Bb C
Dandelions growing on top of the hill,
D Eb
Mountains in the distance, wind blowing through the field,
Bb C
Warmth of the sun casting down from the sky,
D Eb
Birds fly up above, Clouds rolling by—
C F What did I do To see such beauty?
And what do I do To show how much I care? Bb GI’ve got to be thankful, Tell Jehovah in prayer C FThat I’m thankful For the love that he shares.Bb GStop, look around, Take a moment, and let it sink down C7 Eb Fin my heart. Never take for granted all he’s done. Bb CI’ve got to be thankful. Bb DI’ve got to be thankful.Bb C
So many colors now painted in the sky,
D Eb
What a beautiful canvas you’ve laid before my eyes!
Bb C
The sound of the river running into the night,
D Eb
The stars are dancing in the moon’s spotlight—
C F What did I do To see such beauty? But I
know what to do To show how much I care. Bb GI’ve got to be thankful, Tell Jehovah in prayer C FThat I’m thankful For the love that he shares.Bb GStop, look around, Take a moment, and let it sink down C7 Eb Fin my heart. Never take for granted all he’s done. Bb CI’ve got to be thankful. Bb DI’ve got to be thankful.
Gm F# [bass]
I see your wisdom and your strength, F [bass] E [bass]
Your goodness in ev’rything, And how much you love. Eb C F Bb
And I’m so thankful; I’ve got to be thankful. Bb GI’ve got to be thankful, Tell Jehovah in prayer C FThat I’m thankful For the love that he shares.Bb GStop, look around, Take a moment, and let it sink down C7 Eb Fin my heart. Never take for granted all he’s done. Bb DI’ve got to be thankful. Bb EbI’ve got to be thankful.
F BbWe’ve got to be thankful.
We’ve been watching the marvelously witty Britcom “Upstart Crow”, a fictionalized account of the Bard’s early days. I’ve been looking for an excuse to use the phrase “puffling pants” since the first episode. This also gives me leave to include my other favorite word to say, codswallop.
Lyrics
Sir Perry Pufflingpants was a mighty sailing man
Captain of the HMS Codswallop
His heart contained the bravery of eleven men
And perhaps of preening pride a tiny dollop
His 1st mate, and his best mate, who helped to run the ship
Was a working lad named Roger Dodgington
Who was in charge of sailing stuff like how to pull the ropes
And manly things like when to fire the gun
Sir Perry Pufflingpants and Roger Dodgington
Always worked together because it was more fun
They’d sailed together many years, Sir Perry and old Rog
A pair of friends who made a tight old team
The HMS Codswallop was the best ship of the line
But sometimes things aren’t what they seem
Sir Perry Pufflingpants and Roger Dodgington
Have always worked together but some trouble has begun
Sir Perry Pufflingpants, that might sailing bloke
Whose heart contained his bravery plus ten
Secretly believed it was he who ran all things
And he the one revered by all his men
Sir Perry Pufflingpants and Roger Dodgington
Ought to see the same or their friendship is undone
Near the end of one long journey when the grog was running short
The crew began to grumble in complaint
Sir Perry Pufflingpants said they ought to just buck up
And follow his example of restraint
Sir Perry Pufflingpants and Roger Dodgington
Faced a brand new challenge when they didn’t work as one
Now Roger Dodgington, that loyal mate the first
Objected to his captain’s Stoic stance
And when he spoke his mind the men agreed and said
“Let’s haul him down and kick him in the pants!”
Sir Perry Pufflingpants and Roger Dodgington
Could one keep the other from a kicking in the bun?
“Avast there, salty sailors!” cried Roger Dodgington
“There’ll be no kicking, not while I’m still strong.
A side trip to the islands will fill our hold with grog
And keep our heads attached where they belong.”
Sir Perry Pufflingpants and Roger Dodgington
Would they work together? Would it still be fun?
Sir Perry Pufflingpants, that captain so sagacious
Acquiesced, endorsing Roger’s plan
Nodding to his mate he thanked him for his help
And the crew all cheered them both, to a man
Sir Perry Pufflingpants and Roger Dodgington
Always worked together because it was more fun
Since this is song 15 this month I’m cutting myself some slack and doing a vocal experiment with a pseudopoem blog post I wrote two days ago.
Lyrics
green fat caterpillar round small lake
black short dress leather tight shoes
old beautiful Victorian hard long look
square big trunk wooden ugly toy
Italian spicy dinner new fancy robe
green fat caterpillar round small lake
As we age, sometimes it’s just sad, and other times there’s a wry humor to the nonsense.
Since this year I’m planning on doing 28 tenor guitar songs I thought I should point out that the bass line here is played on the tenor, then dropped 2 octaves. Yeah, I have a Fender bass and play it just fine. This was easier ’cause I’m lazy sometimes.
Lyrics
my body’s a hundred my brain twenty-one
felt my labors had barely begun
not enough time for what’s left to be done
under what’s left of the sun
my body’s a hundred but I don’t complain
I’ve tried it before and there’s nothing to gain
so I keep on smiling in spite of the pain
rather than moaning in vain
my body’s a hundred, life is a chore
even my parts that are missing are sore
I keep having less and I keep needing more
but my ship hasn’t come to the shore
my body’s a hundred if it’s a day
life shuffles on for creatures of clay
I watch it all pass from the bed where I lay
ignoring the smell of decay
my body’s a hundred, now I’ve got to go
the light in the tunnel’s beginning to grow
I think of what’s coming, facing the blow
I believe, but do I know?
Best Beloved and I have known each other 45 years. When we were young, she knew I was the one for her. I was not so wise. We started our life together 25 years later than we could have.
Lyrics
Pretty young girl in a flower print dress
Said “She’s not the one for you
She’ll never love you the way that I can
She won’t make your dreams come true”
A handsome young man knew the truth of her words
Set about putting things right
Walked away from someone who’d ruin his life
Who let him go without a fight
The pretty young girl in the flower print dress
Found contentment and joy as his wife
She made their home a haven of peace
Shone warm and light in his life
Their children grew in a house filled with love
With their father, so kind and wise
The pretty young girl in the flower print dress
Saw forever in her children’s eyes
The pretty young girl in the flower print dress
And the handsome young man in her heart
Lived happily ever, right to the end
Forever, never apart
A pretty young girl in a flower print dress
Sees a wedding from up on a hill
Thinks about dreams she hoped would come true
And knows that they never will
Made us late for a drive to Tucson because this came to me all at once. I was going to write a song on the 2 1/2 hour drive. Ha. Now I’ll write another one on the drive.
Lyrics
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
notes
F Dm [2235] B♭ [2335] C Am [0223] no intro, come in on Dark F Dm B♭ F C
It’s dark out on that horizon The sea and the sky are blue and gray F Dm B♭ C F
Behind me there’s a glow above the hills I’ll be gone before the break of day
Used to be a darkness in my life Soul stuck in a long dark night
Maybe somewhere past that horizon Is what I hope will help to put me right
B♭ F B♭ F C
I’ll take that ship wherever it goes where I’ll end up heaven knows Am Dm Am Dm
nothing wrong with where I am but I’ve seen it all before B♭ F C B♭ F
so I’ll take that ship and sail away and fi-ind another shore C B♭ F
The world is round, everyone knew From long before Columbus rode the foam
Circles have no end and no beginning No matter where you head you’re heading home chorusC B♭ F
vagabonding, wanderlust, or travel whatever you call it’s all the same
restless rambling trek toward that horizon to see the world without a picture frame chorusC B♭ F
Some folks are content to stay at home Some of us can barely keep still
Some of you might want to come along Down the road and over that next hill chorus, repeat last line 2x
uke is tuned F but use mandolin fingerings as below
G EmCD tat-da-dadadada tat-da-dadadada tat-da-dadadada you’re a heartmaker, a light to everyone you know have the world quaking, get a say in how the story goes the perfect smile, in a lonely starless night see it once in a while, it gives people life
C D the moon the sun and stars can’t face you Em D in fact there’s no one who could take you C D they would never know what hit them CD disregard oxygen, take them all down again tonight
GEm it’s no surprise C D the potential was clear from the start GEm see it in your eyes C D the best thing you can have is heart
slower C D you’ll be the moon someday Em Em you’ll be the moon someday C D you’ll be the moon someday Em Em you’ll be the moon someday
C D the moon the sun and stars can’t face you
(you’ll be the moon someday) Em D in fact there’s no one who could take you
(you’ll be the moon someday) C D they would never know what hit them
(be the moon someday) CD[no chord] disregard oxygen, take them all down again tonight
C D the moon the sun and stars can’t face you
(you’ll be the moon someday) Em D the moon the sun and stars can’t face you
(you’ll be the moon someday) (tat-da-dadadada da da da da) C D the moon the sun and stars can’t face you
(you’ll be the moon someday) (tat-da-dadadada da da da da) Em D the moon the sun and stars can’t face C you’ll be the moon someday D the moon the sun and stars can’t face G you’ll be the moon someday
capo 2 C F G you asked me if I loved you
I wasn’t lying when I said yes
the way my hands are shaking as I write this letter now
it wasn’t quite true enough I guess
I came in from the wilderness to live with you in town
you craved that faster life and brighter lights
your hand slipped out of mine when you were dancing
wasn’t long before I slipped out of your nights
chorus
I was rough and it got rougher
the more I tried the worse it got
my head and hands and heart could only do so much
a man can’t be what he’s not
chorus
Dm [2233] F love is not love if all it wants to do C G
is change a man ’cause he ain’t good enough
it shouldn’t bring a tempest down as Billy Bard would say
and block out all the stars a sailor wants to see above
there’s a cabin out up on the mountain
built by a man who thought he was in love
I’ll go there and I’ll try to find the peace I used to know
’cause whatever I feel now just ain’t enough chorus
