Category Archives: Rewritten Song

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What’s Always In My Dreams (Version 2)

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What's Always In My Dreams (Version 2)
This ever in your dreams?

Well, how about this! It’s a rewritten song of a tune that I originally wrote way back in 2013. Feels like about a million years ago. Was writing a lot of train songs back then.

You can hear the original version right here.

See that the two versions are somewhat different. A little rearranged. A tad dissimilar.

Also, see how I really lost it near the end of the tune. My guitar playing has suffered incredibly from not playing at all. Funny how that happens. It’s like a big bloated belly that you get if you skip two-three years of doing any kind of abdominal exercise.

Kind of felt like I was playing the guitar upside down, actually. Which, I guess, is appropriate since I used an old Elizabeth Cotton tune for the guitar part. Check her out. She plays guitar upside down better than you play it regular.

ANYWAY. Hope you enjoy the new rewritten song. If not, then please be willing to check back once in a while to see some progress of a struggling songwriter.

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That Long and Lonesome Road (Version 2)

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Okay, so this is the point where I start to rewrite and re-record some of my old songs. I used to do that a lot. Like, every week I’d redo a song from the previous year. And then I stopped doing that for a while. So I’ve got a TON of songs to go back and work over. First one up is That Long and Lonesome Road.

That Long and Lonesome Road (Version 2)

Check out the original, I basically got rid of the entire song except for the repeating line, “that long and lonesome road.” Then, I set it to the tune of “The Ballad of John Henry.” Now, I’ve always stayed away from all the John Henry tunes that are out there. I love them and I play them for myself, but never attempted to rework one for myself. This is that attempt.

Parts of it are a little too “working-man-against-the-world” and I’m not totally sold on the “swim across the deep blue sea” part that implies the negative impacts of overseas OUTSOURCING of which I don’t know a whole lot about. Otherwise, though, I kind of like this one.

For the longest time I got away from using old melodies and tunes to write my own new songs. That’s how I started writing because it came most natural. Yes, STEALING comes natural to me. I think I’m most successful when I’ve got a little something from someone else to stand on, though, because this new version is far superior than the first one. The original is just a vague blanket of a song. It’s not about anything, so it could be about anything. Who wants to hear something like that? Not me.

This’ll be the first of many rewrites to come. Stay tuned for more.

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The Talkin’ Red Light Blues

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The More Things Change…

So, I caught this report about red light traffic cameras on the news the other day. And, at first, I kind of laughed to myself. HA HA HA Mayor Rahm screwing up again! But then I was like, “Hey, wait a minute, wasn’t this an issue back in 2009? Didn’t I write a song about something like this?”

The Talkin' Red Light Blues
A city of Chicago worker making the city a safer place.

Yeah. I did. Here it is.

Now, Rahm was not Mayor of Chicago back then, so CTA buses speeding through red lights and getting tickets from red light cameras installed by His Holiness Mayor Daley really can’t be blamed on him.

Oh, wait. Oops.

So, nothing has changed, except that Mister Mayor himself got caught by the cameras this time. And not just the red light cameras, but also the speed-trap cameras that he had installed. HILARIOUS.

Seriously, did you read this article? READ IT.

“No one is above the law.” (Unless no one notices.)

Mayor Emanuel wants the city to be SAFER, so he installed cameras to make us all drive slower. But he’s got a city to run, okay? Get out of his way.

So you see, I had to do a rewrite of the Talkin’ CTA Bus Blues. HAD TO.

Enjoy.

Hey! You can now download this song by clicking here.

Chicago Song, Listen, Rewritten Song

The Talkin’ CTA Blues (Rahm Emanuel Version)

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Same Old, Same Old

Well, this is another Chicago-inspired tune that I wrote several years ago. In 2008! But, the more things change, the more they stay the same, right? The CTA is still crashing trains, but instead of Mayor Daley making things right, we’ve got Rahm Emanuel.

The Talkin' CTA Blues (Rahm Emanuel Version)
In Chicago, infrastructure is priority number one.

I wrote the original version about a CTA crash on the blue line, but since there was just recently this one (or, even this one that I saw happen), I figured I better update the song a little. You can read about the original version and listen to it here. Or, if you feel like supporting a local musician, buy the song here. You’ll notice the differences.

For one, Chicago isn’t trying to get the Olympics any more, but Mayor Rahm does want to use our hard earned dollars and change to build a shiny basketball arena for DePaul University. They MUST need it bad, huh? Go ahead and read up on it. The Chicago Reader always has some good points.

Anyway, I always enjoyed this song. Singing it, performing it. I’m adding it back into my lineup. Maybe you’ll catch a show where I play it sometime soon?

Hey! You can now download this song by clicking here.

Chicago Song, Listen, Rewritten Song

Rahm Emanuel Says (I’m Guided by the Love of Gold)

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A New Version of Mister Mayor Says

With all the big issues you have to deal with in a big city like Chicago, who better to deal with them than good, ol’ Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

Rahm Emanuel Says (I'm Guided by the Love of Gold)
Rahm Emanuel has good intentions and good will for all of the citizens of Chicago.

I first wrote this song WAY BACK near the end of 2009. The original subject being good, ol’ Mayor Daley, may God rest his soul. I never figured he’d retire from his job and thought I’d get to keep singing the song and singing it until I died.

But all good things come to an end.

Good, ol’ Mayor Daley retired and good, ol’ Mayor Rahm stepped right in. So, I figured I better update my song a bit just for him.

You’re welcome, Mister Mayor.

If you’d like to hear the original recording that appeared on my album It’s Chicago! from 2010, go here. If you’d like to hear some other draft recordings, go here and here.

Hey! You can now download this song by clicking here.