Beyond One's Control

Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.

Walter M. confided in me, "this was copied off a surveillance tape at the Happy Swallow. It's the next to the last song, so it must have been about 1:30." I'm never sure if I should believe him or not. ~~~~~~~~ This actually started out as a love song. Then it become a jazz-like thing, but it needed a solo in the middle. Then I added some ambient matrix reverb and it became a sort of late night lounge song. Then I added a restaurant background sound sample. The background added that extra touch of the audience not really listening to the band. But the background needed a laugh, so I found a laugh sample. But the laughs were so great, it took control of the mix. And it became the missing solo in the middle. Really - the laughing lady is the solo! Then the laugh sample itself boomeranged into a sarcastic response from the band who didn't like being ignored by the audience. Finally, the drummer started imitating the lady. I'm really glad she didn't notice we were making fun of her! Or, I could claim I carefully planned this thing as a self-deprecating, lounge-lizard smokey jazz tune... Nah. ~~~~~~~~ sound effects used in this song: PoliteApplause.flac (http://freesound.iua.upf.edu/samplesViewSingle.php?id=24204) By acclivity (http://freesound.iua.upf.edu/usersViewSingle.php?id=37876) laughter.wav (http://freesound.iua.upf.edu/samplesViewSingle.php?id=33658) and restaurant2.wav (http://freesound.iua.upf.edu/samplesViewSingle.php?id=28204) By sagetyrtle (http://freesound.iua.upf.edu/usersViewSingle.php?id=43834)

lyrics:

why would i think about you day and night? why would i think about you at all? why should i worry about the future possibilities? why should i ponder all these thoughts late at night? right now? ~ ~ ~ how could it be i've been with you every night? how could it be i've spent all of my life with you? how could it be my worries fade away? how do you make me feel that life itself has been, and will be, OK? (c) 2007 Bill Grundmann

This is a "laid back rap" version of my earlier song Progress.

lyrics:

That's Progress i wouldn't know but i wouldn't doubt they're makin' a bomb that makes you really devout as you are you don't know you can't wish on the evening star although the answer isn't clear i say do not fear (at all costs we're gonna win this war) as you are you don't know you can't wish on the evening star (at all costs we're gonna win this war) well i say do not fear they've always said the end is near i think i'll have another beer as for the future we can only guess that's progress although the answer isn't clear i say do not fear they're makin' these trucks with a laser beam that can burn you down from a mile away (at all costs we're gonna win this war) i think i'll have another beer (c) 2007 Bill Grundmann

tau

lyrics:

I'll take you there I'll take you anywhere Across the county line To the sea Just you and me (c) 2007 Bill Grundmann

Last night I woke up. I couldn't get back to sleep. My mind was filled with thoughts that just circled around and around and wouldn't go away. So, I snuck out of bed and fired up GarageBand. I had financial engineering on my mind, how it's clear that the rich continue to get richer (and since the stock markets are zero-sum games, by screwing all the rest of us), and whether I'll ever be able to retire, so the idea of quants was there from the start. About an hour later, I had the chord progression, piano and vocal settings worked out. I had the major drum loops put together, and a bass line. It was all in a repeat region, and I was just turning tracks on and off to get a feel whether they would play nice. Then I went back to sleep. The next morning, I spent an hour spreading out the loops into an arrangement, added the modulations, and the arpeggiating tracks. Burned it to a CD and previewed it in my car. I noticed a divot in the chord progression, and realized I was not satisfied with how soon it ended. There needed to be more. Later that afternoon, I fixed up the chords, extended the song by turning the original ending into a false ending. That did the trick. I added another drum track that is essentially snare drums being beaten mercilessly. A few tweaks to smooth out some rough edges, and that was it. I have never completed a song that fast before. I sought a graphic of a generic equation, and lo and behold found two adjacent things: Someone commenting on how the f-hole on a violin looks like an integral sign, and a joke tee-shirt with a fake equation on it. I blended the two ideas into the song pic you see here. It fits like a glove. ~~~~~~~~ Quant eyes this: SPY QQQQ IWM MSFT TYC F INTC GE LVLT PFE BRCD SIRI SLB CSCO SUNW MRVL ORCL XOM XLF PMCS T BAC EMC SBOX SMVW YHOO http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharpe_ratio http://bearmarketcentral.com/mutualfunds.htm and we flounder. ~~~~~~~~ sound effects used in this song: large crowd auditorium.wav (http://freesound.iua.upf.edu/samplesViewSingle.php?id=36060) By cognito perceptu (http://freesound.iua.upf.edu/usersViewSingle.php?id=57789)

Long ago I had crush on this girl, Ginny Hough. My friend Dan had a crush on a friend of hers named Lynn Bolster. Sometimes the two of us would try to track them down on their way home from school. I'd try to ask Ginny if I could carry her books home from school. (I don't recall if she ever let me...) Remember, this was back when dinosaurs roamed the Earth, so it was all rather innocent. But, I suppose I became insufferable. And then one day at school, Ginny handed me a large handwritten note, maybe two or three pages, folder over thrice. I was thrilled. Back at home I read it. It was very carefully written, complete with little hearts over each and every "i". And in this note she wrote a very nice "leave me alone" message. She then quoted all the lyrics from the Stone Poneys song, "Different Drummer" (Linda Ronstadt, Nesmith, really). I was heart-broken. I was eleven. What did I know? But the concept of different drummers has stayed with me all my life. Silly me. So, here you go... And, Ginny, are you out there? I still love you.

This is for the New LIOLI Challenge #1. For New Amsterdam. I've never been there before. ~~~~~~~~ notes: Only the challenge loops and GarageBand loops/etc. were used.

Vicki Kierkegaard is into existentialism big time.

lyrics:

Vicki Kierkegaard it's 11 o'clock hi, i'm Vicki i am your new toy children gambol in the park playing catch until the night they don't know what life will bring and all i do is sing people gamble at The Park playing catch up in the night they don't know what life will bring and all i do is sing let's play (c) 2007 Bill Grundmann

Petr Dumfrey lived across the street you should meet his wife and kids Petr is this guy I know uh, knew he got messed with an RPG this is for him

lyrics:

There's this guy Petr Petr Dumfrey He's just like you and me Hey You! Petr, the cool cat Man, where's the plan? Yes, you, the cool cat Man, where's your plan? You got a way out, but no plan To get back in Petr Dumfrey Just like you and me Petr Dumfrey can not see Petr Dumfrey can't see No way... Petr Dumfrey (c) 2007 Bill Grundmann

Just a song about bees. ~~~~~~~~ sound effects used in this song: 20070318.hive.00.wav (http://freesound.iua.upf.edu/samplesViewSingle.php?id=32588) By dobroide (http://freesound.iua.upf.edu/usersViewSingle.php?id=8043)

lyrics:

Another DDT (the) birds and the bees are hangin' in the trees it's easy to dream they will always be there (the) bald eagle was thrown (but) he didn't fade away we've done it before (we could) do it again ~~~~~ soaring on like the eagle song to observe a disturbing trend moving on (the) honeybees move on they may never return again ~~~~~ protecting our home from termites everyday (but) who is keeping the score who do we defend? (there's a) change in the breeze that just the eagle sees it's easy to dream and forget to care ~~~~~ soaring on like the eagle song to observe a disturbing trend silent dawn all the bees are gone ^ they may never be back again ~~~~~ (the) birds and the bees are hangin' in the trees it's easy to dream they will always be there (there's a) change in the breeze that just the eagle sees it's easy to dream and forget to care don't let there be another DDT don't let there be another DDT DDT don't let there be another DDT don't let there be another - don't let there be another (c) 2007 Billy Bob Grundmann

make a mess with sounds in the mess

Fugit

lyrics:

Tempus Time - chippin' away Time - day by day 2x Time follows you to your home (He) writes down the times (that you) come and go (He) takes in the view when you're alone He's always there (and you) never know Time - chippin' away Time - day by day 2x Time holds you down (and) takes your soul (He) ties up your hands (in a) living hell (He's) taking the plunge He takes control when He is done you're a shell Time - chippin' away Time - day by day 4x Time the memory won't go away Time... (c)2007 Bill Grundmann