Yesterday’s Moon

This was meant to be a hopeful happy coming home love song. Turned itself into an “I’d love to stay but you know I’m a traveler” song.

Cm7 0011 Dm7 2233 G
yesterday’s moon sleeps behind the hills far away
Cm7#5 0111 Dm7#5 2333 F
I’m chilled in the dark, the sun’s not yet risen today
hungry and tired but no matter, I carry on
around the next turn is the home where you wait with the dawn

these traveling ways are the only life that I know
in spite of the leaving and all the while missing you so
maybe this time I’ll have all I need here with you
and I’ll settle down and we’ll share a sunset or two

tomorrow night’s moon will soon peek over the hill
red setting sun is giving way to night’s chill
it’s warm here with you but I’m hungry to carry on
to see what’s around the next bend beyond the next dawn
to see what’s around the next bend beyond the next dawn
to see what’s around the next bend beyond the next dawn

Powerless Librarian Blues

The piano part came to me unbidden. The lyrics, I have no idea, but my middle daughter says it sounds just like trying to borrow one of my books when she was a teenager.

Lyrics

you don’t want dirty looks
don’t dogear my books
that’s what bookmarks are for
see a bent page
puts me in a rage
throw you out the door

show some respect
before they’re all wrecked
and I lose my mind
you’ll rue
what I do
you won’t be just fined

don’t wanna see me get mean
leave my margins clean
or your privileges will be abrogated
be kind to the spine
or take it in thine
you’d be incapacitated

did I make it clear?
you’re not welcome here
why don’t you see
hear my poem
and go home
and watch some TV

Don’t Love You Anymore

Some people can’t move on because they’re stuck
because they can’t move on
because they’re stuck
like this clown, who thinks it’s her fault.

I wrote the chorus to this as a straight country mandolin song and just couldn’t find this guy’s story. Somehow, realizing it could be gypsy jazz led me to his cluelessness and the story.

Lyrics

you say you would have said yes
but I didn’t ask
you were leaving it up to me
but I wasn’t up to the task
now you say we’re through
and you’re moving on
here’s something I feel I can say
now that you’re gone

don’t love you anymore
don’t love you no less
since you been gone
I thought something might change, I guess
you left me alone
you left me a mess
now that you’re gone
don’t love you anymore
but I can’t love you less

you say you would have been glad
to go places with me
did you ever consider maybe there’s no place
I want to see?
I’m happy right here
I like where I am
you can move on
I’ll be right here
thank you ma’am

don’t love you anymore
don’t love you no less
since you been gone
I thought something might change, I guess
you left me alone
you left me a mess
now that you’re gone
don’t love you anymore
but I can’t love you less

take a break
take your time
you’ll regret a hasty decision
for heaven’s sake
it’s no crime
planning with careful precision
no matter how long it takes . . .

but you say we’re through
and you’re moving on
here’s something I feel I can say
now that you’re gone

don’t love you anymore
don’t love you no less
since you been gone
I thought something might change, I guess
you left me alone
you left me a mess
now that you’re gone
don’t love you anymore
but I can’t love you less

Upside Down Smile

I played the chords for Best Beloved and she said “It sounds like an invitation.”

I’ve had my eye on you for a while
just thinking of you makes me smile
I wonder if you’d like to go for a walk
or maybe just sit here and talk

you seem sort of quiet or maybe you’re shy
your secretive upside down smile caught my eye
let’s go for some coffee or chocolate or tea
or maybe you don’t notice me

maybe you’re thinking of somebody who
means more than a little to you
maybe the smile is a memory
that has nothing to do with me

the voices around us mean nothing to me
as long as the crowd lets me see
that quizzical smile and faraway eyes
that fill me with mad butterflies

maybe you keep all your secrets inside
with no one for you to confide
maybe the smile is hiding the fears
you’ve hidden from all of these years

the mad butterflies bring you over my way
the secretive smile makes you say
“I wonder if you’d like to go for a walk
or maybe just sit here and talk”