I’m currently writing a song that will be the last track on my upcoming album Long Before the Wheel — it’s called We Grow. This song has been a couple years in the making and while it has been a thrill to write, it has also been one of my biggest challenges to date because of the specific rules I set:

Each line of each chorus is a different metaphor for growth … 14 in all. As if simply coming up with that many metaphors wasn’t difficult enough, the real trick is that they must all rhyme with “ooooo” while still communicating the idea of growth.

I’ll admit, I’m still writing the song and trying to scheme some lines that may or may not replace what I already have. That said, here are some of the metaphors I’ve penned for We Grow and I’d be open to any fresh ideas. Enjoy!

WE’RE ENTITLED TO CHANGE, BECAUSE WE GROW…

- Like blown up balloons.
- Like the flare at the end of a spoon.
- Like one note becoming a tune.
- Like city lights in the darkening blue.
- Like One into Two.
- Like the eleventh hour turning to noon.
- Like May slow fading into June.
- Like a grownup in their childhood room.
- Like a high tide caused by that moon.
- Like a flower knowing spring is coming soon.
- Like wings inside a cacoon.
- Like anything else destined to bloom.
- Like our faith in the things we know to be true.
- Like courage found in the wine and the booze.
- Like the hope of a castaway as land comes into view.
- Like the fear of a damned man meeting his doom.
- Like Jesus rising up from his tomb.
- Like a child in the warmth of the womb.

Sunday was an absolute writing tear for me — in my last post I commented that songs can take me years to write, which is true, but there are always exceptions to the rule. As the Crow Flies and Babysitting the Cowboy were both written in one sitting and so was my newest. Introducing, what is tentatively titled, Best Laid Plans.

I got the idea a month ago at my nephews funeral when my Father spoke the words That which might have been, can yet still be. That sentence hit me hard and sent my wheels turning.

I’ve already written my sad song about the event; therefore, in the wake of the two nautical books that I’ve just finished and in the spirit of my 2010 goal to be more upbeat, I penned this motivational song. When you experience an unexpected shift, don’t let it shake you, greatness can still be achieved.

I dedicate this song to my Father … for the great one-liner that sparked this entire song.

BEST LAID PLANS
by tyler stenson © 2010

Best laid plans fail
And wrong winds catch sails
But that don’t mean you lay down
And lose your boat to the treacherous sea.
No, you must believe that
That which might have been, can yet still be.

I’ve seen a beautiful sky turn gray
As I stood there watching weather change-
That don’t mean the Sun is long-gone
And our Hope should up and leave.
No, you must believe that
That which might have been, can yet still be.

The greatest place ever known fell down.
It was the Fall of Rome-
But have you seen the Vatican and Coliseum
Under a summer’s gleam?
(I have, and it was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen)
So I’m telling you,
That which might have been, can yet still be.

Best laid plans fail
And wrong winds catch sails
But that don’t mean you lay down
And lose your boat to the treacherous sea.
No, you must believe that
That which might have been, can yet still be.

On September 25th of 2007, I schemed the lyric, It seems the words have changed and their meanings have faded away. But, when I say, “I love you” I mean it the same way as it was made. That line has been burned in my head (and even inspired a verse of Push That River) but it didn’t live to the fullest until today. On this day, March 2nd of 2010, I have completed a new song called Lover Things.

I’d call it light and sexy — Amos Lee meets Let’s Get it On. Enjoy.

LOVER THINGS
tyler stenson © 2010

I think back to The Garden’s first days
And the reason a woman was made-
I think it was an absolute gesture to say:
So long Emptiness — hello Sweet Grace.

But now it seems the words have changed
And their meanings have faded away.
But, when I say, I love you,
I mean it the same way as it was made.

Cause you and I want nothing to do
With the constant bending that sorrow brings.
No, you and I want nothing to do
But lover things.

Let’s forget about the failed love we see
And how the world is a brand new machine
That drags the lovers through the mud and the things
That mark the furthest point from you and me.

Cause you and I want nothing to do
With the constant bending that sorrow brings.
No, you and I want nothing to do
But lover things.

Even though the words have changed
And the meanings have faded away.
When I say, I love you,
I mean it the same way as it was made.

Cause you and I want nothing to do
With the constant bending that sorrow brings.
No, you and I want nothing to do
But lover things.

I finished a new song today called That Moon … it was inspired by a totally random experience I had on my tour this last year as I passed through San Luis Obispo.

I played a rather thankless gig on the Cal Poly campus and as I was packing up my stuff, a bright eyed young man approached me, bought a cd and asked my plan for the evening. After telling him I had nothing going on, he mentioned it was a full moon and that him and his friends were going to hike back into Poly Canyon – and it’s a site to see.

As the song mentions, we passed signs for Mountain Lion dangers and upon reaching the trails head, we reached a clearing that featured all kinds of bizarre natural structures from the architecture students at the University. The randomness of the night and the brightness of the moon inspired this tale. Enjoy.

THAT MOON – solo

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THAT MOON – layered vocal … indie style

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THAT MOON
by tyler stenson 2010

Just before the summer,
I was playing my guitar
When a boy came from the audience
And motioned toward the stars.
He said it was a full moon
And “it’s all the light we’ll need
For walking Poly Canyon … it’s a site to see.”
He said “we’re walking Poly Canyon, come along,
It’s a site to see.”

We rose up in a clearing
That was filled with all the shapes
From all the heads of all the architects
That never tired of learning
Of Nature and Her systems
And how man can live within ‘em
And how the two can live as one
Just like it was long before the wheel and before the gun
- I wonder how they lived before the wheel and before the gun.

That moon was brighter than day
And who knows, maybe even god’s way to say
“Hey, I know by the looks of it
You’re human and you’re small
So, may that moon make you feel 10 feet tall.”

I looked up at the two mountains
With that moon high up above it
And it looked much like a pendant
Dangling from the neck of a woman
With so much beauty there to offer,
There’s that much more to lose,
I said “this might be a stupid question
But do you suppose we’ve landed on that moon?”

Scotty handed me a spliff
And I burned it to the ground
And in the dirt, I turned those embers
Into something like a ghost town.
Then a man came out of nowhere-
He was the law but fair and said
“On such a night like this,
You know it pains me,
But I have to ask you to leave.”

That moon was brighter than day
And who knows, maybe even god’s way to say
“Hey, I know by the looks of it
You’re human and you’re small
So, may that moon make you feel 10 feet tall.”

We’d never see it coming
If we were hunted by a lion
Or if the snakes were nipping at our heels
Leaping out to bite us.
But that moon was all we needed
To be giants on that day
And to walk among the comforts
That no evil thing would dare to come our way.

That moon was brighter than day
And who knows, maybe even god’s way to say
“Hey, I know by the looks of it
You’re human and you’re small
So, may that moon make you feel 10 feet tall.”

While driving through Montana on my way to Nashville, I looked to my left to see a lone fisherman standing in a river — it seemed obvious that the man was exactly where he wanted to be. As my wheels turned toward the east, I realized I could relate:

I am a fisherman;
Not in the sense
That I stand at the shoreline in sport,
But in the way I cast my words.
For you see,
If and when they bite,
Why, nothing on God’s green earth
Is more fulfilling.

I am a Fisherman

As you know, in May, I set out southbound on my first Tour. I played as much music on the west coast as I possibly could through California, Arizona, Utah and Idaho… it was a month of highs and lows and lessons learned. In all, though I’d do it differently next time, it was something I had to do and I wouldn’t trade the experience for the world. Sure, I got my war wounds but I believe I’m better for it.

JOIN ME FOR THE SONG’S DEBUT @ MISSISSIPPI STUDIOS
Saturday June 27 – doors at 7pm

FIGHT ‘TIL DYING DAY
by tyler stenson (2009)

As long as I recall I’ve felt the music in my bones
And I was bound to (one day) take that music to the road
Where I would fill the room with strangers and make them smile as I play;
That boy in my war sure tried but fell upon grenades.
That boy in my war gets tired but he’ll fight ‘til Dying Day.

I hit California with a smile on my face
But then I soon left San Francisco with my tail between my legs-
I swear, I was good as I could be on any given time of day
Still, that boy in my war sure tried but fell upon grenades.
That boy in my war gets tired but he’ll fight ‘til Dying Day.

We blow like leaves in the wind
But I’ll be proud to know that at least I can be my own man-
Not that boy.

I burned a bridge in the desert and left Arizona northbound
And thought If it’s not in Salt Lake, is it Oregon where it’ll be found?
On certain nights the notes felt bright and on others they would fade
Still, that boy in my war sure tried but fell upon grenades.
That boy in my war gets tired but he’ll fight ‘til Dying Day.

I may blow like leaves in the wind
But I’ll be proud to know that at least I can be my own man-
Not that boy.

Every time it rained, it was my confidences wearing thin
So I had to believe this lonely road would bring ‘em back again.
But there’s nothing louder in my bones and it’s something I won’t trade
So, that boy in my war sure tried but fell upon grenades.
That boy in my war gets tired but he’ll fight ‘til Dying Day.

There was a time, not too long ago, when I was living and working with a train track in my backyard. No matter where I was in my day, the trains were rumbling. In addition to the trains, life was turbulent and I was sleeping little to none- this song first arose late during one of those sleepless nights over a year ago. With some hard work and much thought, I completed it an hour ago.

JOIN ME FOR THE SONG’S DEBUT @ MISSISSIPPI STUDIOS
Saturday June 27 – doors at 7pm

I GET NO SLEEP
by tyler stenson (2009)

I get no sleep
Try as I might
Because I don’t see no day
And there’s sure as hell no night.

No, it’s somewhere in between
Still, I can’t buy a dream.
I should be a world away
But the ceiling’s all I see.

I get no sleep with these trains inside my head.
As far as I can see, I’ve got tracks running down both sides.
It started as a steady hum-
Became a war-time drum
And eventually north and southbound collide.
I get no sleep with these trains inside my head.

Then, history repeats
And the city never sleeps
And I can hear the trains
No matter how soft they creep.

Can you hear them world?
The wolves are at my door;
I’ve got nothing to my name
And still they ask for more.

I get no sleep with these trains inside my head.
As far as I can see, I’ve got tracks running down both sides.
It started as a steady hum-
Became a war-time drum
And eventually north and southbound collide.
I get no sleep with these trains inside my head.

I get no sleep with these trains inside my head.

Last October something close to me began its decent. Not a man in the literal sense but still something that closely resembled the heart beat of a beloved mentor. This new song “Great Man’s Funeral” is a bitter sweet tale of the circle of life- the rise and fall and its constant learning.

JOIN ME FOR THE SONG’S DEBUT @ MISSISSIPPI STUDIOS
Saturday June 27 – doors at 7pm

GREAT MAN’S FUNERAL
by tyler stenson (2009)

There is one thing certain in this life;
If you breathe, one day you will die.
Ah, look at them standing in a line
Making sure that your memory is soaked in wine.

It’s a great man’s funeral;
His passing is a bittersweet parade.

I do believe you’re gone before your time
And that my days in your sunshine were kind
And the education gained along the way
Was good as gold and all its accolades.

It’s a great man’s funeral;
His passing is a bittersweet parade.
Somewhere on this great timeline
I’m confident they’ll call this a Golden Day.

I’m a better man for bleeding almost dry-
My bag of bones is a medal of that pride.
I can’t believe we lived to tell how we survived
(Cause it seems to me) we starved 40 days and nights.

It’s a great man’s funeral;
His passing is a bittersweet parade.

This house of cards is stronger than hay
So, let those wolves come and take what they may.
They didn’t kill us then, they won’t kill us now-
They’ll just huff and puff and tell us how if feels
When they fail to create.

It’s a great man’s funeral;
His passing is a bittersweet parade.
Somewhere on this great timeline
I’m confident they’ll call this a Golden Day.

It’s a great man’s funeral;
His passing is a bittersweet parade
And the simple fact I knew him when
Will long and always be my claim to fame.

Moments ago, I finalized my newest song “As the Crow Flies” and I’m extraordinarily happy with the results. As you may or may not know, I was recently away from home for 6 weeks; up and down the west coast and eventually over into Europe. Somewhere in my travels I caught myself longing for the comforts of home…

JOIN ME FOR THE SONG’S DEBUT @ MISSISSIPPI STUDIOS
Saturday June 27th – doors at 7pm

AS THE CROW FLIES:
by tyler stenson (2009)

I blew all the way down to Arizona
Then, like a leaf, I settled down into Rome
And somewhere in between me and Barcelona
I heard the rush of the wind calling Home.

I could see 7 miles into the distance
Before the earth began its curve out of site
And I leaned to the wind to feel a resistance;
To let me know I’m not a bird- I don’t fly.

I won’t take my time or circle ’round
Or weave my way through busy towns
Cause I could get lost if I miss a sign.
I’ll take the shortest path between you and I
And cut right through in a perfect line
And come to you as the crow flies.

From where I stand Home is like a middle daughter-
Just a dot, on the map, in a world
And I’m reminded wheels don’t roll on water
So, tell me lies; Tell me I am a bird.

I won’t take my time or circle ’round
Or weave my way through busy towns
Cause I could get lost if I miss a sign.
I’ll take the shortest path between you and I
And cut right through in a perfect line
And come to you as the crow flies.

I will come to you as the crow flies.

February 16th, 2009 is the day I turned 28 years old. I turned off my phone last night. I had me time. I slept in until 1pm today and took my time. I woke up to no alarm. I went to lunch with my brother at my favorite BBQ joint. I’m sifting through emails and mySpace/Facebook comments from my dearest friends. I’m changing “27″ to “28″ on every biography that is seeded online. I’ve got a party planned at my local haunt tonight. I’m going to take things too far. Today, I’m 28 years old.

Much of my music lends a respect to life, aging and legacies. By no means do I feel overtly-old today but, as another year passes, one can’t help but reflect on the previous 27 and the events that led me here.

Today’s blog post will dip into my archives and site the themes of time and age in my music and poetry:

QUOTES: A handful of insightful quotes from the years.

FROM: AS OF LATE
I’ve got memories.
All the pieces that make up me-
Distant memories-
That are stuck to the ceiling
And hanging above my head.

FROM: BABYSITTING THE COWBOY
Lisa. Please watch over me;
Write it down in your memory that I-
I was a child lost in a daydream.

FROM: EVERYBODY & CHANGE
It’s not fair that none of us
Are anywhere we use to be,
This time last year.
Back when the rain cut into summer
And it kept us home from the little games we played.
It’s the reason that you’re leaving…
And staying away.

FROM: EXPLODE
In my bones I’m feeling older-
This war time has changed me-
I’m no doubt colder
And I will freeze here long before I burn.

FROM: GETTING OLD
Bring back the days when our hearts were bold
Cause now it seems, these days, we are getting old.

FROM: GHOST
Seven years- this could break me.
Seven years and I can’t forget that face
(though I’ve tried).

I MIGHT BE GONE
I might be gone by the end of this day
When my soul retires and drifts into space
And all of my life is at the mercy of grace-
Remember me time, as I float away.

I might be gone in ten thousand days
When all of my life is rocking chair gray.
I hope I go in the middle of a crowd-
They’ll remember me then
Because people get use to having people around.

Our memories remain through the poets and songs-
They are filling the graves with history’s bones.
We all sink by the side of the afternoon light-
What can you expect?
We are mortals in time.

And in time, I might get old.
I might retire.
I might have little ones with minds I inspire.
I might get lucky and they’ll remember this song-
I hope it happens cause I might be gone.

IMMORTAL
Sitting by his gravestone I thought about his name
A slate of stone is all that remains.
The man once loved, now dissolved in a memory
Of a man once revered and treasured by family.

One hundred years gone has taken this memory
Stripped his kin and killed his legacy.
No one that knew him is left or remains
Only a history book might remember his claim.

I know one day I will join his bones
And leave those that I loved and loved me alone.
But who is so lucky to be immortalized in literature?
Nothing I’ve done deserves such an honor.

OLD THINGS
I remember living there- remember me?
Nothing fills your heart like history.
There is room for little space
And all of our hearts can be replaced
So we traded in the birch for the pine trees
And the evergreens.

New things always shine but
They don’t make them anymore like the old things.

I remember loving you- remember me?
Nothing fills your heart like history.
There is room for little space
And all of our hearts can be replaced
But she will always be so close to me.

New things always shine but
They don’t make them anymore like the old things
What is new was never mine
So I feel nothing really shines like the old things.

FROM: THE SEQUEL
I needed change but all along
I’ve been living these yesterdays.

FROM: THE TUMBLE
Gone now are years of memories
That nobody wants but me
But that sounds like me, that is, to hold on endlessly.

FROM: WHISTLE STOP
It’s the end of the line
Your train rolled through the time.
Now, all your graces
And your legacies stand.

FROM: WHISTLE STOP
Where it stops I can’t say
But those warm summer days
Roll by like cars on a train.

FROM: WYOMING
All the years hang on the wind
Above this last good plot of land.
I hear it echo in the trees.
I hear it’s whisper on my knees.

SONGS: A handful of songs that reference aging, life and legacies.

BABYSITTING THE COWBOY

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EVERYBODY & CHANGE

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GETTING OLD

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I MIGHT BE GONE

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OLD THINGS

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WHISTLE STOP

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