zen cowboy records

Song by Song

Affected By The Moon

"Affected By The Moon" is a shuffle in Gypsy Minor I wrote while playing on the Pearl Street Mall in Boulder CO with my fiddle player. When I lived in Amsterdam, I met a Dutch woman named Mara in little French cafe and we 'ran away' together for a weekend on the Isomeer where we found some peace and joy among the shambles of our separate lives.

"97 Hillside Road" is a ballad I wrote after moving back into the house across the street from where I met one of my most beloved friends. Ten years made many memories and that house was full of the most romantic ones. I wrote over 20 verses, but fortunately only kept 5 of them.

"Blue Train" is a pop song by my friend Tom Kimmel and, to me, the song's about the sadness of losing a love, and all the dreams that came with her.

"If Not Now" was written in Mexico where the Spirit of Manana was staring down my 'Type A' personality, and that laid-back spirit was just what I needed. I'd been working so hard that I wasn't happy unless I was miserable, and I hadn't written a song in a year. The first week there I didn't wake up each day until I was tired of sleeping, and the second week, I finally began to write, writing several of the songs on this record. "Outlaw's Dream" is a Jack Williams song and, to me, it's about the Imposter Syndrome. Isolation can enhance the crazier thoughts we have about ourselves . . . I should know. You have to be alone to write.

"Inside Of My Face" is pure 'folk noir'. Inspired by meditation, and a bumper sticker given me, 'Don't believe everything you think', it was clear that the mind is the perfect tool for calculation, storage and recall. However, as a positive support for accomplishment, thinking is subject to the whims of one's moods, and needs 'direction' from a Higher Voice.

"Why Pretend" is a Tom Kimmel song that poses the question, why pretend to be over someone when you're not even close.

"Laurie Ann" is a little rock number about a former girlfriend from Shreveport. I was putty in her hands, and I think we were in love with her brilliance, and my potential.

"Romancing The Moment" is a 40's style addressing 'forever'. Suffering exists in the future and the past, and joy is more likely to be found in the present, I wrote this to remind myself that no matter how things are looking, if I don't fit into another's changes, I'm soon to become a part of their history.

"I Love You Back" was always my sweetheart's reply to 'I love you', and in this song I point out some of her more adorable qualities and how I was affected by them.

"Think I'll Go To Texas" is a roadhouse rock-invitation to 'amp-up' and hit the road for wider horizons, greener pastures and the old geographical cure.

"Cowboy's Christmas Dream" is a city kid's dream that he'll be a cowboy if only he can get a pony from Santa, which he plans to hide in his treehouse and ride in the park. I wrote the music around the opening changes that are straight out of the old celluloid cowboy songs of the 50's.

"Spank" is a solo guitar instrumental I wrote with the idea of including some of the rifs from big band horn arrangements. When I play solo I always think, fire the band and hire the thumb.

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