The RPM Challenge

What is it?

Record an album in 28 days: 10 songs or 35 mintues of original material in the month of February.

My effort is listed under Stackabones. I got in 14 songs and over 41 minutes of new material. All of it should be in the Feburary 201o Demos Jukebox.

The RPM Challenge

Rondo

And we go round and round
And round and round and round
And round and round and round
And round and round

And we go round and round
And round and round and round
And round and round and round
And round and round

She said that she insisted
But her words got all twisted
And her meanings split in two
And her splitting had meaning, too.

And we go round and round ...

Spin the bottle spin the top
Keep it spinning don't let it stop

And we go round and round ...

02.04 & 02.28
F2 STE-028
key of G

Walk Back To You

I'm going to take my time
And walk back to you
I got to get back what's mine
And walk back to you

One foot in front of the other
One foot in front of the other

I'm going to tie my laces
And walk back to you
I'll pass by the old places
And walk back to you

One foot in front of the other
One foot in front of the other

I'll see your street
And walk back to you
And the feeling is sweet
And walk back to you
Hear me knocking at your door
I hear you coming cross the floor
I see your face, yes, your face
I see your face, yes, I see your face
The lines that time has traced
I know that time's hidden parts
Are still being held in our hearts

One foot in front of the other
One foot in front of the other
One foot in front of the other
And walk back to you
One foot in front of the other
And walk back to you

02.28.10
F2 STE-023
capo 2
A shufflesque

Mockingbird

A mockingbird told me
About a silver place
I had the map, for it was drawn
In the lines of my face

I asked her about
The lines in my hand
She answered with a song
That I didn't understand

Can I believe what I've heard
From the mockingbird?

A mockingbird told me
About a golden song
But when I tried to sing it
I had the notes all wrong

I asked if she'd sing it
Once again for me
She answered with my words
In perfect mimicry


A mockingbird told me
About a two-way mirror
One side showed joys to come
The other all my terrors

When I'd seen one side
The other would go black
And I would be unable
To ever change my path.

The Last One

Is this the last one
That I'll ever know?
Is this the last one
The last before I go.

Is this the last one
I'll get to do?
Is this the last one
I'll do with you?

The first will be last
The worst won't be surpassed
The found will be lost
The renowned won't be tossed

Is this last one
That'll come my way?
Is this last one --
Is this the last day?

Is this the last one
Before the jury
Is this the last one
To feel your fury

Is this the last one
To come tumbling down
Is this the last one
To go rumbling round

Is this the last one
To be crossed off
Is this the last one
To say that's enough

The first will be last
My thirst will come too fast
My words will be lost
My wrongs will be tossed.

And last but not least
Well, who gets to choose?
At least this is the least
That could be done for you.


02.24.10
F2 STE-024
G C G C
Em C G
C Am G D/F#

Ashes On My Head, Dust In My Heart

Turning within
And going without
Count forty days
Of intense drought
Go inside
And bow your head
There's more to life
Than your daily bread

Ashes on my head
Dust in my heart

Get on your way
Get rid of that load
Watch those ditches
By the narrow road
Some seed will flourish
Some seed will fade
The dirt that you use
Is the dirt that you've made

On the coldest day
On record in Hell
All legends came true
All lies were dispelled
The gates were wrecked
And the sun went black
The candles were snuffed
All the bells were cracked

02.21.10
F2 STE-020
A / E G D G A
G A

She Had Enough Summer In Her

She had enough summer in her
To keep me warm through the fall
But when the winter came along
I felt nothing at all

The snow waltzed round and twirled on ice
I just wished that it would thaw
The north wind blew through everything
I felt nothing at all

When spring came dancing in her dress
She knelt by me and balled
I stroked her straight auburn hair
I felt nothing at all

I had enough winter in me
To keep me slow and raw
I stared at the sun and could not blink
I felt nothing at all


02.16.10
F2 STE-13
C F C
G C
Am G F C
Am G C
end on long Am fade out

Two Pawn Shops

You can pawn your dreams
Downtown at Lefty's or at Joe's
Though Joe's a cheap bastard
Don't mean Lefty will give you more.

Lefty will tell all about
The day he lost his arm
If he asks you to rub his stub
Try not to be alarmed.

It's water under the bridge
Water can run with mud
Look a little closer under that bridge
The water is filled with blood.

Him and Joe were once real close
They both served in Iraq
They deployed at the same time
And had to watch each other's back

Joe got high on some hash
And Lefty covered for him
While he was out on patrol
Lefty lost his limb.

Lefty never held a grudge
He figured it was fate
Whatever fate gives you
You got no choice but to take

Joe didn't bet on fate
He went all in for chance
And his world after Iraq
Was nothing but happenstance

02.14.10
F2 STE-009 (before mud/blood switch)/ STE-011
Verse: A D A E / E G D A
Chorus: A D A E A

Come What May

Thank you, Lord,
For this day.
I love you, Lord,
Come what may.

Although I try
To obey,
There are times
That I stray.
My soul stirs
In dismay
Evil hunts me
I'm its prey.


Although it sounds
So cliche,
I need you, Lord,
I need your way.
So call on me
I'm your clay
So call on me.
I'm just clay.

02.13.10
F2 STE-006
key of G

Hold Me Close

Hear the song birds
Sing off key
Steer the wrong words
Towards me
Hold me close, dear
Hold me
Hold me
Hold me close

Show the tall trees
How to fall
Know the fall leaves
Gave their all

Let the sky yearn
For your hair
Let the shy burn
In despair

Play your guitar
And know remorse
Pray to a set star
And go off course

Leave Your Loving

She put up with me

As long as she could

It doesn't make me bad

It doesn't make her good

For there's a right way

To make your loving

And there's a wrong way

To take your leaving

Just make sure

You leave your loving

Before your loving leaves you.

Never had the nerve
Thought I was naive
It didn't make her stay
It didn't make me leave

02.10.10
STE-002/3/4/5
DADABE
second string melody 7 10 5 7 3
chords:
000032
000233
000455

Blame

Blame California
With her bleached blonde hair
Her forty foot distractions
Spewing smog everywhere.
It was her and what she became
I'm not the one to blame.

Blame February
With her black ice heart
You feel like she's finished
Before she even starts.
How could I know she'd snuff out my flame
I'm not the one to blame

Blame the moon and stars
And their ever changing ways
If you catch them in the daylight
They won't have much to say.
I took a shot but had bad aim
And I'm not the one to blame.

Blame Tristan
And the poets' lies
Their passions and rhymes
Are just suffering in diguise
Who really knows love's real name?
I'm not the one to blame.

02.07.10
F2 STE-001

Six Feet Down

My fingers felt cold
And my voice felt so tight
None of my saints
Were in the graveyard that night.
The spirits swirled around
Or was it just the wind
Something told me
That I'd better begin.

The gravestone was old
The name could barely be read
But I knew I'd found it

For it's what the gypsy had said
I'd crossed her palms with silver
And she told me about gold
That was buried with a bluesman
Who had sold his soul.

I put my back into it
Broke the ground with my spade
I dug six feet down
I dug six feet down
I dug six feet down
To where the coffin laid
I dug six feet down
Even my demons were afraid

I cracked open that coffin
And amid the bones & dust
Was a perfect guitar
With strings that had no rust
Put my fingers to the frets
Ever note was in tune
And out poured a song
I wish I could sing it to you.

The song was so joyful
It almost sung itself
I couldn't stop singing it
I was under its spell
I sang it over and over
I sang it and didn’t stop
And I sang it while hungry
And I sang it till I was dry
And I sang it all night
And I sang it till the dawn
And I sang that song
Till my voice grew hoarse
And when my voice gave out
I was filled with remorse

I'd forgotten the song
Every single word
Not even a lick
Not even the first chord
I went back to the gypsy
And asked her what to do
She said the song is gone
Till someone digs up you

When my bones are dust
The song will be free
And where my soul sleeps
Is a mystery
Take a sip of bourbon
When you hear I'm gone
Start digging six feet down
For my graveyard song

02.06.10
F2 STE-000
A D

Seasonal Blues

She'll tear through your life
Like an F5 tornado
And when you pick up the debris
You'll have no place to go

It ain't the heat
It's the humidity
I can handle the heat
As long as she ain't mean to me.

Whenever she cries
It's just like a flash flood
I'm always downstream
Getting stuck in the mud

They say the thunder
Follows a lightnin' strike
I can hear her yelling now
I won't get any sleep tonight

When the cold wind blows
You know it feels so much worse
Your soul feels like ice
And your heart wants to burst

When leaves die in autumn
They give a colorful display
Well I don't feel too colorful
When she treats me this way

The five-day outlook
Don't look too good for me
It's the worst year on record
And it could make history.

02.06.10
F2 STE-026
Blues in A
A D
F#m D7

Courting Demons, Counting Angels

When courting demons,
Be sure to sing in the dark
And know that diamonds
Won't grow in your coal black heart

When counting angels
Be sure to bring a light
And throw your demons
Back into the diamond filled night

You can trade your night
For a tune forever torn
You can trade your light
For a song forever sung

Let the night be night
Let the light be light
Let your eyes invite
Let the skies ignite
Let your art incite
Let your heart delight

02.04.10
F2 STE-16
C G7
F
G
C F G

Rock And Roll (The Myth of Sisyphus)

Keep rollin'
That old stone
Keep rollin'
That old stone
When it gets to the top
You know it won't stop
Keep rollin'

Keep roamin'
Back and forth
Keep roamin'
Back and forth
Up and down that hill
Is a measure of your will
Keep roamin'

Keep rovin'
In that rut
Keep rovin'
In that rut
When it's you and the stone
You'll feel so alone
Keep rovin'

Keep goin'
Up that hill
Keep goin'
Up that hill
That rock is going roll
Back down below
Keep goin'

Go Slow, Magdalena

Go slow, Magdalena

You know what you need

Go slow, Magdalena

You know what you believe

Yes, he will give you words

And his words will turn to dust

Don't let the dust he gives you

Rest lightly upon your trust

His words are built on sand

And sand has many grains

Each grain holds a world

His world will never remain

Go slow, Magdalena

You know what you need

Go slow, Magdalena

You know what you believe

Yes, I will give my word

My word is more than sound

The sound that it makes

Shakes dust off the ground

The dust will blow away
And the world may disappear
My word will wait for you
My word will still be here

Go slow, Magdalena

You know what you need

Go slow, Magdalena

You know what you believe

Go slow, Magdalena
Go slow
Go slow, Magdalena
Go slow

02.02.10
F2 STE-10
Chorus: E B7
Verse: A E A E C#m F#m C#m F#m B7