Tag Archives: songwriting

Chicago Song, Listen

Song Post: The Talkin’ CTA Blues

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Songs from Someone Else’s Perspective Week

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Here’s a song I wrote a few years back. It’s a true story. So true that when I play this song out I usually tell people it happened to me. It felt like it happened to me. Here’s what actually happened.

But, then again, you could just search for “CTA Blue Line Crash” and you’d come up with a thousand different examples, the most recent being this: http://www.wgntv.com/wgntv-blue-line-smoke-aug28,0,5246199.story

Anyway. It’s a funny song about a sad thing. It’s almost as funny as this article: http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/news.aspx?id=155614

Finally, Chicago is tops in something.

So I took the point of view of someone on the train. But, really, we were all on that train because we all ride every train and if you haven’t yet been in a CTA accident then you surely will soon.

The Talkin’ CTA Blues is also on my new album “It’s Chicago!” that just came out on August 10. You can buy and download either just this one song or the entire album, which is all about Chicago, at CDBaby.com or through iTunes.

Or, you can always come out and see a live show and I’ll have real, touchable CD albums.

Hope ya like it.

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Ballad on November 5

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No Theme Week

Here’s the last song for No Theme Week. It’s a song I wrote back in November of 2008. Didn’t have anything to do with anything. Wasn’t about me or you or anybody else in particular. Wasn’t no meaning behind or about or in-front of it. Took about 30 seconds to write and around 5 minutes to sing and listen to. I played it out all over in three-quarter time, two-four time, six-eight and four-four and five-ninths. It all sounded the same to me. I put it as song number one on an album I made and didn’t distribute except to a few very affectionate friends. I haven’t sung it in a year or so. I pulled it out and I think it’s a pretty good ending to No Theme Week.

See ya Monday…bright and early.

At the end of the week, listen to a ballad about November 5.

Chicago Song, Listen

The Talkin’ Tax Blues

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Mass Media Week

Here’s a song about tax I wrote just about exactly 2 years ago. I guess 2 years ago I was really upset about something to do with the city of Chicago and a bunch of talkin’ blues songs came spilling out of me whenever I read or heard about what was going on.

I’ve expanded my boundaries a little bit lately.

Although, I do have a new album of Chicago-inspired songs. I plan to have the songs available for download and purchase, but, apparently, that takes a lot of technical know-how. Anyone ever told you about a FLAC file? Or bit rate? Or pixel laxness?

Anyway, eventually it’ll be up on CDBaby and itunes and all that mess.

For now, though, you can get an album from me out at one of my shows. Next one is this Saturday, 8/14, at Jerry’s in Wicker Park.

But, this song here. I ain’t got much to say about it. I’m not that mad anymore, I guess. It was just something I read in the newspaper again and I wrote this song. Don’t mean nothing. Cause I know there’s a lot of people now-a-days that’s getting all worked up about taxes and government. I ain’t one of them though. I like black coffee. I like to be regulated. I like to be a hypocrite and admit it.

Pay your tax, okay? They support the things that you use in this country.

See ya.

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The Talkin’ Unwritten Blues

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Mass Media Week

This week, apparently, is turnin into talkin’ blues week. I guess it’s pretty easy to write a talkin blues song about what’s happening out in the Entertainment Mass Media World.

Anyway, this is a song I wrote back in the winter of 2008, about February or so. It’s all about the Great Writers Guild of America Strike of 2007-2008. You can read about that here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007–2008_Writers_Guild_of_America_strike.

It was a pretty ridiculous thing if ya ask me.

Entertainment writers go on strike in 2007, inspiring the Talkin' Unwritten Blues.

So I wrote this song, because I heard all about it all over the news on television and radio and all that. If you missed hearing about it then you were probably locked in a dark box, or out living your own life.

A funny thing happened right after I wrote Talkin’ Unwritten and posted it up on Myspace; the Writers Strike ended. Just like that. I was kinda upset because I couldn’t really sing the song out at all. But I also took credit for ending the strike. So I guess it worked out for everyone.

What do you think, reader of my weblog?

Chicago Song, Listen

The Talkin’ CTA Bus Blues

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Mass Media Week

Here’s a song I wrote about the great CTA bus system back in the wintertime of 2009. I jotted it down after reading this newspaper article.

Now, I first read it in the Chicago Tribune, that great Mass Media Establishment of Reputable Degree, and I just kinda had to write a song. This one wasn’t a struggle at all. I think I remember I wrote it all in about 5 minutes and probably didn’t go back and edit it at all, except for a line or two.

You have to read it online, though, cause all the old papers have been burned up, so I couldn’t scan in the original.

A CTA bus running a red light. Yippee!
It’s perfectly okay for a CTA bus to run a red light.

I think I only played the Talkin’ CTA Bus Blues out once, maybe twice. The one time I definitely remember was right after I joined the Barehand Jugband and I played a quick “break set” in-between our multiple sets back when we had a regular show at the Horseshoe. Anyway, probably 3 people heard it that night. And the band doesn’t play at the Horseshoe anymore, at all, ever.

So, read that article and listen to the song and leave me comment if you’re feelin friendly.