tunes

what kind of day

Posted on by Joel D Canfield

Bb C F
get up every morning and put on my shirt and pant
down to the table for egg and toast and tea
put on my sock and shoe and head out the door
dive into the day to see what kind of day it’ll be

slip behind the wheel fire up Betty Lou
just an old Beetle but we get from B to A
looking sharp in new sunglass and haircut
pootle along with a song on another day

C F
I cook with a tong, eat with a chopstick
cut coupon with scissor to save a few cent
Bb C F Bb
pretend to wonder what it was that happened
don’t need a binocular to see why you went

errand run and had some fun on the coast
heading home I turn on my headlight
park at the curb and pat Betty Lou on the head
swap shoe for slipper and settle down for the night

get up every morning and put on my shirt and pant
down to the table for egg and toast and tea
put on my sock and shoe and slip through the door
out for the day to see what kind of day it’ll be
out for the day with just I myself and me
out for the day to see what kind of day it’ll be

Taylor Swift

Posted on by Joel D Canfield

an unfinished masterpiece. yes, I had a strange and slightly disturbing dream.

I don’t know why I dream the kind of things I do
who can fathom the unconscious mind?
despite all their degrees and studying and science
they haven’t yet convinced the sleeping secrets to unwind

they say dreams can teach you something about life
this morning what I learned was all about my wife

you kiss way better than Taylor Swift
maybe it’s the practice, maybe it’s a gift
I hope that you don’t take this wrong
hope you don’t get miffed
but you kiss way better than Taylor Swift

while you sleep your brain is cleaning up its house
flushing out the nonsense and sludge
now maybe that’s the reason my dreams are full of junk
I try real hard to let ’em go, try hard not to judge

but while you’re in the middle it always seems so real
and lest you get the wrong impression this is how I feel

you kiss way better than Taylor Swift
maybe it’s the practice, maybe it’s a gift
I hope that you don’t take this wrong
hope you don’t get miffed
but you kiss way better than Taylor Swift

now you know I know you know that I’m joking
dreams are just the dust of tidying your brain
we both know the we belong together
in case somebody missed it I’d like to say it plain

when I’m asleep at night I ain’t the driver of that bus
it’s all a lot of nonsense, and between the two of us

you kiss way better than Taylor Swift
maybe it’s the practice, maybe it’s a gift
I hope that you don’t take this wrong
hope you don’t get miffed
and there’s no rift
we haven’t tiffed
I don’t get biffed
I’ll make a shift
now that I’ve riffed
you get my drift
it’s just your gift
but you kiss way better than Taylor Swift

Nothing

Posted on by Joel D Canfield

D E
you were all I ever wanted
G D
but you never wanted me
you’re long gone but I’m haunted
haunted by your memory

been too long and I’m crying
’cause I can barely remember your face
I lay awake and keep on trying
trying to find a trace

nothing means nothing
nothing means anything at all
nothing’s all should have expected from you
nothing, that’s all

I thought that I could make you love me
I tried so hard to catch your eye
I knew I knew I knew I knew you were thinking of me
and I’ll think of you till I die

 nothing means nothing
nothing means anything at all
nothing’s all should have expected from you
nothing, that’s all

G D
love will take your mind
love will take your soul
love can be so unkind
G A
love can make you lose control

no bass
nothing means nothing
nothing means anything at all
E
nothing’s all should have expected from you
G D
nothing, that’s all
nothing, that’s all
nothing

Coal

Posted on by Joel D Canfield

Reading Grisham’s fine muckraking novel “Gray Mountain” put me in a mood, and when I tried to go to bed this came to me almost complete.

A D
Take the top off that mountain
E
Strip it bare
Bring in the world’s biggest dozer
Scrape out all that’s there

Maybe a boulder smash your house
Maybe the sludge floods your land
Maybe your kids all get cancer
Maybe you just don’t understand

D E
Gotta have coal
E A
Keep the country burning
Coal
Fire up the night
Coal
Natural resources
You keep talking wrong and right

Our lawyers get paid more than your lawyers
Don’t work half as hard
Oughta save your money
For cleaning up your yard

Chorus

Business is business
Nothing more
Nothing personal
No one keeping score

Chorus

Ain’t personal
So why you keeping score?

Suite for a New Life – With the Radio On

Posted on by Joel D Canfield

Am F
if it all fell apart and ended in a ditch
C G
we’d have no one but ourselves to thank
Am F
we set out with nothing to our names
C G
but our clothes and the gas in the tank

Am F
nothing we had was making sense anymore
C G
so we headed out to find something else
Am F
you seemed pretty sure and I didn’t wanna scare you
C G Am
so I kept my doubts to myself

(very slowly)

Em Am
as we slipped away
you held my hand so tight I couldn’t breathe
Em Am G
drove into a sunrise full of colors I knew didn’t exist

(faster)

C G F G
I thought we’d find a new place of our own
didn’t know you were such a rolling stone
shaking off the moss, heading out into the great unknown

we didn’t know the world was so wide
once you let go knots are untied
its beauty’s just a mirror of the beauty we all have inside

C G F G (x2)

C A F G (x2)

C Am F G C Am F G
Flyin’ down the highway with the radio on
Singin’ just as loud as I can to my favorite song
Well it might be Nez or Bob or Van
But I always try to sing just as loud as I can
Flyin’ down the highway with the radio on

You pull out the map every once in a while
And I glance at you and you glance and we share a smile
And the sun glints through your golden hair
And I can’t believe my luck that we’re there
Flyin’ down the highway with the radio on

You feed me a fast-food fish sandwich; it drips on my shirt
I slurp green circle logo iced mocha and try to stay alert
Like Newtonian bodies in motion we stay
‘Cause we hate to slow down ‘less there’s no other way
Flyin’ down the highway with the radio on

bridge
F x8 C x8
Big fast car and a snappy tune And you right by my side
F x8 G FFF G G F E D
Cup o’ joe and a bite to eat Man, what a ride!

Finally pause for some greasy home cookin’ in a roadside cafe
Pay the bill and escape in a hurry to be on our way
Watchin’ a sunset we wish we could frame
Settle in for a night that’s just more of the same
Flyin’ down the highway with the radio on

Flyin’ down the highway with the radio on
Flyin’ down the highway with the radio on

This Path

Posted on by Joel D Canfield

C C
peace can be a fleeting thing
A Ab C
reach out and it flies away
C C
having you here with me
A Ab C
this peace as we end our day
F C F C
moon through our windows, shining in our eyes
F C G G
paints a peaceful path to light our way

something on the radio
we sing; the harmony is sweet
doesn’t matter where we are
you have me and you make me complete
light in our life, shining in our hearts
paints a peaceful path down any street

peace is such a precious thing
this night of still serenity
a warm bed and peaceful dreams
smiling friends awaiting you and me
moon through our windows, shining in our eyes
paints a peaceful path we’ll always see

C C
peace can be a fleeting thing
A Ab Ab Ab Ab C
reach out and hold it here with me

I’m Not Dead

Posted on by Joel D Canfield

woke up this morning found that I’m not dead
woke up this morning found that I’m not dead
my good old days must be right ahead

clouds are moving winds begun to blow
clouds are moving winds begun to blow
might be sunny somewhere I don’t know

Shuffled the cards and dealt a hand
taking nickels from the boys in the band
this road trip’s taking longer than I thought
I’m always in the train station when my ship comes into port

grass needs mowin, weeds are getting tall
grass needs mowin, weeds are getting tall
I’ll disappear entirely when I fall

grocery store stopped selling my favorite cheese
grocery store stopped selling my favorite cheese
I’d ask ’em why but I ain’t gettin on my knees

she took my money to pay the fare
then acted like I wasn’t even there
my socks don’t match and I’m wearing high-heeled shoes
pocket’s got a hole I got nothing to lose

butter ain’t the only thing to churn
butter ain’t the only thing to churn
my eyes are ringin my ears are starting to burn

radio station’s fading in and out
radio station’s fading in and out
that fool doesn’t know what he’s talking about

that look you’ve got’s a fine how-do-you-do
got a box of matches down in my shoe
I taught myself to read when I was three years old
keep using your head you’ll wind up left out in the cold

woke up this morning found that I’m not dead
woke up this morning found that I’m not dead
my good old days must be right ahead

Get Up and Go

Posted on by Joel D Canfield

If you’re leaving
get up and go
I won’t be grieving
just so you know
I stopped believing
long time ago
so if you’re leaving
get up and go

I don’t need you
Anymore
Won’t impede you
that’s for sure
Let me lead you
to the door
Cause I don’t need you
anymore

If you can get
something better for you
Someone who’ll forget
when you’re untrue
I won’t be upset
I’m glad to be through
So go see if you can get
something better for you

If you’re leaving
get up and go
I won’t be grieving
just so you know
I stopped believing
long time ago
so if you’re leaving
get up and go

Stars of Your Eyes

Posted on by Joel D Canfield

I know that you love him; he’s taken your heart
It seems you’re determined to tear us apart
So this is the end of the life that we share
But I know you love me; I know you still care
You say you’re ready to stand by his side
but I’m not prepared for my baby to become a bride

Under the stars by the campfire’s glow
Sharing the secrets that only we know
Flickering lights making stars of your eyes
The mem’ries remind me just how the time flies
You say that he gives you that same glow inside
but I’m not prepared for my baby to become a bride

Sometimes only music can say what I mean
A bittersweet moment each father’s foreseen
But life isn’t ever quite what you had planned
You gave him your heart so I’ll give him your hand
I know that you’re ready; this knot will be tied
but I’m not prepared for my baby to become a bride