It's a love song about wanting to be the last "one" for each other in a relationship.
THE LOVE WE KNEW BEFORE
(2012)
This song was inspired by the original Mississippi delta blues players of the 30's and 40's. It was also loosely inspired by Tom Petty's "Breakdown" musically. It's basically about a man/woman who has lost their love interest but is hopeful they will eventually get back together again.
THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT
(2016)
This song went through many changes before I recorded it. It began as a very happy and uplifting song. But it evolved into a dark kind of spooky Halloween-type song as I continued writing it. It's a metaphorical message about the inner demons most of us have and how we have to learn to deal with them. I wrote it all on acoustic guitar. Music and melodies first, lyrics last.
THE MORNING AFTER
(2016)
This song is about two very close friends who have known each other since being children. But after one romantic night of passion together they become afraid of how it may have hurt their friendship. Most of this song was written on piano. Some sections were composed with the acoustic guitar. Music and melodies first, lyrics last.
THE MYSTERY OF LOVE
(2014)
I had an orchestral sound in my mind while writing this song. The concept of the song is about how the feelings of love can be so different in many ways and being unsure of where it comes from. But it's something we all experience. I think it's a very beautiful song that I really love. I wrote it on both acoustic guitar and piano in a few hours. The music and melodies were composed first and then I wrote the lyrics.
THE NIGHT STALKER
(2015)
This song was composed entirely on acoustic guitar in 5 minutes. It all came to me while I was 99% asleep after a long day in the studio. The whole story idea, characters, melody, music and arrangement all came to me at once. So I forced myself to get up, get the acoustic guitar and turn the recorder on to capture all of the idea I had right then. I played and sang the entire song right then all the way through. Many weeks later, I found out that there was an actual serial killer dubbed "The Night Stalker" as well as a TV show in the 70's by the same name. But I did not know about either of those things before I wrote the song and it has nothing to do with either. The story and characters in this song are similar to another song I wrote called "Witness".
THE ONLY ONE
(2020)
I wrote this song on acoustic guitar during a 3-hour writing session. Music and melodies first, lyrics last. It's a song about empathy and compassion. When I was writing the music I got a jazzy vibe from the chords. The time signature in the intro and choruses is 7/8 which then goes into 4/4 for the verses.
THE ONLY THING I SEE IS YOU
(2017)
I wrote this song loosely around a melody that I used to sing to my cat Spike just to be cute. I used to make up random lyrics and sing things to him over the years. The chorus melody is similar to the melody I would sing to Spike. I really like the production on this song in the Euro-pop style. It's one of my favorites that I've written. I wrote it on both acoustic guitar and piano. Music and melody first, lyrics last.
THE OTHER SIDE OF LOVE
(2018)
I came up with the idea for this song while I was walking around my neighborhood one morning just as the sun was rising. It's about two people in an uncertain relationship that started really wonderfully and is now in question. I've observed many people that have gone through this situation in their relationships. The title "The Other Side Of Love" came to me on my morning walk and I thought it was a perfect description of that type of relationship. I finished writing the song when I got back home. Music and melodies first, lyrics last.
THE WISHING WELL
(2023)
This song went through many changes before I finally recorded it. After I wrote the main body of the song I put it on the back burner for nearly two years because I had a hard time deciding how it should be produced. It went from being a very dark and moddy song to an upbeat and bright calypso style song. I'm glad I took the time to figure it out. It's a song about trying to find inspiration again in life and getting out of a slump.
THE WORLD CAN WAIT
(2021)
I originally wrote this song on my Stratocaster electric guitar as a jazz song with many fast changing chords. But when I went to produce it I changed it into a simpler rock/pop song. It's a love song about two people caring deeply about each other and letting everyone and everything else wait while they take their time with each other. No distractions.
THERE YOU ARE
(2022)
I wrote this song entirely on piano. Music and melody first, lyrics last. It's a love song about finding that special someone who essentially brings the main character out of darkness into the light.
THERE'S A CHANCE
(2017)
This is a song about hope for the future. A song of optimism to get past the hard times. I wrote it on acoustic guitar while sitting outside on my back patio with my cat Spike. He was laying in the sunlight and I just started strumming and singing. Within a few minutes this song had written itself.
THERE'S ALWAYS SOMETHING
(2008)
This song began with the title. It's a common phrase many people say when things seem bad in life. I wanted to put a positive spin on it rather than a negative one. Instead of saying there's always something bad happening, I wanted to say there's always something good happening. The music was composed with those thoughts in mind. I wrote most of this song in my backyard one afternoon. After I finished writing all the melodies, the first lyric idea I had was "with you there's always something to make me smile..." which was a line I'd had in my mind for several days anyway. It was written entirely on guitar in about 2 hours. Music first, lyrics last.
THICKER THAN BLOOD
(2016)
This song is about any group or organization of people who have such strong loyalty and closeness that nothing could ever break it. I was likely inspired to write this song after hearing about the internet group "Anonymous" in the news. The lyrics imply that the group/organization is an outlaw type of group. Perhaps computer hackers or maybe something more criminally inclined. But I left it vague to allow the listener to make it whatever they want. I wrote this song very quickly all on piano. The music and melodies were composed immediately while I was playing one day in the studio. The first thing I played became the body of the song. The lyrics were written several days later.
THINK TWICE
(2016)
This is a song about thinking things through before doing something that might lead to regrets later. I wrote it all on acoustic guitar. Music first, lyrics last.
THIS ENDLESS LOVE
(2006)
Originally I wrote this song to be a duet between a man and a women in the same vein as songs like "Islands In The Stream" or "Leather And Lace". I ultimately recorded it myself when the singers that were going to sing it ended up not being able to do it for various reasons. It was written on both guitar and piano in about 30 minutes. Music and melody first, lyrics last.
THIS ISN'T LOVE
(2005)
The music and melodies of this song were composed on both piano and guitar in about an hour and the lyrics were written afterwards in sections over the course of a week. It is about a superficial relationship that is ending. I think the main idea is that the relationship was based on lust rather than love, hence the title of the song.
THREE WORDS
(2023)
I wrote this song on acoustic guitar. When I recorded it, I made the whole foundation of the song just me beatboxing the main beat and then I layered other instruments on top of it. The story is about two people in a relationship where one of them never says "I love you" to the other person but will throw that phrase around casually to other people all the time. So there is an element of frustration and longing in this song while also being a love song at the same time.
THROUGH IT ALL
(2022)
I wrote this as an ambiguous love song. It could be romantic love but it also could just be a best friend type of love. As I was writing it I knew I wanted it to have a harmonica solo which I did on the recording. Music and melody were written first and lyrics last.
THROUGH MY EYES
(2016)
This song was written in about an hour on acoustic guitar. It's about seeing the positive in every situation. Handing hardships and negativity in a mature manner and seeing the good in the world. It's one of my favorite songs that I've written.
THROUGH THE NIGHT
(2022)
I really enjoyed writing this song. I saw it almost like a movie playing in my mind about someone running from something or someone. Like an old Western movie. I wrote most of the song on acoustic guitar in about an hour. The lyrics were finished a couple of weeks later.
THROUGH THE STORM
(2012)
I wrote this song in about 5 minutes one morning on acoustic guitar. It all just came together very fast. The lyrics were written almost immediately after the melody was finished. It's really just about how everyone wants to know they have a place to go if they feel lonely. Or to know that they are safe. The first idea that came to me to start writing this song was the line "all we really need is shelter from the weather through the storm" and that really became the basis for the whole song. When I recorded it, I played and sang it live in the studio without overdubbing.
TILL THE END OF TIME
(2014)
I wrote this song about someone, probably a man, who is attracted to a woman and wishes to further the relationship. But there is a twist in that he still has control of his emotions. By the end of the song, he reveals that he is more-than-willing to let her go if she does not reciprocate his affection. He may be someone who has been through many relationships in the past and is no longer blinded by the feelings. The whole song was written on piano in about 2 hours. The music and melodies in the first hour and the lyrics followed last.
TIME
(2009)
I composed all of the music for this song on guitar in only about 15 minutes. The lyrics were written the same day a few hours later. The chord structure really made me feel like it should be recorded with a Caribbean-style rhythm track. There are many percussion instruments layered on the final recording. I also wrote a very precise bass guitar part to go along with the groove. This song always makes me think of beach or the Caribbean islands. Or perhaps just a cruise vacation. It's about the idea of having all the time in the world to do anything at all. It's a very peaceful kind of song.
TIME IS RUNNING OUT
(2023)
This is a song about someone who thinks their prime of life is over. They want to make the most of the time they have left and not spend the rest of their days alone. I wrote it on acoustic guitar. Music and melody first, lyrics last.
TIME KEEPS MOVING ON
(2021)
This song was written in about 3 minutes. I was sitting at the piano in my studio thinking to myself that I needed one more song to finish the album I was working on. So I put my hands on the keys and played and sang this entire song all the way through the first time. It completely fell in my lap without any planning or re-writes. It is a reflective song about not being able to change the past and trying to make the best of what we have in the moment.
TIME TO SAY GOODBYE
(2006)
This song is about saying goodbye to a close friend or relative that has passed away. Although it could be interpreted differently depending on the listener. It was initially inspired by the passing of one of my childhood cats, Paco. It was written entirely on piano in about an hour. Melody first, lyrics last.
TIRED OF YOUR GAMES
(2010)
The idea for this song came to me one day while I was mowing the lawn. The melody and the lyrics "I'm tired of your games. I'm tired of you fooling around. I'm tired of your games. And I'll search for what I haven't found..." appeared to me instantly in a flash and I started singing it to myself as I cut the grass. My first thought was that I wanted it to be sung in the style of Eric Clapton the way he sang many of the tracks on his album "From The Cradle". The story is about a guy who is putting an end to a stale relationship due to the girl either fooling around on him or simply not being there at all for him. The gender roles could be reversed depending on the listener's interpretation. The body of the song was composed mainly on guitar in about 30 minutes.
TO LAST A LIFETIME
(2017)
I wrote this song as a tribute to my beloved cat of 15 years, Spike. He was with me for the writing of every song on every album I made. And he truly was the one to last a lifetime. I put all of my emotion into this song for him. It was written on acoustic guitar during the full solar eclipse here in the USA in August, 2017.
TO WHAT END
(2023)
I wrote this song on an acoustic 6-string guitar but used an acoustic 12 string for the album version. It came about while I was strumming random chords and singing arbitrary lyrics to a random melody. I had the recorder going while I was writing and most of the arbitrary lyrics, melody and chords ended up becoming the final version of the song. The whole song was composed in about an hour.
TOGETHER AGAIN
(2017)
This is a song about missing someone and longing for the day that you can be together with them again. It's a love song all the way. I wrote most of it on piano and a little bit on acoustic guitar. Music and melody first, lyrics last.
TOMORROW
(2017)
This is a very bitter sweet song for me and one of the most personal songs I've written. It's a song about missed opportunities and plans that were supposed to happen but can no longer happen. Depending on the listener it can be due to a breakup or possibly a death or any number of things. But this one was very difficult for me to sing. I put a lot of personal feeling into this song about my mother who passed away in May of 2016 and my cat Spike who passed away in July of 2017. Written entirely on piano.
TOO LATE
(2015)
This song is about making peace with someone before they pass away. While I was writing it, I viewed the characters as being two brothers who never got along with each other. Now they are older, possibly elderly and one of them is terminally ill with only a few days or hours to live. The other brother is fighting with himself inside to find the strength to make peace with his brother before he dies. This is just my thoughts about the characters but it really could be about anyone in a similar situation. The message in this song is to value the time we have and the people who are in our lives as best as we can. I wrote it all on acoustic guitar in two separate writing sessions a month apart that were each about an hour long. Music and melodies first, lyrics last.
TRAPPED
(2021)
The original title of this song was “Trapped Inside" which I came up with due to how many people around the country/world were feeling about the Covid lockdowns of 2020. The song itself is not about that and I eventually changed the title to just “Trapped". It is a metaphorical feeling of being trapped inside one's self and one's own insecurities but still wanting to break free and overcome those obstacles. Most of the music and melodies were written on keyboard. Some on acoustic guitar. And the lyrics were written last.
TRIAL AND ERROR
(2022)
I wrote this song on acoustic guitar. Music and melodies first, lyrics last.
TRUE LOVE
(2013)
This song was inspired by the Latin style of Stevie Wonder's 1973 hit "Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing". It's about a relationship that will always last because they have found true love with each other. I wrote this song all on piano in sections over the course of a week. Music first, lyrics last. The chorus was written first and was the first thing that immediately came into my mind. I sat down at the piano and immediately started playing and singing it. The main idea of the song is in the chorus and the rest of the song was written around it.
TRUST YOUR GUT
(2023)
This is a song about trusting your intuition and relying on your instincts to survive. Interestingly, I was inspired to write this song by a scene in the television show MacGyver from an episode called "Friends" where MacGyver's grandfather Harry tells MacGyver: "Go with your gut" going on to say that your gut will tell things to you plain while the mind will keep you confused. That line always stuck with me for years so I decided to write a song about that whole concept. Just as a side note, that episode of MacGyver is very special to me because it was the episode that I was watching with my dad when I tied my shoe for the first time at age 4. He and I both still remember that moment to this day.
UNDERCOVER
(2022)
This song was a lot of fun to write and record. It's about having a secret love that no one else knows about and all the different things they both have to do in order to keep it secret. All of the chords and melodies were written on acoustic guitar along with some lyrics in about 15 minutes. The lyrics were completed a few weeks later.
UNCERTAIN
(2019)
My idea for writing this song was just about the uncertain nature of life. The unexpected variables with every situation. But I wrote the music to have a calming effect to counter the chaotic feel of the lyrics. Words and music were written first. Lyrics last.
UNIVERSAL JEWEL
(2006)
This song is about my love for music and how it is the universal language in the world. The title came to me first and is how I think of music. It is a precious jewel to me and is my life completely. It took about an hour to compose the music entirely on guitar and then another few hours to finish the lyrics.
UNTIL NEXT TIME (2019)
This song was written during a very emotional time in my life after having suffered several personal losses. I used those emotions to write a universally themed song about an eventual reunification either in this life (or possibly another plane of existence). The listener should allow themselves to determine what they wish it to mean for themselves.
I wrote all the music and melodies on piano and then wrote the lyrics shortly after.
UNTRUE
(2015)
This song was composed on both guitar and piano in about 3 hours. Music and melodies first, lyrics last. It's an angry song about someone who has been treated badly and is leaving a relationship and wants to let everyone know exactly what they think of that person.
UP AND DOWN
(2016)
This song is a rags-to-riches-to-retirement story from beginning to end. It tells of someone who is struggling to make ends meet at a dead-end job and then finding success, fame and fortune and then ending up ready to retire in happiness. This is another one of my favorite songs that I've written. I wrote the whole song on acoustic guitar. Music and melody first, lyrics last.
WAITING A LONG TIME
(2022)
I wrote this song entirely on piano. Music and melody first, lyrics last. It's a love song about two people finally getting together after waiting a long time for everything to essentially line up correctly in their lives for it to be the right time. Perhaps many years of waiting.
WATCH OUT
(2006)
The verses and choruses in this song almost contradict each other. Although it really depends on the listener's interpretation. After I wrote all the music and melodies in about 20 minutes, I began writing the verse lyrics first which I typically don't do. Usually I write the chorus lyrics first. The story in the verses is about someone who is wasting their life away being lazy and just waiting for something exciting to happen rather than making it happen. But the choruses are about someone living too fast possibly due to various excesses such as drugs or alcohol abuse. Another interpretation of living too fast could be that the person who is wasting away every day will quickly end up old and alone before they know it.
WE ARE PART OF EVERYONE
(2009)
The message of this song is basically how everyone on this planet is connected by the common thread of life and that we all share the same planet to live on. It's a message of peace saying that we should all try to live as one rather than divided. I began composing this song in 2003 but didn't actually finish writing and recording it until 2009. It was written entirely on piano.
WE WILL BE ALL RIGHT
(2013)
This song is about a relationship that has had some seriously rough spots along the way. But the main character is willing to forgive and stay committed no matter what. The melody came into my mind one day while I was playing piano and I wrote the whole song around that melody in about an hour. Music first, lyrics last.
WHAT DO YOU HOPE THIS WILL LEAD TO
(2005)
The first thing I wrote for this song was the keyboard riff that is in the intro, the outro and the close of each verse. That small piece of melody inspired the chord structure and melodies for the entire song. I composed all of the music in about 15 minutes and wrote the lyrics about an hour later. The song is about questioning one's life and choices. Or it could be about questioning everything including the meaning of life.
WHAT IF
(2016)
I wrote the rough structure of this song on acoustic guitar. The melody developed quite a bit over a 3 hour writing session. After composing all of the chord structure and melodies I did not finish writing the lyrics until more than a year later but the title was already established from the start.
WHAT IS WRONG
(2017)
I wrote this song while I was feeling a bit unsure of myself and what my future might hold. The song is not about me but it was written in the spirit of uncertainty. When I listened back to the song after I recorded it I realized that it sounded more like a social comment than a personal reflection. I typically don't write any political-type songs. But I could see how some people might think this sounds like one. I wrote it all on guitar. Music first, lyrics last.
WHAT KEEPS YOU SMILING
(2014)
I wanted to write a very happy song in reggae style and this song came to me very quickly. It was written on guitar in about an hour. Music first, lyrics last. It's about someone who finds happiness in any kind of situation. Always optimistic and positive which rubs off on the people around him/her. It's one of my favorite songs that I've written.
WHAT MORE CAN YOU DO
(2022)
I wrote this song on acoustic guitar. Music and melodies first, lyrics last. Originally it was meant to have a straight 4/4 rock beat but I produced it as a reggae song when I went to record it. The story is about someone who wants to help everybody and is a genuinely good and nice person. But they do so much for others that it physically exhausts them. It is to their own detriment but that is just who they are.
WHAT'S IT GONNA TAKE
(2016)
The idea I had for this song was originally about the frustrations that many people have in the world regarding success particularly when it comes to their job. Working so hard but not really getting anywhere. That was the concept initially but it developed into a relationship-type song. The principle is still the same, though. I wrote it using both keyboard and guitar.
WHEN ARE YOU GONNA COME BACK TO ME
(2007)
I started writing this song with the chorus music and melody first with the thought that it would be the verses of another song, initially. That section was completely written including lyrics when I realized it should actually be the chorus of a song with verses written around it rather than the other way around. I used both guitar and piano to compose this song in about 3 hours one afternoon. It is still one of my favorite songs that I've written.
WHEN I CLOSE MY EYES
(2022)
I wrote this song in about 5 minutes entirely on piano. All of the chords, music, melody and lyrics came to me at the same time. It's a reflective and romantic love song.
WHEN I GET THERE
(2015)
This song has a very special place in my heart. I got the first initial idea for the title, melody and chords one afternoon during a quick 10 minute writing session and then quickly finished the lyrics. While I was writing the song I had a deep sense of loss and sadness but I didn't know why. Immediately after I wrote the song, I put down the guitar and got online and saw the news that Robin Williams had just been found dead from suicide. I was a huge fan and felt that somehow, the loss and sadness I felt while writing this song was because of Robin's death even though I had no idea he had died at the time. I scheduled the recording session for a future date and just moments before I went into the studio to record the song, I heard the news that Leonard Nimoy had died. Leonard was another huge hero and inspiration for me my entire life. The album this song was on ("For The Love Of Drop") coincidentally was released on the day BB King died. So I dedicate this song, with love, to Robin Williams, Leonard Nimoy and BB King.
WHEN SHE'S GONE
(2007)
The title of this song was inspired by the Bee Gees song "When He's Gone" although it is a quite different song in style and content. It's about a guy trying to warn one of his guy friends that he is going to lose his girlfriend unless he begins to treat her right. It was written on both piano and guitar over 2 or 3 days. The line "What are you gonna do when she is gone? How are you gonna live without her love?" was the first lyric idea that I had after the melody was finished and it inspired the entire story of the song.
WHERE ARE YOU
(2009)
I wrote this song on guitar in about 30 minutes. It's about someone who has recently gone through a break-up and misses the other person. It's not about a sudden break-up but rather one that they could see coming for a while. This is a universal theme that I thought a lot of people could relate to although it is not written about any particular event or person.
WHERE WE WERE BEFORE
(2022)
This song was written on acoustic guitar in about 30 minutes. Music and melody first, lyrics last. I came up with most of the melody and lyrical ideas while on a walk one morning around my neighborhood before the sun had come up. When I got home I finished writing the song with the guitar. It's a love song about a relationship that has gone bad for some reason and the hope of putting it back together again.
WHO IS IT
(2017)
This is a song about a sultry woman who likes to have any man or as many men as she wants. It could even be about a courtesan. I wrote it on both guitar and piano. Music and melodies first, lyrics last.
WHO'LL BE THERE
(2013)
This song was written very quickly all on piano in about an hour. It is about two people in a relationship that has lasted maybe several years and they are each wondering if they should stay together. By the end of the song, they decide that they will always be there for each other.
WHY
(2015)
This song was written on both guitar and keyboard in about an hour's time. Music and melodies first, lyrics last. The story is about someone who is deeply in love with someone who is always putting them down. He/she is wondering why.
WHY OH WHY
(2023)
This song started on the 12 string guitar but eventually became a piano ballad. It was written in small bits over the course of about a month but I didn't record it for several years after I wrote it. It's just a song about questioning the meaning and reason for everything in life.
WITHIN MYSELF
(2016)
This is a song about determination and perseverance. The idea that everything in life is a test or a lesson to learn from and make us stronger. I wrote it all on acoustic guitar. Music and melodies first, lyrics last.
WITNESS
(2007)
This is one of my favorite songs that I've written. It has very strong imagery about a girl who witnesses a murder and then is spotted by the killer. She runs away but knows that he knows what she looks like and is now looking for her since she can identify him to the police. I composed the music and melodies on both guitar and piano in about an hour. The lyrics were written the same day. The whole time I was writing this song I was thinking in terms of it eventually being a music video or even a short film.
WON'T GIVE UP
(2016)
This is a song about supporting someone in their time of need regardless of what it is. I wrote it on both piano and guitar. Music first, lyrics last.
YOU AND ME
(2009)
This song has a Country flavor to it and was written as such. I played a slide guitar lead solo in this song which I had never done before up to that point. It's a simple love song about two people in a caring committed relationship. The whole song was composed on guitar in about 20 minutes.
YOU ARE THERE
(2009)
I wrote this song as a tribute to Maurice Gibb of the Bee Gees who had been a major influence to me and my music for many years. I learned how to play piano by listening to Maurice on the records and live concert recordings of the Bee Gees and also learned a lot about harmony and music production from their music. I wanted to write a song that I felt was very emotionally appropriate in expressing my respect for Maurice with the hopes that his family would hear it one day. It was composed entirely on piano in about 2 hours. Music and melody first, lyrics last.
YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT
(2022)
I originally wrote this song in a slow blues style. But I ended up producing it in a Latin-pop style. It was written on electric guitar. All of the melodies and chords were finished in about 10 minutes. I completed all of the lyrics about a week later.
YOU CAN'T HIDE
(2007)
This song was inspired by the Bee Gees song "E.S.P." in terms of the style of the music. I used both guitar and piano to compose the main body of the song in 2 days and wrote the lyrics as I was putting together the chord progression. It's about someone who is afraid to be in a committed relationship and runs away from love every time the opportunity comes along. But the time will come when they can't run away and the power of love will ultimately lead them to overcome their fear.
YOU CAN'T SCARE ME
(2009)
I wanted this to be a very hard rocking song. It's about not ever being detracted from a goal or intimidated by anything or anyone. I composed all the music and melodies on guitar over 2 or 3 days and wrote the lyrics a few days later.
YOU COULD HAVE STAYED A LITTLE LONGER
(2006)
This is a tribute song written for my childhood cat, Gray-C. I was very close to her throughout my childhood and into adolescence and took her death very hard. My way of expressing my feelings has always been through music so I wrote this song for her. It took about an hour to compose the music and melody on guitar and several days to finish the lyrics.
YOU OWN MY HEART
(2020)
This song is 100% autobiographical. I wrote the whole thing in less than 5 minutes when I sat down at the keyboard and played and sang it all the way through the first time. This is the only song that I've written that is a "diary entry" type song of my own life.
YOU RAN AWAY WITH MY HEART
(2021)
The title of this song was the original title of one of my earlier songs called "Stealer Of Hearts" before I re-wrote the lyrics and changed it's title in 2007. But I still always liked the original title. Then in 2019 I got a melody idea that fit with this title and the whole song wrote itself in under an hour. I wrote it on keyboard. It's a song about heartache and the struggles that go along with such feelings.
YOU WILL BE ALL RIGHT
(2022)
I wrote this song on acoustic guitar with the intention of it being a fingerpicked ballad. Later I decided to record it as a piano ballad. It took about 5 minutes to write all of the music, melodies and chords. I finished the lyrics a few days later.
YOU WILL KNOW
(2023)
I wrote this song on piano and later turned it into an acoustic guitar ballad. It's a song about trusting your own instincts and relying on inner strength and intuition to get through life's problems.
YOUR GUESS IS AS GOOD AS MINE (2019)
This is a song about how I assume everyone has felt about their lives at some time or another. The feeling of being lost or stumbling around each day trying to discover who we are or where we are going. Wondering about the future, etc. This is the first song I recorded with my acoustic 12-string guitar. All the music and melodies were written first and the lyrics last.
YOUR WORLD
(2006)
I wrote the lyrics of this song about someone who does whatever they want in life regardless of the consequences. The music was composed on piano in about an hour and the lyrics were written immediately afterwards.
YOU'RE THE ONE
(2021)
This is a song that I dreamed one night. I woke up with the melody in my mind and I immediately recorded a bit of me humming and singing what I could remember. It stayed that way for several years before I finally finished it. The rest of the song was written on acoustic guitar. It's a song about commitment and falling in love deeply and completely with one person and one person only.
YOU'VE GOT A FRIEND
(2006)
I feel that this song is about a strong friendship that is being tested. Each person is unsure of where the other one stands or if they will remain friends so the main character is making the first move at an apology, forgiveness and willingness to remain friends. I composed the music entirely on piano in about 10 minutes and wrote all of the lyrics about 20 minutes later.
YOU'VE GOT A WAY
(2016)
I wrote this song on both keyboard and guitar. I was thinking of doing a song that sounded a bit like 1970's Blues and/or R&B. When I produced the song I used a tremolo Wurlitzer type keyboard sound which was common of that era. The music and melodies were written first and then lyrics.