There is a humble river from my childhood that runs through the middle of Lander, WY — the place of my birth. I have vivid memories of wading in the shallow waters of the Popo Agie and breathing the clean air and soaking in a simpler time.

Below is a video discussion of the behind-the-scenes background of Popo Agie, track #7 on my new album Another Gleam — a revealing look at the inspirations, the meanings behind the song, the songwriting process, the recording experience and much more. Enjoy.

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POPO AGIE
by tyler stenson © 2007

I can feel the Lander wind
Coming up beneath me again.

But to the north there’s millionaires
That lay between the billionaires
And their buildings stretch to touch the sky
In the bigger world on the other side of the middle
… of the Popo Agie.

Running down the crooked miles,
I could feel the muscles tire
And I could bend my tongue and sing the words of Pioneers
(They’re coming up between my teeth).
All at once their melodies turn to fields of industry
And the California air turned black
So, the movie stars started moving back to the middle
… to the Popo Agie

These are places- Western spaces
And I go back there just to taste it.
To feel a warm night mixed with fireflies and I–
I can feel the Lander wind coming up beneath me again.

But to the north there’s billionaires
That are speckled between the millionaires
And their buildings stretch to touch the sky
In the bigger world on the other side of the middle.
It’s just a little river,
But it’s clean as all hell
… Oh, Popo Agie.

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On my 25th birthday, I awoke to find that I was no longer a child. The carefree days of childhood had long faded away, the college days and their lack of responsibility were but a memory and the realities of adulthood were in full-swing. That’s not to say I was old, rather, I was in the process of Getting Old.

Below is a video discussion of the behind-the-scenes background of Getting Old, track #8 on my new album Another Gleam — a revealing look at the inspirations, the meanings behind the song, the songwriting process, the recording experience and much more. Enjoy.

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GETTING OLD
by tyler stenson © 2007

Gone are the days
Of the careless running ’round
And I’m feeling older now
With each sun that goes down.
Bring back the days when our hearts were bold
Cause now it seems (these days)
We are getting old.

We are getting old
But we ain’t half way yet-
We’ve got good days left
Before we’re truly getting old.

Sorry Darlin’ there is a whole world to burn-
Look to the West you might see it in the sky.
Last I saw, her eyes had turned cold
And last I kissed her lip we were getting old.

We are getting old
But we ain’t half way yet-
We’ve got good days left
Before we’re truly getting old.

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

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When lovers quarrel, the conversation often leads to the definitive question, Should we work it out or should we part ways? Should we combine or melt into separate things? With any luck, the outcome will settle the unsettled and finally leave you at ease.

Below is a video discussion of the behind-the-scenes background of Separate Things, track #9 on my new album Another Gleam — a revealing look at the inspirations, the meanings behind the song, the songwriting process, the recording experience and much more. Enjoy.

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SEPARATE THINGS
by tyler stenson © 2008

The trees have gone
But they’ve graciously left their leaves
In piles on the ground.
These are the coldest days (with the coldest breeze)
That I have ever found
But still I feel fine…

Cause I’ve found the sun still shines without you here
(Though it’s missing the brightest piece).
Usually, there is something in Silence that I fear
But I don’t miss you in the least-
In fact, I feel fine and it might be just what I need.

She came to talk about Love.
She came to talk about this want to combine-
One last time-
Before we melt into separate things.

So much of our love is dissonant;
Detracts from the beauty in life.
So, I’ll try to write a silver lined song
With a melody that’s nice
Just to make me feel fine and believe
This might be just what I need.

She came to talk about Love.
She came to talk about this want to combine-
One last time-
Before we melt into separate things.

Believe me.
Believe me, I’m trusting my head
Because to live by the Heart is to die.

She came to talk about Love!
She came to talk about this want to combine
One last time…

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When assigned to write a descriptive poem about a landscape in a University of Oregon poetry class, I found myself staring out the window of a Greyhound bus, in awe of the city lights in the distance. Although I was stuck on The Bus, traveling from Portland to Eugene, I found a bit of poetry nonetheless.

Below is a video discussion of the behind-the-scenes background of The Bus, track #10 on my new album Another Gleam — a revealing look at the inspirations, the meanings behind the song, the songwriting process, the recording experience and much more. Enjoy.

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THE BUS
by tyler stenson © 2008

On the bus,
I’m in love with the city lights,
As they lie there,
Thin on the horizon.

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In the wake of my dark and dismal song from 2006, What I Feel Like As Winter Comes, it seemed that the clouds all at once separated and a bright light finally shined through. Although I didn’t recognize it at first, it was no doubt warm on my shoulders and, after many long winter months, I was finally Feeling the Sun.

Below is a video discussion of the behind the scenes of the second bonus track on Another Gleam; Feeling the Sun — a revealing look at the inspirations, the meanings behind the song, the songwriting process, the recording experience and much more. Enjoy.

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FEELING THE SUN
by tyler stenson © 2007

How am I suppose to love you
When I never even thought of myself that way?
I am a fine line…
But getting bolder everyday.

But, if you smile at me any longer
I don’t think I’ll have the nerve to fade away
Cause it’s been so damn long
Since something beautiful my way come.

I have been feeling the sun-
Warm on my shoulders it comes.
I must believe that we’ve found a hole in the clouds…
Feel it now?

Collecting little pieces of fact
And I’ve been writing my guesses down-
No answers-
Just theories we entertain.

So, tell me why every time you come around
Something’s got me feeling half as gray,
With twice the light
Of the most amazing sun ray.

I have been feeling the sun-
Warm on my shoulders it comes.
I must believe that we’ve found a hole in the clouds…
Feel it now?

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During the height of my Dave Matthews fanship, I wrote a stream of consciousness song that I hoped would resemble some of his lyrical stylings that I admired so deeply at the time. Whether I succeeded or failed, I cannot say, but with a pen grasped in my fingertips, this sleepy-eyed confession was written from one lover to another — a lazy sentiment that will last until song goes away.

Below is a video discussion of the behind the scenes of Fingertip, track #12 off of my new album Another Gleam — a revealing look at the inspiration, the songwriting process, the recording experience and more. Enjoy.

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FINGERTIP
by tyler stenson © 2008

It’s my fingertip confession
That I’m too tired to play.
The thoughts were slowly coming,
Then they slowly went away.

Though gone, no less impressive,
But all too much the same;
I was thinking of you
And how you slowly went away.

So how does it feel my love?
How does it feel being on my mind?

So, my fingertip confessions
Will always stay the same;
I’ll be thinking of you-
I’ll be singing for you
Until Song goes away.

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In the Spring of 2004, I took a poetry class at the University of Oregon where we were assigned to write a descriptive poem about a childhood memory — my mind jumped immediately to the oldest memory I have of my babysitter’s backyard in Lander, WY.

In reality, I was a child playing on a broken down riding lawnmower; however, in they eyes of a younger me, a child lost in a daydream, it was a chugging John Deer tractor and I was an important farmer/cowboy, responsible for keeping the crops alive, feeding hungry mouths and corralling the cattle before the dust storm.

Written in one sitting, this poem-turned song is one of my most prized creations and I proudly dedicate it to Lisa, the teenager that answered the call of duty all those many years ago and accepted a humble hourly wage in exchange for Babysitting the Cowboy.

Below is a video discussion of the behind the scenes of my original song Babysitting the Cowboy, track #13 off of my new album Another Gleam — a revealing look at the inspiration, the songwriting process, the recording experience and more. Enjoy.

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BABYSITTING THE COWBOY
by tyler stenson © 2006

My memories are a series of backyard cul-de-sacs
That smell of fresh cut grass and juniper.
Wyoming sunsets burned and
Crickets sang their hearts as the sky turned orange
And mother called us in from the day.

In one particular backyard
Sat a stagnant John Deer tractor that remained
Green all year round
As it rested quietly in the shade
Of the Bellevue Alley shrubbery
(No more than ten feet from the fence line).

A younger Me could turn the ruins of
Once Great Machines into a dream.

This useless tractor was fully functional
In the eyes of a younger me-
Those eyes saw fearlessly a cowboy
With buckles and leather and mouths to feed
And dried up fields that desperately
Need a farmer’s touch.

A younger Me could go and do great things in the shade,
While the rest of the yard was green-
How it glistened in the sunlight.

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

She would say Only boring people get bored.
So, today I’ll be plowing a field and
Corralling cattle before the dust storm.
Disintegrating are the chances for our lunch break-
There is too much work to be done today and
The cattle won’t milk themselves.

——

There are multiple recorded versions of Babysitting the Cowboy to be found online:

Orange Chrome Sky
Live at Mississippi Studios
See That Gleam
Another Gleam

In 2004 I made a conscious decision to stop writing pop-rock monsters and to start writing simplistic folk tunes with heart. The song Carry On was my first attempt at this new venture — a definitive moment in my musical progression.

Below is a video discussion of the behind the scenes of Carry On, track #14 off of my new album Another Gleam — a revealing look at the inspiration, the songwriting process, the recording experience and more. Enjoy.

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CARRY ON
by tyler stenson © 2008

Now that you’re here,
I can actually feel the world spin beneath my feet.
Girl, if you believe in love,
Why won’t you believe in me?

You came into town like you’re not slowing down
And I’ll have to find a safe place for my heart
Because I believe when someday comes
That someday will break us apart
And I’ll just carry on.

There in the bar, you lit like a spark
But your smile will always burn like a flame.
You burned all the way through the midnight hour
And now all the sweetest ashes remain.

I’ll carry on.

I could tell it was time
When all of the neon signs went dim
And left my heart on my sleeve.
I just can’t help but think:
If you believe in love
Why won’t you believe in me?

I will go, carry on.

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My cousin Grant teaches 2nd grade and across the years he has creatively used my music within his classrooms to lighten the mood, maintain order, inspire minds and ultimately teach lasting lessons in an interactive format — this lesson tops them all.

If you recall, I visited his class back in 2008, where we co-wrote a new version of my song The Bus. It was a really fun experience to show them a previously written line and then ask them to recreate it, in their own words, using the same structures and syllables, but totally unique to them.

This time, years later, his 2010-2011 class has been studying my song We Grow from my album Long Before the Wheel and learning about metaphors in the process … to my everlasting joy, they’ve written and recorded their own version of We Grow.

Check out Mr. Bushman’s 2010-2011 2nd Grade Class from Heritage Elementary School in Nibley, Utah singing their own version of my song We Grow.

WE GROW — BY TYLER STENSON & 2nd GRADERS

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WE GROW
Lyrics by Tyler Stenson and Mr. Bushman’s 2nd grade class
NOTE: The italicized words are theirs.

I heard you say that you wish I stayed
An older version of me — long before my change.
If we’re not growing we are staying the same,
So I will welcome the change and stretch myself day to day…

We’re entitled to change, we grow
Like baby to man
Like ideas of Mr. Bushman
Like the airbag inside of a van
Like things from a recycled can
The change is going to happen real slow
But not a day goes by we don’t grow.

If a seed can grow into a tree
And if that tree can grow leaves,
How is that different than me?
We both breathe and we come from the dirt
And that’s where we will return
When both of our seasons fade…

We’re entitled to change, we grow
Like dust on a mat
Like the wings of a small baby bat
Like a kitten growing into a cat
Like the whiskers from a beautiful rat
The change is going to happen real slow
But not a day goes by we don’t grow.

If we’re not growing,
We are staying the same,
So, I will welcome the change
And stretch myself day to day
We’re entitled to change…

We’re entitled to change, we grow
Like egg into bird
Like the little baby cows in a herd
Like adding suffixes to a word
Like a 2nd Grader moving to third
The change is going to happen real slow
But not a day goes by we don’t grow.

THE ORIGINAL WE GROW:

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You can buy “We Grow” on CD Baby and iTunes!!

One of my favorite songs from the Long Before the Wheel album is the last track, We Grow. It’s my favorite because it’s like nothing I’ve ever written — totally unique and a pure labor of gritty love.

While the theme of this song is universal — how we’re human and therefore entitled to change and grow — the inspiration was very specific. After releasing my album Orange Chrome Sky in 2006, an avid fan of my old Rhetoric Tuesday material from 2002 wrote me an email that expressed his disappointment in the new direction of my music. He was adamant that I should return to my old ways because the new stuff wasn’t any good.

While my older music was a bit more pop-oriented and instantly appealing, my Lander: Orange Chrome Sky record had its own heartbeat and spirit — a darker piece but, in my eyes, equal in quality. Less instant gratification but more sophistication. Of course, he did not see the forest for the trees.

In the end I wrote him a calm and collected email explaining that I was sorry to have fallen short of his expectations but as a human, I was entitled to change and as an artist, growth was inevitable. I left it at that — who knows what he took from that retort.

In all, this song is 16 metaphors of growth and an artsy piece that argues that growth is not only healthy, but inevitable. Enjoy We Grow.

Learn more about the process of writing the metaphors behind We Grow!!

DOWNLOAD “WE GROW” on CD Baby or iTunes!!

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WE GROW
by tyler stenson © 2010

I heard you say that you wish I stayed
An older version of me — long before my change.
But, if we’re not growing we are staying the same,
So I will welcome the change and stretch myself day to day.
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 the city lights in the darkening blue–
The change is gonna happen real slow
But not a day goes by we don’t grow.

If a seed can grow into a tree
And if that tree can grow leaves,
I ask, how is that different than me?
Because we both breathe and we come from the dirt
And that’s where we will return
When both of our seasons fade.
We’re entitled to change because we grow

Like one into two.
Like the eleventh hour turning to noon,
Then May slow fades into June,
Then you’re a grownup in your childhood room–
The change is gonna happen real slow
But not a day goes by we don’t grow.

If we’re not growing, we are staying the same
So, I will welcome the change and stretch myself day to day.
We’re entitled to change because we grow

Like a high tide caused by that moon.
Like a flower knowing Spring is coming soon.
Like wings inside a cocoon,
(Or anything else that is destine to bloom)–
Like our faith in the things we know to be true
Or like the courage found in the wine and the booze–
The change is gonna happen real slow
But not a day goes by we don’t grow.

DOWNLOAD “WE GROW” on CD Baby or iTunes!!

As an aside, a group of second graders recently studied my song as a lesson in metaphors. To my everlasting joy, they’ve written their own set of metaphors and recorded their own version of We Grow. Give it a listen!!

WE GROW
By Mr Bushman’s 2nd Grade Class

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