Silence From The Frogs (Featuring Teagan Riordain Geneviene on Vocals)
Teagan was gracious enough to lend her beautiful voice to another of my original songs, Silence From The Frogs. I first published Silence Of The Frogs as a poem in 2017 while blogging on T & L Photos. I made the poem into a song in the summer of 2022. I first published the song with my vocals in February 2023. Teagan’s voice is a vast improvement over mine.
The tree trimmers cut the branch that fell on the powerline off the powerline but left it in the bamboo, still pulling down on the phone line. I have to duck under the phone line when I go out and in the gate. The tree trimmers worked late into the night, trimming the trees back from the powerlines and cutting the fallen branch off of it.
Lyrics by Paul Shanklin. Music by Ray Burton. Vocals by Timothy Price.
I Am A Man is one of my favorite parodies. It’s such a perfect description of a man put to the music of I Am Women by Helen Reddy. Paul Shanklin is one of my inspirations for parodies along with Weird Al Yankovic. Lyrics are at the bottom of the post.
The toad that came in from the rain.
We have jugs, fountains, and bowls of water for the cats. Now, we have to leave a cup of water out for the jumping spiders.
I Am A Man Lyrics by Paul Shanklin Music by Ray Burton
Pull my finger, hear me roar Like ten thousand times before And you know that when I listen, I pretend ‘Cause I’ve heard it all before Pick your socks up off the floor But you know that I’ll just throw them down again
Oh, yes, I’m right, but it’s wisdom born with pain Yes, I paid the price; just look how much I’ve gained If I have to, I can eat anything I am wrong (wrong) I am insensitive (insensitive) I’m a man
You can try, but never break me ‘Cause my mama never made me Do nothin’ ’round the house but lick the bowl I’ve got bigger things to ponder I’m not the one who’s supposed to launder Where are more batteries for my remote?
Whoa, yes, I’m right But it’s wisdom born with pain Yes, I’ll pay the price But I get to watch the game If I have to I can fix anything I am wrong (wrong) I am insensitive ((insensitive) I’m a man
Don’t you forget it, baby
I am man; watch me mow See me swing just like a pro And I still like Lucky Charms with eggs and ham But she’s still a little slow With a long, long way to go How can I make your mama understand?
Oh, yes, I’m right Or else I know who to blame Yes, I’ve paid the price But look how much I’ve gained If I have to I can sleep anywhere I am wrong (wrong) Sure, I’m insensitive (Neanderthal) I’m a man
I’m a man
That’s right Don’t you forget it I’m gonna have fun tonight I’m headed down to the bowling alley with Tony And we’re not gonna come back ’til 3 a.m. You have a trailer all to yourself Come on, Bubba, let’s go What do you mean your wife wants you to stay home? Are you some kind of wimp? Or what?
Night To Day. Lyrics and Music by Timothy Price. Vocals by Teagan Riordain Geneviene.
I played an unplugged version of Night To Day on my freshly restored Elvis Presley Harmony guitar in my farewell to 2023 video on New Year’s Eve. I later recorded the metal version and asked Teagan if she wanted to sing it. She wasn’t sure about singing metal, but Teagan is a good sport, and she is adventurous when it comes to art and music, so she dove into the metallic pool and nailed it. Her ethereal voice is perfect for the ghostly theme of Night To Day.
If you have trouble viewing the video, you can listen to the song on SoundCloud.
Night to Day
Lyrics and Music by Timothy Price Vocals by Teagan Riordain Geneviene
[Verse 1] I saw Sun crash to the ground It threw colors far and wide With yellows into reds consumed Swallowed up by ravenous blues
[Pre-chorus] Dusk sang dirges to the dark Clouds ignited a fiery show
[Chorus] See the darkness Nighttime’s falling Time to slumber, But ghosts are calling Feel the darkness Your skin starts crawling Who can sleep when ghosts come calling
[Verse 2] As embers meander through the night Shadows creep under bright moonlight Dawn wakes colors that light the sky Painting darkness red, yellow, blue
[Pre-chorus] Defeating darkness that’s Eos’ way She breathes life into one more day
[Chorus] See the light Ghosts dissolving Time to rise A new day’s calling Feel the light Your skin stops crawling When you’re up to see ghosts dissolving
[Bridge] Night to day. Day to night Flesh and spirits, in a moment, fight For the right to live or die Trading places, one sacrificed
[Outro] See the darkness Nighttime’s falling Time to slumber Ghosts come calling See the light A new day’s calling Time to rise, see ghosts dissolving
Rio Samba
Altissimo
Guard hummingbird en garde
Spotted Towhee in the tree. House Finch lands in the same tree. Spotted Towhee chases House Finch away.
Spotted Towhee was all proud of himself.
Nora Owl flew over where I could get better shots of her this afternoon.
Walter and Willa were in the top of the cottonwood huddled up together and dozing on and off.
Osric Owl was trying to sleep with the wind blowing his ear tufts.
We have had persistent high winds since Thursday night. Several thunderstorms blew through this afternoon dropping a quarter inch of rain, and pelting us with marble sized hail.
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
Off Center & Not Even 