music

Easter… a state of grace

| Chris

A long time ago, I wrote a song about Easter. This one does not talk about the occasion, the tradition, or its religious connotation. It simply tells of a place where Easter never fails to transport me, personally.

Happy Easter, everyone.

State of Grace

I desire to run this race
In my desire to see your face again
Wake me up in the morning light, I am here

I desire to wrong no one
In my desire, the damage is done again
Walk me home where the big blue sky’s always clear and near

The pain is gone, the weight’s lifted off my shoulder
The rain has come and gone, the storm is over
Welcome to the state of grace

I desire to call on you
Yes I desire to run to you once again
In my soul I thirst, but it’s okay you say

Yes I desire to break the code
Say hello to the yellow brick road again
Let me mend your heart dear broken hearted

I hear your thunder on the misty mountain top, never stop
I hear your voice, you’re calling to my face sayin’
Welcome to the state of grace

I want to find a place to live
Somewhere I can give, yeah
A place where you and I could meet, yeah

I desire to run this race
In my desire to see your face again
Wake me up in the morning light, I am here

©2000 Chris Alma Jose

I’m tired

| Chris

I really am.

Though, I’m glad the moving is over with. Yes, I’m finally settled in my shiny new place. And getting some rest.

But, what a crazy week and a half it has been! You see, About 13 years ago or so, I went cliff diving in Hawaii and damaged my back after a 50 foot jump. Never did it again, but I never recovered from it either. Now, the pain seemed to have accelerated after I did a lot of moving by myself every single night, last week. I was too anxious to wait for the weekend. Besides, I didn’t want to scare the neighbors with the sight of seven guitars, three amps, a drum set and a whole bunch of other musical gear marching into their little Pleasantville, in broad daylight! So, I had to sneak them all in late at night, when everyone’s in bed and feeling safe. He he! We’ll see how much longer till they find out about the new kid on the block.

But I think I’ll be nice and keep the volume down. Especially, right now. Like I said, I’m just tired and simply want to get some rest, at the moment. So, I’ll do that. And hopefully, my back will forgive me, as well.

See you back here soon.

Songs about Heaven, part 2 (Homebound)

| Chris

First, I’d like to give Selma a big thanks for she deemed me worthy of such an honorable award. Thank you, my friend! I will always remember that you deserve it first.

Anyhow, I was reading her latest post, The Sound Of Time A-Passing, earlier today. For some reason, I felt a little depressed afterwards. Perhaps, because I am at the same point in life as she is now. Although, sometimes I get busy with my own life that I forget about time and how it affects my relationship with my own family. It’s not easy for me to constantly think about my family as they are on the other side of the planet and I don’t get to see them often. Maybe once every twenty years. Yep, not much. Told ya.

This past week, I have also been wrapped up with packing and cleaning and getting ready for my big move this weekend. I might not even be on here for a few days while all this transitioning takes place.

But, back to family. I can’t tell you how many times I have woken up in the middle of the night, with tears in my eyes, wondering how much time is left until my aging parents finally depart. They’re in their early 70’s now. When I left home in the mid 80’s, my dad was tough like Goodfellas. Now, it’s like I’m watching Cocoon.

Anyhow, I didn’t mean to rattle off on this topic. After all, this post is about a song I wrote. It is installment number two of my Songs about Heaven series. On this one, I’m expressing heaven in the form of the house I grew up in. Not that it is anything comparable, in the least. But when you’re a kid growing up, it is the only place you know. It is the greatest place. And it is yours. This house is where you find security. This is where your innocence comes from. In this house, you might even have your own room. This room is where you build your personal sanctuary. It’s where you carve your very own identity. Yours was probably painted with an outrageous color. It’s where you have the coolest things flaunted like trophies. Like a stereo system (mine had a turntable to boot). Posters of KISS on the wall (at least for me, this was the case). And still, after a hard days work in school or a rough play with your next-door friends outside, you always come home to mom and dad. All muddy and hungry, sometimes. Hollering as you go into your room to change… “what’s for dinner, mom?”

Yeah, that’s home, alright. And one day, I know I will be back. Just like when I was little. But this time, it will be a little different. A good kind of different. And I so look forward to it, like you wouldn’t believe.

In My House
i remember sitting on the gutter at my parents’ place
playing barefoot with the neighbors’ kids down our street
recalling days of youth as if they were just the other day
no i still can’t seem to scrub the dirt off my feet

cause in my house hangs a picture of a sunny sky
and in my house hangs a picture of yesterday waving goodbye
and in my house there’s an old chair that my father gave to me
and i sit there in the afternoon as i try to rest in my dreams

winter comes and winter goes and, uh, it always seems that way
but i swear it never gets any colder than this, no no
and time may slow and time may flow but in the end it all goes away
but when the bell begins to toll there’s nothing i would miss here

cause in my house hangs a picture of a sunny sky
and in my house hangs a picture of yesterday waving goodbye
and in my house there’s an old chair that my father gave to me
and i sit there in the afternoon as i try to rest in my dreams

i try to rest in my dreams
and the water it streams when you rest in your dreams

i remember driving my car in the pouring rain
and you were with me though i know that day you didn’t want to
my thoughts they always used to haunt me like a man insane
though the scars remain forever
may forever be with you, yeah

cause in my house hangs a picture of the morning sky
and in my house hangs a picture of yesterday waving goodbye
and in my house there’s an old chair that my father gave to me
and i sit there in the afternoon, yeah, uh huh

yes in my house hangs a picture of a diamond’s glow
and in my house hangs a picture of tomorrow saying hello
and in my house there’s an old chair that my father gave to me
and i sit there in the afternoon as i try to rest in my dreams

cause in my house
hangs a picture of you

Songs about Heaven, part 1

| Chris

Nine more days to go and I’m off to my brand new flat! I’m so excited and anxious, I can hardly wait. I just want to do this and be there already. Thoughts of this reminded me of a time when nine out of ten songs I wrote was about heaven.

Why do you think it is? I believe, I’ve always been a positive thinker and would always look forward to tomorrow being a better day than today. The downside is that I couldn’t enjoy today as much because I was too busy focusing on tomorrow. It’s almost like a child that couldn’t sleep in excitement realizing that when he/she wakes up, the family is going on a trip to Disneyland. How could you possibly sleep, alright?

lez parteh!Now, I’m not sure how many songs about heaven I’ve actually managed to write and record through the years but I can imagine it being at least half of all my songs. That’s how much I love the idea of it.

A lot of us have our own vision of heaven. Some people see it as walking in the clouds. Some think it’s a castle. I mean, the possibilities are endless. In my opinion, there’s just no way we can even be close to describing its sheer beauty. It goes beyond our wildest imagination, for sure.

When you attempt to cram the idea of heaven in a song, you don’t even want to try to be perfect. To humble yourself by keeping it down to human levels, I think, is the best possible description you can make.

I see heaven in different ways. Each song I write describes it in ways I can see with human eyes and experience with human emotions. That’s all I can do, really.

Since, every once in a while, I post a music blog, I thought it would be nice to showcase a set of songs about heaven. One post at a time, that is. So this is part one. And the first song is called Welcome to the Ball. This song describes heaven as a ballroom party. Like a high school prom, perhaps. There are scenes of dancing, conversations, food buffet and a fountain out in the garden where you can walk and enjoy the breeze. The venue? At a fancy hotel sitting atop a fluffy cloud. It’s a whimsical description with the overall theme of happiness, celebration and good company. And by the way… I just got an invitation!

Did you get yours yet?

Welcome to the Ball

Stand up by the fountains in the sky
Stars lay in your eyes
Pick a flower in my little garden
And roam with the butterflies
Hide your head in the clouds above
Fill your plate with mounds of love

Have some fruit, oh by the way
I love your suit but do you feel alright
Here you wait a moment till the gates are opened
Then you’ll see the light
Let your little flower grow
Cuz when I call you need to know
And take with you everyone you meet
Cuz here we go

Welcome to the ball
We can talk forever at the ball
You can chase your blues away
Welcome to the ball
Fill your cup with laughter at the ball
And you can dance the night away… come on

Yeah, yeah, yeah…

Come on up, help yourself at the table
And don’t forget to taste the wine, no no
And take a stroll down the gallery
Where snapshots of your memories
Hang down the line
See the courtyard by the pool
Here you’ll find the breeze is cool
Come and meet everybody
Cuz here we go

Welcome to the ball
We can talk forever at the ball
You can chase your blues away
Welcome to the ball
Fill your cup with laughter at the ball
And you can dance the night away… come on

Yeah, yeah, yeah…

©2000 Chris Alma Jose

Songs That Are Poems, Poems That Are Songs Meme

| Chris

You would think, it would be easy to list five songs that you deem poetic in their lyrical style. However, knowing me, it didn’t take much time at all for my thoughts to be flooded with countless choices. And, it has since become a chore narrowing it down to such a stifling number.

But thanks to Selma, nonetheless, for tagging me to do this meme. I thought it was an interesting one, if only to challenge myself to really think. So, here’s what I came up with. And, I better write them down quick, before I change my mind. Again.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Blackbird – The Beatles
There’s no way for me to think of music without the Beatles being mixed in there, in some way. I was going to choose Helter Skelter, at first. But then, I thought of Eleanor Rigby, too. And then, Come Together. And then, The Fool on the Hill. And then… oh, stop, Chris. Pick one and move on. Okay, I did.

Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise
Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these sunken eyes and learn to see
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to be free

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Hurt – Nine Inch Nails
I thought, this song already stands proudly on its own. But, if Johnny Cash decides he wants to cover it in his own record, it makes it all the more valid as poetry. In my book, anyway.

I hurt myself today
To see if I still feel
I focus on the pain
The only thing that’s real
The needle tears a hole
The old familiar sting
Try to kill it all away
But I remember everything

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Echoes – Pink Floyd
Can you say Duet Poetry? It’s the only one I can name from their repertoire that has Gilmour and Wright singing together. A gorgeous combination, I think. Anyhow, most, if not all of their songs can pass as poetry, really. I just have to pick one that stands out to me, right away. I think, David Gilmour’s writing/singing is just as mesmerizing as his guitar licks, which I fondly call… Strat poetry.

Overhead the albatross
Hangs motionless upon the air
And deep beneath the rolling waves
In labyrinths of coral caves
An echo of a distant time
Comes willowing across the sand
And everything is green and submarine

Okay, the song is about 18 minutes long, I think. It’s divided into two parts. If you’re so inclined, here’s part two. And, if you’re a hardcore fan, like I am (hey, I own this Video), it’s worth every minute.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Rain Song – Led Zeppelin
I was able to narrow it down to the songs from Houses of the Holy. It was tough, but like I said, I had to pick one and move on. The way Robert Plant is singing this song is almost like he’s reading prose on top of an epic film score. Simply beautiful.

These are the seasons of emotion
Like the winds they rise and fall
This is the wonder of devotion
I see the torch we all must hold.
This is the mystery of the quotient
Upon us a little rain must fall

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Saturday Night Special – Lynyrd Skynyrd
In the spirit of my having spent a time of my life in the Southern USA, I can’t deny the influence its distinct culture had on me. This is hick poetry at its finest, bub. I still love it because it’s real. Crude, but real.

Two feet they come-a-creepin’
Like a black cat do
And two bodies-a-layin’ naked
Creeper think he got nothin’ to lose
So he creeps into this-a-house and
Unlocks the door
And as a man’s reachin’ for his trousers
Shoots him full of-a-thirty-eight holes

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

There you have it. Whew! Adding a few hundred more could’ve been much easier, probably. But, oh well…

Now, it’s my turn to tag… he he he!!! Bekki, Hermi, Chris, Tracie? Are you there? You’re it!!!

Are you ready to gruuumble?

| Chris

If only we had meat to eat… but now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna.
~ Numbers 11:4-6

You can’t always have what you want. And you can’t have everything either. At least, not all at once.

Have you ever struggled with having to choose between what you want and what you need? How about forcibly getting what you need instead of what you actually want? Of course you have. You’re only human, after all. It is a battle we all face, constantly. And there is no way out of it, I’m afraid. We will always be in a tug-of-war against ourselves. Unless, of course, you opt to simply give in. Then, I rest my case.

But, that’s just my observation.

Me? I’m usually pretty good at being disciplined about making sound decisions for my own sake. Like, you know… given the state of my own personal economy, I would buy something suspiciously cheap, if I deem it able to serve the same purpose as one that costs way more. It doesn’t always work but I, at least, learn from the experience. I’ve never been enticed by brand names. Not that it should matter to anyone else. However, if a brand name is more cost-effective in the long run, then I would not skimp. You can relate, can’t you?

When I was younger and was a working musician, I remember starving myself, eating only ramen noodles everyday, just so I can save the money to be able to buy a two thousand dollar guitar. Yep, I was that crazy back then. And I would sacrifice that way again and again, every time I had a piece of gear I “needed” to purchase. After all, the tools of the trade are a must, right? And so, worth dying for.

However, there are times when I’m not too happy with what I’m given either. Because what I asked for was something different. Something of selfish nature, perhaps. But in the end, I was glad because it all worked out well in the long run, as it always does for me. It goes to show how much I know about what’s right and what’s wrong.

These past few days, I’ve been trying to find a new place to move in to in three weeks. It’s a battle in my mind because a lot of people think I should go ahead and buy a house now. And I’m thinking… hmmm, yes I could. I’m able to… so, why not? For a couple of days, I was really tempted. I could swing this and get it done with, already. But then, I thought… I still have debt to pay off and other financial obligations I need to tend to, at the moment. Sure, I could make it all fit into my budget, no problem. But I had to stop and think of a better scenario. The big picture. The future. Instead of just today.

Today. Yes, today, I need to chill. I need to sacrifice today so tomorrow will be rewarded. I now believe in this philosophy. Sacrificing today doesn’t necessarily mean depriving myself or halting my life. I think, contentment is key. If I am content with little now, who knows, I may be rewarded with a bit more, later. I have to trust in hope. If you don’t have hope, what else can you possibly have? The cake is already good. But a little icing would be nice too, right?

So yeah, what’s it gonna be? Want or need? It pays to choose wisely since we’re only allowed one choice at a time.

Meat or manna, people… it’s either one or the other.

Meat Or Manna

don’t even think about it, it’s not what you need
don’t fly away forever, just to come back down to bleed
i have only one thing to say
you don’t have to run away

i was hoping you’d wanna
wanna choose meat or manna
it’s either one or the other
meat or manna

if only life was easy, you can do what you please
you just hide behind the curtain and pretend no one sees
there is only one thing that matters
but all you want is everything that shatters

i was hoping you’d wanna
wanna choose meat or manna
it’s either one or the other
meat or manna

you feed on your wisdom as you sit at the table
and you wanna save the world
but does your mind think you’re able
i know what you’re after tonight
don’t question my answer cause it’s black and white

i was hoping you’d wanna
wanna choose meat or manna
it’s either one or the other
meat or manna

©2002 Chris Alma Jose