Category: acoustic

Leaving Maricopa

Posted on by Joel D Canfield

capo 3
Leaving Maricopa in a cloud of dust
Ain’t nobody back there gonna follow us
They can stay right there ’cause we ain’t done nothin’ wrong
And we’ll be in Albuquerque by the time they know we’re gone

Leaving Maricopa in a borrowed car
I know we said we wouldn’t have to go that far
She’ll be busy hanging out with her friends down at the salon
And we’ll be in Albuquerque by the time they know we’re gone

Leaving Maricopa at the speed of night
Had to take the car, couldn’t catch a flight
Heading east on 40 face-first into the dawn
And we’ll be in Albuquerque by the time they know we’re gone

We’ll go to Babylon
Maybe the Amazon
We’ll run this marathon
Up to Saskatchewan
Maybe we’ll go to St. Louis and see that big mastodon
’cause we’ll be in Albuquerque by the time they know we’re gone

Leaving Maricopa in a cloud of dust
Smelling like grease and looking like rust
Tomorrow I’ll be dressed up in silk and you’ll be in chiffon
And we’ll be in Albuquerque by the time they know we’re gone

bass notes

T-C P-F low #17 / RH C-T P-G organ #12 vol 2 above mid C
intro Cx8

C
Leaving Maricopa in a cloud of dust
Ain’t nobody back there gonna follow us
F C
They can stay right there ’cause we ain’t done nothin’ wrong
G C
And we’ll be in Albuquerque by the time they know we’re gone

Leaving Maricopa in a borrowed car
I know we said we wouldn’t have to go that far
But she’ll be busy hanging out with her friends down at the salon
And we’ll be in Albuquerque by the time they know we’re gone

Leaving Maricopa at the speed of night
Had to take the car, couldn’t catch a flight
Heading east on 40 face-first into the dawn
And we’ll be in Albuquerque by the time they know we’re gone

bump; no RH
C
We’ll go to Babylon 
C
Maybe the Amazon
C
We’ll run this marathon 
C
Up to Saskatchewan play normal, with RH
F x4 C x4
Maybe we’ll go to St. Louis and see that big mastodon
G x4 C x4
And we’ll be in Albuquerque by the time they know we’re gone

Leaving Maricopa in a cloud of dust
Smelling like grease and looking like rust
Tomorrow I’ll be dressed up in silk and you’ll be in chiffon
And we’ll be in Albuquerque by the time they know we’re gone

C x8 F x4 C x4
Leaving Maricopa x8
G x4 C x4
And we’ll be in Albuquerque by the time they know we’re gone

The Hillside

Posted on by Joel D Canfield

I remember a hillside
Watching white clouds rolling by
As I lay on the hillside
I was dreaming of you and I

All of my mem’ries surround you
As I lay on the ground you were always there
Mem’ries flow all around you
I’m so glad I found you and the life we share

Summer days in the country
Glimpsing wonder now and then
Let’s go back to the country
And fall under its spell again

chorus [love]

Breezes blow through my mem’ry
With a fragrance of the past
Mem’ries of those afternoons
Dreaming of you as I lay in the grass

I remember a hillside
Watching white clouds rolling by
As I lay on the hillside
I was dreaming of you and I

chorus

repeating guitar parts

part 1 is the riff                       part 2 is the verse and chorus
E |-222-222-000-000|-000-222-222-222| || |-222-222-000-000|-000-220-222-222|
B |-333-222-000-000|-000-222-333-333| || |-333-222-000-000|-000-220-333-333|
G |-222-222-000-000|-000-222-222-222| || |-222-222-000-000|-000-220-222-222|
D |-000-000-000-000|-000-000-000-000| || |-000-000-000-000|-000-000-000-000|
A |-000-000--------|-----000-000-000| || |-000-000--------|---------000-000|
E |----------------|----------------| || |----------------|----------------|

bass notes

Fiona sings
intro: come in on 2nd time — walkup CDE

F   E        D        C
I remember a hillside
         Bb          C        F CDE
Watching white clouds rolling by
As I lay on the hillside
I was dreaming of you and I

All of my memories surround you
As I lay on the ground you were always there
Memories flow all around you
I’m so glad I found you and the life we share

Summer days in the country
Glimpsing wonder now and then
Let’s go back to the country
And fall under its spell again

chorus

[instrumental (2x) last time F 2x]

[pause]

Breezes blow through my memory
With a fragrance of the past
Memories of those afternoons
Dreaming of you as I lay in the grass

[CDE walkup]

I remember a hillside
Watching white clouds rolling by
As I lay on the hillside
I was dreaming of you and I

chorus

Marmalade Coast

Posted on by Joel D Canfield

A DM7 [x00222] C6 [000010]
earl grey and marmalade toast
drive up the coast see where it ends
wearing our marmelade coats
sharing some notes with a few friends

we build a crackling fire
funeral pyre see where it ends
we fill the sunset with stars
we spend the hours with a few friends

misty wet mountains the ocean below
staring at stars in our sky
misty wet mountains will stay when we go
staring at stars in the sky

slip through the mist like a ghost
marmalade coast with a few friends
we build a funeral pyre
slip down the wire see where it ends
chorus

earl grey and marmalade toast
drive up the coast see where it ends
wearing our marmelade coats
sharing some notes with a few friends
chorus

drive up the marmalade coast
with a few friends see where it ends

Big Dark Cloud

Posted on by Joel D Canfield

no capo | notes
E E D D G G E E
E G D E
coming into Tucumcari out of the north lightning crackled air
E G D E
Quality Inn at the end of town seventeen minutes I’m there
E E D D E E
big dark cloud big dark cloud

map shows a road crossing the lake East Saxon Avenue
lake’s been dry as long as I’ve seen dust is greyish blue
big dark cloud big dark cloud

E E D D E
big dark cloud let it down
E D D E
fill that lake and soak the ground
E D D A
rinse me off so I don’t drown
A E E E
big dark cloud
D D E E

this isn’t a place anyone goes, all just passing through
no one’s ever gonna cross that lake on East Saxon Avenue
big dark cloud big dark cloud
chorus

just play E
I met a girl and she was made of clouds
but there was nothing light and fluffy about this one
she was dark, she was strong
and when she sang you couldn’t hear the sun
big dark cloud big dark cloud

eleven hours from Dalhart Texas, nine more gets me to you
turn right around and cross that lake on East Saxon Avenue
big dark cloud big dark cloud
chorus x2

big dark cloud x3

Dark clouds always symbolize something bad. All my travels, all the places I’ve lived, clouds are a good thing, dark or otherwise.

Came across a picture I took on travels with Best Beloved of a sky-wide black cloud over Tucumcari. Flood of memories, good ones.

bass notes

fingered bass T-C P-F 2nd octave

intro G G F F Bb Bb G G
G                     Bb               F                  G
coming into Tucumcari out of the north lightning crackled air
G                  Bb          F                     G
Quality Inn at the end of town seventeen minutes I’m there
G   G    F    F         G      G
big dark cloud big dark cloud

map shows a road crossing the lake East Saxon Avenue
lake’s been dry as long as I’ve seen dust is greyish blue
big dark cloud big dark cloud

G   G    F     F      G
big dark cloud let it down
G         F        F        G
fill that lake and soak the ground
G        F      F       C
rinse me off so I don’t drown
C        G      G  G
big dark cloud

F F G     G    

isn’t a place anyone goes all just passing through
no one’s ever gonna cross that lake on East Saxon Avenue
big dark cloud big dark cloud

chorus
G G F G
met a girl
G G F G
and she was made of clouds
G G G G F G
but there was nothing light and fluffy about this one
G G F G
she was dark
G G F G
she was strong
G G F G
and when she sang
G x8
you couldn’t hear the sun
G   G    F    F         G      G
big dark cloud big dark cloud

eleven hours from Dalhart Texas nine more gets me to you
turn right around and cross that lake on East Saxon Avenue
big dark cloud big dark cloud

G   G    F     F      G
big dark cloud let it down
G         F        F        G
fill that lake and soak the ground
G        F      F       C
rinse me off so I don’t drown
C        G      G  G
big dark cloud
repeat chorus

F   F    G    G
big dark cloud
F   F    G    G
big dark cloud
Bb  Bb   G    G  vamp G
big dark cloud


E E D G G E
capo 3
G G F Bb Bb G
C 2 0 2
G 0 2 3
D 0 3 3
A 2 3 3

Home

Posted on by Joel D Canfield

Am G F E7 [2122]
I’ve sailed upon this wilderness all my life
This sea has taught me everything I’ve learned
It’s taken from me everything I ever had
And all I ever had has been returned

Hard weather howled horizon to horizon
Tackle overboard and lost for good
Fearsome creatures prowling in my wake each day
Sun and stars still found me when they could

So many islands green and fair crossed my bow
So many times I thought to go ashore
But not one held the port I knew awaited me
One by one they fell astern forevermore

The time has come to furl my sails and ship the oars
Time to end this life on brine and foam
My time’s been spent in just the way it should have been
And now’s the time, and now, oh now I’m home

might be about life

might just be about sailing

Do the Math

Posted on by Joel D Canfield

Best Beloved’s feet are even itchier than mine. We’ve driven all over two countries and we’ll never really settle down.

Seed for the song (this version, #3 I think) came from the discovery that Best Beloved’s favorite client was born in the tiny hamlet of Valentine Nebraska, a place we considered moving after driving through, just because it was so beautiful.

like I said last night it’s time to go
ain’t sayin nothin you don’t already know
can’t do the math to stay in one place too long
I’ll tell you something so you know nothing’s wrong

gear’s loaded, truck’s warming up
good strong coffee, poured you a cup
guitar behind the seat, backpacks in the bed
so get your boots on, we gotta go just like I said

can’t do the math where you and I get divided
pluses and minuses are all pretty one-sided
you’ve already seen some action
but I’m telling you it’s only a fraction
add it all up you’ll get the same answer I did

valley in north Nebraska near Valentine
couple of minutes from the South Dakota state line
peaceful quiet and green where the river winds through
I’ve seen it before but now I wanna see it with you

can’t do the math where you and I get divided
pluses and minuses are all pretty one-sided
you’ve already seen some action
but I’m telling you it’s only a fraction
add it all up you’ll get the same answer I did

middle of the country the tall grass covers the plains
speed limit means we can have some fun racing the trains
sit behind the Flint Hills see the sunset silhouette
I’ve seen it before, but I haven’t seen it with you yet

can’t do the math where you and I get divided
pluses and minuses are all pretty one-sided
you’ve already seen some action
but I’m telling you it’s only a fraction
add it all up you’ll get the same answer I did

follow the ocean San Diego up to Vancouver
water left, dirt right; not a complicated maneuver
head across to Newfoundland take a ferry over the sea
how you do the math doesn’t make any difference to me

except I can’t do the math where you and I get divided
pluses and minuses are all pretty one-sided
you’ve already seen some action
but I’m telling you it’s only a fraction
add it all up you’ll get the same answer I did

Dark of Night

Posted on by Joel D Canfield

capo 3 in A
You’re the dark of night
You steal the sun from the sky
You’re the dark of night
Make the songbirds cry
You’re the dark of night
And I don’t understand why

You told me you loved me
Sweet as a slice of peach pie
You told me you loved me
Intoxicating as rock and rye
You told me you loved me
You knew all along it was a lie

You took my heart
Made me think I could fly
You took my heart
Told me I was your guy
You took my heart
Was just a piece of meat for you to fry

You’re the dark of night
You steal the sun from the sky
You’re the dark of night
Make the songbirds cry
You’re the dark of night
I’ll never understand why

I Don’t Want to Sleep

Posted on by Joel D Canfield

Needed to jot some notes about a song and this is as good a place as any

I’m tired, but I don’t want to sleep
One more thing I need to do
Almost done
It’s something for someone
Only take a minute or two

I’m tired but I don’t think I can sleep
Rather play with my friends than shut my eyes
It’s just a song
It won’t take long
We’ll sing a while and then say our goodbyes

I’m so tired, might be time to go
There’s one more thing I have to say
I look at you
You’re tired too
So I love you, now I’ll be on my way

Yeah I’m tired, but I don’t want to sleep

Okay, that’s all I’ve got right now, but the bones are there and I’ll flesh it out on our drive to Tucson. [Edit: I had a few more minutes. Pretty much done.]