Tag: songs: life and love Page 1 of 2

The Drunken Baby’s Lullaby

By autographedcat

On February 18, 2022

In Songs

The Drunken Baby’s Lullaby

TTTO Mockingbird/Hush Little Baby (trad)
Lyrics by Rob Wynne & TJ Burnside Clapp
2016

Hush little baby, don’t you fear

Mama’s gonna buy you a nice cold beer

And if that beer don’t taste so fine

Mama’s gonna pour you a glass of wine

And if that wine’s a bit too dry

Mama’s gonna mix you a tall Mai Tai

And if that Mai Tai mix runs out

Mama’s gonna bring you a Guinness Stout

And if that Stout should make you fret

Mama’s gonna make you a gin gimlet

And if that gimlet glass gets broke

Mama’s gonna mix you a rum and coke

And if that rum and coke lacks power

Mama’s gonna bring you a whiskey sour

And if that whiskey sour’s too sweet

Mama’s gonna pour you a bourbon, neat

And if that bourbon makes you wail

Mama’s gonna mix you a rusty nail

And if you still won’t sleep after all of these

Someone mix mama up a double, please!

This was a lovely bit of comment improv between TJ and myself, prompted by a photo her husband Mitchell posted on her FB wall back in 2016:

I started it off, and we just traded back and forth until there was a whole song.

This song pairs well with “Don’t Cry, My Dear, Have a Cracker”.

Quarantine

By autographedcat

On April 29, 2020

In Songs

Quarantine
by Rob Wynne
TTTO: “Closing Time” by Semisonic

[Verse 1]
Quarantine
Close up all the doors and don’t go out onto the street
Quarantine
Turn all of the lights out and stay under your blanket and sheet
Quarantine
Sitting on the sofa watching TV and drinking beer
Quarantine
You don’t have to stay home but you can’t come here

[Chorus]
I wish everyone would stay at home
I wish everyone would stay at home
I wish everyone would stay at home
Please stay home…

[Verse 2]
Quarantine
Time for you to stay there in the places you already are
Quarantine
There’s nowhere to go, ’cause they closed every café and bar
So just take off your jackets, put them in the closet
I hope at least you have a friend
Quarantine
Please stay safe inside until the outside is safe once again.

[Chorus]
I wish everyone would stay at home
I wish everyone would stay at home
I wish everyone would stay at home
Please stay home…

[Bridge]
Quarantine
Time for you to stay there in the places you already are

[Chorus]
I wish everyone would stay at home
I wish everyone would stay at home
I wish everyone would stay at home
Please stay home…
I wish everyone would stay at home
I wish everyone would stay at home
I wish everyone would stay at home
Please stay home…

[Outro]
Quarantine
Please stay safe inside until the outside is safe once again.

I have to thank Trace Hagemann for being my muse and inspiring this! He posted a link to Semisonic’s “Closing Time” and said it was his quarantine music for the evening, and this formed in my brain. I guess I’ve now written my pandemic song.

How To Unwind At The End Of The Day

By autographedcat

On February 5, 2018

In Songs

How to Unwind At The End Of The Day
by Rob Wynne

I’ve got bills to pay
And I work hard all day
Man, being an adult is boring
So when I get home
I turn off the phone
And let my mind go out exploring

I hold on to hope
I don’t like to mope
But being mature is a pipe dream
But one thing is sure
To hold my allure
And sometimes I have it with ice cream

Whiskey and pie
Whiskey and pie
My, oh my, it’s whiskey and pie
Whiskey and pie
Whiskey and pie
My, oh my, it’s whiskey and pie

A light flakey crust
Fresh fruit is a must
You know stuff out of cans is just cheating
It’s all kicked up a notch
By a bottle of scotch
My cares are already retreating

Whiskey and pie
Whiskey and pie
My, oh my, it’s whiskey and pie
Whiskey and pie
Whiskey and pie
My, oh my, it’s whiskey and pie

Now some people say
This isn’t the way
To deal with my daily frustrations
I don’t really care
If the checkout girl stares
As I purchase a week’s allocation

Of Whiskey and pie
Whiskey and pie
My, oh my, it’s whiskey and pie
Whiskey and pie
Whiskey and pie
My, oh my, it’s whiskey and pie
My, oh my, it’s whiskey and pie

I wrote this three years ago for my friend Phoebe, and even got so far as setting a bit of a tune to it, which I vaguely remember and will probably recreate once I’m sitting near a guitar. Anyway, it’s a bouncy, fun little song, and I wanted to make sure it got put over here into my songbook.

Upon The Fields Of Catnip

By autographedcat

On January 16, 2014

In Songs

Upon The Fields Of Catnip
by Rob Wynne
TTTO: “Fields of Gold” by Sting

You’ll remember how I would always purr upon the fields of catnip
You’ll forget the spot where I used to sleep as we play with balls of yarn

So the time to go was a time I chose upon the fields of catnip
In her arms I slipped through the summer door to play with balls of yarn

“Won’t you stay with me? Must you leave so soon to roam the fields of catnip?
All these years you’ve gazed from your lofty perch and played with balls of yarn”

But the quiet calls and it’s time to go upon the fields of catnip.
Feel my body still as I slip away to play with balls of yarn

“I never sent you away lightly
and there have been times I regretted
But I thought you’d be there waiting to play with balls of yarn
We’ll play with balls of yarn”

Now a year has gone and I still run free upon the fields of catnip
Let a kitten romp through my favourite haunts and play with balls of yarn

You’ll remember how I would always purr upon the fields of catnip
I’ll be waiting here, ’till we meet again, and we’ll play with balls of yarn
We’ll play with balls of yarn
We’ll play with balls of yarn

It’s been a little over a year now since we lost Dayna. Earlier today, I saw on Facebook that a friend’s beloved pet had crossed the Rainbow Bridge, and someone commented that he was “running around in fields of catnip now”, and this just poured out. I still miss you, you weird furry little kitty.

Moss Bliss performed this song as part of a 2×10 set at Gafilk in 2018.

Don’t Cry, My Dear, Have A Cracker

By autographedcat

On March 26, 2012

In Blog, Songs

Don’t Cry, My Dear, Have A Cracker
(Or, “I Always Swore I’d Never Be One Of Those Parents”)
by Rob Wynne
TTTO: “Don’t Cry For Me, Argentina” (Tim Rice/Andrew Lloyd Weber)

You are unhappy
I don’t know why
And I try to work out how you feel
But you cannot speak words
You just sit there and cry
You don’t believe me
When I say that
It will all be okay
Although you are fed, warm, and dry
I guess it’s just that time of day

You threw aside your bottle
You’ve just been changed
Couldn’t spend your whole day on my lap
Looking out of the window
Taking naps in the sun
So you chose screaming
Running around grabbing everything near
But nothing could calm you at all
And so my last resort is clear

Don’t cry, my dear, have a cracker
It has cheese on, and some salami
It was an hors d’oeuvre
Made for a party
But you can eat one
There’s no one looking

As for nutrition and all that jazz
At this point I really don’t care
You can eat the whole tray
If that’s what you desire
At least you’re quiet
And if you remain still
And promise to nap
Then we can have ice cream for lunch
And soda and all of that crap

Don’t cry, my dear, have a cracker
It has cheese on, and some salami
It was an hors d’oeuvre
made for a party
But you can eat them
There’s no one looking

Have I done too much?
There’s nothing left here, I can’t feed you any more
But all you have to do
Is look at me and cry
And I’ll run to the store…

Inspired in small part by a conversation with Brooke. No actual children were fed inappropriate foods in the making of this song, though a sandwich may or may not have been misappropriated…

Love May Yet Survive This Fall

By autographedcat

On January 1, 2006

In Songs

Love May Yet Survive This Fall
Lyrics by Robert Wynne
Music by Katy Dröge
© 2006

The breeze is blowing through the grass
The stars are shining bright
Your voice echoes inside my head
From when we talked last night

You told me that you missed me
I wished that you were here
And this moment all I want is
to hold you warm and near

Have you ever seen the rainbow arch
Above the waterfall?
Did you think that it meant something good –
or anything at all?
Have you ever wished upon a star
or called dreams from the sea?
If so, you’ll know why all I want
is to have you here with me.

I’ve camped on sandy beaches and I.ve
walked along the strand
I’ve climbed green mountain paths to find
The highest place to stand

But I never found a single place that
Ever felt so right
As when you took me in your arms
And held me in the night

Have you ever seen the rainbow arch
Above the waterfall?
Did you think that it meant something good –
or anything at all?
Have you ever wished upon a star
or called dreams from the sea?
If so, you’ll know why all I want
is to have you here with me.

(Bridge)
I’ve learned a lot to get this far
And I know this much is true
Whatever path I walk next
Will be one I walk with you
Cause time can bring surprises
No one ever could have seen
And love may yet survive this fall
As winter yields to spring

There’s still a thousand miles that cannot
simply be erased
But we have hope and love and truth
And dreams we haven’t chased

And so until this distance is
A memory of the past
I give to you my heart to hold
And trust that love will last

Have you ever seen the rainbow arch
Above the waterfall?
Did you think that it meant something good –
or anything at all?
Have you ever wished upon a star
or called dreams from the sea?
If so, you’ll know why all I want
is to have you here with me.

This is one of those songs that took a long time to be finished. I started writing it in 2001, and intended it to be a birthday present for kitanzi. But it wouldn’t quite come together, and so it got put aside. About a year later, I revisited the lyrics and finished them, but could never quite find a tune to fit them that made me happy. So I started looking around for someone to compose the music, and it finally ended up in the hands of katyhh, who did a wonderful job of it.

The song was debuted during katyhh and shannachie‘s concert at Gafilk — it was the first time I’d heard the tune, and the first that kitanzi was aware the song even existed. Definitely one of the highlights of the con for me. 🙂

Second Chances

By autographedcat

On January 1, 2005

In Songs

Second Chances
Lyrics by Robert Wynne
Music by Steve Macdonald
© 2005

Tell me you believe in second chances
Tell me we can make a brand new start
Tell me you believe in true romances
Tell me that I haven’t lost your heart

Tell me that the past can be forgiven
Tell me that the lost can be redeemed
Tell me there is hope where there is living
And all is not as broken as it seemed

Still don’t understand how we fell so far apart
I just couldn’t see what I should do
But now my eyes are clear and my heart is sure
And every road leads me back to you

Tell me that the future isn’t out of sight
Tell me there’s a light to end the dark
Tell me there’s a chance to set our wrongs to right
Tell me that your heart still holds a spark

(Instrumental break)

Still don’t understand how we fell so far apart
I just couldn’t see what I should do
But now my eyes are clear and my heart is sure
And every road leads me back to you

Tell me you believe in second chances
Tell me we can make a brand new start
Tell me you believe in true romances
Tell me that I haven’t lost your heart

Plains of Nebraska

By autographedcat

On January 1, 2002

In Songs

Midwestern skies
Wind blows soft across the grassy land
Long winter nights
Moonlight shining down upon you
like a lantern in the fog

And can you hear it?
A lonely distant echo
Can you feel it?
The chill deep within your bones
Can you see it?
How the land can roll forever
‘Till it almost seems to fall into the sky?

There is truth you will find
in the strangest of places
in the unfamiliar faces
in an unsuspecting mind
There is truth there to see
You only have to ask a
man on the plains of Nebraska
and his words will set you free.

Do you recall
Why you wandered far away from home?
And have you found it
The solitary wisdom that comes
softly in the night?

Just remember
What you seek is more than home
Don’t forget now
The owl’s quiet cry
Heed the calling
For it may pass you just this once
And having passed you never come again

There is truth you will find
in the strangest of places
in the unfamiliar faces
in an unsuspecting mind
There is truth there to see
You only have to ask a
man on the plains of Nebraska
and his words will set you free.

Dawn is breaking
Light spills out across the cold dark sky
And you discover
A peace you’ve never known before
A quiet inner light

So you pack up
Leave the ground the way you found it
On your shoulders
Everything you’ve ever owned
And you look back
For a moment, just forever,
Then turn away and walk against the wind

There is truth you will find
in the strangest of places
in the unfamiliar faces
in an unsuspecting mind
There is truth there to see
You only have to ask a
man on the plains of Nebraska
and his words will set you free.

I wrote the chorus for this song a while back, and it sat in my ideas folder for a long time, because I really liked it, but I wasn’t sure what it was about. While looking through the various contents of that folder, i came across it and suddenly knew what the rest of the song was about.

This is a song about self-discovery and the search for meaning and purpose in life. All of us eventually go on this journey in one way or another, and what we find along the way shapes us in subtle ways we don’t always immediately recognize.

Keep You Closer

By autographedcat

On January 1, 2001

In Songs

For all my chosen family throughout the filk community,
and especially for LM, who is ever in my heart.

We come from different corners of the world
And the times that our paths will cross are few
A few short weekends through the year
And then it’s time to go
And parting ways is always hard to do

But give me just a minute to embrace you
To hold you close before you turn away
A moment to remind you
That we’re closer than the miles
To keep until we meet another day

If I could hold the world inside these arms
If I could build a bridge across the sea
If I could shrink the miles that lie between us
I’d keep you closer every day to me

If the world were only a bit smaller
Then parting wouldn’t be a time for tears
But the shuttle waits to take you home
And on a plane you’ll soon be gone
And we may not meet again until next year

(chorus)

Slowly now we pull apart and smile and say goodbye
I pack my bags into my car and go
And though there is a sadness
that must come with each farewell
I love you, and that’s all you need to know

(chorus x2)

Of all the songs I’ve written, this one is probably the one that means the most to me, personally. And yes, while it is about a lot of people on one level, when I wrote it I had a certain few individuals on my mind. I’m very happy to say that, a year later, I did manage to shrink the miles between myself and one of those individuals, and the two of us are very happy being closer every day.

This song was published with sheet music in the Gafilk 2002 songbook.

Jeff’s Wedding

By autographedcat

On January 1, 1999

In Songs

I’m getting married in the morning
To hell with writing stories down
Ive got no time
for prose, verse, or rhyme
I’ve got to catch my plane on time

I’m getting married out in Houston
Strange, but it wasn’t my idea
Don’t try to stop me
She’ll always top me
Just get me to my plane on time

If I am typing, turn off the power
If I am sleeping, remind me of the hour

Cause I’m getting married, no escaping
No turning back now, thats for sure
No time to re-think
Pour me a stiff drink
And get me to my plane
(Don’t mind if I complain)
Just get….me…to…my….plane
….
on
…
time
Jeff Williams is my writing partner, my best friend since Jr. High School, and the brother I never had. I was unfortunately unable to attend his wedding, but the night before he left for Texas, I did write this song for him. My biggest regret was being unable to perform it at his reception.

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