Category: tenor

Back Side of the Ridge

Posted on by Joel D Canfield

There’s a place I hate go
On the back side of the ridge
And as a result it can suffer some neglect
But now and then I remind myself
It’s better to make the ride
Than to wait until the whole thing’s wrecked

I saddle up right early
’cause I pack the night before
C
El Aguila picks his way
Through the starless Bible black
And the sun will be rising by the time we’re there

A man’s gotta know
Where his boundaries are
If he don’t, it’ll end in crying
That side’s yours
And this side’s not
Once in a while we all cross the line

El Aguila hates this ride
Almost as much as me
But he knows when there’s a job, you gotta get it done
His temperament is different
Every time we climb this hill
He knows his usual tricks won’t help him n

A man’s gotta know
Where his boundaries are
If he don’t, it’ll end in crying
That side’s yours
And this side’s not
Once in a while we all cross the line
Bridge:
I’ll be working on this ridge ‘til sunset
Thinking about just what this thing is for
Who does it keep out?
What does it keep in?
And why does it have to be such a miserable chore?

Two strands of barbed
Let the little stuff pass
Just keeps the bigger critters getting through
Some little kid
Wants to fish down in my stream
I’m pretty sure I’ll never miss a fish or two

A man’s gotta know
Where his boundaries are
If he don’t, it’ll end in crying
That side’s yours
And this side’s not
Once in a while we all cross the line

There’s a place I hate go
On the back side of the ridge
And as a result it can suffer some neglect

Destination Irrelevant

Posted on by Joel D Canfield

‘Home’ Fiona was timid, cautious, did not try new things. ‘Travel’ Fiona was fearless, adventurous, eager for new experiences. ‘Travel’ Fiona shows up the most these days.



a million stars are shining imaginary dawn
dark and light together before the stars move on
head against the pillow, pillow on the door
snuggle in the back seat, fall asleep once more
we love to go, away we went on a drive to the next surprise
destination irrelevant follow stars to a grey sunrise

gas station’s quiet fill up the car
get juice and sandwiches before we get too far
but still we’re on the way before the sky is light
imaginary dawn spilling from the night
chorus

who are all these people up before it’s day?
where are they all going slipping through the grey?
do they love to travel always moving on?
we won’t ever tire of it imaginary dawn
chorus

welcome rest stop barn, exhibits and a snack
always something new to see whenever we come back
birds and bugs and meadows, historic marker plaques
run across the grass read the nature facts
chorus

Tea HQ and Tucson, best waffle you ever ate
Yellowstone and forests nearly every state
will you travel all your life alone or with a friend?
the imaginary dawn is a journey with no end
chorus

We’ve traveled a lot, and Fiona loves waking up before it’s light, piling in the back seat, and watching the stars as she falls back to sleep. These are her memories of all the trips we’ve taken, all the places we’ve been, and the things she loves about traveling.

Some very old notes about recording the demo:

She is still very shy about singing so she recorded this sometime in the wee hours of the morning. I played with some reverb, ducked my vocal behind hers, and love love love the staggered fade ending with just her dreamy little voice echoing at the end.

I love that I have a daughter and step-daughter with amazing voices. (Now if I can only get their mother to sing more, since she’s where they got their voices.)

Here Before

Posted on by Joel D Canfield

capo 2 C G Bb F
intro C G Bb F

Winding through a tiny sliver of West Virginia
It was late and we needed gas in the worst way
Lost in the dark between Ohio and Pennsylvania
Got in after 11, had to leave before the break of day

We’ve been here before, and we got through
maybe because we didn’t know what else to do
it’s a shame, but no one’s to blame
that’s how it’s always been for me and you

So sick I was hallucinating
Tingling all over and sweaty, I was a mess
Desperate for something, I still don’t know what
I called out for you, and then I fell asleep I guess

I’ve been here before and I got through
maybe because I didn’t know what else to do
it’s a shame, but no one’s to blame
that’s how it’s always been for me and you

You’re gone but I’m still here
Alone and empty, lying on the floor
I’m lost in the dark and sick to death
And we both know I’ve been here before

I’ve been here before, I’ll get through
maybe because I don’t know what else to do
it’s a shame no one’s to blame
that’s how it’ll always be for me and you

It was one of the 5 gloomy days of the year here in southern Arizona. They make me gloomy. These pictures came up on their own, images from a hard time in each of my lives which I combined into something that never happened, but it feels like it did.

Roads and Rainbows

Posted on by Joel D Canfield

A songwriting challenge pointed me to Penny Lane and various erudite comments on how Macca got a downstep key change to work.

Wrote a verse in D and a chorus in C using the same melodic trick, and decided it works, though it’s devilish hard to sing the first note of the choruses and later verses after the key change.

D D G A
green and blue and sunshine
water sparkles so fine
puffy clouds are all mine to share
river, road, and meadow
no rain but there’s a rainbow
find the end and we’ll go there

C C F G
we’ll wind with the river and wend some
way through the woods round the bend some
day we’ll see it all and then some
on and on we’ll fly forever you and I
Bb [0333] G

warm and windy weather
down the road together
blowing like a feather free
yellow, green, and blue
picture perfect view
custom made for y

chorus

cows in the field are mooing
they don’t care what we’re doing
only stand there chewing hay
behind a wooden gate
train makes us wait
but no such thing as late today

chorus

This Great Adventure

Posted on by Joel D Canfield

I’m often bemused and occasionally amused by the way some people approach travel and adventure. Growing up in south San Diego when my father worked in Tijuana I got used to other cultures and taking things for what they were instead of what I expected.

Am I’m riding on the back of an elephant
F G Am Please forgive any typos you may note
The video I made is still uploading
You’ll have to be content with reading what I wrote
The drive here from the airport was so short
The Jeep’s heated seats barely got warm
No vegan choices at last night’s big buffet
F G C And our tour guide wouldn’t cancel the rainstorm

F G C Never thought when we bought this great adventure
We’d be subjected to conditions like these
Can’t even get a half-caf low-fat cinnamon soy latte
F G Am Don’t think I’m so very hard to please
How do the locals live each day with such indignities?

Our guided tour of the jungle was a bust
My iPod battery died and I was stuck
Listening to the guide drone on and on
About the okkabeest and wildebuck
I tried the WiFi on our flight over the veldt
It’s free but then of course it’s awfully slow
Can’t recommend the side trip’s extra cost
You’ll see it clearer when they make the tv show
chorus

The entire country is redolent of wildlife
Someone should take steps to hide the smell
I’m sure the concierge would make amends
If only I could reach them on my cell
How can one enjoy the blooming sunset
When it’s purple instead of pink and orange?
And now my phone’s battery is dying
I’m afraid I won’t be finishing—

 

We Are Water

Posted on by Joel D Canfield

Had the idea to steal the Bo Diddley beat and then take the vocal as far away as possible.

I don’t know what this is about. It started out as science, since we are mostly water, then turned into being at one with nature and our fellow humans.

Don’t take it too seriously.

DDD CD
we are water
we belong to the sky
GGG FG
we are water
and I, I know why
AAA
every turn of the tide
AAA GGG
every tear that we’ve cried
DDD CD
we are water

we come from dust
we belong to this place
we come from dust
grains floating in space
like the grass on the plain
like the sun golden grain
we come from dust

we live eternal
this future we trust
we are water
we come from dust
we know what will be
when we’re finally free
we live eternal

we are water
we are water
we are water

Fibethos

Posted on by Joel D Canfield

When Fiona was a baby her sister would put her finger in the middle of the baby’s eyebrows, push down, and make the baby’s face into an evil scowl. She claimed it was the little one’s evil twin and named her a contraction of the kid’s first 3 names: Fibethos (fee BETH ohs)

It’s more ridiculous than it sounds.

Since these lyrics are a bit of a parody of what she’s like as she approaches 14, I figgered naming it after her evil twin would be appropriate. And then explaining it to death.

G D C C She always comes and says good morning
At least the days she’s up before noon
And her mom asks her how are you
C D G G She doesn’t answer; too soon, too soon

Then it’s back upstairs to
Where the creature is reanimated
In an hour or so she’s back in the kitchen
For a breakfast that was prefabricated

C D G G Our seventh child is a little bit odd
C D Em Em That’s how some peppers grow
C D G C Laughs when I’m funny, doesn’t cost much money
C D G G She reminds me of someone I know

Her sister is her very best friend
When they’re together who knows what goes on
Singing and la
They’re rarely asleep before dawn

chorus

Her supper is 1 ounce of chicken
And eight or nine, maybe 10, peas
In the morning I discover overnight she’s consumed

  • A package of Ramen
  • A bowl of apple and cinnamon instant oatmeal
  • Four granola bars
  • A slice of toast with strawberry jelly
  • An apple A banana
  • Half a sleeve of Ritz crackers
  • And a cup of microwave Mac and cheese

chorus

No Tropical Isle

Posted on by Joel D Canfield

I asked Best Beloved for a song idea. She hates it when I do that. She suggested something about a tropical island. I said what would we do with a tropical island? This was my answer to myself. (We live in Phoenix for family, not the weather. We like snow.)

After the first two verses I’m going to ask the audience “How about giving me the name of a tropical island that rhymes with, oh, potatoes, and I’ll write a verse” and then do the same for chow and peaty and whatnot. That way, the hokey rhymes are their fault. Yes they are.

capo 2
C G Am F
F G C G

Sun beating down not our style
We won’t be found on some tropical isle
We’d rather
Transparent beer is no fun
Dark stuff here would block the sun
Or maybe we’ll be drinking poteen in Ireland green

Winter spring summer fall
It’s our thing we want em all
Monotonous weather’s a bore anymore
Forget palm trees and miles of sand
This ocean breeze would freeze a steel drum band
We wear sweaters galore down by the shore

You’ll get tanned in Barbados
but Ireland has better potatoes
bangers and mash tonight sounds about right
fancy restaurant dishes in Curacao
but colcannon and fish is our favorite chow
ask us to share and we mig

Might be more sun down in Bali
but a walk is still fun with a brolly
you’ll never hear us complain about a little rain
you wear skimpy attire out in Tahiti
while we build a fire warm and peaty
the patter on the windowpane is good for my brain

we might like the pace in Trinidad
but Kerry’s the place for this nomad
we’re not the type to moan about being alone
the crowd’s having fun in Martinique
but we might see no one for a week
if you stop by for tea and a scone don’t for

Sun beating down not our style
We won’t be found on some tropical isle
We’d rather not make sunscreen part of our routine

19 Questions

Posted on by Joel D Canfield

G D5 F C

how do you know what someone wants?
what does it take to be loved?
what can you do to make them stay?

who gets to take? who needs to give?
why is it so? when does it change?
what can you do when they’ve gone away?

how can you see it coming on?
what do you do to see the truth?
who do you trust if not a friend?

why do we bother? what’s the point
when does it end? where do you go?
who do you turn to in the end?

and how do you know that’s true?
and what can you ever do
to stumble past the last miscue?

how do you move on from two
now they’re them and you’re you? I ask
’cause I don’t have a clue

River Song

Posted on by Joel D Canfield

A happy song.

The tenor guitar has opened up a whole world of experimentation for me. I’m finally, after a lifetime of musical muddling, noodling with stuff just because it sounds good, without even knowing what chords I’m playing sometimes.

capo 2 or open?
C7 [0323] F
F7 [3230] Bbmaj7 [2300]

Walking along by the river a song keeps on singing itself to me
Pouring it out of my head there’s no doubt what it’s trying to get me to see
It’s no surprise sparkling blue eyes come to my mind as it sings
Flashes of white from the river that write the magical lyrical wings
Walking along by the river a song keeps on singing itself to me

Walk through the
Just a bit more and I’ll come to your door and invite you to come walk along
River and grasses each moment that passes is filled with the joy of the birds
I’m well aware that golden brown hair is weaving itself through the words
Walk through the meadow and I know where I’ll go to find the rest of the song

[repeat 1st verse]