Name: Shadow Talk by Ali Hammond cover by michael hermiston @michaelhermiston
Uploaded: 2026-09-22T08:17:00-05:00
Duration: 8 min 17 s
Description: Shadow Talk by Ali Hammond cover by michael hermiston

Shadow Talk by Ali Hammond cover by michael hermiston

michael hermiston 2026-09-22 | Shadow Talk by Ali Hammond cover by michael hermiston

Raging River by Bruce Rutherford / cover: michael hermiston

michael hermiston 2025-10-01 | heard Bruce do this song a couple of months ago and immediately wanted to cover it, thanks Bruce.. youtube.com/watch?v=_LajWqa251M
Janet's version: youtube.com/watch?v=dFFiJkDsESM
m.h: vocals, trumpet, one had piano, faux-bass, organ
Mark reminded me of doing the Rosenthal tune, also about a flooded river...
i had access to banjo and clarinet then... youtube.com/watch?v=fFFX45iu2gA
and of course, my cover of "Louisiana 1927" by Randy Newman
youtube.com/watch?v=VHauh4mMHkA

lyrics:
Raging River done took her alright
done took her alright
Swept her away in the dead of night
the dead of night
Swept her away in the dead of night
The night that went so wrong

Raging River runs miles and miles
miles and miles
She's still here and she still smiles
she still smiles
She's still here and she still smiles
All day long

Raging River I do not fear
I do not fear
She still whispers in my ear
in my ear
She still whispers in my ear
Her own special song

One thing I don't understand
don't understand
When we're walking she holds my hand
she holds my hand
She smiles and whispers and holds my hand
She hold it oh so strong

a counterfeit of worth by michael hermiston ©️ (original)

michael hermiston 2025-09-25 | today's work
m.h: vocals, one hand piano, faux-bass, strings, choir
lyrics:
a crooked tree is planted
straight but crooked too
roots of rot, un-nurtured
branches never mend
gasping for air,nothing there.

he rides a painted horse,
that circles without thought,
a child in his cage
an echoing sound of fame
shouts again,empty then.
false embrace,fragile place.

he builds with glass and steel
towers and mirrors to hide
a counterfeit of worth
of dust dressed up with suit
always more,
always more.
loud applause
empty cause
shining face
hollow place

but storms undo the crown,
the tide erases all,
no wisdom without a sting
hubris, pride, and a shrug
truth is near,never here.
painted stage
paper cage
burning wide
nothing inside
silent sky
asking why.

Vonnegut and me - music: michael hermiston / quotes: Kurt Vonnegut

michael hermiston 2025-09-16 | a spontaneous autumn offering 🍂🍁😊
videos by pexels

Lies 🥵 by michael hermiston ©️ (original)

michael hermiston 2025-09-04 | written a while ago, but, seems timely
m.h: vocals, guitar, faux-bass and organ added in 2025
lyrics:
how can you rise from your bed every morn
and tell lie after lie after lie
how can you look your kids and your friends in their eyes
telling lie after lie after lie
when you put your socks on
or when you brush your hair
when you see your eyes in the mirror
doesn't your heart hurt from that guilty stare
or have you lost your sense of truth somewhere

Lies lies
Lies oh Lies

have you convinced yourself power and might
makes all discussion uncouth
how have you let your ideas dispense
with compassion and a search for the truth
i wonder at your childhood were you taught that lies
are what you need to find your selfworth
did you succeed and win without a glimpse
beyond your ego's wounded needs since your birth

now you have found yourself surrounded by fawns
and sheep who accept what's not right
building a castle with blocks that are false
lead these times and this land to such a blight
product of a system corrupt and injust
at it's core: exploitation where it can
it pats the liars on the back
fills their pockets ignores the cracks
teaches compassion's not part of the plan

chiaroscuro in the moonlight by Heusen/hermiston / vocals: Pierre Bastien Lenoir

michael hermiston 2025-08-27 | this is the third version with Pierre's deep, lush voice... again my alternative lyrics for the tune polka dots and moonbeams
Pierre's channel: youtube.com/@UCaPt8XDPHRvO4oRsOcWD4ww
m.h: one hand piano, trumpet, faux-bass, strings
here's the version with elisa singing vocals: youtube.com/watch?v=dee2htWfMT4
lyrics:
Fmaj7 Dm7 Bb6 C7
my heart at midnight in a garden of gloom
Fmaj7 Dm7 Gm7 Em7b5 A7
in daylight the flowers are glorious in bloom
Dm7 A#m6
dancing in the night breeze
Fmaj7/C C6 B6
alabaster shadow dreams
Gm6 C7 Am7 Dm7 Gm7 C7
hues wait for light of the dawn

[Verse]
Fmaj7 Dm7 A#6 C7
i heed their summons, approach with concern
Fmaj7 Dm7 Gm7 Em7b5 A7
their whispers of love, a seductive nocturne
Dm7 A#m6
passions at night
Fmaj7/C C6 B6
chiaroscuro in the moonlight
A#6 C7 F
a crepuscular mystery of my heart

[Bridge]
Amaj7 Bbdim Bm7 E7
the azure blue of midday's height
Amaj7 Gbm7 D6 E7
sun golden warmth over green delight
Amaj7 Bbdim Bm7 E7
a symphony of colours, red, bold and bright
A7 D7 Gm7 C 7
to cherish with my open'd eyes

[Verse]
Fmaj7 Dm7 A#6 C7
but still i await that magical nightfall
Fmaj7 Dm7 Gm7 Em7b5 A7
intense, subdued, i shiver, at an owl's call
Dm7 A#m6
i wrap the sweater tightly
Fmaj7/C C6 B6
and huddle with the ghosts
A#6 C7 F
whispering silent embraces of love

Caged Bird by Maya Angelou / music: michael hermiston

michael hermiston 2025-08-18 | a quick musical version of this beautiful poem by Ms Angelou, with images of Gaza
m.h: vocals, one hand piano, faux-bass
C9
A free bird leaps
C,9,11
on the back of the wind
G7
and floats downstream
C9
till the current ends
Am9
and dips his wing
Dm9
in the orange sun rays
G7
and dares to claim the sky.

Am9
But a bird that stalks
Em
down his narrow cage
F9
can seldom see through
Am9
his bars of rage
Dm
his wings are clipped and
Am9
his feet are tied
F G
so he opens his throat to sing.

Em7
The caged bird sings
F9
with a fearful trill
Em7
of things unknown
FM7
but longed for still
Em7
and his tune is heard
FM7
on the distant hill
G7,9,11,13,15
for the caged bird  sings of freedom.

The free bird thinks of another breeze
and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees
and the fat worms waiting on a dawn bright lawn
and he names the sky his own.

But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams
his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream
his wings are clipped and his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings
with a fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom.

turbulence and calm by michael hermiston © (original) with Roland

michael hermiston 2025-08-07 | one of my favourite tunes, a new mix with bass added, inspired by a piece on CBC radio on Viktor Frankl (Man's Search for Meaning) ......(earphones recommended)
vocals, guitar, piano synth-strings, bass: michael hermiston
synth vocals: Roland Keunings
lyrics:
G
where do you find comfort
in this big old world
C
watching waves by the seashore
G
or in the arms of a boy or girl

and does that comfort have meaning
as you gaze at your navel or the skies
so many souls, jostling, careening
struggling to make sense of the “why's

Bm7sus C
fascination, as you try to understand
Bm7sus C
there’s such magic in surprise
G D/F#bass Em
faith that a flower will open
Am7 D47
and patience for some laughter again, after your child cries

can there be comfort,
we’ll never know from whence comes life
but there’s so much meaning, in holding a hand
alleviate some pain, hardship in this world so rife

fascination as your life flows
feel the turbulence and the calm
faith that we all will go to the sea
and patience that right can flow from wrong

and, is there comfort,
if you only struggle to be right in others’ eyes
the dance of self-examination
that laugh as you erred and watch your ego vaporize

still fascination with sun and stars
distances beyond our ken
your feet, find their way on this earth
down serene valley paths , up rough wild mountain

and self-awareness
more than mirror, and vanity’s face
the gift with it’s possibility
compassion, love and grace

Bm7 C
gratitude as we flow to the sea
G D/F#bass Em
kindness, compassion and celebration (repeat)

Bird on a Wire by Leonard Cohen / cover: m hermiston with elisa louise and Jan Hermiston

michael hermiston 2025-07-28 | i've wanted to cover this classic for a while..... big thanks the elisa and my sister Jan
michael hermiston: vocals, one hand piano, faux-bass, vibes
elisa louise: harmony vocals youtube.com/@UCBp3siaBWXsZf7ghpKU2kwQ
Jan Hermiston: violin

At Seventeen by Janis Ian / cover: elisa louise with michael hermiston

michael hermiston 2025-07-22 | elisa recorded and posted this classic cover in 2020 ....
i never did post....until now ... alors, la voila !!
elisa: vocals, guitar / youtube.com/@elisalouise2678
yours truly: trumpet, electric piano, piano, faux-bass

given to decide by mchael hermiston ©️ (original)

michael hermiston 2025-07-18 | sometimes one has a gift from the muse or the universe or the moment...i just was plunking away with my one good hand on the piano and came up with this unremarkable sequence, and then put words to it that seemed to be a bit random and they grew into a real tune
m.h: vocals, one hand piano, faux-bass
images from my camera and pexels
lyrics:
cold is your stare of indifference
no gaze of sun no heat of breath
no will of gentle heartfelt caring
consumed with eternity
consumed with death

light sparkling on the water
gleaming brightness on the dewy grass
glistening eyes with tears of joy
embracing arms
a dance so vast

chorus
let it grow
grow with love
grow with care
and introspection
give it breath
give it peace
let it be
this precious moment

the stars do not count what’s wasted
nor hearts withhold in fear or pride
its silent voice begins to whisper
now is allwe’re given to decide

no need to conquer distant mountains
no crown to wear, no race to win
just footsteps soft on earth that welcomes
and love that flowsfrom deep within

celebrations and declarations by michael hermiston ©️ (original)

michael hermiston 2025-07-11 | an old recording of the guitar part for Laurie youtube.com/watch?v=vIWzX_ojHYw,
i've sung it anew and added some piano and faux strings and bass
lyrics:
G(on5)
i won't see you, i don't need to
CM(on5)
dream of worlds you'd
Em7 (on5)
lead me pleased through
D7,13 (on4)
graceful worlds true, sparkling brand new
Em(on2)
hope and inspiration grew
D6
too faded strangled as you flew through
Am7 Em7/Bbass
leave me tangled thoughts of just you
Am7 Em7/Bbass
taunt those lonely memories i knew
Am7 Em7/Bbass
haunt me with needs now you eschew
Am7 Em7/Bbass
haunt me now as once i needed you
D/F#bass
i needed you

G(on5)
find a space, within your gaze
CM(on5)
that glows with a light
Em7(on5)
that will amaze
D7,13 (on4)
offer glimpses in a phrase
Em(on2) D6
but let your ego not be praised
Am7
and journey toward those simple ways
Em7/Bbass
learn to reach through darks and greys
and pull yourself up
Am7 Em7/Bbass
climb and raise your sights, your heart
your heart it stays
Am7 Em7/Bbass
your heart is smart , it know your ways
D/F#bass
it knows your ways

G(on5)
as it hangs, within your grasp
CM(on5)
you reach with hope
Em7(on5)
that doesn't last
D7,13 (on4)
you reach with faith as in your past
Em(on2)
forgetful consciousness you clasp
D6
and fall asunder met by blasts
Am7
of cold indifference and that
Em7/Bbass Am7
nastiness of futile celebrations of the past
Em7/Bbass
declarations …. innocence it was a mask
D/F#bass
it was a mask

G(on5)
empty towns, and empty rooms
CM(on5)
like empty sounds
Em7(on5)
of phoney tunes
D7,13(on4)
stirring calls of lonely loons
Em D6
across the lake lit by moon
Am7
your fall from grace it came to soon
Em7/Bbass
and so you found yourself in ruin
Am7 Em7/Bbass
your pieces scattered, visions pruned
Am7 Em7/Bbass
scoop some gems in all that has been strewn
Am7 Em7/Bbass
recoup and then you hum the same old tune
D/F#bass
the same old tune

G(on5)
i won't see you, i don't need to
CM(on5)
dream of worlds you'd
Em7 (on5)
lead me pleased through
D7,13 (on4)
graceful worlds true
sparkling brand new
Em(on2)
hope and inspiration grew
D6
too faded strangled as you flew through
Am7 Em7/Bbass
leave me tangled thoughts of just you
Am7 Em7/Bbass
taunt those lonely memories i knew
Am7 Em7/Bbass
haunt me with my needs now you renew
Am7 Em7/Bbass
haunt me as i need you , yes i do
D/F#bass
yes i do

When Sunny Gets Blue by M Fisher / piano, trumpet: michael hermiston

michael hermiston 2025-07-05 | i found an old recording of me playing this classic on piano, from the 1990's (before the stroke, playing with both hands), and accompanied myself today on trumpet for the second half of the tune.

Moon Nocturne by Abraham Mulder / piano: Cristina S, tpt: michael hermiston

michael hermiston 2025-07-03 | i added some trumpet to Cristina's wonderful performance of Abraham's haunting composition, (earphones recommended)
Cristina's channel: youtube.com/@CristinaS/videos
Abraham's channel: youtube.com/channel/UC1U55raERucHnsPh1yB_n4Q

Hamlets Mist by michael hermiston © (original)

michael hermiston 2025-06-27 | i've been thinking about the essence of being: flesh vs soul and came up with this tune
m.h: vocals, trumpet, one hand piano, faux-bass, choir
lyrics:
what is flesh but trembling mist,
a wave that thinks and hopes and fears
a self, a breath, a walking gasp
a ghost that loves with laughs and tears

a vanishing vapour into light
we grasp at stone, but flow like stream,
cling to that which won’t stay true
searching for freedom found in dream

oh, that this too solid flesh would fade,
echoing between centuries,
fade to sky, dissolve again
search for silence to the end

a shifting world with hardened lies
suffering weight, climbing hills of truth
a shadow, a sun cloaked smile
peace and love infusèd dew

if i am mist, then let me drift,
with veils of dawn or hymn of dusk
lost, and home, sky and earth
a choice... in each moment's birth

Across the Great Divide by Kate Wolf / cover: Mark, Jan, michael

michael hermiston 2025-06-24 | happy to share a tune with Mark again, this time with my sister Jan playing violin
Mark's channel: youtube.com/channel/UCrANrilmYA_EdcPpBfMH6EQ
images by pexels

Summertime by Gershwin/Heyward cover: Manrique/hermiston

michael hermiston 2025-06-20 | Mark and i recorded this last year but i forgot to post it...alway fun to join this sweet guy from Michigan
Mark: vocals, guitar: youtube.com/@manriq47
yours truly: trumpet, organ, faux-bass, keyboard

Lazy Summer Afternoon by Jim Horne / cover: michael hermiston

michael hermiston 2025-06-12 | i listened to Jim's original almost a year ago, 'tis a kind of "song poem" a requiem, and was drawn to sing a cover rendition...which i did... but didn't get an OK from Jim (email gitch i guess), so i forgot about it; but today, i did and having forgotten about the one i did, recorded another
Jim's original: youtube.com/watch?v=hFK0IF26DR0
lyrics:
lazy summer afternoon
sitting by the old town hall
wondering where it all went wrong
listening to the same old song

lazy summer afternoon
left school years ago
never ever found a job
that paid more I could rob

lazy summer afternoon
looks it `s gonna rain
soon be soaked to the skin
better get the washing in

doo doo etc.....

lazy summer afternoon
had a baby at sweet sixteen
always had a dream
of strawberries and ice cream

lazy summer afternoon
passing by the food bank queue
comfy in the old police car
hit the bottle a bit too hard

lazy summer afternoon
sitting by the old town jail
wondering where it all went wrong
listening to the same old song

chiaroscuro in the moonlight 🌛 by Heusen/hermiston with elisa louise

michael hermiston 2025-06-07 | i love this classic melody and wrote original lyrics to it...i posted a version with yours truly singing, but i pitched it too low, i was happy with the lyrics and playing, but not my singing.... here i played another version in a higher key and elisa sang it so sweetly. video clips from pexels.
m.h: one hand piano, trumpet, faux-bass, vibes
elisa louise: vocals youtube.com/@UCBp3siaBWXsZf7ghpKU2kwQ
lyrics:
Fmaj7 Dm7 Bb6 C7
my heart at midnight in a garden of gloom
Fmaj7 Dm7 Gm7 Em7b5 A7
in daylight the flowers are glorious in bloom
Dm7 A#m6
dancing in the night breeze
Fmaj7/C C6 B6
alabaster shadow dreams
Gm6 C7 Am7 Dm7 Gm7 C7
hues wait for light of the dawn

[Verse]
Fmaj7 Dm7 A#6 C7
i heed their summons, approach with concern
Fmaj7 Dm7 Gm7 Em7b5 A7
their whispers of love, a seductive nocturne
Dm7 A#m6
passions at night
Fmaj7/C C6 B6
chiaroscuro in the moonlight
A#6 C7 F
a crepuscular mystery of my heart

[Bridge]
Amaj7 Bbdim Bm7 E7
the azure blue of midday's height
Amaj7 Gbm7 D6 E7
sun golden warmth over green delight
Amaj7 Bbdim Bm7 E7
a symphony of colours, red, bold and bright
A7 D7 Gm7 C 7
to cherish with my open'd eyes

[Verse]
Fmaj7 Dm7 A#6 C7
but still i await that magical nightfall
Fmaj7 Dm7 Gm7 Em7b5 A7
intense, subdued, i shiver, at an owl's call
Dm7 A#m6
i wrap the sweater tightly
Fmaj7/C C6 B6
and huddle with the ghosts
A#6 C7 F
whispering silent embraces of love

breath and dust by michael hermiston ©️(original)

michael hermiston 2025-05-31 | i was gonna take a break, but of course that meant i started thinking about life and death and reason and existence and meaning which led to a song.
m.h: vocal, trumpet, one hand piano, faux-bass, vibes
lyrics:
a continuous smile,
that silence is
we walk on ash from ancient suns
no prize awaits when day is done
no hand above, no map to guide
just breath and dust, and what we grow
if time forgets the songs we sing
still let them echo as they ring
we are the warmth we give away
a flicker in a dying day
we vanish soon, but while we're here
carry light for those we’re near

we carve no monument in space
but moments shared, like seed to sprout
a gesture small, a word with grace
these weigh most, a timeless trace

don’t reach for halos in the heavens,
they are sacred lives, those asking “why?”
and though the end is always near,
the choice remains to hold what's dear.

sweet 9th 🦋 by michael hermiston ©️ (original)

michael hermiston 2025-05-27 | just some trumpet with random paintings i've collected from the net,
the name refers to a kind of melodic focus on the 9th note of the scale
m.h: trumpet, one hand piano, faux-bass, vibes

worn shoes and friends by michael hermiston ©️ with LaurieLeeC (original) 25

michael hermiston 2025-05-21 | this is an existential protest tune i'd completely forgotten about, Gary posted a tune with a similar title that reminded me of it...here i've remixed with a new video
vocals, guitar, piano, keyboard strings: michael hermiston
vocals: LaurieLeeC - youtube.com/@cinderellalifestyle
a solo guitar version from 2014 youtube.com/watch?v=WrA2FzCPG1U
Gary's tune: "Worn Out Shoes" youtube.com/watch?v=08HTjYpzAqElyrics:
i see faces in the leaves
i hear voices in the wind
a cold touch of empty as i stare up into space
the night sky reaching down to kiss my lips, make me grin

i hear voices from the earth
and i see the cracks growing wide
i slip and slide inside and peer into the dark
i can't recall that voice of love tho' i tried

walking the road of lonely
your shoes and your friends are worn
the blurr of time a passin'
each moment dies as it's born

you enter a darkened doorway
the music inside is loud
you figure, smoke and drink will cleanse your wounds
but you find yourself more damaged by the crowd

angry faces in the leaves
lonely voices in the winds
a mocking touch of pity as i stare up into space
night sky showers chuckles then a nasty laugh begins
i feel judgment from the earth
a call to relinquish seven lies
i choose to peer inside into the dark
and still i can't recall that voice of love tho' i tried

as i saunter my thoughts roam wildly
many worn notions tired and old
any comfort offered over long years
now weights me down like fool's embedded gold

another darkness with air so dank
something fresh about the cool
echos of a grief so hushed but still ringing
i abandon all my choices as a rule

peaceful faces in the leaves
soothing voices in the winds
awe.... i stare up into space
silence from the vast feels like a grace

i hear voices from that child
and feel the cracks growing wide
i slip and slide inside and peer into the past
i see that flow of love around and inside

walking the road of lonely
your shoes and your friends are worn
the blurr of time a passin'
each moment dies as it's born

walking the road of lonely
your shoes and your friends are worn
the blurr of time a passin'
each moment dies as it's born

i love E minor by michael hermiston ©️ (original)

michael hermiston 2025-05-15 | this is a repost from 8 years ago, i'm not feeling very inspired to do music lately, but i thought i'd keep my fingers stirring the YT pot ...and i did laugh at the ending
"this tune was inspired by comments of Laurie and Paul at a music jam several years ago, had bit of time for music today and did a quick re-singing of this older tune with some harmonies"

vocals, guitar: michael hermiston
original version:
youtube.com/watch?v=4fyp6tSHD6c

own way of doing things by michael hermiston ©️ (original)

michael hermiston 2025-05-06 | a new one hand piano version of this old tune, 'twas a challenge to sing it at such a fast tempo; since the stroke my mouth has difficulty articulating words at this speed without sounding drunk 🤣🤪
lyrics:
Am
everybody's got there own way of doin' things
F
everybody's got their own way of seeing the day
G
everybody's got their own way o' baking bread
G#dim
everybody's got their own way of seeing red
Am F
everybody's got their own way of hittin' the road
G E
and waving goodbye
everybody's got their own way to live in the dark
everybody's got their own way of of lighting the lamp
everybody's got their own way of feeling shoved
everybody's got their own way of finding love
everybodys' got their own way of being at peace
and passing it on

Dm
and who am i
Am
and who are you
G
the truths in our lives
C
illusions that grew
Dm
the breadth of our minds and
Am
the depth in our heart
G
the only truth is
G#dim
each moment's a new start

everybody's got their own way of walking the road
everybody's got their own way of giving a hand
everybody's got their own way of sweeping the floor
everybody's got their own way of closing a door
everybody's got their own way of locking it tight
throwing out that key

and everybody's got their own special light in their eyes
everybody's got their own beat of love in their heart
everybody's got a song in their soul
everybody's gotta tumble and roll
everybody's got their own way of loving the day
through the sun and rain

chorus

everybody's got their own way of sittin' still
everybody's got their own way of making their bed
everybody's got their own thanks to mom and dad
everybody's got some happy and sad
everybody's got gifts for the world
that's what love is

everybody wonder's what comes next
everybody's got their own way to answer
everybody's got their own way to smile
everybody's got their life for a while
everybody finds a way to be free
let me hold your hand

My November Guest by Robert Frost /music: michael hermiston with elisa louise

michael hermiston 2025-04-27 | i found this gorgeous Frost poem and elisa added some very lovely harmonies to my melody,
i closed it off with a bit of melancholy trumpet
m.h: vocals, one hand piano, trumpet, faux-bass
elisa's channel youtube.com/channel/UCBp3siaBWXsZf7ghpKU2kwQ vocal harmonies
My sorrow, when she’s here with me,
Thinks these dark days of autumn rain
Are beautiful as days can be;
She loves the bare, the withered tree;
She walks the sodden pasture lane.

Her pleasure will not let me stay.
She talks and I am fain to list:
She’s glad the birds have gone away,
She’s glad her simple worsted grey
Is silver now with clinging mist.

The desolate, deserted trees,
The faded earth, the heavy sky,
The beauties she so truly sees,
She thinks I have no eye for these,
And vexes me for reason why.

Not yesterday I learned to know
The love of bare November days
Before the coming of the snow,
But it were vain to tell her so,
And they are better for her praise.

A Long Black Veil by Dill & Wilkin / cover: Manrique & hermiston

michael hermiston 2025-04-23 | as always, a great pleasure to work on a tune with Mark; this rendition has a different video, and a slightly different ending than on Mark's channel
Mark's channel: @manriq47
vocals, guitar: Mark Manrique
trumpet, organ, faux-strings, bass: m.h.

walking with light by michael hermiston / vocals: Jean-Claude Dewulf

michael hermiston 2025-04-20 | a tune for our times; about keeping one's moral core strong,
with powerful emotional vocals by Jean-Claude who also made the video
Jean-Claude's channel: youtube.com/@Jean-Claude.Dewulf
m.h: one hand piano, trumpet, faux-bass
original version: youtube.com/watch?v=vnRYNr46sN4
lyrics:
walking with ease through flowers and forest
while thinking of rubble and lives torn apart
birdsong and rustling leaves fill my ears
screams, sobs and bombs blasting my heart

may i walk so true
and for all others
and hold the light
for sisters and brothers
may i be so true
and speak what's right
for sisters and brothers
through the night

i sit on a rock in peaceful rest
a dubious gratitude floods my mind
my moral core wishing for strength and light
regimes so corrupt and wilfully blind

rise up filled with anger or hope
rage at cruelty, resist that stain
trust it will pass, a fleeting hate
show compassion for our inescapable pain

( copyright free video clips)
Commons Zero (CC0), AntoMes, Sephelonor, BluBonRelaXon, Matias_Luge, kadumago
Vimeo-Free-Videos, Amorn_mimi, AiVreaSaStii, Yasir_Javaid, adege, redzy, iwsky
Engin_Akyurt, effjacobs1990, Jacques_Barrette, ZAIDoopro, caelan, Matthias_Groeneveld
Matias_Luge, ammarvid, Kmeel_com, JoshuaWoroniecki, magmelodies

If I Must Die by Refaat Alareer / music: 🎺 michael hermiston

michael hermiston 2025-04-14 | "a letter to Dr Refaat Alareer" by Chris Hedges,
youtube.com/watch?v=ScmVlnNKD_o
m.h: voice, one hand piano, trumpet, faux-strings

If I must die,you must live
to tell my story
to sell my things
to buy a piece of cloth and some strings,
(make it white with a long tail)
so that a child, somewhere in Gaza
while looking heaven in the eye
awaiting his dad who left in a blaze —
and bid no one farewell
not even to his flesh
not even to himself —
sees the kite, my kite you made, flying up above,
and thinks for a moment
an angel is there
bringing back love.
If I must die
let it bring hope,
let it be a story.

a train dream by michael hermiston ©️(original) 25 LaurieLeeC: vocals

michael hermiston 2025-04-11 | another repost from a decade ago, sung by Laurie, @cinderellalifestyle remixed in 2025
vocals, harmony: LaurieLeeCampbell
m.h: guitar, trumpets, piano, faux-bass, strings
great cover by Dan: youtube.com/watch?v=zforg49PaWU
lyrics:
Bb F
i had a dream i was riding on a freight across the plains
Eb Bb
above the sky was clear and blue
i felt the sway and the rumble of the train
bringing me and my heartache home to you

up in the engine i could see the engineer
some famous damn poet with his beer
he was scrawling nonsense while he leaned against the throttle
driving in confusion and didn't know how to steer

Dm7 Eb
the whistle long and lonely at each crossing
Dm7 Eb
the slow and gentle rocking through the night
Gm Eb
yet i know this train is hauling emptiness
Cm F
dreams like those memories, fading sounds and sights

across the wide expanse, all the characters i knew
they wave and do their dance then shed their clothes
clown costumes left in piles where the buffalo once thundered
now empty fields where nothing ever grows

i stand and try to look ahead, those rails that never touch
they draw together just like these thoughts
but these feelings make me dizzy as i turn and look behind
words of truth string illusions into knots

Bm7 C
the whistle long and lonely at each crossing
Bm7 C
the slow and gentle rocking as we roll
Em C
yet i know this train is hauling emptiness
Am D/F#bass
hopes scattered far and wide as life takes its toll

i see the mountains in the haze, they're far up ahead
my time is growing short and then i'll wake
the sky is now deep ocean blue, the stars always wink hope
the train slows as that poet adds some brake

i climb down that rusty ladder, smell the creosote and the steel
gusts of coal smoke and oil
a bridge across the river, as the engine picks up speed
i leap and end my mortal coil

Bm7 C
the whistle long and lonely at each crossing
Bm7 C
the slow and gentle rocking with each breath
Em C
yet i know this train is hauling emptiness
Am D/F#bass
nothing cars to nowhere as we lumber on to death

Harvest Moon by Neil Young cover by Mark Manrique with elisa and michael

michael hermiston 2025-03-30 | this is from last year, i forgot to post...duh!! always happy to collaborate with Mark and elisa ......on this classic, we wanted to include the iconic riffs but of course add our own take...Mark sang and played guitar, elisa added harp and vocal harmonies and i played trumpet and added some faux-bass and strings and piano
Mark's channel: youtube.com/@manriq47
elisa's channel: youtube.com/@elisalouise2678

an embarrassment of riches by michael hermiston ©️(original) 25

michael hermiston 2025-03-28 | another remix with addition of a decade old tune ...this was originally a live recording
m.h: vocals, guitar, faux-bass, strings
lyics:
Dmsus
a gift like a warm December wind
Gm7(on 5) Dm
that stirs a sense of paradox and bewilderment
Dm/Fbass Bdim
an embarrassment of riches, captured in the moment
Gm7 A
never claimed to offer more than now
Bb
still you wipe your brow
Dm
still you close your heart
G A
still you mesmerize with your gaze
Bb
i sing with a melody
Dm
calls from my memory
G A
the caress of a never ending sigh

Dmsus
unbuttoned in your passion for a change
Gm7(on 5) Dm
even on the shortest day so grey
Dm/Fbass Bdim
an embarrassment of riches, glowing in the darkness
Gm7 A
the warm intensity, you feel your beating heart
Bb
a sigh and a tear
Dm
you listen standing here
G A
your inward gaze falls in it weight
Bb
you sing with your melody
Dm
calls from your memory
G A
opens to the sunlight of your dreams

upbeat
Dm7 C
give me lots of time to cry
Am Dm
give me lots of time to sit and wonder
Dm7 C
give me lots of time to sigh
Am Dm
give me lots of time to wander
Dm7 C
give me lots of space to try
C Dm
give me some space,to stretch my wings
Dm7 C
i'll need lots of space to fly
Am Dm
find my heart as it tumbles

Dm7sus
a gift like the snowflake of a dream
Gm7(on 5) Dm
a drop of cold upon your silent tongue
Dm/Fbass Bdim
an embarrassment of riches, the joy in a few
Gm7 A
holding the wonder as you let it pass
Bb
above a mitteration
Dm
you stand in solitude
G A
your inward gaze falls in it's weight
Bb
around you a melody
Dm
could be a memory
G A
the gift of your longing to be

if i knew by michael hermiston ©️ (original)

michael hermiston 2025-03-21 | i find songwriting kind of magical, the lyric images just flow forth upon being given a catalyst ...ye olde Scot songwriter Jim Horne posted a photo of a model Cadillac he has had for a while, and there's the seed... as i age, the greatest gift i can receive, is inspiration, thanks Jim 💜
m.h: one hand piano, vocals, trumpet, faux-bass, strings
lyrics:
Am C/Gbass
if i knew that Jim had a Caddy
FM Em7
and if wonder came of every song
Dm Am
if moonglow enlightened the depths of sorrow
F G E
could it ma ybe right, all that's wrong

Dm
if Willie's hole in Trigger ...doesn't block the
Am
light of songs he plays
F Em
and if the bombs of greed and hatred
Dm G
weren't dropped on children everyday

C F
i'd greet each morn with a wink
C F
and shine the sparkle in my eyes
Em Am
dancing a tango to a sunflower waltz
F G C
and when i pass, i''ll improvise
leave this world
move on

if i knew the winds were capricious
and laziness rode shotgun with hate
with tears i'd climb up the mountain
carrying hope but resigned to my fate

a wisp of a thought can grant meaning
while waiting for the big one to fall
if i held out a hand to emptiness
does that gesture of love, mean nothing at all

while walking the road to my end game
i hope to leave more than i knew
scraps of smiles and pockets full of tenderness
and sprouts of secrets from seeds of you

i knew that Jim had a Caddy
and wonder does comes of every song
singing of sorrow, singing of joy
singing from heart, singing strong

the crack by michael hermiston ©️ (original) with elisa louise 25

michael hermiston 2025-03-18 | in dark times, a song of hope, this was written half a dozen years ago, and now has a new mix with marvellous harmonies by elisa @elisalouise2678
lyrics:
A
you're trapped in a box of your making
F#m
in the dark you feel only cold walls
Bm7
sounds from the world so muffled
E
it seems only silence calls

deep in the recess of your heartache
faint memory of hope that you grasp
with a strength and a grace in your anguish
you breathe a sigh then you gasp

C#m7 A
a glimpse of the beauty of your essence
Bm7
even in the darkness all alone
C#m7
with breath and heart you find your voice
Bm7
through it all a sound you've never known

A
a crack in the silence
Bm7
the sound from deep within
E
a crack in the darkness
A
light starts seeping in
a crack in the pattern
Bm7
a breath of air so true
E
a crack in that hopelessness
D/F#bass
and through that crack
E A
you glimpse the sky so blue

your box now feels too tiny
to hold the love you feel inside
walls once so firm and rigid
grow soft like some hatred has died

those cracks let in more of the light
more of the beauty and the sounds
the walls crumble beyond you reasoning
tears fall and love resounds

C#m7 A
a glimpse of the beauty of your essence
Bm7
the love you feel and realize you've grown
C#m7
the beauty of your voice and your vision
Bm7
you realize you've never been alone

you make a mess by michael hermiston ©️ (original)

michael hermiston 2025-03-15 | what else can i say? i hope it gets shared ....

lyrics:
you come in with a smile, wearing deceit,
with rich cronies help, your coup is complete
with shameful lies, your cult believes
and you're shaking hands, with thugs and thieves

with each bite you take, belly bloated with power
wreck the four pillars of the democratic tower
your cancer of ego, and virus of greed
you let stupidity reign, not what humanity needs

you break it down, and you scatter the shards
dealing a crooked hand, with your dirty deck o' cards
'tis your plan, to make a mess
then chaos reigns, and then you oppress

you've aged into your hurts that you've never corrected
your childhood wounds are morally infected
ethically so weak you are twisted and played
we suffer from your damage and the misery you've made

but it's not about you, as we scan the sorrow
we resist you and support each other, today and tomorrow
our minds and hearts, think and care
you're a bruise in history, that's your legacy, beware

that door you opened by michael hermiston ©️ (original)

michael hermiston 2025-03-12 | a protest tune, critical of authorities in power making oppressive decisions without widespread consideration of citizens... basically an anti-fascist tune .. timely 😡 -a repost from ~6 years ago
lyrics:
you tore my heart
away from complacency
you added layers
to my confusions

that door you opened
and in rushed cold clear air
with the fire of conscience
’twas always there

this land
was never mine
was never yours
just a borrowed gift

to be raped
or to be reaped
to be bared
or to be shared

how can you you justify that greed
not be sensible in your needs
how can you not be kind and sane
and not be humane

were they walls
or a trauma
or a slippery slope
of a fearful hill

you took refuge
the sadness of that dread
in your fearful oblivion
the nightmares you spread

chorus

i see the snow fall
i feel the cold
my words and breath
a disappearing cloud

seasons change
a warming of humanity
never close that heart
and open mind of sanity

By The Arno by Oscar Wilde / music: michael hermiston

michael hermiston 2025-03-06 | i stumbled across this delicious poem by Oscar Wilde ...about the transient nature of life, imagination and beauty
m.h: vocals, trumpet, one hand piano

The oleander on the wall
Grows crimson in the dawning light,
Though the grey shadows of the night
Lie yet on Florence like a pall.

The dew is bright upon the hill,
And bright the blossoms overhead,
But ah! the grasshoppers have fled,
The little Attic song is still.

Only the leaves are gently stirred
By the soft breathing of the gale,
And in the almond-scented vale
The lonely nightingale is heard.

The day will make thee silent soon,
O nightingale sing on for love!
While yet upon the shadowy grove
Splinter the arrows of the moon.

Before across the silent lawn
In sea-green vest the morning steals,
And to love’s frightened eyes reveals
The long white fingers of the dawn

Fast climbing up the eastern sky
To grasp and slay the shuddering night,
All careless of my heart’s delight,
Or if the nightingale should die.

michael hermiston 2025-03-03 | a kind of ode to art and inspiration and imagination
m.h: vocals, one hand piano, faux-vibes)
paintings and artists can be found using google image search except the one of me on a subway wearing a dress...by Nicole Bauberger
lyrics:
that which is
breathe it in deep
chew and swallow it
to digest and keep

break it down
transform its essence
swap body's decay for
minds incandescence

chorus:
walk to the moon
sit on the sea
wrestle with yesterday
sing silence free

hard times come
marauders who takes
steal and pillage
destroy and break

sun rises we watch
our essence is strong
this chaos will pass
with our resilience prolonged

with those we love
our hearts will grow
both pain, and joy
life's gifts that glow

watching our thoughts
experiences pour in
imagination flourishes
our own inner heaven

walk to the moon
sit on the sea
wrestle with yesterday
sing silence free

Thats How Every Empire Falls by RB Morris / cover: michael hermiston

michael hermiston 2025-02-27 | i heard this song and it spoke to these times, so here's a quick version...
apologies, i had to repost as i thought it was a John Prine tune...actually RB Morris wrote it
(it's important to me to get the songwriter correct)
m.h: vocals, trumpet, one hand piano
lyrics:
He caught a train from Alexandria, just a broken man in flight
Runnin' scared with his devils, sayin' prayers all through the night
But mercy can not find him, not in the shadows where he calls
Forsaking all his better angels: That's how every empire falls

The bells ring out on Sunday morning like echoes from another time
All our innocence and yearning and sense of wonder left behind
Oh gentle hearts remember, What was that story? Is it lost?
For when religion loses vision, That's how every empire falls

He toasts his wife and all his family, the providence he brought to bear
They raise their glasses in his honor although this union they don't share
A man who lives among them was still a stranger to them all
For when the heart is never open, That's how every empire falls

Padlock the door and board the windows, put the people in the street
"It's just my job," he says, "I'm sorry," and draws a check, goes home to eat
At night he tells his woman, "I know I hide behind the laws"
She says, "You're only taking orders": That's how every empire falls

A bitter wind blows through the country, a hard rain falls on the sea
If terror comes without a warning, there must be something we don't see
What fire begets this fire, like torches thrown into the straw?
If no one asks, then no one answers: That's how every empire falls

michael hermiston 2025-02-22 | another song for our times, 'tis about keeping one's moral core
m.h: vocals, one hand piano, trumpet, faux-strings)

lyrics:
walking with ease through flowers and forest
while thinking of rubble and lives torn apart
birdsong and rustling leaves fill my ears
screams, sobs and bombs blasting my heart

Dm
may i walk so true
Am/Cbass
and for all others
E7/Bbass
and hold the light
Am
for sisters and brothers
Em
may i be so true
Dm
and speak what's right
E7/Bbass
for sisters and brothers
Am
through the night

i sit on a rock in peaceful rest
a dubious gratitude floods my mind
my moral core wishing for strength and light
regimes so corrupt and wilfully blind

rise up filled with anger or hope
rage at cruelty, resist that stain
trust it will pass, a fleeting hate
show compassion for our inescapable pain

michael hermiston 2025-02-18 | my original rendition with beautiful harmonies by elisa and new images by Marc Chagall
elisa's channel: youtube.com/@elisalouise2678
lyrics:
Em
are you full of love
B7
are you full of fear
Em
is your world of sun
Am
are your days of drear
Em
do you lie like a rock
B7
or dance as a child
C
are your thoughts never changing
D
or always new and wild
Em
can you take the first step
B7
or fall back asleep
Am
in the grey early morn
B7
so you are born
Em
ahhhhhhh

Em
are you full of sway
B7
and light on your feet
Em
or stiff from belief
Am
do you break with defeat
Em
do you close your eyes
B7
when the light is bright
C
and close your eyes
D B7
in the darkness of night
Em
and fall back asleep
B7
find peace until the end
Am
in the grey early morn
B7
so you are born
Em
again

Am Em Am B7 Am Em B7 Em
la la la la la la la

Em
are you rich with dreams
B7
do they give you laughs of gold
Em
has hope lost it's appeal
Am
as it mounts your well built scaffold
Em
can you feel the winds
B7
of hope's final breath
C
can you see it as a chance
D B7
to take a test of death
Em
can you roll your eyes and grin
B7
and maybe you'll smile
Am
or have you convinced yourself
B7
that love is not your style
Em
again

michael hermiston 2025-02-11 | inspired by these times and a photo of some graffiti posted on FB, "make humans great again"
m.h: vocal, trumpet, one hand piano, faux-strings
lyrics:
Am
this world is big it stretches round
G6
deserts, mountains, oceans.... islands found
Dm
windy shores and jungles steaming
E7
desolate moors and icecaps gleaming

we've always wandered to see and learn
for food, adventure, to create we yearn
'tis a gift to be born, so much beauty to share
be content with little, find love everywhere

C G
but life on earth is sometimes tough
Dm Am
floods and storms and droughts are rough
C G
volcanoes astroids hardship supreme
Dm E7 Am
wretched nightmare and blessed dream

but times appear in the tides of man
when a few of them scheme hate filled plans
spread greed and fear far and wide
cause grief and hardship ... i guess compassion died

instead of knowing that we all belong
they exploit and trample as if they're strong
they do not know or have forgotten
this world's for all, not just the rotten

now i s such a time as we greet each morn
a day as fresh as the day we're born
reminding those who'd take and take
in simple giving, a peaceful world we'd make

Song for a Winters Night by Gordon Lightfoot / cover: michael hermiston

michael hermiston 2025-02-08 | couldn't get this tune out of my head...sure wish i could still play guitar for it, but c'est la vie..
it is such a beautiful song with many meanings possible
vocals, one hand piano, melodion, faux-strings: michael hermiston
paintings on the net easily found using google search
lyrics:
D# A# Cm G#
The lamp is burnin' low upon my table top,
D# A# D# A#
The snow is softly falling
D# A# Cm G#
The air is still within the silence of my room,
D# A# D#
I hear your voice softly calling

A# G# A#
If I could only have you near,
Gm Cm Fm A#
To breathe a sigh or two...
D# A# Cm G#
I would be happy just to hold the hands I love,
D# A# D#
Upon this winter night with you

Eb Bb Ab Fm Bb Eb

D# A# Cm G#
The smoke is rising in the shadows overhead,
D# A# D# A#
My glass is almost empty
D# A# Cm G#
I read again between the lines upon each page,
D# A# D#
The words of love you sent me

A# G# A#
If I could know within my heart,
Gm Cm Fm A#
That you were lonely too ....
D# A# Cm G#
I would be happy just to hold the hands I love,
D# A# D#
Upon this winter night with you

D# A# Cm G# D# A# D# A#

D# A# Cm G#
The fire is dying now, my lamp is growing dim,
D# A# D# A#
The shades of night are liftin'
D# A# Cm G#
The morning light steals across my windowpane,
D# A# D#
Where webs of snow are driftin'

A# G# A#
If I could only have you near,
Gm Cm Fm A#
To breathe a sigh or two....
D# A# Cm G#
I would be happy just to hold the hands I love,
D# A# F7 Cm
Upon this winter night with you,
G# A# D#
And to be once again with you

michael hermiston 2025-02-01 | i'm uninspired to write new tunes these days, so i'll take elisa's great suggestion and repost this tune from a decade ago ...i've added add some images from pexels and of my son playing from years ago
lyrics:
Gm Cm
some hearts . . . are like rivers that flow
Gm
they carry love to the deep eternal sea
F
and some hearts are like diesel locomotives
Cm D7
roaring through the nights their lonely whistle
Eb7 D7 Gm
blowing passionately

Gm Cm
some hearts like the dunes of sand
Gm
shaped by the winds of their desire

and some hearts like a
F
dry stick of kindling
Cm D7 Eb7 D7 Gm
burst into flame and then charred to ash by the fire

but my heart's a rube goldberg machine
your smile knocks me sprawling to the floor
my head then hits the bottle of wine we just drank
which rolls right past my passion out the door
i dash then to retrieve that noisy metaphor
as it clinks and crashes down the stairs
the rose and the vase i knocked over on your lap
thorns and pain and blood
my heart leaves a big mess everywhere

Gm Cm
some hearts are like a window pane,
Gm
beautiful, fragile and so clear
F
and some hearts sing like cello strings
Cm D7 Gm
their dance is of passion, joy and tears

Gm Cm
and some hearts yearn to leap from a cliff
Gm
arms and hope spread so wide
F
and some hearts are like a crumpled paper bag
D7 Eb7 D7 Gm
feel so tossed away when love has died

michael hermiston 2025-01-24 | last post for a while ....in these times of hardship, here is a new mix of a decade old tune with elisa's marvellous harmonies added to the chorus
elisa's channel: youtube.com/@UCBp3siaBWXsZf7ghpKU2kwQ
lyrics:
C (with g)
there’s sun,
Fmaj7 ,9 C
and there’s sunlight streaming in through a dirty window
Am
there’s night
Em F
and there’s the long and growing shadows of my dreams

C (with g)
there’s rain
Fmaj7 ,9 C
and there’s the shallow puddle drying by the roadside
Am
there’s sky
Em Fmaj7 C
and there’s my wonder turned so blue and torn at the seams

Em7 Dm7 Em7 Dm7 Bm7 G
this too shall pass x2 this too shall pass

there’s a rose
and there’s a tightly stoppered bottle in the cupboard
there’s a stone
and there’s a fallen chip of concrete from my world

there are stars
and there’s a bag of wishes floating to the sea
there’s wind
and there’s a final gasp of breath and then we’re free

This too shall pass

there’s a gaze
and there’s a sudden furtive glance with a sigh
there’s a tear
and there’s a bathtub filled and crimson growing cold

there’s a word
and there’s a space of silence, in brackets of a laugh
and there’s love
and there’s motivation lost in ego’s wrath

This too shall pass

michael hermiston 2025-01-19 | this tune is a 12 years old, but had a mere 58 views....so i slapped on a new video and tried a new mix....photos/video clips from pexels and free stock
a gentle guitar version: youtube.com/watch?v=OtYGV1vOuo0
m.h: vocals, trumpet, piano
lyrics:
Will you dig a hole for me
To bury my broken dreams
Cover them gently and water with care
From your cold clear stream

Say some words without some thinking
Sing if a melody comes
Or let silence settle with the soil
Let your heart be the drum

Or will you toss my gift away
Into a flowing river
Watch it dance and float away
Until it sinks and it’s gone forever

Feel the scar i gave you
All those many years before
Turn and dance with the waters
Flowing to someone elses shore

Pour your waters, O'er my wounds
Drown the hurt with love
Or sigh and leave
And write yourself some happy tunes that
Echo when your ego calls for
Rain from the sky, as you shrug and say goodbye

Will you pile some stones for me
A cairn to the hope that's gone
Find a windy shore so lonely
But sheltered from the dawn

Let your dying memory of me
Be a dim and setting light
Leave me quietly and peacefully
As you walk to your tomorrow through the night

Or leave those stones as they lie
Rinsed through the daily tides
Let the song of rushing waters
Be the tune indifference hides

All I can wish for
As your footsteps fade away
Is the seed that we planted
Will sprout for me someday

michael hermiston 2025-01-12 | just one of my poems put to music
m.h: vocals, one hand piano, faux strings
images are from pexels

LOVE by B Kaempfert & M Gabler / cover: elisa louise & michael hermiston

michael hermiston 2025-01-09 | another sweet tune collaboration with elisa youtube.com/channel/UCBp3siaBWXsZf7ghpKU2kwQ

Freight Train by Elizabeth Cotten / cover: Mark Manrique & michael hermiston

michael hermiston 2025-01-06 | very happy to add stuff to Mark's rendition of this classic
Mark's channel: youtube.com/channel/UCrANrilmYA_EdcPpBfMH6EQ
Mark: vocals, guitar
m.h: trumpet, organ, faux-bass, vocal harmony
video and paintings from google and YT

Skylark by J Mercer, H Carmichael / cover: michael hermiston

michael hermiston 2024-12-31 | i found another piano accompaniment i recorded before my stroke, today i played a simple trumpet melody....put with video clips from pexels

Something Stupid by C Carson Parks / cover: elisa louise & michael hermiston

michael hermiston 2024-12-27 | elisa played guitar on this fun classic, i added my voice and bass then she added the harmony

elisa's channel: youtube.com/@elisalouise2678

cracks: particle or wave by michael hermiston / vocals: Pierre Bastien Lenoir with elisa louise

michael hermiston 2024-12-15 | i am so delighted that Pierre and elisa shared their wonderful voices for this tune, i find the blend of Pierre's deep bass is so well complemented by elisa's delicate ethereal soprano ... thank you both ever so much! 🙏🏾🩷🕊️🧣
Pierre's channel: youtube.com/@pierrebastienlenoir
elisa's channel: youtube.com/channel/UCBp3siaBWXsZf7ghpKU2kwQ
lyrics:
D Fmaj7
you stand on a shore looking out to sea
G Bm7sus
watching a reflection of your mind
D Fmaj7
you stand before the mirror, frown at what you see
G Bm7sus
wield those heavy lines that you find
Dm Dm/Cbass Dm/Bbass
rail at the sky, roll your granite heart
C C/Bbass Am
clench your fist at those cracks
Dm Dm/Cbass Dm/Bbass
as the pieces fall, tinkling to the floor
C Bb6 A
stumbling memories sparkle in your tracks

D Fmaj7
you watch the flakes that fall lit by moonlight through the woods
G Bm7sus
each a shard of hope from your youth
D Fmaj7
finding the beauty, in their painful loss
G Bm7sus
lifetime struggle toward your truth
Dm Dm/Cbass Dm/Bbass
the cold chill of solitude, the moon’s midwinter glow
C C/Bbass Am
the loneliness of beauty never shared
Dm Dm/Cbass Dm/Bbass
the darkness of regret brought by clouds of contemplation
C Bb6 A
opened fists, wounded palms are bared

break

Fmaj7
the light of the morn, shines on the end
G Bm7sus
reflection of those memories, you scatter
D Fmaj7
fall to the ground , offer weight to the earth
G Bm7sus
the illusion of your peace begins to shatter
Dm Dm/Cbass Dm/Bbass
sink into the softest soil, of wonder and of faith
C C/Bbass Am
grasping the lines you've earned through pain
Dm Dm/Cbass Dm/Bbass
vanishing, dissolving, in darkness or in light
C Bb6 A
only particle or wave shall remain