Another great Jimmy Webb ballad. This song was Art Garfunkel’s first post-S&G hit and has since been covered by many other artists. As typical with a Webb composition, lots of interesting chords and quick changes and straightforward lyrics that go right to the core of a relationship: “I bruise you, you bruise me. We both bruise too easily.”

This song is from Let It Be, the last of the Beatle’s albums, and is really a piano song, but I think it works as a simple guitar ballad. (I know Sir Paul wasn’t crazy about the Phil Spector treatment it originally got.) Hope it works for you, too. (HINT: If you’re getting no audio through your phone speaker, try headphones!)

This Richard Rogers/Lorenz Hart song dates back to 1934 and has been recorded by–well, everybody. A simple chord progression with a memorable melody is usually the right formula for an enduring song. Here’s my instrumental take on “Blue Moon.” Hope it connects you to some fun memories.

Here’s another great song from the early 70’s that’s from the “beaten by the big city” genre that seemed to be pretty popular. This was written and performed by Albert Hammond. It was his only real hit as a performer, but he had a successful career as a songwriter, writing or cowriting a number of songs you’d probably recognize. Here’s “It Never Rains in Southern California.”

I wrote this song as a young man with dreams of quitting the harbor and slipping away over the horizon. Never made that epic sea journey, but I think the words also work as a pretty good metaphor for how we choose to live our lives. We all have our ships, whatever form they may take. No matter what your vessel may look like, take the helm and sail on!

p.s. If you’re interested in a full studio production of this song, complete with penny whistle, ship’s bells, and nautical scenes, check it out here: https://youtu.be/AdfAzIeYsIQ

There’s a big harvest moon out there, so I figured it was time for this fun Van Morrison classic. Hope you like it!

Some songs just deserve to live. This beautiful love song was written by Jo Mapes, an American folk singer. I first heard it when it was recorded by my sister, Nancy Tabb Marcantel, in the 1970’s, and I’ve always loved it. I know there have been a few covers of it, but I don’t think it ever got the attention it deserved. Here’s my version and my bid to keep it alive.

Some songs haunt me and I can only exorcise them by learning and recording them. This Jimmy Webb tune presented me with plenty of challenges–Brad Paisley described JW songs as “23 chords and the truth”–but it was good to get some new muscle memories in my fingers. The words in this breakup song seem almost cold if you read them by themselves, but the beautiful melody conveys the pain that comes with the end of a relationship. I think it’s a great song. Hope you enjoy it.

A little something different this week. This original song is sort of my ode to clueless men. (All in good fun, folks!)

This Paul Simon standard belongs to the “beaten by the big city” genre that almost every songwriter has at least one version of in his/her catalogue. (There might be a sub-genre just for New York City.) At the end of this one the character seems to say, “I know I’m beat, but I’m not quitting.” Anyway, it’s a fun one to play and should evoke some memories for those of you of a certain age.