kat330

Been a minute since I composed a new piece—over 6 yrs in fact. Political activism and a continental move during a global pandemic intervened. Because I had sold all of my electronic equipment before my move to Finland, I was resigned to embark on no further recording. Then in September 2024, I was struck with an idea to create a novelty piece culled from a collection of my aphorisms and taglines. I had barely begun a stanza or two when I received a midnight visitation from The Muse, who generously gifted me with a memorable melody to match my title sentence. A solemn, minor key, however, so I shifted lyrics from my trademark wordplay toward a more somber composition. It soon evolved into a Latin rhythm but still sounded so melancholy, I decided to make a point of ending my sad lyrics on an upbeat note. I had no wish to lower anyone's spirits—including my own!—one solitary scintilla beyond wherever they landed at year's end. Plus after the election results for US, I was especially glad for a hopeful ending on I'm Friday's Child (IFC). Since I no longer owned synth gear, I presumed new music production, if ever I returned to it, must rely on a collaborator for additional instrumentation. After I had a rough guitar and voice part set for IFC, I immediately contacted my Nice friend, Damien Riba, for a piano habanera part. A bit later I discovered the library here in lovely Hämeenlinna—hometown of Sibelius after all!—contains a well-stocked music studio with decent microphones for vocal recording and at least two synth keyboards connected to a Mac with GarageBand software. I was back in business to create my own orchestration of IFC you hear here. [Meanwhile, Damien came through—brilliantly as ever!—with a delightful orchestration of his own. You can hear his arrangement of IFC under my vocal at https://soundcloud.com/kat330repost/ifc-orch-by-d-riba The arrangement here features my classical guitar throughout—kat330's avatar as seen in its early days and now well into its 6th decade—along with a very basic piano part on an old Hellas upright piano gifted by my mother-in-law. Synth bits include cello, violin, organ, oboe, clarinet, accordion, trumpet and percussive accents. I could not use a capo to raise the key to a better vocal range for myself because of a chord slide-up several frets on my short-necked Guild. Rather than ditch the guitar riff I had latched onto, I dug deep to sing as an alto here. I have run out of free time for anything further here at SC. So for a purely instrumental version of IFC, please find it at https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kathleen_Martin or "Kathleen Martin" at Bandcamp. Many thanks to JT Lindroos for his great partnership in using the library's Mac software—I’d only recorded vocals/synth parts in the past with a PC using Reaper software—and, as always, for his cover art (li'l Kat at 4 pic used). How appropriate then to release IFC to the world January 4, 2025 on our silver 25th wedding anniversary! XXXOOO 🤗 😽 Kat (a Friday's Child) LYRICS I'm Friday's Child living in a Wednesday world, A world full of woe for me and any girl, Who's loving and giving at the time of birth And stays that way all her days on Earth. I'm Friday's child living in a Wednesday world. A Wednesday world can break a Friday heart. This world of woe can tear that heart apart. There was a time I seized the days, They struggled free and slapped my face. I'm Friday's child living in a Wednesday world. A Wednesday world can crush a Friday's Child. Can make her meek, and woe can drive her wild With walls of pain built brick by brick, A pincushion pierced prick after prick, When a Friday's child living in a Wednesday world. All Friday folk, let's forge a Friday world. Each woman, man, all boys and every girl, Who are loving and giving at the time of birth And stay that way through their days on Earth, Come Friday folk and make it a Friday world. Yes, Friday folk can make this a Friday world! —Kathleen Martin © 2024

[heard on airwaves in Louisville, KY, area Apr 20, 2018, and found at 49 mins. here: https://soundcloud.com/chradio/kentuckiana-blues-radio-102] Mar 25, 2018: Maybe this is a straightforward "he done her wrong" song. Maybe it's a wider metaphor for how our nation's no.1 confidence man has sold our national pride for personal gain and has dried up the dreams of too many, making it clear we must VOTE him GONE along with his enablers in Congress to bring back the best in US. I leave it up to you. The familiarly marvelous piano part is provided by my absolutely favorite Nice person, who Cannes only be Damien Riba, courtesy of Mangalyan Records. Discover more Damien here: @damien-riba damienriba.bandcamp.com Written, produced and otherwise performed by Kathleen Martin Love, courage and hugs to my listeners! X♥X♥X♥ [hear an alternative arrangement: https://soundcloud.com/kat330repost/up-to-me-alt-arr UP TO ME lyrics — Kathleen Martin © 2018 Up to me, he sidled and said to me: "Hey, honey, I'm your destiny!" He swore to bring out the best in me, And I felt it. So charming, he really got to me. His confidence was so hot to me. Resisting him was not to be, I just melted. Next you know, I'm his bride-to-be; Then he lied and lied and lied to me. He leached out all the pride in me, And he sold it. He drove off the drive in me. He rode off all the ride in me. My dreams dried up inside of me, And I folded. Now he's gone and sealed my destiny To a life that's always testin' me. On my own, I'll find the best in me— I can take it. Up to me to bring out the best in me— And I will make it.

Nov 3, 2017: Here is Chapter 2 of this high seas fling: https://soundcloud.com/kat330repost/no-myth https://youtu.be/ct_BGvKhJqM [Heard at 10:30 in Ep 1 of "Sailing the Sea Bear" by Shawn Meyer] [Oct 26, 2016] "Some Choice Words" could be this song's subtitle, because its inception began with hearing in my head rhymes for certain unusual words that have caught my attention over the years. I even found a way to include "bulwark," which is the first word I consciously recall having a fascination with whenever singing "A Mighty Fortress" in church as a preschooler. The melody that arose for intro, verse and bridge was completely driven by the lyrical content as it spilled out of me, with the need to hit accented syllables and make the rhyming pairs stand out within the lines. As the narrative took shape—"ship" shape and "naughty-call" as it turns out—I apparently started channeling my experience with Noel Coward's song and play writing works to complete the piece. In my 20s I starred as Amanda in Coward's "Private Lives." The director had me sing some of Cole Porter's "Easy to Love" early in Act 1 and, to taunt Elyot while we fight in Act II, had me perform a camp, cockney version of Coward's "Mad About the Boy." It was after the fact I recognized the couple in my "Shanghaied" are cut from the same spoiled rich brat cloth as Amanda and Elyot, and I could hear the British Music Hall influence of Coward's song in this composition as well. The violin is from my Yamaha synth, and I think this piece could benefit from a "brush"y drum track after the Intro section. Any violinist or drummer out there who'd like to add these real parts to the piece, please drop me a line. A huge debt of gratitude to Damien Riba for providing the delightful cabaret piano track here. Merci, Damien! ♥ A thank you to Marty Lucas for his early involvement in this project, and also a very special thank you to all those SCers out there still making an effort to unearth and take the time to listen to tracks at my buried 6-feet-under-Soundcloud websites. XOXOXO Piano by Damien Riba, Courtesy of Mangalyan Records. Discover more Damien here: soundcloud.com/damien-riba damienriba.bandcamp.com Written, produced and otherwise performed by Kathleen Martin Track photo/design of me in nautical cap by JT Lindroos SHANGHAIED by Kathleen A. Martin © 2016 INTRO When you sailed onto the scene, I pegged you as a player: A callous cad and libertine, A practiced lady slayer. Yes, you always seemed a gent, But I would never take the bait; And I ignored your every hint To come aboard as your first mate. Now you've lured me on your skiff And launched us on a cruise for two. The tide has turned; I get your drift; I'll ride these waves with you . . . VERSE 1 It was high time I'm sidelined with you, But dang, I've been shanghaied by you. And now how I kowtow to you. Blimey, I'm stymied by you. I'm dizzy when busy with you, All rosy cuddled cozy with you; And woozy, kinda boozy from you Though sober; I'm over the moon for you! BRIDGE 1 It's more than fundamental— So tender and so gentle. A pair this complemental Is something transcendental . . . VERSE 2 We'll muster a cluster of fun In full dark, a bulwark bar none, Rambunctious and unctuous as one Warming 'til morning has come. I'll wangle a tango with you, Explore some dorsum with you, And fashion high passion with you When in bed; I'm head over heels for you! BRIDGE 2 You break my concentration When tuned to your vibration. No time for contemplation, I'm led into temptation . . . VERSE 1 (partial repeat) Maybe it's high time I'm sidelined with you, But dang, I've been shanghaied by you. And now how I kowtow to you, My chipper skipper, blimey, why me?! Sidetracked, Bushwhacked, hijacked, gobsmacked! "Touché" you say. My guy, I sigh ... Clearly, I'm dearly in love with you!

[May 1, 2016—Happy May Day! Please see additional info on this global collaboration in notes at the shorter version here https://soundcloud.com/kat330repost/thing-called-love ] Raitt omitted Hiatt's second set of bridge lyrics perhaps only because of the "wife" rhyme, but I imagine the "obey" rhyme is not something women are comfortable with after finally getting it removed from most marriage vows. So I rewrote that section keeping the original idea mostly intact (I think) but better suited to a female POV: Before all humankind I'll love you as my man To cherish, honor and to care for. This kind of life was never part of my plan. Who knows the how and whoever knows the wherefore? Finn Bårdsen (Autopilot Club): https://soundcloud.com/finn-slide-guitarist/tracks Slide guitar lead and rhythm Gary Reeves (Mountain Songs): https://soundcloud.com/mountain-songs/tracks Percussion The vocals, synth for bass/piano/steel guitar/trombones, and sundry guitar bits along with mixing / production work by Kathleen Martin (kat330): http://soundcloud.com/kat330repost/tracks JT Lindroos: Cover design (and Garageband effects on spoken vocal) https://www.facebook.com/people/JT-Lindroos/100003643716049 and http://jtlindroos.tumblr.com/

July 16, 2015: How appropriate that my probable "swan song" here at kat330 was inspired by a bird a couple of weeks ago, a talented wood thrush to be specific! From his 6-note song, I heard a waltz melody in my head and began writing lyrics to fit. It was an unexpected yet joyous journey getting into the guise of a male songbird courting a mate for this narrative. My Guild provided the simple chords and rhythm, and to that I added keyboard sounds of harpsichord, cello, pan flute and orchestra harp, even some flourishes of kantele near the end. The thrush song you hear interspersed is from a field recording at a Brown County, Indiana, forest on July 1st and an instrumental only version is here: https://soundcloud.com/kat330repost/waltz-to-a-wood-thrush This song might seem like something Maria would teach the Von Trapp children and will be too twee for many to appreciate—as my Major Melon Farmer and Swamp Guinea lyrics are 180-degrees too snarky for many—but all my pieces reflect a full rainbow of sentiments and aspects of my persona, the good, the bad and the ugly. Beyond this last upload, I'll continue creating new sets now and then while still remastering some of my older tracks to upload for downloading anew at my kat330repost site, but this account is now filled to the gills. Unless and until I remove pieces for more time, any new composition will be found at my repost, Bandcamp and Free Music Archive pages. Thank you, dear listeners and sound friends! xxxooo Written, arranged, performed and produced by Kathleen Martin (c) 2015 (Owed to a Wood Thrush) On a bough above her, Calling out I love her! Catching the ear of my May meadow queen, Clear as a bell I am heard yet unseen Cloaked in the green of this forest ravine. Will she come and follow My song from the hollow? I can see her, but she cannot see me Camouflaged up in the tree canopy Winging her way on my sweet melody. {Interlude: I sing to thee, wing to me! / Come to me, run to me! / Fly to me, hie to me!} Here I am, please reach me On this branch of beech tree! Silken as thistledown my song is sent. As true as a whistle now my testament's A sonic epistle vowing my intent! As she neared she spied me. Soon appeared beside me. Dear lady thrush see the nest that I built for us! Cozy and lush, it's the best in the forest! But there's no rush, hear the rest of my chorus: True words love together! Two birds of a feather!

Received an overnight visit from The Muse a while back with an insistence I cover this wonderful Bob Mould piece in a waltz tempo. It's not a song I knew all that well to start with, but I'd heard it on the radio in the preceding hours and, well, The Muse simply will not be denied. Per usual I did not wind up close to the production I hear in my head: Limitations of hardware, software and musicianship always leave me wanting. Still I trust it's at least a unique and not a wholly unpleasant version. I got the jangly guitar sound from a direct feed of my Epiphone into my laptop along with some miked acoustic Guild touches here and there in REAPER's "dark corridor." The Epi is forefront in my hardware limitations since it simply will not hold a tuning and has a permanent 6th string buzz, but at least a direct connect means no need to constantly stop-start for outside noise interferences. The cello and music box flourishes are courtesy of my Yamaha keyboard. There is also an underlying C note heard throughout most of the track. If anyone can guess precisely what I used to record that drone sound, I'll award you a Dewey button (or whatever equivalent the kids are saying today ;). [Arranged, performed, recorded and produced by Kathleen Martin 1/2015] See Mould's superb performance here: https://youtu.be/oNGsacYoGec

June 16, 2015: Posted at the Indie Media Weekly site here: http://tinyurl.com/pg5m87b Nov 27th [Thanksgiving for US]: Preferred if this lighthearted piece wasn't already in the pipeline given the sickening injustice of Monday's Night of No Indictment. But having a minor scale taste of local corruption and injustice this year myself, I found turning to humor helped me carry on. Perhaps we must rocket off this terrestrial plane to finally find a universal justice, which is my segue to: --> The first moment I heard the soundclip of the comet "song," I hoped to work it into a composition somehow. I've also wanted for a while to feature in a piece a wordplay bit I wrote decades ago, to wit: So he says to the shapeshifter waitress, "Keep the change." And the third element tying this production together is something I recently wrote in my profile at the Free Music Archives [http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kathleen_Martin ], citing my trusty transistor radio as a major player (ahem) among early influences. I'm giving her here a rather unRealistic perSonyfication. I provided all earthbound vocals, guitar, Finnish harp and keyboard/synth sounds. Comet sound alone can be heard hear: http://www.space.com/27737-comet-song-rosetta-spacecraft.html and radio tuning clips were from found sounds now lost. Written, composed, performed, recorded and produced by Kathleen Martin. Design of catlike Comet 67p holding the Rosetta lander and my tranSister by JT Lindroos. NOTE: I posted a 95-second longer version of TS over at my kat330 Bandcamp site where I have no time constraints like here. The .wav file there opens with 76 seconds more of the celestial comet-song and kantele, and the same also extends the ending. COME To meet my transistor sister A radio active, ship-shape shifter She is taking orders at the Comet Café Her tube top nametag reads Rosetta Ray Make her sing, and she will make your day Anode you can semiconduct her Current and her wave creation You can boost her storage cell For signal strength modulation COME To meet my transistor sister So far out that you cannot resist her When she moonlights over at the Satellite Diner You won't find a broad beam that is any finer Shines in keys both major and minor Fiddle a little with her knobs You will change her amplitude And receive her full transmission Frequency that hertz so good COME To meet my transistor sister A radio active, ship-shape shifter She will take your order at the Comet Café Her tube top nametag reads Rosetta Ray And when she sings, she will make your day Coda: [She has a] Fully integrated circuit And she knows just how to work it Tagline: So he says to the shapeshifter waitress, "Keep the change, sister."

[Hear a new remix in .wav here https://kat330.bandcamp.com/album/if-6-was-3 or in .mp3 here http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kathleen_Martin/If_6_Was_3 ] July 1, 2014: For my husband and my best friend, JT Lindroos. Happy Birthday, hunaJuha!) Brian Wilson's "God Only Knows" and "Natural Woman" by King & Goffin are two favorite songs of mine from any era and any genre. Well aware I'm unworthy of covering either on its own, I thought I could at least make a wholly new song and sound from mixing up my performance bits of both together, much as I did in "From C to Sharpened C." I think this experimix is more successful than that one though, at least I personally like to listen to it more than last month's mash-up, and hope you do, too. This track was completed weeks ago (June 9th) before the news about Gerry Goffin (R.I.P.), and the first instrument part I recorded was the Finnish harp (kantele). Over the vocals and harp came bongos, and later I added the synth keyboard lines of piano, celesta, music box, cello, flute and French horn to fill out the arrangement. I've returned to the song structure of "Resolution #9" in using its "power of 3's" scheme here by repeating a section twice again before the bridge bits. In total there are three to start followed by a bridge, then three more sections followed by a second bridge and then winding down with a final group of three. The sections differ slightly within any triad by either adding or subtracting instrument lines within them. Among the films, CDs and books on JT's birthday wish list was this line item: "song." Well, hunaja, this is your one unwrappable surprise and wish fulfilled! You so make me feel like a natural woman and, truly, God only knows what I'd be without you! ♥♥♥ [please ck. out his other b'day ditty at http://soundcloud.com/kat330/birthday-song-to-be and Philo's own wild SC sounds at http://soundcloud.com/philo-gristle ] Arranged, performed, recorded and produced by Kathleen Martin

[D/L .mp3 here http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kathleen_Martin/Play_on_Words_Doo-wop_You_Do_to_Me OR .wav here http://kat330.bandcamp.com/track/play-on-words-doo-wop-you-do-to-me ] Jun 15: Happy Father's Day to all you daddy-o's out in SoundCloudland! Had it in mind a while to develop a song around a cool kitten copy editor, Grammar Puss, and the village wordsmithy, Wilder Witt III, her cool cat cunning linguist. I would jot down a lyric once in a while but couldn't settle on a style to deliver the song. I was leaning toward Minnie's "If You See My Rooster" or Simone's "I Want a Little Sugar in My Bowl," but even if my suggestive lyrics are up their alleys, my pipes clearly are not. I was considering something more Eartha-ly coKitt-ish when, out of the blue, a notion of doo-wop style landed in my lap or thereabouts. Wasn't certain if it would work well with my words, but in the end I actually appreciate the dissonance of double entendre lyrics set in a sweetly innocent musical genre. My instrumentation includes the usual suspects but might mention I contributed the "bum-bum-bum-bum" vocal low notes. I tried using a REAPER effect to take it down another octave where I actually wanted it, but it just didn't sound right. The shuffling drum track and closed-hat chorus beats are off of a Zoom RhythmTrak machine JT (Philo) got for me. Sure hope this brings a smile to all you super cool cats and kittens out there! xxxooo Play on Words (Doo-wop You Do to Me) You have a way with words, as well this kitten knows. You went from good to verse, perfected purple prose. You know that iamb ode beside your syncopated beat. Tease me with your wordplay, you cunning linguist you. Take poetic license, show me all your quill can do. No syntax will be levied on our nothings whispered sweet. BRIDGE: Your mighty pen is stirring Now your grammar puss is purring Hear my haiku-ing out in delight We'll form a bona fide couplet tonight! You're just my typeface (comic sans), a font of fun The way you simile like a brightly burning sun. ☼ Your dangling participle is my favorite part of speech. BRIDGE: Your mighty pen is stirring Now your grammar puss is purring Hear my haiku-ing out in delight We formed a bona fide couplet tonight! We doubled our entendres, and you rapped me in your rhyme. Your assonance so tight can parse me any time. Your irony is hot again, it's time to steam the sheets.... ...with our blended body heat. [some lyrics Weirdly synch up with Al Yankovic's "Word Crimes" released the month after this--check his out] Written, performed, recorded and produced by Kathleen Martin [June 14, 2014] Cover art/design by JT Lindroos

May 17, 2014 If you dismiss my field recording, Blue Angels vs. Red Birds (and I do), it's been two months since I've done any new creative recording. Neighborhood noise is certainly a factor, but also there has been a matter of a claims case filed against a real lyin', deceivin', cheatin' and a-thievin' company across the river. It involves one of my late mother's major legacies left to me, so the stress and sadness surrounding it all have absorbed my time and energy since March 17th. Yet despite having all that ugliness Spring on me, and then now my great displeasure for Soundcloud's "enhanced" software with its seriously skewed algorithms and persistent Stream issues, it's long past high time to dance on a moonlit cloud with you all again! :) And with a little luck, this track may actually make it into the Stream of each Follower, but I'll back it up with mail notices. Hopefully my baroque jazz version here will prove there still can be something new under the moon! ☼ [Arranged, performed and produced by Kathleen Martin]

[played here http://wfmu.org/playlists/shows/55046 Mar.31, 2014 ] Happy St. Patrick's Day and time to have some fun again! I jotted down these lyrics and title a few weeks ago courtesy of a couple+ folks who would quickly recognize my inspiration if they ever bother to listen (but bet they won't! ;). I had a general idea of how I wanted to present and harmonize on the word "Drrrama!" as well as thoughts on special sounds for the track, then providence placed Poletti's "Boogie Woogie in C" backing track on my Dashboard. [https://soundcloud.com/john-poletti/boogie-woogie-in-c] John (Poletti) Laurence's piece fit like a glove once I worked out the chorus and verse structure, and it saved me hours of practice to play a passable piano boogie woogie myself. Thank you, John, for allowing me to create a crazy quilt to cover your fine and fun piano piece. Besides vocals, my additions include a unique percussion riff, baritone & tenor saxes, piano octave raking, a variety of Yamaha sound effects, and four rather famous sound clips from film and TV. Now, let's boogie! BIPOLAR VORTEX BOOGIE [DRRRAMA!] M-myyy, Mister! [Drrrama!] You say you don't need it, And yet you go and feed it [Drrrama!] Lying and deceiving, Cheating and a-thieving [Drrrama!] S-saaay Sister! [Drrrama!] You claim that you hate it, So why do you create it? [Drrrama!] Lying and deceiving, Cheating and a-thieving [Drrrama!] CHORUS (twice): It's a Bipolar Vortex Boogie It's a Bipolar Vortex Boogie You're falsely positive, And you're positively false! W-whooa, Buster! [Drrrama!] If you try to attract it, You don't wanna subtract it [Drrrama!] Lying and deceiving, Cheating and a-thieving [Drrrama!] [Drrrama!] [Drrrama!] [Drrrama!]

[March 1, 2014 -- Dedicated to JB: Memphis has its legendary Graceland and, for me, a legendary Gracewater as well. Airplay on May 19, 2014 and archived here: http://wfmu.org/playlists/shows/55710 ] See video using the track here: https://vimeo.com/105995529 This is an acoustic blues improvisation on my Guild using a brass slide for a bit at the end. I did two different guitar takes of this lament, the second one while not directly listening to what I played the first go-round, and then sort of matched them up in two separate tracks. So, it is sloppy here and there and everywhere, yet still somehow fitting for the melancholy feel of the piece I think. I later layered in some cello, bottle flute and synth string tinkles from the Yamaha. I hope to write lyrics for the song someday if ever I'm able to make them worthy of the inspiration for the music. In the meantime, I've added a suggestion of a melody line with some wordless singing in sections. If anyone wants to work up some lyrics of his/her own -- on any subject relating to the title I've given it -- please have at and let me take a look. March 9th update: http://soundcloud.com/kat330/gracewater-waltz-w-lyrics/s-nNYy1 Faerytale adds lyrics and a vocal to the track

REMASTERED version here: https://soundcloud.com/kat330repost/after-the-gold-rush-remaster [heard here on April 3, 2014: http://www.wfmu.org/playlists/shows/55094 ] 02.21.2014 It was while thinking of covering Neil's sweet song in a reggae / world beat back in July that led to the inception of my own "Love Reigned" track. Decided I couldn't wait longer for more from the field of collabs to respond to inquiries, so to speak, so finally now, here's that cover I envisioned all those months ago. Arranged, performed and produced by Kathleen Martin

[can D/L remastered version at: https://soundcloud.com/kat330repost/brass-in-pocket or support with purchase here: http://ldr.fm/GzUxx thank you!] 02/14/2014 [14/02/2014] H♥ppy V♥lentine's D♥y! This one's for all you special guys and gals who need no brass in pocket to give one another some inventive attention. Use your imagination to have a ball tonight while you heat up under a warm cover song! ;) ∞ My hunajUHa: ALL is because of, to and for you always and forever after! ∞ Arranged, performed and produced by Kathleen Martin [Art by awesomeblossompossum at deviantART w/ tweaks by JT Lindroos]

[NOTE: This was uploaded in .wav format, so it's a huge DL -- sorry! I can send .mp3 version if asked to] January 31, 2014 -- Happy Chinese New Year! Necessity is indeed the mother of invention & I trust this track is proof of that. Deja vu all over again. To anyone who thought they already saw or heard this track a few weeks ago, consider it merely some dream you had -- you know, like the later "Newhart Show" and "Breaking Bad"'s alternative endings. ;) This renaissance of my P v P track puts my lyrics, melody and vocals into my own quite different and minor-key instrumental setting that now leans more toward Talking Heads or St. Vincent than 80's synth. I first considered losing the male lyrics / vocal altogether, which could work more as a sincere plea of how a woman expects to be respectfully treated in a relationship; but then I'd need a new title, and I am fond of my Spy vs. Spy concept and JT's graphic design for it. So instead, I did what I could (hopefully without damaging my cords!) singing as the dude in my own bottommost register, just to keep these players versus-ing one another. I realize I can only approximate what I want in that part, so if there's a male singer in the community who would like to take on the vocal, please let me know in private mail. If you're sincere and it's a good fit, I'll gladly get up on the collab horse again and give it a go. (After all, we *are* now in the Year of the Horse. :) LYRICS Amuse me, bemuse me, you can even confuse me But don't abuse me, never bruise me, and never (never ever) contuse me. [I'll cruise you, I'll choose you, and in the end I will misuse you.] Impress me, caress me, you can even possess me But do not stress me, depress me, and never (never ever) suppress me. [I'll get you I bet you, and I'll upset and then forget you.] HE: Wow, I didn't see it coming. SHE: He is such an easy target. HE: Could it be I'm falling for her? SHE: Now I have him in my pocket, uh-huh! Enthuse me, infuse me, you can even peruse me But don't refuse me, accuse me, in the end (bitter end) you will lose me. [I'll do you, and screw you, and in the end I will undo you.] Fascinate me, elate me, you can even captivate me But don't deflate me, berate me, and never (never ever) violate me. [I'll bait you, I'll date you, and in the end I'll prob'ly hate you.] SHE: I made you, and then I played you! HE: Ooh, you turned me, but then you turned around and burned me!

Nov 11, 2016: Leonard Cohen, R.I.P. ♥ [hear the remaster (w/volume!:) here: https://soundcloud.com/kat330repost/sisters-of-mercy-remaster ] Another page -- four actually -- from the Judy Collins' "Songbook" and probably my final production from that source. This short and very sweet song was never part of my early repertoire, but cfriverdog wondered aloud if I happen to do any Cohen covers. (Thanks for the nudge, Corey!:) Keyboard sounds here include harpsichord, recorder, bassoon, harp and a bit of tremolo strings to begin and to end it. Obviously I can't presume what's in Cohen's mind when he wrote and performs this, but personally I've always imagined the Sisters to be the nine Muses of Greek myth. This was reinforced when I spent a month in Greece less than a decade after he penned the piece, even ferrying to the isle of Hydra where, as I was told, Cohen had a residence at the time.

October 24, 2013 First heard this sweet and cheery song, and so many others I performed long ago, on Judy Collins' treasured "Wildflowers" album, and likewise, I learned my piano (Korg harpsichord mode) accompaniment from her superb "Songbook" of the period. Cello, oboe, harp and flute parts produced on my synth keyboard. Glad this offers a counterbalance to my most recent NOLA dirge (Haunted House of the Rising Sun). The artwork is JT's deft actualization of an image I had in my head as I recorded the vocal track.

[NEWLY REMASTERED version for D/L here: http://kat330.bandcamp.com/track/haunted-house-of-the-rising-sun-newly-remastered] Heard on WFMU here http://wfmu.org/playlists/shows/59351 and here http://wfmu.org/playlists/shows/59384 on Feb 10 & 12, 2015 [Liz Berg DJ] and Oct. 30, 2014: http://wfmu.org/playlists/shows/57901 and here: http://www.mixcloud.com/nick-thomas2/a-happy-halloween-specialsounds-from-the-cloudredruth-radio31-oct-2013/ October 17, 2013 The back story on my arrangement here: I had recorded the guitar, bongos and lead vocal several weeks earlier. Then last week in the middle of the night when my mojo was still in slo-mo, the Muse visited and sang into my ear the haunting strains of Big Brother & the Holding Co.'s "Summertime" intro. I quickly grokked that a takeoff on this theme would open up my rendition of "The House of the Rising Sun." And, much as I echoed Marty Robbins' "El Paso" in my "El Preso" cover, you'll also hear a musical allusion to Gershwin's "Summertime" melody in the first verse. Given the song's setting, I decided on New Orleans brass and Dixieland reeds for delivering the Holding Co. riff, but not until I started layering the sections for the intro did I begin to hear a dirge, a NOLA street funeral procession, which evolved into this unique take on the classic folk ballad: The singer has recently died, and her spirit is accompanying her casket as it moves down the street, wailing of and warning against all the wrong turns her too brief life has taken. By the time the organ part enters, the marching band and casket have arrived at the brothel for the wake. And it is there, back in the House of the Rising Sun, where the singing ghost will remain to haunt the House and its patrons ever after. Something else I'm doing in this arrangement is loosely tying the characters to specific instrument lines. No "Peter and the Wolf" scope mind you, but the mother's the clarinet, the father's the trombone, baby sister's the flute, and I am the high French whor—I mean, HORN! ☼;)

(Richard & Mimi Fariña cover) Still waiting for my mojo to pique re-interest in my planned and unfinished creations, but I'm ALWAYS up for a bit of harmonizing. So here is some of that plus kantele plucking contributions to Tom Peterson's (kodiaktom) fine rendition posted less than a month ago: http://soundcloud.com/kodiaktom-1/children-of-darkness-richard As I said in a note on his track, I'd always sung the harmony of this above the melody rather than under it, but below was my only feasible choice here. The kantele adds some higher sweetness I hope. Thanks for the opportunity, Tom! :)

May 27, 2015 remastered version here: https://kat330.bandcamp.com/track/swamp-guinea-2015-remaster by K.A. Martin (Sept. 19, 2013) [Heard Sep 11, 2014 here: http://www.wfmu.org/playlists/shows/57252] I've layered in much from my new keyboard here [drums, organ, trumpet, sax and sundry sound effects] over my Epiphone (rhythm + lead), piano, kantele, bongos, "cowbell" and vocal tracks. The only imported sound here is the chicken bawk. If nothing else, I hope the amount of tediously time-consuming production and engineering effort here is realized and appreciated. CREDIT: Spot-on caricature art and swamp froggy shouts are provided by my hunaja (JT Lindroos). DISCREDIT: Similarity to anyone living or dead may or may not be purely coincidental. But about every lowest middle-class neighborhood (such as ours) in the US south, or putative south (such as Knob Knee), has a "Cindy Vinny" in residence. As for the "Swamp Guinea" epithet itself, I had never come across the term until JT—who also had no prior knowledge of it—overheard a neighbor use the term and told me of it. I thought it was colorfully descriptive of a certain "southern trash" harridan hen who is often wedded to a redneck "Jimmy" rooster. If it has ANY other connotation to anyone reading and listening, rest assured it's nothing whatsoever to do with my context here. CHORUS: (She's a) Swamp Guinea A nosy ol' biddy (Such a) Swamp Guinea So mean, so skinny (Could be) her name's Cindy Vinny And she puts it over Jimmy (Swamp Guinea, a nutty ol' ninny) 'Cuz Jimmy's always chorin' While Guinea is a-snorin' [CHORUS] She is lackadaisy lazy Always actin' kinda crazy (Swamp Guinea, a nutty ol' ninny) Still Jimmy is a-sweepin' While Guinea is a-sleepin' [CHORUS] She is proud to be a bitch And to never work a stitch (Swamp Guinea, a nutty ol' ninny) Jimmy's sowin' and a-mowin' While Guinea's on her phone [CHORUS] Hubby hasn't got a clue That his Guinea is a shrew (Swamp Guinea, a nutty ol' ninny) 'Cuz Jimmy's chainsawin' And his Guinea's just a-jawin' [CHORUS] BREAK She's a little off her rocker on their porch [gossip scorch!] Never playing with a full one on their deck [what a wreck!] Always up to no good She's pollutin' the 'hood (Swamp Guinea, a nutty ol' ninny) Still Jimmy's garden tillin' While Guinea's just a-chillin' [CHORUS] She's always talkin' smack Making dirty little cracks (Swamp Guinea, a nutty ol' ninny) Yet Jimmy's weed whackin' While Guinea's sittin' back and [CHORUS] Looks of warmed-over death Guinea must be doin' meth (Swamp Guinea, a nutty ol' ninny) Watchin' Jimmy pitchin' twigs She's just suckin' on her cigs [CHORUS] Up the block she walks In a bathrobe and her socks (Swamp Guinea, a nutty ol' ninny) While Jimmy's hedge trimmin' She's above-ground swimmin' [CHORUS] Gotta hand it to the Guinea She sure puts one over Jimmy! [CHORUS REPEATED]

[can D/L remastered version at: https://soundcloud.com/kat330repost/i-shall-be-released ] (Sisters and brothers, saints and sinners in the congregation of the Everlasting Light of Hope, please open your hymnals to p. 330 and join me in making a joyful, hopeful noise! :) First time I heard this song as rendered by The Band on "Music from Big Pink," it hit me like a hymn, and that's how I've always interpreted it. Here I've changed up the rhythm and added several keyboard and melodica tracks instead of my original guitar-picking version, but I've kept in my ending "A-men" chords. When I realized how it was shaping up with this altered rhythm, I quickly caught the haunt of "Stand By Me." For a while I toyed then with the notion of mashing the two together in some fashion, but the project was already becoming overwrought with tracks. (Maybe someone else would like to tackle that?) The end result here is sort of sloppy—my "ensemble" could be tighter and the harmonies could be truer—but JT convinced me that leaving as is rings more authentic and interesting. (Hope you're right, hunaja! :)

[for Margaret] This was one of my mother's favorite songs—certainly her favorite Elvis tune. I have fond memories of singing the upper harmony to her melody line whenever it came on the radio. It was a fitting choice then as the closing song for a live set performed at her senior center shortly before her death. That was the last occasion Mom had to see me sing and play and also the final time for me to hear her say just how proud of me she was. There is a first here, too: I've included a few phrases in the "Flute" mode of a new Yamaha keyboard. I've had very little time to become acquainted with this machine while off in the wild, but I'm hopeful it can fill in some gaps in my one-woman ensemble for future productions. Lyrics written by Hugo Peretti, Luigi Creatore, and George David Weiss [a person per verse?]. The melody is based on "Plaisir d'Amour" (1784) by Jean Paul Egide Martini.

REMASTERED version for D/Ling anew here: https://soundcloud.com/kat330repost/colours-remaster At YouTube: http://youtu.be/dDqkUJq4HJw and heard here on Mar 27, 2014: http://wfmu.org/playlists/shows/54998 ] As my first hitch of hiatus found me steeped in nature (still more downtime yet to come), it seems only natural my first easing back into recording would feature something simple, gentle and pastoral. So here's my stripped down cover of Donovan's "Colours"—just a gal and her Guild plus a minimalistic mouth organ bit to boot (please, someone, REboot my harmonica part with a better execution of your own?! :)

Video by JT Lindroos here https://youtu.be/BezN4R-WZRI [can D/L remastered version at: https://soundcloud.com/kat330repost/black-crow-blues ] When I came across this title within my old set lists, I remembered actually that it—and not Mitchell's "Last Time I Saw Richard"—was the very first song I pecked out the piano part by ear as a teen, note by note from my vinyl of "Another Side." Never trying to transpose the key—where's the piano capo, inventors?—it was a bad fit for my high soprano back then. Now, however, I've nicely aged into the chesty alto needed for that original key. So there's your upside to getting old. I'm having some fun around the 1:50 mark with my "Hit it, gals!" shout-out to my honkin' and tonkin' band of one. :)

[Heard here http://www.mixcloud.com/nick-thomas2/sounds-from-the-cloudno-to-the-g-word-special1-aug-2013redruth-radio/ AND here on Feb 13, 2014: https://wfmu.org/playlists/shows/54428 ] As a novice of songwriting, I'm finding every composition involves some unique inception story, and this one's no exception. [Probably true, too, for veteran and masterful songwriters, but I only know it of my greenhorn experience.] I'd been thinking for a while I wanted to cover Neil Young's "After the Goldrush," a beautifully simple song I dearly love to harmonize with whenever I hear it. But I wanted some unique angle to covering it and determined it might work very nicely to a reggae rhythm. A text file where I kept Young's lyrics was where I'd also stowed a four-line start to a poem idea of mine. While I was scanning through "Goldrush" and fitting it to my reggae beat, I noticed my own stanza fit with the rhythm just as smoothly. So I got to work writing four additional verses with a couple of repeated chorus lines and a minor-key melody and, voila!, a wholly original, multi-track piece emerged that employs most all of my instrument arsenal plus some percussion loops. It's always said you need to "write what you know." Well, the story I share below takes a page directly from personal experience several years ago. LOVE REIGNED I had settled in the City of Angels, But a lucifer whisked me away To a Second City, so windy, no pity. Soon he left me one fall day. That was a time past passed through. Such a dark and a hard time on my way to you. All alone and on edge in Evanston, Edge of winter and of the Lake; As the nights grew longer, my hurt grew stronger. My heartbeat kept me awake. That was a time past passed through. Such a dark and a hard time on my way to you. Came a day in May at the waterside: The tears spilling down my face Turned from pain to joy on that rocky shore Within a flow of a glorious grace. That was a time past passed through. Such a right and a light time, I'm on my way to you. I felt love washing all around me Deep connection to every thing. To each grain of sand, to the family of man And every atom in between. That was a time past passed through. Such a right and a light time, I'm coming to you. I floated home to my carriage house With a great grin for all I greet That's returned in kind, and now forgiven behind Me is that devil in his defeat. That was a time past passed through. Such a right and a light time on my way to you. [On my way to you/ On my way to you / On my way to you I'm on my way to you / I'm coming to you / Coming to you]

[Remastered and available for D/Ling again here: https://soundcloud.com/kat330repost/la-chanson-des-vieux-amants ] Cover of Brel's brilliant piece with Korg harpsichord and melodica accompaniment.

July 1, 2013 For JT's 40th birthday a couple of years ago, I wrote him a two-verse limerick [http://tinyurl.com/plbfb76 ]. Now, for his 42nd birthday today, I composed a melody to actually work with the rhythm and the AABBA rhyming of my stanzas, expanding the original words only with some repetition to have it fit my music. After an opening minute of "speaking in tongues," the waltz theme includes three vocal tracks, acoustic guitar, drumsticks and Korg piano on vibraphone mode. The Korg track adds a fun calliope "vibe" to the festivities, and it wouldn't be a true celebration without some action from a birthday gift JT gave to me this year, the slide whistle. :) Here are the adjusted limer-lyrics I sing: "The Soulmate Waltz" [or, "I've a Mighty Yen for Your Yang"] There is rarely a man more mild Who'd want to wed a woman quite so wild. Our faults and our talents Achieve perfect balance, And all of our vices are versa-fied. Our faults and our talents Achieve perfect balance, And all of our vices are versa-fied. Jung-sters may note that my animus Is tamed by your anima magnanimous. Your yang and my yin Blend under the skin Forming a mind-meld unanimous. Your yang and my yin Blend under the skin Forming a mind-meld unanimous. © KAM

[Hear a new remix in .wav here https://kat330.bandcamp.com/album/if-6-was-3 or .mp3 here http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kathleen_Martin/If_6_Was_3 ] Serendipity steers our lives far more than control freaks are willing to admit. Something on SoundCloud a few days ago (of June 2013) had me thinking of the great "Rogue River Suite" theme by François Tétaz from the independent Australian thriller "Rogue." Within this same timeframe a local public radio station (WFPK in Louisville, KY) played Gary Jules' cover of "Mad World" from the soundtrack of the cult indie film "Donnie Darko." Then yesterday in an instant, unbidden moment, the earworm of one met up with the earworm of the other. My eyes widened with the thought these two hauntingly lovely themes would fit together like hand in glove, both melodically and rhythmically. I found out they most certainly do indeed, and this mash-up track I've woven together is the result of my little earworm epiphany. The first 42-seconds are from "Rogue" alone, then both tracks play out in their entirety with minor adjustments on my part here and there. Hope you enjoy!

[REMASTERED for SC D/Ling anew here: https://soundcloud.com/kat330repost/candy-man-remaster ] Oct. 31, 2014: Never fear that downloads of this track have maxed out here! Unlimited DL's (w/ more tracks to come) at: freemusicarchive.org/music/Kathleen_Martin/ It's my own arrangement, and the lyrics are changed a bit here and there to suit me better, but I learned this ditty way-back-when off my vinyl of "Just Dave Van Ronk." In this mix I'm on acoustic guitars, vocals, Korg piano (vibes mode) and drumsticks, as well as those melodica, slide whistle and electric bass snippets—a veritable circus of one, whew and wheeee!

[REMASTERED version for D/Ling anew here: https://soundcloud.com/kat330repost/since-youve-asked-remaster JT got the proper wiring so REAPER can finally groK my Korg, and now I can proceed with self-recording some of my keyboard repertory. I probably will rework "Rose, Lis..." and "Hard Lovin' Loser" eventually. In the meanwhile here's a short and simple tune from the Judy Collins' "Songbook." While now the keyboard is recording loud and clear, I'm none too pleased with my vocals here. Allergy season is taking a stiff toll on my cords this mid-spring. Perhaps I'll rerecord vocal sections sometime down the line. Besides the Korg (on harpsichord/chorus mode) and vocals, I've included melodica and kantele tracks. I'm pretty happy with these additional theme snippets I devised.

A new version now, and this version is personalized for Juha (JT), but if anyone wants an .mp3 for any specific name, I can supply it.

[REMASTERED for SC D/Ling anew here: https://soundcloud.com/kat330repost/east-st-louis-blues-remaster ] This seemed like a fun idea in the middle of the night, which means it probably should never be heard in the light of day. One great advantage to getting older, however, is no longer giving a damn what others may think of one's foolishness. At least less of a damn as time goes by. This mp3 file represents my first attempt ever at trying to "sound engineer," period, and was done on software I'd never used. I'm sure there's a manual I could have browsed, if not studied, but I tend to dive headfirst into any new soft- or hardware, hoping it will be intuitive to the extent at least I won't do any harm through trial and error. Besides working blindly and self-recording the tracks, these were all first takes, no re-do's. So my guitar/vocal, percussion, harmony, and melodica --- all four tracks -- are very rough and raw, flubs and all. The main point of posting it at Under a Bushel and SoundCloud is hopefully to see some progression from this point A to point B and beyond in coming months/years. Ever the optimist! The piece is an abbreviated version of Furry Lewis' East St. Louis Blues as I recall hearing John Hammond perform it on his 1963 eponymous album. [Note: If anyone can accurately identify what I'm using for percussion here, you'll win, ummm, my deepest admiration!]

[REMASTERED version here for D/Ling anew: https://soundcloud.com/kat330repost/catch-the-wind-remaster This Donovan classic became part of my early repertoire less than a year after it arrived in the U.S. In this version I've overdubbed some harmony, and I've added bits of kantele, melodica and electric guitar bottom-strings strumming to my original acoustic guitar picking. At the third verse I've also added some percussive plucking sounds of the strings high up between the bridge and bridge pickup on the electric. I found it sort of simulates the sound of light wooden wind chimes. The best things about self-recording and being the sole instrumentalist and vocalist are: 1) Everyone arrives on time and is ready whenever I am, and 2) We all have the same vision and never disagree about what direction to take -- well, rarely anyway. That noted I am taking a breather, however, from all my recording, at least from the pace of nearly a new one each week. Probably it will pick up again whenever the weather makes leaving the comfort of indoors less appealing.

Written to the lovely, bittersweet melody of Cat Stevens' "Sad Lisa" off “Tea for the Tillerman,” my new lyrics here were inspired by the October 1, 2010, Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) found at this link: http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap101001.html. The substitute poem was posted at my blog here http://kat330.tumblr.com/post/3242646193/owed-to-apod where you can also read my brief editorial about the planet's discovery. I had it in mind to record my "filksong" for a SoundCloud upload ever since I opened the account here, but just never got around to it. Then I really wanted to post it soon after Neil Armstrong's passing, as my own nod to him and wink to the moon, but allergies intervened. So my silly "Warmup Olio" was posted instead. This is a straightforward vocal with piano accompaniment (not my own), albeit my voice is still compromised by some congestion.

I guess it's long past high time I included a Dylan cover here. After all, he is what inspired me to ask Mom for a guitar and, probably, his "Blowin' in the Wind" was the first tune I taught myself on it. "I Don't Believe You" is a little jewel from "Another Side," overshadowed and usually overlooked when stacked up against the great tracks around it. But I always had a soft spot for this simple song of a hot flame turning suddenly and inexplicably cold on one side, a universal emotional mystery to the keeper of the flame. Before we saw Dylan at the nearby Horseshoe Casino amphitheater a few years ago, I looked up his tour set lists and, wonder of wonders, I noticed "I Don't Believe You" was included at some venues. A nice surprise that he resurrects this tune on occasion. Unfortunately, he did not at that Horseshoe concert, despite my most earnest mental entreaties aimed at the stage. This upload is pretty much my usual -- voice, guitar, and melodica tracks -- but with one addition: I got out the electric guitar JT gave me ages ago to peck out a very rudimentary bass line. Though I've sorely neglected this instrument -- it's so heavy, and it needs restringing to rid of unwanted buzzing -- perhaps these home recording experiments will encourage me to mess around with it more often, much as I have his kantele gift as well. Better late than never!

REMASTERED version here: https://soundcloud.com/kat330repost/el-preso-numero-nueve-remaster Used on PBS program here: http://www.pbs.org/food/original-fare/season-3-episode-2-childhood-search-puerto-ricos-lost-pepper (Muppets left, Kat arrived ;) Oct. 31, 2014: Never fear that downloads of this track have maxed out here! Unlimited DL's (w/ more tracks to come) at: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kathleen_Martin/ My "apologia" to Spanish speakers everywhere! I was in my mid-teens when I first heard H. Cantorell's "El Preso Numero Nueve" ("Prisoner Number Nine") as performed by Joan Baez on her 1960 eponymous album. I was given my first guitar several months before I ever discovered Baez' early association with my newly-beloved icon crush, Bob Dylan (though that order of discovery was likely reversed for folk fans several years older than I), and curiosity had me seek out her early albums. The version I'm performing is pretty much the same as what I taught myself all those years ago at sweet sixteen, so it's like an old aural snapshot, a performance on the fly caught in amber. Along with a very basic Spanish guitar strum, I learned the foreign lyrics by repeated listens to her singing them with the tedious action of lifting the needle and setting it back down to repeat a phrase. The album vanished from my collection while in trusted storage somewhere or other, but I believe the Mexican lyrics were also printed on the LP's back cover or sleeve. This might have helped my pronunciation and memorization much more if only I'd been a student of Spanish rather than of French and German in school! In any event I never revisited the Baez lyrics nor any other version after I had it set in memory for frequent performance back then. Which means, whatever I got wrong by phonetic rote to start with -- plus whatever syllables and phrases have mutated even farther afield over these many interim years -- will be painfully evident in this track. I do know the general gist of the lyrics and the tragic tale being told, but probably it will be a challenge to any Spanish-speaking listener to fully comprehend this version. Again, my apologies in advance. Side notes: Recording this song all these decades later showed me a personal development and growth in myself; my youthful perfectionism-to-the-point-of-paralysis has relaxed to where now I can allow for and be OK with some mistakes (as can be heard in the track). Also, the opening melodica phrase is a haunting homage to Marty Robbins' "El Paso" only in a minor key. I'd considered carrying it through with that song's other triads in minor, but decided to KISS and leave it as is. A final note: Another special connection to "El Preso..." is that it won me various talent contests at the time, and I even performed the song as my talent portion in the Indiana Junior Miss state pageant. A bold move on my part to play Spanish guitar and sing in a foreign language at such apple-pie-American-patriot-flag-waving-Hoosier fests and, apparently, good fortune there were never Spanish-speaking judges of these events in the late '60s. :)

REMASTERED: https://soundcloud.com/kat330repost/richland-woman-blues-remaster Just me on guitar, voice and melodica here. I first heard RWB sung by Maria Muldaur on Jim Kweskin and the Jug Band's 1967 album "See Reverse Side for Title." The original song was written by Mississippi John Hurt, although the lyrics are altered here and there in my and Muldaur's versions. Also, I've made a slightly blue alteration of the Muldaur rendition in verse three. It seemed a natural choice to me given the red rooster image, and I've always sung it with the switch for "dude" (except before more "delicate" audiences). Cover painting by Tony "Doc" Shiels. For sale at http://markethousegallery.co.uk/artists/category/28-shiels-tony

[REMASTERED version here: https://soundcloud.com/kat330repost/frankies-blues-remaster ] This is my no-nonsense cover of Dave Van Ronk's "Frankie's Blues" as learned from his "Just Dave Van Ronk" Mercury Records LP of 1964. The song is his take on the tragic lovers of Frankie and Johnny. At about the minute::13 mark, you'll be able to hear the whoosh of a semi truck trundling down our street. Just imagine it's Frankie out in the middle of Main Street tracking down her cheatin' man, Albert. Then a bit later at the 2-minute mark, listen for when an angel gets its wings appropriately enough. That's about it. Hope you enjoy.

REMASTERED and new D/Ling: https://soundcloud.com/kat330repost/someday-soon-remaster This second self-recording is of Ian Tyson's "Someday Soon," which became part of my folk repertoire after hearing Judy Collins cover it back in the late '60s. I've revised Tyson's lyrics a tad, however, so I could still sing it with some authenticity, albeit it with much sarcasm. It's no rodeo now. That young girl of the original is several years down the pike and clearly has some serious self-esteem issues still mooning over her abusive loser of a man. Hearing it on headphones through REAPER, I can hear our home's ambient birdsong at beginning and end drifting from outside in.