Presentation Transcript

1. PETRIFIED LULLABY… the definitive lyrics of the songs from the album… By: Mohammed L. Saavedra
2. Foreword This presentation is made to keep the definitive lyrics of the songs intended for the compilation named PETRIFIED LULLABY. The basic chord structure / progression is presented on the next immediate slide after each lyric sheets. Rough draft sample in music video [on a separate music file] done played on Noel Lumanog 6-strings nylon guitar using JVC HD Camcorder (playable on Nero Showtime). Short commentary for each song added for additional references.
3. Song Titles / Duration Icicles 3:07m Petrified Lullaby 3:18m Five Roses (14344) 3:29m Yellow Crescent 2:14m Time Flies 3:50m Reflection 3:17m Domestic Creatures / Amelia’s Pride 4:43m Blooming Roses 4:19m
4. Icicles Icicles melting on my window pane / flowing like giant tear drops in the rain / gloomy clouds the only friend around / tender comfort in waiting to be found. Icicles shining fangs of the beast / techno- monsters dancing in feast / man’s selfish crab-mentality / feeding hatred to humanity. Icicles…spare me the shivers / of this howling windy rain. Icicles…spare me the whispers / tongues of fire in constant pain. Icicles clinging to my window frame / glorious moment in faded fame / sittin’ by the fire in solitude / pensive thoughts in silent gratitude. Icicles…spare me the sadness / of lonely people waiting in vain. Icicles…spare me the madness / at the edge of going insane.
5. Am-Dm-G-CAm-Em-F-G-C Icicles is one of my favorite folk rock song which I always imagine playing against the background of a snow-capped hills while contemplating at the porch. I must be on a deep thought mood about the current situation when I wrote this sometime in chilly winter of December 2008. With a simple strum-pick on the first two chords of the intro to progress on a full strumming, I prefer to use the acoustic steel guitar on this and with electric guitar solo riffs, and with instrumental sax solo at the middle and fade out.
6. Petrified Lullaby Notice the signs of life to take it slow / moving fast not the only way to go / life’s too short to worry ‘bout trouble / nor it will add a day make it double. No matter what happened in the past / cherish the good mem’ries that last / today is the essence of reality / the future: a dream you long to see. Dine in style / drink a while / sweet fountain of youth / petrified lullaby / for the young adult. Nobody gets blind by simply looking / at brighter side or edgy reasoning / Certain smile warms the heart at best / a peaceful feeling of content and happiness. Rock a by / swing it high / kiss the truth goodbye / petrified lullaby / memories gone by.
7. Am-Dm-G-CAm-Em-F-G-C I got the inspiration in writing this song when I finished drawing on my small (A3 drawing book) the poster I called “Petrified lullaby for the young adult”, well it’s just a colorplay of coloring pens and crayons: a central image of big baby milk bottle on a hammock hanging on a tropical tree whilst above is the sun with a black dark sunglasses. The basic tune and chord is from my another Tagalog folk composition called “Bulalakaw” (shooting star) though slightly in a different plucking style. I would like to have the flute backing up in this all through out to come up with a raw nylon string guitar and woodwind sound.
8. Five Roses (14344) I wrote a song for you today / wish you happiness in everyway / although we had some share of fears / gladness came in joyful years. One two three four five roses / distant dreams with out borders / one two three four / red roses / playing games on chartered courses. My love for you will always stay / forever burning in heart I pray / “Dear Lord, I thank you for my wife.” / through tears and pain or easy life. One two three four five roses / seasons change , cutting corners / one two three four / red roses / surely love is all that matters. I sing a song for you today / blissful moment of everyday / although we shed some bitter tears / sadness gone along with fears. One four three four four… Mo Leyva.
9. Am7-Bm-DM7-AM7FM7-G-FM7-Em My fondness of playing “major 7th chords” is evident here again, and my liking to have a guitar lead solo instrumental intro. This tune was under construction at the time one of my office colleague invited me to her birthday party which I politely decline as it was also my wife’s birthday at that time, and instead offered to greet her with the first two lines of the song and rest is history. I always like play this on nylon strings with a plectrum to have slightly bolder sound allowing perhaps a violin or electric piano jamming along. I simply adlibbed on my basic guitar intro to come up with the middle instrumental solo, which I prefer to have a soprano sax at same time.
10. Yellow Crescent Snow flakes over my head / when I think of you / sleepless night in bed / day dreaming of you. Dancing shadows / yellow moonlight / soft breeze flowing / what a peaceful night ! My eastern horizon / longing to meet your / west of amazon / till the northern shore. Dancing shadows / yellow moonlight / soft breeze flowing / what a lovely sight! Under the yellow crescent / lovers’ cross-wounds gone. My guiding star that twinkle / brighten up my way / a diamond sparkle / your smile made my day. Dancing shadows / yellow moonlight / soft breeze flowing / what a perfect night ! Under the yellow crescent / shoulder cross-wounds gone.
11. G-Bm-C-D7-Am-Bm-C-DAm-Gdim-Bm-C-D Yellow Crescent is one of my all time favourite guitar plucking song, just simple basic chords and continuous finger picking style. As this is a bit of soft melodic folk song, I prefer to have violin background perhaps to add a more textured sound, otherwise a simple piccolo flute will do. I was just musing around on one of my earlier poems entitled “Love Notes 2001” when I came up with the lyrics and tune of this song then I improvised just now itself the refrain structure.
12. Time Flies The age never lie / as time goes by / at a blink of an eye / one moment fly. Crying babies born / child wails being torn / from thy comfort zone / of mother’s womb. It’s a shocking pain / woke up in rain / wasted years in vain / life without gain. One man’s history / purest irony / struggling destiny / towards his tomb. Time flies… / the age never lies… Claustrophobic walls / and endless halls / dreaming apex call / vertigo fall. From cradle to the grave / people always rave / looking nice and brave / just to face doom. Time flies… / the age never lies…
13. Am-G-F-Em-F-G-AmFM7-CM7 It all started with the bass riff intro, when I was just starting to compose this song then I finalize with the short refrain. As with my usual comment I would love to play this song using an acoustic steel guitar and prefer to have an electric piano jamming along while the instrumental alto sax solo. Though it deals mainly on man’s relativity to time itself, I was initially mused on man’s real purpose of existence in this world.
14. Reflection Gazing at the open range / watching the seasons change / I’m not feeling kinda strange. Country girl strong and kind / homely-trained nature child / you’ve filled the vacuum inside. Reflection in your eyes / now I realize / all the love you gave to me / is deeper than the old blue sea. Knocking on frozen doors / winding alley concrete walls / biding time in those mega-malls. Reflection of your smiles / is clearer than sunny skies / sweet comfort you bring to me / the only place I long to be. Just a simple city boy / without a luck out of toy / until you came along with joy. Reflection in your eyes / the moment I realize / the sweetest love you give to me / is wider than the blue-green sea. Sweet comfort you bring to me / the only place I long to be / Sweet comfort you bring to me / the only home I long to be.
15. D-DM7-C-D Reflection is actually my way of celebrating the love of nature, countryside and dream of settling down peacefully therein. Using the same chords from one of my earliest Tagalog composition titled “Sinta” (Darling)—[hope this is the nearest literal meaning] but with slightly different way of plucking style. Surely I prefer to use the nylon string guitar in this, accompanied by a violin or alto flute would be nice I guess.
16. Domestic Creatures In our little backyard: Five--- Domestic creatures… Dumb alley cat singing Deaf stray dog started hearing Lame duck dancing in flight… Blind goat watched with delight ! Is it me? / Is it you / The other fifth in queue.
17. {no particular chords !} Domestic Creatures is actually my playful bass intro to Amelia’s Pride, that’s why I did not put any particular guitar chord progression. Actually the tune is derived from the Tagalog traditional folk tune “Doon Po Sa Amin”, (There In Our Place) which I novelty-improvised on the lyrics just for fun. As I would like to have a different intro to the Amelia’s Pride, the last chord of this song G take off to the first chord of Amelia’s Pride C.
18. Amelia’s Pride Yes, dear you’re absolutely right / leave home to carry on the fight / struggle from this city crowd / work abroad let yourself be proud. If it’s heartache that you are running from / only love can heal that alone. Let Amelia’s Pride / be your tourist guide / far away from home / whenever you roam. No child don’t ever hesitate / to stay and care for your estate / want of material happiness / always leads to an emptiness. Poverty that you are escaping from / has a heavy price of its own. Let Amelia’s Pride / be your tourist guide / whenever you roam / far away from home. Cut off ! All your “idiocracy” / replace it with autonomy / choose life / instead of “the big lie” / time to stop your foolish lifestyle. Ever chasing the profound truth / shallow side of eternal youth. Let Amelia’s Pride / be your guiding light / on a dark bumpy ride / you feel so alone / very far from home. Let Amelia’s Pride / be your guiding light / on a dark bumpy ride / whenever you roam / far away from home /so very far ---from home.
19. C-FM7-C-Dm7-GCM7-FM7-F-Fm-C Amelia’s Pride is the song adapted from my poem of the same name, which are my personal and hypothetical replies to a question asked at the beginning of one of 70’s Manila Sound pop hit song. Obviously there is an implication of a joke, since the intro is accapella-sounding “Domestic Creatures” but somehow I always take the lyrics seriously. I feel comfortable playing the acoustic steel guitar for this than the nylon strings, and always fancy an electric organ jamming along with the usual alto saxophone instrumental solos.
20. Blooming Roses Three single roses / never had a chance to bloom / the day you simply walked away / had turn my bright life into grey. Hot summer longing for winter / agony of wait is fever. Single roses ! / dried wilted away. Kill my loneliness / you bring me happiness / in your arms tonight / brings me pure delight. Full bunch of roses / offered you that afternoon /sealed with my hug and kisses / so tender so loving sweet caress. Break out from your empty shell / spread your wings / ring the wedding bells. Bunch of roses ! / love is here to stay. Garden of roses / growing gracefully in bloom / weathering this windy rain / love is enduring all the pain. Eat the bitter words from inside / time to swallow your foolish pride. Blooming roses ! / never fade away. Gone the emptiness / filled with joyfulness / good things from daylight / peace all through the night. Blooming roses / never fade away. Blooming roses / love is here to stay.
21. DM7-AM7-Gm7-C7-ADM7-AM7-AM7-DM7-AM7 As with my other compositions, Blooming Roses is an adaptation from my poem titled “Roses” which in turn based from my very first Tagalog composition called “Tatlong Rosas” (Three Roses), so I consider this the English version. The guitar solo as an intro and the bass riff instrumental solo I have only added later on, (as when I used to jam with my friends then, it was just pure strumming and humming along with “Tatlong Rosas”. I do not mind whether I play this on nylon string or acoustic steel guitar, as long as I prefer the jamming along of electric piano and jazzing up instrumental soprano saxophone solos for more textured sound.