March 23, 2009

An Incomplete List Of My Compositions


Speaking of music, it is now officially my 36th birthday, and to celebrate, I am going to spend a few minutes recalling the titles of most of the songs I have written since I was a young pup. I am doing this for two reasons. One, I think it will be a helpful exercise, especially since I intend to begin recording new demoes within the month. I have an opportunity to visit my true muses this coming weekend, and while I am in Alabama, I will be retrieving my trusty axe. Two, I just wonder how many songs I have written. It has been a long 20 years. Ok, here goes:


1. Typhoon In C Minor

(only classical composition, won first prize at Wayne County Fair, circa 1990)

2. Tropical Man

3. Rick O'Shay

4. I Love You More Everyday

5. Shake For Me Susan

6. Let's Dance In The Nude

(heavily inspired by Randy Newman's piano stylings)

7. Thinking Of Greta

8. Full Tank Of Gas

9. I Am Rising

( a song written at the onset of puberty, naturally)

10. Welfare Cadillac

11. Goodbye Dixie Queen

(written for my mom, who always dreamed of visiting Mardi Gras)

12. I'll Get By

13. I'll Be Your Friend

14. Too Late

15. Blessings Keep Falling

16. He Came

(previous three were gospel compositions, lyrics by high school mate Jon Easom)

17. When Are You Coming Home?

18. The Ballad Of The Repo Man

19. Where Are You Hiding?

20. Oh! Fatima

21. Black Sea Shag

(written after the infamous Valdez oil spill)

22. Kelly Green

23. Song For Neil Young

24. Tilt-A-Whirl

25. Teach Me To Dance

(Originally a waltz, later a midtempo country shuffle)

26. Every Word You Say

27. Corruption

28. Coupe De Ville

29. Love Arrows

30. James Brown

31. Love Will Make You Crazy

32. I Wish You Would

33. It's A Shame

34. Sugah Beah

35. Mornin'

36. Silverfish

37. Red Clay Rambler

38. Chicken Pot Pie

(previous 6 are instrumental compositions)

39. Cookin' For Two

(Only song written specifically for a female vocalist, written with Alison Krauss in mind)

40. Country Jones

41. Miss Alabama

42. Grenadine

43. Heartache Medicine

44. Waffle House Willie

(written about a Waffle House flashing incident, my first proper collaboration, lyrics co-written by Bobby Joe Beckley and Mike McLaughlin)

45. These Damn Ole Blue Suede Shoes

46. Ducks In A Row

47. Meriweather

48. Three Shades Of Red

49. Welcome To The Great Big World

(written to commemorate my first daughter Josie's birth, lyrics completed after my second daughter Abby's birth)

50. Tripping Over The Moon

51. Nothing's Gonna Change My World

52. He Sings A Song ( aka The Carpenter)

53. Labor Day

54. The Ghost Of Me

55. Christmas Cheer

56. King Of Nothing

57. Central Standard Time

58. Sunshine Sunshine

(A great little tune, the lyrics to which I managed to lose 2 days after writing it...GRRRRR!)

59. Baby's Got A Gun

(no relation to Aerosmith's "Janie's Got A Gun")

60. Smokin' And Drinkin'

61. Abilene

62. Just Another One Of Her Fools


Whew, talk about naked baby photos. This probably represents about a quarter of my total output, counting unfinished compositions. Most of these songs will never be recorded properly and only exist as fragments in my head, but some of them may make their way out into the world at some point in the not-too-distant future. I have notebooks in Alabama, and when I retrieve them I will update this list, mostly for my own edification.

No comments: