1. |
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The Future Ain’t What It Used to Be
(Sept. 21- Oct 5, 2003) ©2003 S. McGaughey
Oct. 10 Major revisions—Music by Sean McGaughey,
Lyrics by Sean McGaughey and Brian Rawlins
When I was a young boy I often would roam
Through the basement of grandpa’s home
I once found a stack of old magazines.
Popular Mechanics fueled my dreams.
I would read about homes of the future
How we’d all fly around in our cars
We'd live in apartments under the sea
and vacation on Venus or Mars.
Chorus
So where the hell is my jet car?
Nobody lives under the sea.
I could sure use a robot to do all my chores.
Waiting for peace, an end to the wars.
(And) we're still fighting hunger and illness
While children live on the streets.
If this is the 21st century,
It don't look like the future to me,
The Future ain’t what it used to be
We knew for certain that cancer
Would soon be just stars in the sky
With the first giant steps upon the moon
There was nothing we couldn’t try.
They said that computers and robots
would be at our beck and call
We all would be healthy
even folksingers wealthy
millionaires one and all
(Chorus)
(Bridge)
We thought that the future was so far away
Turned out to be just the same yesterday.
And we blame the poor
for getting poorer all the time
Is this the future they had in mind?
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2. |
For the Sake of the Song
02:55
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G G7
You can see him everywhere
C
in the coffee shops, the county fairs,
G A D D7
and smoky bars trying to keep the tune alive
G G7
His dreams of fame and fortune
C
are long since gone,
G D G
but he gets up every night for the sake of the song.
G G7
Too country, for the radio
C
Too old, to make a video
G
Too good, to be playing here
A D D7
Too crazy to ever quit
G G7
Too lonesome, for pop music
C
Too damn long, to be doing it
G
Too late, to ever turn back now
D G
Just do it for the sake of the song.
G C G
For the sake of the song, maybe just one person will listen close tonight
G C G
For the sake of the song, the one that makes everybody feel alright
G C G F#m Em
For the sake of the song, for that shining moment when they all sing along.
Em A D D7
It's the reason that the band keeps playing on.
G G7
Well it's a life, if not a living
C
Though the road's so unforgiving.
G A D D7
Never have a lot, but it's enough for getting by
G G7
On the stage he belongs
C
He just keeps on, keepin' on
C G D G
And he does it, for the sake of the song.
Chorus
Too Country...
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3. |
It's a Game
02:21
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We're just a bunch of little boys
Having some fun with our military toys
He hit me back first now he's hurt
And somebody's crying in the dirt.
Chorus:
It's a game, a game, it's only a game.
If someone gets hurt well I'm not to blame
Your silly rules (laws) do not apply to me
Cause I'm only playing a game.
Mr. Chief Executive he has style
He can tell you a lie through his million dollar smile
Your billions of stock didn't buy my farm
Some dirty whistleblower's just sounding an alarm
Chorus
Modern war is a video game.
Planes can wipe out whole towns in democracy's name
Without ever seeing who's on the ground
They're just throwing rocks beyond the speed of sound.
Chorus
Bridge
Boys will be boys and they play rough
If some sissy starts crying well that's just tough
It doesn't matter if you break the rules or not
Its only wrong if you get caught
Well Washington's declared they're protectors of the earth.
They'll go to great lengths to protect their own net worth
If they don't agree with you, they can make your life hard.
They will put your face on a deck of cards.
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4. |
Borrowed Land
03:17
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Borrowed Land
@ Sean McGaughey, 1995, 1996 4/4 native sounding
key of Am (Am, Em, Dm)
I:
Am
The Storms of change are raging
Em
over Ipperwash tonight.
Am
.A band of men are gathered.
Em
They say they're willing to fight.
Dm
For the home their fathers lent us
G
so we could fight. war.
Em
FIfty years the guns were silent
Am
We don't need their homes no more.
Chorus:
C G
And 1 wonder when will we ever learn
C G
How many Bridges (crosses) have to burn
Dm G
How long before the masters all return
G Am
For their Borrowed Land.
II:
Am
Nine months and they’re still waging
Em
the campaign at Ipperwash.
Am
This band of self-named warriors
Em
say they fight a sacred cause
Dm
Already one has died here
G
without one acre saved
Em
How long before all people share
Am
The land of the free and the braves?
(Chorus)
III (Bridge)
(Chorus)
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5. |
Dark Beauty
02:14
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Dark Beauty
August 14-15, 2003©S. McGaughey
Composed by flashlight during blackout of 2003
G- G-5- Em – Em7- A7- A7 – D- D7
or
C – C9 – Am -Am7 – D7- D7- G G7
It's dark outside,
Darkest in a hundred years
But our heart fires will burn brightly
As long as you are here
I see your beauty framed
In the flashlight's glow
while the crickets sing their songs of love
So soft and low
No Matter how black it gets,
In the darkest night
As long as we're together
Our home is filled with light
I hear my little girl sing songs
and make castles made of light
I walk across the floor and hold her tight
The star field makes a dance floor
for a roving satellite
As we sit our on the lawn
and watch the symphony of night
No Matter how black it gets,
In the darkest night
As long as we're together
Our home is filled with light
It's dark outside,
Darkest in a hundred years
But our heart fires will burn brightly
As long as you are here
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6. |
Beds and Boots
02:44
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Beds and Boots
(Decent Bed, Good Boots)
©S. McGaughey Sept. 12, 2003
In Memory of Jim Gosko (1926-2003)
Well I'd lost touch for many years but he was always there
Mom said he'd watched me as a babe, and I always knew he cared
His hearty smile and twinkling eyes spoke volumes of the man
I can't recall the words he said, but this I understand
Always look out for your family
Be kind to everyone you meet
Buy lemonade from kids on the street
And finish what you've started
As you work each day from dawn to dusk
treat your neighbour as a brother.
And buy a decent bed and a good pair of boots
You're in one or the other.
From his youth he was a dairy man, selling milk to everyone
Making butter, none was better, Canadian champion,
But I recall with fondness at a family reunion
He was the hero of us youngsters, bringing ice cream for the children
Well they say he was a picker too, but I never heard him play
As a young man he'd sit in with the band at the end of his working day.
Playing sax and guitar while the country folk all danced.
And I bet he's up in there playing in Johnny Cash's Band.
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7. |
Fight Back
03:30
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Fight Back! (To Life)
G-C-D-C rock riff
for Marty
©June 25, 2003 S. McGaughey
I'm a normal guy. Got a wife and a job, I'm only thirty-nine.
I take care of the kids, sing a few songs, make sure the bills get paid on time.
But last week I found a little lump under my arm.
Something so small couldn't do much harm.
Then the doctor says the word that begins with C.
I draw my breath in disbelief.
RECOIL (Chorus)
FORCED BACK,
DRIVEN BACK,
Fall Back,
Withdraw,
retire
Then I
hold back,
lie back,
RELAX,
Turn Back,
Bounce Back
Then I FIGHT BACK!
Then I FIGHT BACK!
Well they fill me up with poison to save my life.
I worry about the strain this puts on my poor wife.
Will I ever teach my baby boy to catch a ball?
Or toast my daughter in the banquet hall?
I wonder if this will be the end of me?
It's so easy to wallow in misery.
Time to Step Back (chorus)
Now I proudly wear this blue shirt to walk a survivor's mile
With a hundred new-found friends I share a common smile
Though we all struggle with this life and death fight
Living is what we celebrate tonight
TO LIFE! (chorus)
To life! (to life!) and to the living!
To life! (to life!) Let's Get on with the living of it. (Repeat 2X)
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8. |
Duct Tape Song
04:47
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The Little Bitty, Teeny-Tiny Two Inch Strip that Holds the World Together
©Sean McGaughey July 16, 1999
When Grandad had a broken plow, a problem hard to solve,
He’d walk around it end to end, and stare with great resolve
He’d take a roll of chicken wire, a kind used in all weather,
He wrap it round and round the plow, and knot it all together.
In my daddy’s day the world advanced, technology had grown.
He could fix anything with tubes of silicone.
But I have found the perfect tool, it always works out right
A magic silver roll of tape will hold it all it tight
Chorus:
You stick to me, I’ll stick to you
We’ll be stuck fast, it’s better than glue
It don’t matter what the season,
we don’t need a rhyme or reason
While other loves are all long gone
Ours will hold us close and strong
With the little bitty, teeny-tiny
Two inch strip that holds the world together.
Well over there in Ireland they have a heap of trouble,
If they don’t work it out real fast, the country will be rubble,
But I have a cure that’s guaranteed to ensure a peace forever
Well take the Unionists the IRA and Duct-Tape them together
Chorus:
Bridge: Audience Participation
What do with a leaky hose ?
USE DUCT TAPE.
How do you cure a runny nose?
USE DUCT TAPE.
How do you fix a hole in your tire?
USE DUCT TAPE.
You need to repair a microphone wire.
USE DUCT TAPE.
How do you catch a squeaky mouse?
USE DUCT TAPE.
How do you stop a straying spouse?
USE DUCT TAPE.
Your guitar case came apart at the end?
USE DUCT TAPE.
You really want to impress your friends.
USE DUCT TAPE.
What do you do if your car falls apart?
USE DUCT TAPE.
How can you mend a broken heart?
USE DUCT TAPE
Chorus
What do I buy everyday at the store?
A BOX OF DUCT TAPE
How can you stop me from singing anymore?
USE DUCT TAPE.
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9. |
Words of Wisdom
03:02
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(November 8, 2003)
© 2003 S. McGaughey
Key of G: Travis pick Mixed Patterns
G Am
In the beginning was the Word,
D
and the Word was with God,
C D G
and the Word was God.
G Am
All things were made by him;
D G
all things were made through him,
G C D G
but the greatest gift he gave us was The Word.
(chorus)
C D G Em
Words can paint a picture more vivid than Van Gogh
c D G C
but sunflowers, a child's laugh
C D G
leave me lost for words.
G Am
Words in a book may take you where you've never been
D C D
Words are the partners for the sweetest melody
G
Words may cause the deepest wounds
Am
or plant seeds of hope
C D
They may conceal the darkest lies
D D G
or reveal the greater truths
(chorus)
G Am
Words and deeds are the measure of a man
D C D
Sometimes what you think is better left unsaid
G Am D G
Use your words wisely, for they cannot be withdrawn
C D G
And in the end always return to the word.
(chorus)
G Am
They say a man is only good as his word
D C D
I want mine to be as good as the day I said, “I do”
G Am D G
words always fail me When I need them the most
C D G
I meant to say 'I love you,' but it got lost in all the words.
(chorus)
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10. |
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All the Times
(alt. Never Wrote You a Love Song)
S. McGaughey ©2003
Let me try to make up for
All the times I never wrote you a love song
But every time, the words just fail
To express the way I feel about you.
Chorus:
I REALLY WANT TO SAY THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT YOU
WHEN YOU DO THAT THING HOW IT MAKES ME FEEL,
AND SINCE YOU’VE BEEN AROUND MY WHOLE LIFE HAS CHANGED
WITH YOU EVERY MOMENT IS MORE THAN REAL.
Let me try to make you see
Everything that happens when you're beside me
My tongue gets tied, my kness go weak
My mouth falls open, and I can’t speak
Chorus
Let me try to make up for
All the times I never wrote you a love song
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11. |
Homeless Babe
03:24
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Homeless Babe
Away in a Manger-- revisited
S. McGaughey © Nov 29, 2003
On a cold winter's evening a baby is born
While his family is travelling, far from their home
Father searches in vain and no shelter is found
But a stable and a manger built on the cold ground.
Can you walk a mile with a homeless babe?
Spare some time for a homeless babe?
Offer comfort to a homeless babe?
Born to be our king.
His parents give all of their little to give
To protect him from the hard life they live
Angels rejoice in the skies up above
They surround the baby with unending love
The rich and important don't notice a thing
Too wrapped up in their own cares to hear Angels sing
Leaving poor night watchmen to answer the call
To attend at the birth of the savior of all
(Spoken)
An angry, tired man slams his groceries down
As the Christmas Eve hush settles over the town
His eyes show a sadness from many long days
“Merry Christmas, I guess”, was all he could say
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12. |
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Another Piece of Paradise
(Donstock 1998)
©Sean McGaughey June 27, 1998
(V1)
D Bm
A Chainsaw breaks up the morning air, Sleepy time is done.
D Bm
Time for me to roll out and work out in the sun
G D Bm
A trailer rolls into the yard. On it a stage we’ll build.
G A D
Another piece of paradise, carved upon a hill.
Chorus
G D
And Katie sings Wood River and we can sing along
G D
It's about peace and beauty and this world that we’ve done wrong
D Bm
But this old world keeps on turning, and I guess It always will
G A D
It's another piece of paradise carved upon a hill
(V2)
As high noon creeps upon the sky, the storms of change just roll on by
Big Wayne takes the stage and plays the blues to blow your mind.
People come from every mile to sit a spell and share a smile
And enjoy our piece of paradise, carved upon a hill.
Chorus (2)
And I’ll sing an old Dylan song and you can sing along
It's about peace and beauty" and this world that we’ve done wrong
But this old world keeps on turning,
and I guess It always will.
It's another piece of paradise carved upon a hill.
Bridge
Chorus (2)
(V3)
As Crimson flames soon take to flight and twinkling stars turn day to night
I’ll sit upon this stage and I will sing my merry tune
About good times we shared today and how we’ll all soon go away
And leave our piece of paradise carved upon this hill.
Chorus (2)
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13. |
Ode to James
02:50
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Ripples in a Pond (Ode to James)
Sean McGaughey (©August 26, 1994)
4/4: key of D.
1) He was 17, a boy trapped in a man,
had a way of talking I could not understand,
but his love and laughter filled the land,
all around him.
He was loved by everyone he met.
He loved his brother, he loved his pet,
he loved mom and dad, he loved the farm,
but he loved Jesus most of all.
Chorus
and like a ripple in a pond, his love is stretching out
I know he'll teach the angels how to laugh.
And I know he's out there somewhere,
out beyond the sky so blue,
so, James I hope you know that we miss you.
2)
He and Ben were two of a kind.
He was loud, and ben was shy.
They'd ride their bikes almost every day
down the country road by their home.
They'd work together on the farm,
laugh and play and carry on.
Wake in the morning just after dawn,
and start the games again.
Chorus
3)
I know God makes no excuses for his master plan,
but this time I think things just got out of hand.
For one day James went out on his final ride,
and that night the whole world stopped-- and it cried.
Chorus
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14. |
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No Matter What Your Age Is
©2003 S. McGaughey June 22, 2003
(International assistance via IM by Sarah McGaughey)
This is an echo song ...
I am one (I am one)
I can have a bit of fun
I can crawl across the room, pile the books on the table
or go for a toilet paper run.
Ther world's big and intresting
I'll have to learn to run.
I am one, I am one, I am one
I am two (I am two)
And I have so much to do (And I have so much to do )
I can make a picture, sing a song, and try to put on my own shoe.
I can tell you what I think about that really yucky stew
I am two, I am two, I am two
Chorus
And No Matter what your age is
It the very best you see
Cause you're growing every day now
Mom and Dad want you to be
Everything you ever dreamed of
Cause they love you endlessly
Be a Kid! Be a Kid! Be a Kid!
I am three (I am three)
A fantastic age to be (A fantastic age to be)
Sometimes Daddy helps me build a castle but he won't let me climb a tree.
I want to be an acrobat, ride a bike or learn to ski.
I am three, I am three, I am three
I am four (I am four)
I am learning so much more (I am learning so much more)
I get to go to school now, and I can run till my feet are sore
Sometimes mommy gives me money to buy candy at the store
I am four, I am four, I am four
Bridge (Melody - Rain Rain Go Away)
1 2 3 4 5
I'm so glad to be alive
6 7 8 9 10
I would do it all again
I am five(I am five)
I can do a dive (I can do a dive)
In the swimming pool is where I feel most alive.
I can splash around, blow bubbles, do a float, and paddle around the pool
I am five, I am five, I am five.
I am six (I am six)
And sometimes I play tricks (And sometimes I play tricks)
On my rotten old big brother, so please don't tell St. Nick
I'm a really good kid mostly and it's just a little trick.
I am six, I am six, I am six
I am 25 (I am 25)
I am old enough to drive
I can drive a motorcyle in my sandles and its jive
until I tip it over on myself
An exciting dive
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15. |
Passages
04:33
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Passages
© Sean and Donald McGaughey, August 26- Sept 27, 1998
Dedicated to our grandmother, Margaret McGaughey on her 80th birthday
V1.
Riffling through my old photograph album
I touch times and places, where I've never been
Grandfather, grandmother, people I never knew
All come together to dance in my dreams.
Chorus
Passages of time
The ingredients of memory
Joy and pain and heartache
In a crucible of fire
And as I trudge the road
To my happy destination
My family blazed a path
For this passage of mine
V2.
Here's a dusty old photo of my great-grand parents,
As they packed up their family to sail across the sea.
They headed westwards for peace and for freedom
To carve out a homestead in a brand-new country.
V3.
As I flip through the pages, I see Joe and Hazel
Taming a farm to feed their family
Though the times they were hard, and the earth bore scant bounty
They raised their daughters to be strong and free.
V4.
After years of depression, the whole world exploded
A world of hungry men made a passage to war
In the midst of the turmoil, many young hearts united
Hoping that there would be peace evermore.
V5.
When the great war had ended, these young loving couples
Raised up my parents in a peaceful new time
They struggled to give them what they'd always wanted
Integrity and freedom, and now they are mine.
V6.
In the passage of time, I have made my own journey
Eastward I've travelled to make a life of my own
I look to the future where I see a family
Make our own passage as we make a home.
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16. |
Summer's Journey
03:20
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Summer's Journey © Sean McGaughey September 2008
C Dm7/B Am7 Dm7/B
The days of the summer grow shorter.
C G C G7
I feel a slight chill in the air.
C C/B Am Am7/G
A little rust shows in the green of the leaves,
F / G G7
And a little white grows in our hair.
F / C C
We ran through the joys of our springtime,
F F G G7
and danced to the summer's sweet call.
C C/B Am Am7/G
I'll take your hand and we'll stroll together
F G C G7
on our journey from summer to fall.
V2
C Dm7/B Am7 Dm7/B
It only seems a moment ago
C G C G7
The world was fresh and aglow
C C/B Am Am7/G
And in due time the fruits of the harvest
F / G G7
brought more than we could ever know
F / C C
Our love was sweet and tender,
F F G G7
And we so young and slender
C C/B Am Am7/G
The sweet times we'll always remember
F G C C7
On our journey from summer to fall.
Bridge
F F C C
We've seen many seasons turnings together
F F C C
And life's seasons change (turn) for us all
F G Am Am7/G
So many bridges we've yet to cross
F F F G7
On our journey from summer to fall.
V3
Instrumental
C Dm7/B Am7 Dm7/B
C G C G7
C C/B Am Am7/G
F / G G7
F / C C
We ran through the joys of our springtime,
F F G G7
and danced to the summer's sweet call.
C C/B Am Am7/G
and we still hold hands as we stroll together
F G Am Am7/G
on our journey from summer to fall.
F G C G7
on our journey from summer to fall.
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Sean McGaughey Ontario
I am a folk singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and children's entertainer in Simcoe County Ontario. By day, I am a
mild-mannered Elementary School teacher-librarian.
Since 2013, I have been participating the the February Album Writing Month Challenge at fawm.org to write 14 songs in February.
This year I challenged myself to up my musicianship and production values. This is the result.
... more
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