29. Love is a mystery and life is crazy

 

Listen here: https://www.soundclick.com/music/songInfo.cfm?songID=10473775

The "Adrian song of the week" may have become "The Adrian song of every other random week," but that's OK. The world keeps turning. lol. I have been busy with other things. One thing going on is that in the next few weeks I have a number of weddings in numerous locations to officiate. These include one on the beach, one in a barn, one in an aquarium, as well as a couple in the more traditional setting of a church.

No matter all the stresses of the last few years (and those we are currently passing through) the mystery is that people still keep falling in love, committing their lives to each other and celebrating their togetherness. It always seems that everybody is cynical about the prospect of love, and finds it an altogether silly state of affairs, until it happens to them. So, I wish each happy couple all the very best and will do my utmost to see their special day is one that truly celebrates where they are in their lives right now. May the good fairy sprinkle stardust on their nuptials!

It seemed appropriate to share a luvvy duvvy song composed for the object of my own affections, my wonderful, tolerant, long suffering wife, Yvonne. How she came to fall for somebody like me and has stuck with me all these years will always remain a mystery.

Though probably a pipe dream, it would be a wonderful ditty to perform with a full band (rather than just a band of Adrian's). While I am a reasonable multi instrumentalist, I excel in none in particular. A group of talented folk could surely rock this one to the heights. but, as with a lot of things in life, it's the best I could do with the resources and time that I have. so... enjoy.

And if you want to imagine Bonham on the drums, Clapton on the guitar, McCartney on the Bass, Wakeman on the keyboards... then... hey... don't let me stop you.

Love is a mystery and life is crazy

© Adrian J Pratt 3/24/2011

 There's no reason why the sun should shine

There's no reason why you should have ever be mine
There's no reason why a young man should fall in love
But, boy, once you've fallen there ain't no getting up'
I'm held captive by your beauty
I'm held captive by your charms,
I want to hold you in my arms.

There's no reason why the moon is full tonight
There's no reason why your perfume smells so right
There's no reason why this glass of wine just tastes so fine
There's no reason why a girl like you should ever have be mine
I'm held captive by your beauty
I'm held captive by your charms,
I want to hold you in my arms.

Your love for me is beyond comprehension
A mystery that I can't understand
I cannot fathom why I gained your attention
Can't understand why you took my hand

Now here we stand and watch the sun go down
Watch the sea fade into gold, holding each others hands
And as our love grows deeper and as the years roll by,
Just enjoy the ride and don't pretend that we know why...

There's no reason why our hearts should keep on yearning
There's no reason why this old world keeps on turning
There's no reason why the two should become one
There's no reason why our song just keeps playing on and on
Held captive by your beauty
I'm held captive by your charms,
I want to hold you in my arms.

Your love for me is beyond comprehension
A mystery that I can't understand
I cannot fathom why I gained your attention
Can't understand why you took my hand

Your love for me is beyond comprehension
A mystery that I can't understand
I cannot fathom why I gained your attention
Can't understand why you took my hand.... oh no...

10. Deep Down Inside (We Need Love)

 

Having previously posted one of the first songs I ever wrote, this weeks ditty is my most recent doodling. A poppy dance vibe titled 'Deep Down Inside (We Need Love)'

https://www.soundclick.com/music/songInfo.cfm?songID=14400392

I didn't set out to write a pop song. The whole venture was inspired by a piece of free music software. 'Waves', (a music software company) released a free librarian program that catalogues samples into similar folders. (Samples are short musical events or sounds that form the bedrock of much modern dance and pop music.)

As I have thousands of little sound bytes on my hard drive, I was revisiting some of them and came across a loop titled 'xot-128-Ab-getrave-piano.' It was begging for a beat, so I added a percussion loop and then some extra drums. A couple of soulful vocal samples really fitted in... and suddenly I had a a song going on. Added some lyrics... and there it was. A bass line was added on my trusty Yamaha B1200 bass guitar.

Here's the songs very predictable story.

Boy sees girl and thinks she won't be interested
Boy asks girl for dance because he has nothing to lose.
They dance.
They are now together (forever)
Because deep down inside we all need love.
(Burning in our hearts  - yeah)

Romeo and Juliet it is not. But as a dance-able 3 minute slice of trivial pop, maybe it is a reasonable specimen.

One of the biggest songs of 2021, Dua Lipa's 'Levitating,' began life as a synth patch on a rare v1970's Roland vocoder keyboard, a VP-330. (You can find them on on the web usually priced around $3800!) It morphed into something that now may be facing a copyright injunction...  (a story you can pursue on YouTube if you wish https://youtu.be/XT3DghWbk2A.)

So... yes... this particular ditty may well sound like a thousand others... and is totally based on a keyboard sequence that no doubt appears in other songs...but that is the nature of the beast known as pop.

And there is a reason why pop is popular. It's fun. It's throwaway. It sounds like something you already know. It's not important. It doesn't try and change the world, just offer a brief respite from the bad news that threatens to engulf us.  And I don't know about you, but I need that right now! If it gives you a smile or has you dancing around the kitchen... my work is done.

At a time when Putin and his Kremlin cronies appear hell bent on violently building a new Russian empire, maybe the refrain... 'Deep down inside we need love' can be a cause for reflection and an unspoken but sung out loud prayer! 

Deep down inside (We need love)
Adrian J Pratt March 1 2022

I saw you there, sitting just across the room,
Shining with a light that pierced through my gloom
I thought to myself, well what do I say,
I didn't even think you would even turn my way

But deep down inside you need love
Need it burning in your soul
Yes deep down inside you need love
Burning in my soul (burning in my soul  yeh)

I thought to myself, well I'll just take the chance
I'm going over there. going to ask you to dance
Unless you make a move, nothing will ever start
I've got nothing to lose except my lonely heart

Because  deep down inside you need love
Need it burning in your soul
Yes deep down inside you need love
Burning in my soul (burning in my soul  yeh)

Hey, even now I am struggling to believe it,
I offered love and you were prepared to receive it!
I hope you understand, just how much you mean,
The longer we're together, the more it seems like a dream.

Cos deep down inside you need love
Need it burning in my soul
Yes deep down inside you need love
Burning in my soul (burning in my soul  yeh)

Deep down inside you need love
Need it burning in your soul
Yes deep down inside you need love
Burning in my soul (burning in my soul  yeh)

6. The Wedding Song (For Helen and Glenn)

6. The Wedding Song (For Helen and Glenn)

Audio Version: https://www.soundclick.com/music/songInfo.cfm?songID=12340364
Video version: https://youtu.be/YYDtgIkqyb4
'Live' at the Wedding https://youtu.be/eLXuhyHsbCs

Sometimes songs are just good tunes or ideas, not particularly related to your life. Other times they are intensely personal! Valentine’s Day approaches, so in line with seasonal sensibility, a love song from a delightful moment of celebration.

Back in 2013, I walked my daughter Helen down the aisle to marry Glenn Walker. Being the guy who was also conducting the service, deciding to write a song for the day ... and figuring out how to sneak it in there without the happy couple knowing it was going to happen, was something of a logistical challenge. Thankfully there was already a guitar at hand, and all went well.

The song itself is self-explanatory. Reminiscing about growing up, the engagement and a whole host of great memories provided a lot of material to draw upon. It is for sure one of those 'one off' productions, that came from the heart and hopefully, when listened to now, brings back happy memories of a great day.  

The hardest part of preparing  was getting through the song without becoming emotional! In the weeks leading up, I had to sing it to wife Yvonne on numerous occasions before she could listen without becoming tearful. Hard enough to be the mother of the bride, without all that added pressure. lol.     

The tune was partly borrowed from a song that Helen had sung as part of a Christmas production. Seemed appropriate to throw in a musical memory among all the others.

On the day that DJ included it in the songs played at the reception, so we even got to have a dance to it.

Since that day Helen and Glenn have blessed us with two wonderful grandchildren, Rose and Max. The circle of love just keeps growing. (And of course I wrote a song about them as well… https://www.soundclick.com/music/songInfo.cfm?songID=13864413)

Whatever you may be up to this Valentine’s Day, take time to reflect on the fruits of love that continue to nurture and bless your life!

The Wedding Song (For Helen and Glenn)

How should a Father feel on his daughter’s wedding day?
'Who gives this woman to this man?', Oh Lord, what do I say?
That woman is my little girl, that little girls my child,
Yesterday I sang you nursery rhymes,
Today I walked you down the aisle.

Ferry rides across the Mersey, swims at Newborough shore,
Pantomines and mountain climbs, playing games round castle walls,
Dancing, singing, smiling, cheering, crowning you homecoming queen,
What a kaleidoscope of happy times, the passing years have been.

I always knew the day would come when I had to let you go,
I just prayed you'd find someone who saw the light that's in your soul
Now I rejoice you've found someone whose love for you is clear,
And I pray the precious love you've found,
Grows deeper year by year.

We'd just sat down to watch a movie, Glenn called on the phone,
Said 'I'm in love with your daughter and want to make her all my own.'
I heard diamonds dancing in his eyes
Brighter than the stones on that ring,
Not losing a daughter, but gaining a son, now ain't that a crazy thing!

How should a Father feel on his daughter’s wedding day?
'Who gives this woman to this man?' , 'I do',  you heard me say,
My little girl, she's all grown up, and I say with a Father's pride,
Yesterday I sang you nursery rhymes,
Today I walked you down the aisle.