Synopsis:

An ode to the power of the subtle forces that shape our universe from places unseen, Under The Rose is the thesis statement for this project. It is a celebration of finding one’s own path in life and all that is magical, mystical, and mysterious.

Lyrics:

I set off down the stream
Came to see what I mean
If my whole life is a dream
Then who am I?

So I pondered all I see
As I grew roots like a tree
And I wandered aimlessly
Through space and time

So carry me down this stream
My whole life but a dream
The only things I really mean

Are the things we do
In the rose garden
Yeah, those things that we do
In the rose garden

I set off down a path
That would make most people laugh
But I knew in my heart
It's the way

Now I know it's the truth
That I dreamt since my youth
This world is magical. Proof?
Just follow me

As I drift down this stream
My whole life but a dream
The only things that seem real to me

Are the things we do
In the rose garden
Yeah those things that we do
In the rose garden

Now I sit on my throne
Feeling less than alone
And at home in my heart
I am free

These mysterious things
Have me spreading my wings
I can see now the way
That time flows

So carry me down this stream
My whole life but a dream
Could it be that all we see

Springs from the things we do
In the rose garden

And the dreams that we drew
In the rose garden

And the selves we slew
In the rose garden

Yeah, those things that we do
In the rose garden

Synopsis:

An original arrangement of the ancient Greek poem “To Mnemosyne” from a collection of Orphic Hymns (Translation by Thomas Taylor). Written in the style of John Dowland and the Art Song tradition.

Lyrics:

The consort I invoke of Jove divine
Source of the holy, sweetly-speaking Nine;
Free from the oblivion of the fallen mind
By whom the soul with intellect is join'd:
Reason's increase, and thought to thee belong
All-powerful, pleasant, vigilant, and strong:
'Tis thine, to waken from lethargic rest
All thoughts deposited within the breast;
And nought neglecting, vigorous to excite
The mental eye from dark oblivion's night.
Come, blessed power, thy mystic's mem'ry
Wake to holy rites, and Lethe's fetters break.

Synopsis:

A haunting duet about the struggle to find one's own worth and reason for being, even when the answer may be quite apparent to the outside observer.

Lyrics:

Lights they catch her
Lonely dancer
They’ll ask her “why?”
She’ll heave a sigh

Will she come up with an answer?
Will she come up with an answer?

Spare a glance or
Breeze right past her
No need to try
She’ll catch your eye

Will she come up with an answer?
Will she come up with an answer?

Hungry hands; her
Body asks her:
“Take to the sky,
Or stay here and die?”

Will she come up with an answer?
Will she come up with an answer?

Synopsis:

Disillusionment. A song about coming to terms with the limitations of those you once looked up to as authorities and entrusted with your wellbeing. The realization that you alone are responsible for your life.

Lyrics:

My patience is slipping
I can’t see no helping hand
Hands still firmly gripping
I won’t follow your command

You can see what little I’ve left
Dripping tears that fill my eye
But where we gonna be
When the well runs dry?

All the years that I spent
Thinking all the time was mine
When your days seem infinite
It’s easy to put off trying

But now I see the bottom
And the end I can’t deny
But where we gonna be
When the well runs dry?

Will your shoes be on your feet
When the wolf is at your door?
Will you take things to the street
Or will you lay down on the floor?

And I know that things look bleak
But you know I’ve gotta try
Or where we gonna be
When the well runs dry?

All the hours I spent
Thinking you knew what’s best for me
Looking back I disbelieve
My own naivety

Now your system’s quickly crumbling
And we all refuse to cry
But where we gonna be
When the well runs dry?

Will your shoes be on your feet
When the wolf is at your door?
Will you take things to the street
Or will you lay down on the floor?

And I know that things look bleak
But you know I’ve gotta try
Or where we gonna be
When the well runs dry?

Oh, Tell me what am I gonna see
When I close my eyes?
Aw, honey, where we gonna be
When the well runs dry?

Synopsis:

Emotional catharsis. The opening of the floodgates to release all that one has been struggling to hold down.

Lyrics:

I rode the wave down to your grave
Like there was nothing left to save
I took the fall, we’d had it all

I took the drive, I felt alive
But nothing that impure can thrive
No friends, no phone; I felt alone

I jumped from the lip of your sinking ship
But it was always worth the trip
I fanned the breeze that brought me to my knees

Looked through the door, I’d been there before
You hit the dirt so I hit the floor
I held it all down for so long

But here comes the flood
Here comes the flood
Here comes the flood
Here comes the flood

Here comes the flood
(Feel the breaking of the dam)
Here comes the flood
(Rising up to meet the land)
Here comes the flood
(When the will that you command)
Here comes the flood

You in your gown and thorny crown
I the clown from the wrong side of town
I turned you on but you turned me down

Straight to the heart of a brand new start
And the seas all start to part
You thought you’d seen that winging dove

But here comes the flood
Here comes the flood
Here comes the flood
Here comes the flood

Here comes the flood
(Feel the breaking of the dam)
Here comes the flood
(Rising up to meet the land)
Here comes the flood
(When the will that you command)
Here comes the flood
(All comes crashing down)

It knocks me flat, where am I at?
Does it always come to that?
I take it on and you just take off

I’m bailing steadily as I can
And I will reach out for your hand
But come away with just a glove

Here comes the flood
Here comes the flood
Here comes the flood
Here comes the flood

Here comes the flood
(Feel the breaking of the dam)
Here comes the flood
(Rising up to meet the land)
Here comes the flood
(When the will that you command)
Here comes the flood
(All comes crashing down)

Synopsis:

An arrangement of the lyrics to the fictional song “Kafka on the Shore” from Haruki Murakami’s novel of the same name. English translation by Philip Gabriel.

Lyrics:

You sit at the edge of the world
I am in a crater that’s no more
Words without letters
Standing in the shadow of the door

The moon shines down on a sleeping lizard
Little fish rain down from the sky
Outside the window there are soldiers
Steeling themselves to die

Kafka sits in a chair by the shore
Thinking of the pendulum that moves the world it seems
When your heart is closed
The shadow of the unmoving sphynx
Becomes a knife that pierces your dreams

The drowning girl’s fingers
Search for the entrance stone, and more
Lifting the hem of her azure dress she gazes—

At Kafka on the shore
At Kafka on the shore

Synopsis:

Written as part of bi-weekly songwriting challenge for the prompt “grass”.

Lyrics:

Ooh, always greener
Ooh, always greener
Ooh, always greener
On the other side

Yeah I see them coming
And they’re coming ‘round
Dreaming what it would be like
If they owned this town

Heavy is the head
That bears the crown
I think you’re probably right
But still I’ve found

Ooh, always greener
Ooh, always greener
Ooh, always greener
On the other side

Now I’m at the top
And I’m looking down
Wondering what does it feel like
When you make that sound

They say that what goes up
Always comes around
Wait that isn’t right
What goes around must come back down
(Got me singing)

Ooh, always greener
Ooh, always greener
Ooh, always greener
On the other side

Ooh, always greener
Ooh, always greener
Ooh, always greener
On the other side

Ooh, always greener
Ooh, always greener
Ooh, always greener
On the other side

On the other side
On the other side

Synopsis:

The first verse and melody of this song had been bouncing around in my head for years. I knew it was meant to be written on guitar, but I did not play at the time. Years later, it came back to me. I realized I now DID play guitar, and the song pretty much finished itself.

Lyrics:

Mama plays the guitar
For an audience of three
Though the lyrics she mumbles
Are heard by only me

Now it seems it’s come to pass
The truth I thought at first would last
Turns out to be more of what was slain

Mama plays the guitar
For an audience of two
With a transcendental air
Just made for me and you

Now it seems it’s come to pass
The truth I thought at first would last
Turns out to be less than what remains

Mama plays the guitar
For an audience of one
Though the meaning is obscured
By the tune she only hums

Now it seems it’s come to pass
The truth I thought at first would last
Turns out to be only what you see

Remember me
Remember me
Remember me
Remember me

Synopsis:

Equanimity. Coming to a peaceful acceptance of the uncertainty of life.

Lyrics:

There’s shadows moving on the wall
Don’t let it bother you
Don’t let it bother you
Don’t let it bother you

Those voices murmur in the hall
Don’t let it bother you
Don’t let it bother you
Hey man, don’t let it bother you

Light and shadows
Dance across my face
Like reflections of
Some distant grace

I’ve seen battles
Yeah, I’ve done my time
Nothing scares me now
From the other side

So keep your hand firm on your heart
And don’t let it bother you
Don’t let it bother you
Hey man don’t let it bother you

You’ll miss sometimes when you first start
But don’t let it bother you
Don’t let it bother you
Don’t let it bother you

Light and shadows
Dance across my face
Like reflections of
Some distant grace

I’ve seen battles
Yeah, I’ve done my time
Nothing scares me now
I’m on the other side

Don’t matter what you think it means
So don’t let it bother you
Don’t let it bother you
Hey man, don’t let it bother you

Yeah, nothing’s ever as it seems
So don’t let it bother you
Don’t let it bother you
Don’t let it bother you

Don’t let it bother you
Don’t let it bother you

Synopsis:

Rediscovery. A song about finding one’s way back home to yourself after years spent being tossed around by the vicissitudes of life.

Lyrics:

I can’t see the stars from here
Awash in city lights they all disappear
A long, long way from home
But I won’t complain; you won’t hear me moan

‘Cause when the city lights are blinding
The light within me shining points the way

Where was I going when I lost my way?
Where am I now? I can’t see or say
A long, long time ago
It all seemed so simple, now I don’t know

But now the city lights are dying
The stars above me shining take me home

When I don’t know what comes next
Mind is racing, plans are vexed
I’m learning to sit still
I’m learning to divine my god’s will

‘Cause when the cities all grow silent
A voice that’s ultraviolet guides my way

And when the well within me is driest
The bird that flies the highest shows me how

I’m learning to be still
I’m learning to align with my god’s will
Submerged in the unknown
The voice inside me guides me home

Synopsis:

A bittersweet tune about young love, moving on, and what is found in the wake when it departs.

Lyrics:

Once you were my world
We were so young and innocent
You weren’t just another girl
You were magnificent

I didn’t know how high the cost
I was oblivious
I didn’t know I would get so lost
In its incipience

There was a promise of love
But it was made out of ignorance
You thought I was sent from above
But I was just falling Icarus

And when the morning did come
We found the dream was ridiculous
I thought that we’d fit like a glove
I thought you’d be my deliverance

But there’s no one coming to save us
’Til we save ourselves
Turns out the hole we hid with our craving
Just dug a deeper well

Once I was a fool
With no thought of a consequence
But now I know the rules
Yeah, now I’ve got common sense

And it’s a shame what we had to lose
It didn’t make no sense
But a heart’s not something you choose
On your own recognizance

There was a promise of love
But it was made out of ignorance
You thought I was sent from above
But I was just falling Icarus

And when the morning did come
We found the dream was ridiculous
I thought that we’d fit like a glove
I thought you’d be my deliverance

But there’s no one coming to save us
’Til we save ourselves
Turns out the hole we hid with our craving
Just dug a deeper well

But isn’t it strange
And kinda deranged
The gift that sadness would bring

I had to find me again
Reconnect with my friends
It was the greatest thing

Once I thought I’d be
In the darkness forever now
But the light it started to creep in
I’m feeling better now

Thought I’d be suffering forever
Never find someone new
I never knew I could be so happy
With somebody who wasn’t you

There was a promise of love
But it was made out of ignorance
You thought I was sent from above
But I was just falling Icarus

And when the morning did come
We found the dream was ridiculous
I thought that we’d fit like a glove
I thought you’d be my deliverance

But there was no one coming to save me
So I saved myself
I broke the bond I made with my craving
Now I’m fed by a deeper well

Once I was with you
Never wanted to be apart
I didn’t know that it would leave me
With a broken heart

But the light leaked in from the cracks
And it gave me a wondrous view
Now I’m learning to live
Without you