101

(3 replies, posted in Songwriting)

Thanks Graham, but wait !!!!!

You were a writer for comedy, as well as TV and Radio ?

Was that your main occupation through life ?

That is so cool -----  I'd love to hear more about it !

Thanks For sharing

Jim     

102

(3 replies, posted in Songwriting)

I was in the mall this morning and heard a man and his wife arguing... and I heard him say " I apologize for nothing" !
Well by the time I got to my car the wheels in my head were already turning... i knew there had to be a song in there somewhere.

On the way home i used my phone to record some thoughts on what I thought was going on in their lives and also jotted down some partial  lines.  Worked on it most of the afternoon and finally came up with this version about midnight.

Thought it came out pretty well, but I am pretty biased smile

this is the song on sound cloud  https://soundcloud.com/james-kenyon-997 … or-nothing

cheers, Jim 

Song : Creek Don't Run By My Cabin No More

Purpose: Awareness regarding Dementia and Alzheimer's Disease

https://youtu.be/wDpykauX4hg 

104

(11 replies, posted in Guitars and accessories)

art nugget - lucky u r     

This is a song I wrote back n 2024, when both my oldest brother and Strummerboy Bill (who most everyone on chordie knew  or knows of) were first dealing with early signs of dementia (a.k.a. Alzheimer's disease) .  It is a very sad, heartbreaking condition, not only for the victim, but also for those who love them.

Bill, if you are reading this - I hope it brings  back some memories of the good times shared here on chordie.

I re-wrote some of it today and recorded it using AI bc I can't sing or play music well enough to do it myself

https://on.soundcloud.com/YnXEavsP4FFO0ytbug 
Here is the link (the lyrics are posted there as well).
Probably the hardest song I've ever written.

106

(1 replies, posted in Songwriting)

I wrote this back when no one posting anything and Easybeat (Brian ) challenged us to write something.  I wrote this song, but kind of rushed it.  I always liked it, but it wasn't quite what I wanted with lyrics.  Re-wrote a bunch of it - and it makes more sense now and flows better.   ( I left the original lyrics  version alone here on chordie )

It's called   WHEN THE MAGNOLIAS BLOOM AGAIN

this is the link to it.

https://soundcloud.com/james-kenyon-997963271/when-th

hope you like it.

107

(19 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

I have no fb acct    ...... so no     

108

(19 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

NO PLACE LIKE IT !

I'd have been out ouf music a long time ago without it, met so many great people !

Thank you chordie!     

109

(19 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

I vote YEAH !     

110

(19 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

just annoying ads / spam     don't open them just X them out (delete or close)     

https://soundcloud.com/james-kenyon-997 … es-tonight

I really like the instruments playing in this - and the change in the lyrics at the end
hope you do too

Jim 

I've been working on this for about two months now. started when  i saw a poster on ETSY that was a Japanese proverb
   Wabi-sabi   
  translation is
Nothing lasts, nothing's finished,
the art of unfinished beauty

I thought it was incredible  saved it to my desktop.
kept looking at it and jotting thoughts down  couple weeks ago wrote some verses

Finally - after being snowed in by a storm   - I had time to complete it.

https://soundcloud.com/james-kenyon-997 … -different

these are the lyrics

Same Heartbeats, Different Paths By Jim Kenyon


(Verse 1)


[Am]We may be different in our colors, [C]places where we were born


[Em]Our language, our customs, [Am]the different clothes we adorn


[Am]How we worship, how we learn, [Dm]how we live, and how we mourn


[Em]Though we walk different roads, [Am]we share the same human storm


(Verse 2)


Some cry in silence, some pray to help their hearts stay strong


Some carry burdens they’ve been holding for far too long


Some reach for hope and mercy when everything feels wrong


Yet our hearts beat just the same — in this world we all belong


(Chorus)


Living through the love and the hope that we keep


Just imperfect souls chasing passions that run deep


In lives where nothing is finished till our final sleep


Same heartbeats, different paths, and promises to keep


(Bridge)



If we could see our lives through another’s eyes


Put fear aside and let compassion be our guide


We might discover things we never knew


Same hearts just trying to make it through




(Final Chorus / Outgo)


Living through the love and the hope that we keep


Just imperfect souls chasing passions that run deep


In lives where nothing is finished till our final sleep


Same heartbeats, different paths, and promises to keep




Same heartbeats, different paths, and promises to keep


Same heartbeats, different paths, and promises to keep


Same heartbeats, different paths, and promises to keep



 

113

(2 replies, posted in Songwriting)

Got talking with Brian (easybeat) about songwriting..... got me thinking about older songs I had written but never followed through with

  Song I dragged this out of the closet and reworked it -  kinda sad.

https://soundcloud.com/james-kenyon-997 … rs-lullaby

114

(3 replies, posted in Songwriting)

OOOOOOH !!! Thats a really good one Joe !     

115

(3 replies, posted in Songwriting)

Scott
I would say ;

Do you just close your eyes, and look within ?     

This is a song I wrote for all the people facing mental issues ( especially teens).
As a teacher and coach, I have seen this way too often in young peoples lives.
Recently i was also exposed to the plight of a couple of soldiers who I also taught years ago, and we discussed the mental issues they had to deal with.

It's a song about just wanting to be happy and be oneself - relieved of these issues. and that there is help out there- so don't be afraid to get it.

  https://soundcloud.com/james-kenyon-997 … -is-for-me 

500 miles by the Proclaimers

"Ohio" by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young     

Richard 
This is a wonderful song - I think it may best vocal of all your songs.     Video component is terrific - loves the fade outs /fade ins.    Bird sounds are an awesome addition as well - such a beautiful place!   
Thanks for sharing,  Jim     

a little more rant... This year, consumers are expected to spend a record $29.1 billion on Valentine's Day
Consumers are expected to spend $2.1 billion on Valentine's Day gifts for their pets as well
also --- American elementary schools go all in and have the kids make or buy cards for all their classmates. (sometimes causes crisis bc some children can't afford to buy new red clothes, gifts for their mates, or something lovely for teacher.)
Key social downsides for children include:

    Emotional Distress and Exclusion: Children who receive fewer cards, or none at all, may experience feelings of rejection, sadness, and anxiety.

   Reinforcement of Social Cliques: Activities can unintentionally emphasize "popular" students, worsening peer exclusion and bullying.
   
Premature Sexualization: Focusing on romantic love can force children to grow up too fast and view peers through a lens of desire rather than friendship.
 
  Socioeconomic Pressure: The expectation to bring gifts or cards can cause stress for families with fewer resources, highlighting gaps in social standing.
 
  Insecurity and Comparison: For older children and teens today , social media amplifies comparisons,  pressures, and extremes of elation and depression.


a little history....

Valentine's Day
originated from a blend of ancient Roman, pagan, and Christian traditions, likely replacing the fertility festival of Lupercalia with a saint's feast day in the 5th century. It honors Saint Valentine, a 3rd-century martyr, and became associated with romantic love in the 14th century, evolving into modern traditions of exchanging tokens of affection.
Key Historical Aspects:

    Roman Roots (Lupercalia): Mid-February was celebrated with the, at times, violent festival of Lupercalia to promote fertility and springtime.
    Saint Valentine: Pope Gelasius I established St. Valentine’s Day in 496 A.D. to replace Lupercalia, honoring a priest likely executed for marrying Christian couples against Emperor Claudius II's orders.
    Romantic Association: The association with romance is often credited to medieval poet Geoffrey Chaucer in the 14th century, rather than the original saint's story.
    Evolution: The day was solidified as a popular, romantic holiday in 17th-century England, later becoming heavily commercialized in the 19th and 20th centuries

Then the Americans had to outdo every one....thank you Hallmark, Walmart, and every restaurant that jacks up the dinner prices to celebrate this beautiful day ! smile !

https://soundcloud.com/james-kenyon-997 … -once-in-a

Since  VD Day has swayed lanes and moved from what was supposed to be a day to share love to the ultimate commercial ploy preying on people's emotions to make them feel guilty, I thought this year, instead of buying flowers,dinner, and jewelry my wife doesn't need and will probably return,  (all of which are ridiculously overpriced  bc they know (especially the guys) will pay whatever they can afford)  I would give her this song.   

Jim

(Sorry about the rant! smile  )

121

(5 replies, posted in Poems)

Pete
That's me most of the time bc I sing so wickedly that nary a soul wants to be near !  smile
While I do get friends to play and sing for me or I  pay for someone to do some of my songs, about 75% are exactly as you describe
with words and sounds that never leave the room. But that's ok with me bc of the reasons you eloquently put in your poem.

Fantastic poem - great insight Pete
Thank you for sharing.

Jim     

122

(3 replies, posted in About Chordie)

Roger

Good to hear from you even if it's for this.  Thanks for getting it working again !


How ya been ?   Still making music ?

Jim     

123

(0 replies, posted in Songwriting)

This morning when I arose at 6:45 am it was -16 at my house.
I poured my self a large cup of coffee and went o my computer
Started to do a crossword puzzle - got bored  so I started reading poetry and came a cross two poems that caught my attention the first was
Go and catch a falling star
By John Donne

the second was
Cups of crimson wine
Mah Laqa Bai
Indian
1768 – 1824

Well  then my wife came downstairs and as I looked her - I thought her lips were really beautiful and red

so it got me thinking about it and her and the poems all kinda mixed together in my head   

so I spent the next 4 hours writing and re writing this song   

Forever Lover by James Kenyon


[G]Have you ever seen a shooting star, [C]racing through the sky


with amazing speed and beauty , it stands out to [D]every eye


but as it speeds through the darkness, it’s flame begins to dim


it knows it can’t go back to yesterday, a different time back then




She had one of those rare smiles, hard to explain or define   


Her lips, radiant beauty, shaded like cups of crimson wine


What once was a raging flame inside , now glows low and slow


A warm and quiet kind of fire,  that only lovers come to know




Chorus


Like a diamond I still see her shine when she walks in the room


I can still feel her passion, like the glow of a midsummer moon


Oh, the years they may roll on and on, but the magic’s still alive


She’ll always be my forever lover, she’s my once-in-a-lifetime




Verse 3


Her eyes still spark mischief, just like they did on our first night



And every year’s a blessing, ‘cause we’re still dancing in the night


the mirror in our home is honest, but it don’t scare me at all


Every line just tells her story, yeah, I’ve loved her through it all





Chorus


Like a diamond I still see her shine when she walks in the room


I can still feel her passion, like the glow of a midsummer moon


Oh, the years they may roll on and on, but the magic’s still alive


She’ll always be my forever lover, she’s my once-in-a-lifetime




Outgo


Time will write its story as the years drift slowly by


Sparkling stars keep racing through the midnight sky


Every moment whispers that she is forever mine


She will always be my forever lover, till the end of time


She will always be my forever lover, till the end of time



124

(2 replies, posted in Songwriting)

This is a song I wrote a while ago - just fooling around using song titles in the lyrics.  Well, I re-wrote it and it morphed into this. When I listened to this - it reminded of Jan, bc she is so kind and it is something she would sing. P.S. it's not country !

Hope you like it !

PEACE !!
Jim
https://soundcloud.com/james-kenyon-997 … rning-dove 

Graham, It was great 10 years ago - still is !!!!