Here’s something a little different: a rocky/bluesy take on some personal introspection. That’s Lewin Barringer on bass and first lead guitar, among other things.

Look at My Life

By Skip Birong

Look at my life, have I found a way
Look at my life, do I need to pray
Touch my heart can you feel the pain
Touch my head do I feel insane

Can I buy a house, made of straw on the sand?
Let roll of the surf, play a song for me
And wake to the nudge of the day’s first dawn
At ease with the earth, the sun and sea

Have the others found the answer
And left me stay here in wonder
Do you struggle to walk on sand?
Only to leave your prints
For others to understand

Do the needs of the day
Take our efforts away
In streams of unborn dreams

Are the stones in my road?
Softer than yours
Have I touched you with my song?
Have I reached you with my love?
Do you think I could be wrong?

Inst.

Look at my life, have I found a way
Look at my life, do I need to pray
Touch my heart, can you feel the pain
Touch my head, do I feel insane

Are the stones in my road?
Softer than yours
Have I touched you with my song?
Have I reached you with my love?
do you think I could be wrong?

Have the others found the answer
And let me stay here in wonder                              
Do you struggle to walk on sand?
Only to leave your prints for others to understand

Do our needs of the day
Take our efforts away
In streams of unborn dreams.

© 1974 by Skip Birong. All rights reserved.

Here’s a delightful cover, from the archives, of Pam Bond, my sister-in-law, singing Lennon and McCartney’s “I Will”. That’s me accompanying her on guitar and bass. I think you’ll like this.

I Will

Who knows how long I’ve loved you
You know I love you still
Will I wait a lonely lifetime
If you want me to, I will

For if I ever saw you
I didn’t catch your name
But it never really mattered
I will always feel the same

Love you forever and forever
Love you with all my heart
Love you whenever we’re together
Love you when we’re apart

And when at last I find you
Your song will fill the air
Sing it loud so I can hear you
Make it easy to be near you
For the things you do endear you to me
You know I will
I will

John Lennon/Paul McCartney

The following is my cover of an old favorite by Tom Paxton. This was recorded in collaboration with Lewin Barringer of http://garagebandandbeyond.com. That’s Lewin on mandolin and bass and some of the backup vocals among other things. Hope you like it.

The Last Thing on My Mind

It’s a lesson too late for the learnin’
Made of sand, made of sand
In the wink of eye my soul is turnin’
In your hand, in your hand

Chorus

Are you goin’ away with no word of farewell
Will there be not a trace left behind
Well, I could have loved you better
Didn’t mean to be unkind
You know that was the last thing on my mind

You got reasons a-plenty for goin’
This I know, this I know
For the weeds have been steadily growin’
Please don’t go, please don’t go

(Chorus)

As I lie in my bed in the mornin’
Without you, without you
Each song in my breast dies a-bornin’
Without you, without you

(Chorus)

Tom Paxton

Here’s a little lost-love-in-the-springtime tune I came up with a long time ago. I wonder who I was thinking of? Oh well, I hope you enjoy it. I call it Wings.

Wings

By Skip Birong

I wish I had wings so I could fly
High up in the sky
And see all the love down below
That I used to know
A long time ago

I wish I had wings so I could see
The hill where she would always be
Standing waiting impatiently
For me just for me.

I wish I had wings so I could fly
And se once again

The time we walked through springtime in May
And stopped to see a robin along the way
And she blushed when I kissed her
In front of the summer day
A long time ago
A long time ago in May

Bridge

I wish I had wings so I
Could see once again

I wish I had wings
So I could fly
High up in the sky
And see all the love down below
That I used to know
A long time ago

Bridge

© 1974 by Skip Birong. All rights reserved.

Here’s a little musical ode to my idyllic hometown of Buchanan, Michigan, also known as Red Bud City. Hope you like it.

Hometown

By Skip Birong

There’re hills above the valley
Where the big, green oaks grow
There’s a shiny silver sun
That shines when it don’t snow

I hear there’s fish in McCoy’s Creek
When the summer comes around
And you can see a robin
On the first day he’s in town

Chorus
Red Bud City on the St. Joe River
Brings memories to my mind
Home town, home town
Home town on my mind

The Bucks beat Niles on Friday night
There’s a snowflake in your hair
The kids are in the Sweet Shop
Let’s all go to the fair.

Frozen lakes and knee-deep snow
Bring Christmas to the hills
There’s an amber glow out on the snow
From candle on windowsills

(Chorus)

You can see the early signs of spring
With the blooms on Red Bud Trail
White lilies in the forest
And a new fawn’s tall white tail

It’s a short walk down to the St. Joe River
Where my grandfather used to swim
But it doesn’t look as clear to me
As it probably did to him

(Chorus)

© 2020 by Skip Birong. All rights reserved.