Art House

February 17, 2007 at 9:32 pm (Playing Live) (, , , , , )

Finally got that first one out of the way. Played three songs as follows:

This Time
An Irish Love Song
Jesus and John Lennon

Got to the Art House about 6:30pm and met Charlie there. He showed me where to sign in and introduced me to a couple of people. Went upstairs to the “artists” room and found a few people tuning up. Met a guy named Dan (sorry, I forget the last name) from Taylor. He is a finger-style player. We compared notes about how long we’ve been playing and a bit about guitars as well. Also got a few lines on places to play. Looking forward to getting out more in the future!

Show started at 7pm. I was third on. I was pretty nervous, but managed to get through This Time without a hitch. I felt pretty good after that. Jen and Rachel Anne made it too. Jen had her small digital camera and took a few shots during my set. You can see them on the photo page.

The Baseline Folk Society is to be commended. They did a wonderful job. I’m really looking forward to playing there again. They made it a great experience for the artists and, I hope, for the audience.

This was a big deal for me. I’ve played music in front of people off and on now for over 30 years. But never my own music. It was always playing piano for my parents friends, or backing a band as their drummer. Both those things were great, but I can safely say now… nothing beats playing your own music in front of an appreciative crowd.

Thank you Mike Mullen (founder of the BFS) for making this a great night for me and a bunch of other aspiring musicians.

Thanks!
John

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Jesus and John Lennon

February 10, 2007 at 9:34 pm (Songs, Writing) ()

Couple quick things about this song. First, see the entry before this one for a few short remarks about the actual process of writing it. Second, I see this as an important song for me. Partly for reasons listed in the previous post, and partly because I think it’s a good song. I found myself worrying a little about what listeners might think about this one. Perhaps this song will help me to let go of that feeling a bit and just let the songs come to life and breath on their own.

Listeners may hear lots of different things and/or draw different meanings from it when they listen to this one. I’ll let them sort that out in their own minds as they do. I’m sure you may find a meaning in this song that is completely unrelated to the one(s) I felt as I wrote and performed it. Regardless, I hope you enjoy Jesus and John Lennon. It comes from a good place, I think.

Thanks for taking the time,
J

Jesus and John Lennon
words and music by John Natiw

VERSE 1
Nineteen seventy three
on the way to the high school dance
Someone shouted to me
“All I’m sayin’ is give peace a chance”

Saw an old man on a bench
his clothes were all covered in dirt
He smiled at me and looked away
then he stood up and said “have you heard…

CHORUS 1
I saw Jesus and John Lennon spend the day
Hangin’ out and talking ’bout that better way

Can you Imagine…”

VERSE 2
Word came through the telephone
a man killed a man with a gun
In a moment the dreamer was gone
but he wasn’t the only one

News man on the radio
said the world has just lost a great light
Closed the shades and then my eyes
and drifted off into the night

CHORUS 2
I saw Jesus and John Lennon take a walk
Through times square, strawberry fields and central park

Can you Imagine…

[instrumental verse - harp]

CHORUS 3
I saw Jesus and John Lennon spend the day
Hangin’ out and talking ’bout that better way

Can you Imagine…

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Who Wrote This???

February 9, 2007 at 9:36 pm (Writing) ()

This is weird. I’ve been writing this song the past few days (that’s not the weird part) and when I play it (or read the lyrics) it doesn’t look/feel like I’m the one who wrote it.

This may take awhile to explain.

I started with a little chord progression on the guitar and started humming some stuff over it for a few days. Then came some passable, but not inspiring, lyrics. Then, last night, I had this “flash” of brilliance (I’ll call it) and wrote a pretty good verse (or part of one). I wasn’t able to run down what the song was about so I put off writing any chorus thoughts and went up to bed.

As I was laying there in the dark last night, I came up with a few chorus ideas. In the morning when I actually took time to really read what I’d written I was amazed/shocked. It was like it wasn’t me. I actually wanted to NOT like it, but I knew it was good.

This is further support, by the way, for my theory that we do not “write” these songs. We “discover” them.

Tonight I kept running it down trying to focus the song in a bit. I even tried to change some things so it seemed more “me” (whatever that means). No dice. This song apparently just wants to piss me off. So now I’ve got a verse and a chorus for a song that no one who knows me will believe I wrote and I’m not sure I’ll ever sing live or record.

Maybe there is a liberal inside me trying to get out.

I need to sleep on this one.
J

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All We Need is Some Love

February 2, 2007 at 9:37 pm (Songs, Writing) ()

Finally have a rough demo of this one that I can live with. This one has a bit more bells and whistles than I usually post. Starting with a simple drum part it also includes some rudimentary backing vocals and even a harmonica break! Yes, I have started playing the Mississippi Saxophone!

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this demo. Drop me a line if you get a chance.
John

All We Need Is Some Love
by John Natiw

VERSE
In the dark of the night
through the thickest fight
when you’ve got nothing to give

when the things that you hold
leave you shattered and cold
and you forget how to live

CHORUS
All you need is some love
A little help from above
When all hope is gone
All we need is some love

VERSE
When you sleep all alone
with a hand on the phone
wondering when it will ring

and you wish on that star
doesn’t matter how far
’cause you’d give anything

CHORUS
What you need is some love
A little help from above
When you can’t carry on
All we need is some love

BRIDGE
Never let the darkness of this world
Take away your spirit or your hope
Never stop believing in the day
That violence and hatred won’t be found

HARMONICA BREAK [as verse]

CHORUS
All you need is some love
A little help from above
When all hope is gone
All we need is some love

What you need is some love
What you need is some love
All we need is some love
All we need is some love

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