Tag: Joy

Right Here Waiting

When Richard Marx wrote “Right Here Waiting,” he never meant to publish it. He wrote the song in 2010 as a personal message to his girlfriend and actress, Cynthia Rhoads. At the time, Rhoads was in South Africa making a film. Since Skype or Google Meets didn’t exist, Marx shipped the track directly to Rhoads. Marx wrote the song in twenty minutes. His friends were so moved by it that they convinced the artist to publish it. The song went on to become one of Marx’s biggest hits.

Prior to this blog post, I had never heard of Richard Marx. I was only vaguely aware of the song. When I heard the beginning of the song on a Facebook reel, I was inspired to learn it. Now that I’ve read the backstory, I agree with Marx’s friends. “Right Here Waiting” is a truly moving and beautiful ode to long-distance love. Marx plays a piano accompaniment. I’ve composed a guitar background. Here’s my cover.

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Speaking Love And Encouragement

Post author By David Gittlin
Post date July 15, 2023
6 Comments on Speaking Love And Encouragement

“The time that’s left is yours to keep.” These words come at the end of the chorus of the song “See Here She Says” by Kate Wolf.

While I find all of the lyrics in this song beautiful, this sentence hit me in the center of my heart. I can picture a mother teaching a child about life. She is telling the child about the importance of dreams and to use his or her time wisely. Use it well, not only for yourself but for others.

Certainly, love, beauty, and a full range of human emotions come through Kate Wolf’s music. “See Here She Says” is a remarkable song because it speaks to children and adults alike with an ocean of love and understanding. Interestingly, the word “sea” appears at the beginning of the first verse.

Perhaps I can feel Kate’s heart even more now that she has passed into spirit.

Please enjoy my cover of “See Here She Said.”

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The Summer Side of Life

“Summer Side of Life” is the lead-off song from a 1972 Gordon Lightfoot concert in London, England. The song kept rolling around in my head until I decided to learn it and post it here.

Ostensibly, the song is about a young man who returns from the Vietnam War and mourns a lost love and possibly his war experiences. It’s a song about before and after, and maybe two sides of life. After the first two verses, I find the lyrics to be somewhat impenetrable. So, I can’t say for sure what the song is about, but it speaks to me about the difference between youth and old age.

I’d love to have my youth back with my current perspective and the freedom to follow my bliss, as Joseph Campbell says. Wouldn’t it be lovely to have decades to develop ourselves and our abilities without the distraction of economic necessity? Ahhh…if it could only be so.

It’s been fun learning this song. I hope you enjoy it.

Did they really make a Canadian stamp imprinted with a portrait of GL as a young man?

Tags acoustic guitar, emotions, feelings, Gordon Lightfoot, grief, happiness, Joy, loneliness, lost love, love, peace, reflections, relationships, singer, singing, solo, soloist, songwriter, vocals

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On The Road To Find Out

In this life, change is constant. This is not news to most of us. However, some things never change. A good example is the music of the artist profiled in this post. In 1977, after years of contemplation and a near-death experience with tuberculosis, Cat Stevens converted to Islam and radically changed his lifestyle. He is now known as Jusuf Islam, but the beauty and truth of his music haven’t changed. Jusuf’s songs have endured and are still relevant almost fifty years after they were released. His unique guitar style and vocalizations have remained bright, new, and refreshing through the intervening decades.

“On The Road To Find Out” is a song about a young man who sets out on a journey to clear his mind and see what he can discover. The song parallels Stevens’ life experiences. After a seven-month recovery from tuberculosis, Stevens felt a deep emptiness in his life and a yearning for something more. Out of these ashes, “On the Road to Find Out” was born. The lyrics are not about traveling in a physical sense. They are about Stevens discovering who he was and the purpose, if any, of his existence. Stevens achieved fame and fortune in 1967 at the age of only eighteen when his first three singles hit the charts in his native England. Like many of his recording artist peers, Stevens examined his noteworthy accomplishments and found they had not brought him the peace of mind or happiness he envisioned.

Many of Stevens’ songs reflect his quest for existential answers and a deep sense of fulfillment. I can only hope he found it.

Here’s my cover of this song’s rich lyrics and beautiful melody.

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To Wit

Life is a walking meditation.

And life is infinitely more interesting when I realize I am not here to fit in.

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Fill My Eyes

Cat Stevens rose to prominence as a folk and pop artist in the 1970’s. I’ve always enjoyed the thread of childlike innocence and spontaneity that runs through his music. After a near-death experience, Stevens began a serious search for a deeper meaning in life. In 1977, he left his rock and roll lifestyle and converted to Islam adopting the name Yusuf Islam.

Stevens released “In My Eyes” in April of 1970, years before his conversion. Like many of his songs, it is simple yet extremely poignant. It speaks of the impermanence of human love and of life itself. Paradoxically, “Fill My Eyes” flows like a sweet river and the meter is upbeat.

Here’s my cover of the song played in Yusuf/Stevens’ unique guitar style.

inspiration life motivation personal growth

I AM

Post author By David Gittlin
Post date May 3, 2023
4 Comments on I AM

I am

Peace

Joy

Love

Bliss

Harmony

Radiance

Beyond Thought

Beyond Concepts

Within the Heart

Tags consciousness, happiness, inner peace, inspiration, Joy, love, meditation, peace, reflections

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Songbird

Eva Cassidy is a perennial favorite of mine. When I saw a “Songbird” tutorial pop up on Jerry’s Guitar Bar, I couldn’t resist. Here’s my cover of Eva’s beautiful song.