Captain Jack. Lyrics and Music by Billy Joel.Vocals by Timothy Price
Captain Jack from Billy Joel’s 1973 album, Piano Man, is my latest cover. I first heard this song around 1974 after I purchased Piano Man. I fell in love with it. It’s not at all biographical; however, I had friends who got messed up with drugs in the 70s. A few died of overdoses, and a few committed suicide. Seeing how drugs destroyed people’s lives, I never had a reason to experiment with them.
Lyrics by Timothy Price adapted from Mark 5. Music by Timothy Price
After posting Legion last week, I decided to make a song out of Mark 5:1-18, which is the story of a man possessed by many demons who confronts Jesus. Jesus asks the man his name, and he answers, “My name is Legion, for we are many!” Legion asked Jesus not to send them out of the area or “into the abyss.” (Luke 8:31). Jesus allowed the demons to go to a herd of pigs. The herd runs into the lake and drowns. The people ask Jesus to leave. The man wants to go with Jesus, but Jesus does not let him.
1) Threatening Rain. 2) Rain. 3) Clear.
We got .31 inches of rain today. No Fooling!
Mark 5 Lyrics by Timothy Price adapted from Mark 5:1-18 Music by Timothy Price
[Chorus] My name is Legion For we are many My name is Legion For we are many My name is Legion For we are many Please don’t send us into the Abyss
[Verse 1] He was crazed, he was naked, and he lived among the dead No chains could bind him, and he broke them like they were his bread When he saw Jesus, he down fell to his knees “Oh, Son of the Most High God! Please don’t torture me!”
[Chorus]
[Verse 2] On a hillside nearby where pigs were in ecesis “Send us into the pigs!” The demons asked and begged of Jesus He gave them permission, and the man he was unbound Two thousand pigs rushed to the lake, where they were drowned.
[Chorus]
[Verse 3] When the people came to Jesus, they did not expect to find The man sitting there, fully dressed and in his right mind What happened to the man and pigs gave them much to fear They plead with Jesus, “Man! Please, go and get out of here!”
[Chorus]
[Bridge] Jesus stepped in the boat, the man begged to go with him Jesus did not let him, “Go home and tell how much the Lord has done for you” So the man went away and told in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. All the people were amazed.
Lyrics by Timothy Price. Music by Elton John. The lyrics are at the bottom of the post.
An Old Man’s Blues is my rewrite of Elton John’s Screw You (Young Man’s Blues), which was on the flip side of the Goodbye Yellow Brick Road single (45rpm) released in 1973. I bought the Goodbye Yellow Brick Road single in 1974 before I could afford to buy the album. I ended up playing the B-side more than the A-side because I identified with Screw You (Young Man’s Blues) when I was a sophomore in high school. I was a misfit weirdo, and I was teased a lot. One of the many reasons I dropped out of high school when I was 16.
I was working on a cover of Screw You (Young Man’s Blues) when I decided I needed to update the lyrics from 1970s England to 2024 New Mexico. Plus, the way I rewrote the bridge addresses some of the recent strange encounters in the blogosphere.
One of the images I did for the song art for An Old Man’s Blues.
More bloomin’ blooms
An Old Man’s Blues Lyrics by Timothy Price Music by Elton John
Now that I’m old, I don’t have much fun I can’t see or hear or talk to anyone My back’s a pain. There is so much strife I’m gotta clean the kitty litter, oh what a life
I say screw you I ain’t got nothing to choose I live on my laptop Cause there’s nothing else I can do
Screw you, I ain’t got nothin’ to choose I’m livin’ on my laptop cause there’s nothin’ else I can do
I was workin’ downtown when I got in a fight I was beaten in an alley out in broad daylight The cops could care less; they were downright scary Sayin’ “Make my day!” Just like Dirty Harry
They said, “Screw you!” Oh, you stupid old fool You work downtown You get beaten by a Tool
Screw you! Oh, you stupid old fool You work downtown You get beaten by a Tool
See, there’s femmes who get laid for being slaves Femmes who get paid for being laid There’s femmes behind screen names who prey with delight Those femmes they are liars; they are as dark as the night They lie, scratch, and whine, trying to make a dime And all of them say, “Get out my way! Screw you!”
I’ve stared at a screen from seven ’til nine The wear on my eyes nearly drove me blind Tryin’ to make riches with nothing to share Gettin’ hell from my staff, but I didn’t care
They said, “Screw you!” That’s all we’re gonna do We’re not existing for someone like you
Screw you! This is all we’re gonna do We’re not existing for someone like you
People have asked me why I don’t do covers. My answer has been that I don’t see the point. I don’t play in a cover band, and it’s much more fun to write and record original songs. I started thinking about covers, and I decided it might be a good idea to learn songs I like as it might help to improve my vocals.
Now that I’m letting my hair grow, Longhaired Redneck by David Allen Coe seemed to be a good song for my first cover. Since I’ve been blue from all the pain, my hair is white, and I’m a redneck; I’ve been all-American Red, White, and Blue lately.
Dawn
This is my therapy bunny. I needed a pillow to rest my left arm on at night. But since I don’t have a small pillow that fits on the edge of the bed, I started using the bunny.
Spunk likes to paw the water while the other cats jug.
Springing Forward is my 2024 Daylight Savings Time (DST) protest song (lyrics are below). The song is hyper, so don’t be surprised if you find it annoying, like changing to DST and losing an hour of sleep.
I’m particularly leery of losing an hour of sleep tonight since I’ve been having a lot of trouble with pain over the last several months and don’t always sleep very well. Side note: Laurie has more trouble sleeping than I do. Since last summer, I’ve been trying to get a handle on the pain. I started riding a mountain bike, changed to an anti-inflammatory diet, and lost over 35 pounds. You would think that would help a lot. But not really. I am still having a lot of joint and muscle pain, especially at night. If you noticed, I don’t write as much, don’t comment as much, and mostly write short comments; it’s because of the pain. I have enough trouble typing with numb fingertips, but with all the pain, my typing has gone to hell.
I reached out to my new GP last month and asked her what specialist I needed to see to try and get the pain under control. She had me go in and see her. She put me on Gabapentin at night and gave me some more dietary suggestions. I have a follow-up with her next week. My pain has been down to manageable background pain most of the time during the day for the past few weeks, but I still have issues with pain increasing at night, waking me up and keeping me awake. But it’s much better than it was a few weeks ago.
While it’s a real challenge to play guitar with numb fingertips, it is more of a challenge to play when my fingers are swollen, painful, and don’t want to move. But I play every day, whatever the condition of my hands are and how much I’m hurting elsewhere. My hands have not been as swollen over the past couple of weeks, so I was able to do halfway decent sloppy shredding on my guitar solos I recorded this morning for Springing Forward, above.
Red sky in the morning is an ominous warning about changing to DST and losing an hour of sleep!
Springing Forward, It’s So backward By Timothy Price
(4x) Springing forward It’s so backward
We lose an hour to save some time Springing forward It’s so backward
Body clocks are broken; we’re running behind Springing forward It’s so backward
Moving like zombies, we’re losing our minds Springing forward It’s so backward
We saved an hour by losing time Springing forward It’s so backward
It’s time for DST Lockstep to New Destiny If you thought you were free Don’t change your clock! You will see!
You Fools don’t complain But an hour is really insane The clocks are sacred, can’t you see? We’re not free to mess around
Springing forward. Leave time be It’s so backward. Can’t we see Springing forward. We’re not free To play like gods. You see?
(4x) Springing forward It’s so backward
It’s time again for DST Lockstep to New Destiny If you thought you were free Don’t change your clock! And you will see!
Lyrics and Music by Timothy Price. Vocals and CGI by Teagan Riordain Geneviene.
The lyrics for the song are adapted from a poem I wrote in 2017 when we had nine cats:
We enter the age of Aquarius Clawing at the cuffs of Heaven Fluorine feline in the household A clowder of kitties Infested
Novem gatti Fruits of the Spirit Nine worthies, three of each But who can say which Pagans, Christians, Jews?
All piled together Napping nonagon de gnari Like the symphonies of Beethoven Each plays their way Into our hearts
A naping nonagon de gnari. CGI by Teagan Riordain Geneviene.
The poem is all about Nine: Nine is said to be lucky in Aquarius, and nine is believed to symbolize divine completeness. Fluorine is the atomic number nine, a clowder is a group of cats, and there are nine fruits of the Spirit. Jacques de Longuyon wrote “Voeux du Paon”, a popular 14th-century romance, where he introduced the “Nine Worthies”— three Pagans, three Christians, and three Jews: Hector, Alexander the Great, and Julius Caesar; King Arthur, Charlemagne, and Godfrey of Bouillon; Joshua, David, and Judas Maccabeus — who were historical, legendary and scriptural figures that characterized the ideals of chivalry in the Middle Ages. A nonagon is a nine-sided polygon, and Beethoven wrote nine symphonies.
Ach Nein! Nine Gnari en la Casa. By Timothy Price
[Chorus x2) Ach Nein! Nine Gnari en la casa Mama Mia! C’est la vi
[Verse 1] As we enter The Age of Aquarius Clawing at The cuffs of Heaven
A flock of feline In the household Or are they called A clowder of cats?
[Chorus x2) Ach Nein! Nine Gnari en las casa Mama Mia! C’est la vi
[Verse 2] Nove gatti Fruits of the Spirit Nine worthies Three of each
But who can say which they might be Pagans, Christians Or the Jews?
[Bridge] All piled together One atop the other A naping nonagon de gnari Or you can say But say it with conviction Nine cats napping In a pile
[Chorus x2) Ach Nein! Nine Gnari en las casa Mama Mia! C’est la vi
I thought my latest song, Dick Meets Jane, would be good for Valentine’s Day. Lyrics are at the end of the post.
I have to admit, I hated Valentine’s Day and the “Dick and Jane” books when I was a kid. Valentine’s Day was humiliating, and the “Dick and Jane” books represented a culture that was polar opposite of mine. Something I read triggered the lyrics for the song quite a while ago. With Valentine’s Day approaching, I decided to put them to music.
Dawn
Crescent Moon in the Tangle Heart Tree.
First beaver sighting of 2024
Can you find the pTerodactyl?
Canadian Geese landing in the Rio Grande.
Kissy cranes
Déjà vu all over again!
It looks like the pTer is missing some feathers on his wing. Or perhaps he was given the “Black Spot” by the other pTerodactyls à la “Treasure Island.”
Jupiter and the crescent moon
Tangle heart tree and crescent moon.
Dick Meets Jane By Timothy Price
[Verse 1] I was reading on the trolley when I looked up to see A Goddess of a woman standing right next to me I stood and kindly offered her my seat She blushed as she sat, and I tried not to stare Inviting were her amber eyes, and her smile was so sweet Was it our destiny that we should meet?
[Chorus] Oh Lord, must you do this to me? You temp me with this lovely Lass Don’t you know that I am just way too plain Am I another player in her game?
[Verse 2] We got off at the same stop “Thanks for giving me your seat My name is Jane. Who are you? May I ask?” “So nice to meet you, Jane. Funny, you should ask. My name is Richard, but people call me Dick!” “Dick and Jane!” We both laughed “Are we like the storybook?” We joined hands and skipped along She sang an unfamiliar song
[Chorus] Oh Lord, must you do this to me? You temp me with this lovely Lass She’s a beauty and so divine Is this an act? Will she be mine?
[Bridge] We ducked into a Starbucks Espressos straight-up and black “May I have your number, Dick?” “I’m free can you take me out?” YES! “Yes! You’re a dream come true.”
[Outro] We dated, and we courted. We fell in love, I proposed As Dick and Jane, we got married. Two together apropos We are like a storybook. Lives perfectly aligned Together, we live in bliss, Happily and so divine
[Chorus] Oh Lord, I’m happy you did this to me Tempted with this lovely Lass Now that all my prayers are answered We are living our dream at last
Lyrics and Music by Timothy Price. Vocals by Teagan Riordain Geneviene.
Another year has passed, and the Wolf Moon is on the rise again as the new year begins. I wrote and recorded Wolf Is In The Winter Moon (above) to celebrate the 2024 Wolf Moon. To spare you my bloody awful voice, Teagan Riordain Geneviene @ Teagan’s Books gracious sang, lending her beautiful, smokey and slightly haunting voice to the song. Thank you so much, Teagan. I really appreciate your hard work on recording the vocals. Teagan’s voice is perfect for the song. She had the idea to add the howls underneath the chorus — a brilliant addition. You can find the lyrics at the end of the post.
We say two pTerodactyls flying over the Rio Grande tonight. This one turned around and flew close. I assume he wanted to be included in the celebration of the Wolf Moon.
pTer reflecting under the light of the Wolf Moon
Cranes under the light of the Wolf Moon
Wolf Moon over Resa’s Tree
Wolf Is In The Winter Moon By Timothy Price
[Verse] World of demons manifold and so robust They are possessed and driven by an insatiable lust For blood and power, their egos must be fed Innocent souls of the quick and of the dead Wolf’s in the Winter Moon that’s on the rise again Sheds light on the darkness of a cold and cruel world
[Bridge] Wolf and Moon together work in perfect harmony Wolf and Moon together work to set our spirits free
[Chorus] Wolves howl with praises and glory Wolves howl with praises and glory Wolves howl with praises and glory of the Winter Moon
Wolves howl with praises and glory Wolves howl with praises and glory Wolves howl with praises to bring an end to winter’s gloom
[Verse] Wolf is in the Winter Moon that’s on the rise again Shines its light on darkness as the year begins
[Bridge] Wolf and Moon together work in perfect harmony Wolf and Moon together work to set our spirits free
[Chorus] Wolves howl with praises and glory Wolves howl with praises and glory Wolves howl with praises and glory of the Winter Moon
Wolves howl with praises and glory Wolves howl with praises and glory Wolves howl with praises to bring an end to winter’s gloom
[Outro] Wolves howl with praises and glory of the Winter Moon Wolves howl with praises to bring an end to winter’s gloom
pTerodactyl stands vigil Over a dying pond Reflecting on things to come He saw the writing on the wall
Lyrics and music written and performed by Timothy Price.
Night
Dawn
Dusk
Writing’s On The Wall (Daniel 5:24-28†) By Timothy Price
[Verse] You should beware of the words, man As they were written by a bloodless hand You see, if you don’t change your ways You’ll succumb to what the inscription says
[Chorus] ‘M’ne! M’ne! T’kel ufarsin’ Oh, the writing’s on the wall ‘M’ne! M’ne! T’kel ufarsin’ It’s a prophecy of your fall ‘M’ne! M’ne! T’kel ufarsin’ God is going to end it all ‘M’ne! M’ne! T’kel ufarsin’ He won’t hear you when you call
[Bridge] ‘M’ne! M’ne! T’kel ufarsin’ ‘M’ne!’ — God has counted up your kingdom ‘M’ne!’ — brought it to an end ‘T’kel’ — you’re weighed on the balance ‘T’kel’ — scale and come up short ‘P’res’ — your kingdom’s been divided given Given — to the Medes and the Persians
[Verse] You should beware of the words, man As they were written by a bloodless hand You see, if you don’t change your ways You’ll succumb to what the inscription says
[Chorus] ‘M’ne! M’ne! T’kel ufarsin’ Oh, the writing’s on the wall ‘M’ne! M’ne! T’kel ufarsin’ it’s a prophecy of your fall ‘M’ne! M’ne! T’kel ufarsin’ God is going to end it all M’ne! M’ne! T’kel ufarsin’ He won’t hear you when you call
†24 This is why he sent the hand to write this inscription; 25 and the inscription says, ‘M’ne! M’ne! T’kel ufarsin.’ [a]26 This is what it means: ‘M’ne!’ — God has counted up your kingdom and brought it to an end. 27 ‘T’kel’ — you are weighed on the balance-scale and come up short. 28 ‘P’res’ — your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians.” (Complete Jewish Bible).
I went to see Alice Cooper last night. It was a fun concert. He is still a great showman. I was about 25 feet from the stage in the center. I got four guitar picks thrown by the guitarists, but I only kept one. The people around me really wanted those picks. Nita Strauss does great hair whips. I caught a lot of them. Ryan Roxie and Tommy Hendriksen rocked on their guitars. Chuck Garric played a mean bass, and Glenn Sobel was fantastic on the drums. I assume Alice’s daughter, Calico, played the Pirate, but I can’t say for sure. Alice had a boa constrictor close to the same size as my Blue. Cold Ethyl had the same hair as Sia. Hmmm! Alice lost his head, of course. Here are some photos from the show. Click on the photos to enlarge them.
Off Center & Not Even 