1. |
Some Days Come
04:15
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Some Days Come
When I was a foolish man, I knew not who I should be,
And every time a new wind blew, I’d be further lost at sea.
I couldn’t resist what I did not know, so I surrendered to the ebb and flow,
And rolled around ‘til the waves crashed over me.
When I was a lonely man, I’d never disagree.
Afraid, with every little word I said, I’d lose her company.
And when she’d taken all I had to give, and there was nothing left for me to live,
She walked right out with no apology.
Some days come. Some days go. Some days blow.
They leave you numb. They leave you cold.
They leave you feeling like you’re all alone.
Some days come, and some days go.
Then I became a working man, I never did foresee,
That every time I tried to get ahead, they’d steal another piece of me.
I’d swallow hard and then I’d kiss some ass, as I aspired to reach the middle-class.
Just empty promises and guarantees.
Some days come. Some days go. Some days blow.
They leave you numb. They leave you cold.
They leave you wanting to be left alone.
Some days come, and some days go.
Now that I’m an honest man I’m being true to me.
Just tryin’ to build me a better life out of the debris.
So many wasted days and wasted nights of pleasing everybody else in sight,
From now on I’m gonna do what’s right for me.
I’m movin’ on, and I’m gonna do what’s right for me.
Now some days hum. Some days flow and some days glow.
When they’re done, I let them go.
I face the world on terms that are my own.
Now some days come… and I let them go.
Some days come… and I let them go.
Some days come… I let them go.
© Dave Semple – 9 November 2017
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2. |
No One
03:16
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No One
No one wants to hold your hand.
No one lives to be your man.
No one shares your bed and keeps you warm each night.
And no one’s always on your side.
No one loves the way you dance,
Or how you leave nothing to chance.
No one wants to share the dark side of the moon with you.
And no one sees the best in you.
Oh, there is no one. No one’s just right for you.
Oh, you love no one, and no one, no one… loves you, too.
No one sings to you their songs.
And no one’s there when things go wrong.
No one’s writing poems to show their heart is true to you.
And no one loves you like I do.
Oh, I am no one. I am no one in this world.
Oh, I am no one. I am no one… I am no one… without you.
No one loves to hold your hand.
No one lives to be your man.
No one shares your bed and keeps you warm each night.
And no one’s always by your side.
Oh, I am no one. I am no one… I am no one… without you.
Without you, I am no one.
© Dave Semple – 7 February 2018
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3. |
Broken
04:25
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Broken
Don’t you see that we’re all broken?
No one feels like they belong.
We all deny it, and we do our best to try and fight it,
But maybe we’re all wrong.
A puzzle piece that won’t fit in. The race you never lose or win.
Alone amidst a crowded room.
The chord that just will not resolve. Abandoned outside of the wall,
When no one really lives within.
Don’t you see that we’re all broken?
They say that’s how the light shines through.
If you must fill those cracks in order to feel whole, you have the choice,
To fill them all with lead… or with gold.
Hope is such a fragile thing: from soaring bird, to fractured wing.
The depth of trust defines the wound.
And when our own damn thoughts betray, our lack of faith gets in the way.
Today will wait until tomorrow.
Every heart has once been broken.
They need to break so they can heal.
It’s when we lose that we appreciate the love we once had
So we can truly feel.
Everyone doubts. Everyone lies.
Not all our scars are on the outside.
We’re all broken up. We’ve all broken down.
Locked in and shut out by the trials of life.
We are all turned around.
Just a voice with no sound.
Don’t you see that we’re all broken?
They say that’s how the light shines through.
If you must fill those cracks in order to feel whole, you have the choice,
To fill them all with lead… or with gold.
With lead or with gold.
Everyone’s broken.
© Dave Semple – 24 April 2018
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4. |
Caffeine and Nicotine
03:38
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Caffeine and Nicotine
It’s six a.m. Another dreary day.
I ain’t got time to chase these blues away.
I need me a remedy of such simplicity,
To get me on my feet and out the door.
Well I know just what to do. You see, I’ve learned me a thing or two.
I’ve done it all a thousand times before.
I’ve gotta get me some caffeine, and a little hit of nicotine,
It’s all part of the routine to get me on my way.
Caffeine and nicotine have always been so good to me.
Oh, I know just what you’re gonna say.
Well, they haven’t killed me yet,
And you cannot forget:
We’ll all be dead someday.
Coffee and cigarettes never let me down.
Caffeine and nicotine have yet to do me wrong.
When I need a break from my workin’ day,
I slip outside with a coffee in my hand.
I poured me another cup, and I’ll spark up another butt,
To break out of the rut and get me through the day.
Coffee and cigarettes never let me down.
Caffeine and nicotine have yet to do me wrong.
Caffeine and nicotine have always been so good to me.
Oh, I know what you’re gonna say.
Well, they haven’t killed me yet,
And you cannot forget,
We’ll all be dead someday.
When I reach the end of a… another crazy day,
I just need time to kick back and relax,
So, I’ll pour me another cup,
And I’ll spark up another butt,
And I’ll say, “What the fuck,
We’ll all be dead someday.”
© Dave Semple – 26 August 2018
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5. |
Oleana
05:18
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Oleana
Oleana pours her coffee, morning sunbeams paint the floor,
And she gazes out her window wanting more.
She drinks her coffee bitter. She’d prefer a cup of tea.
But to give in to temptation never gets her anywhere,
So, she drinks the bitter coffee and forgoes the cup of tea.
She is searching for tomorrow out her window.
Oleana dreams of dancing but she has no sense of time.
She is swaying to the rhythms in her mind.
Her hair keeps changing colour, with her eyes forever green.
She is cherishing the memories of the things she’s never seen,
And her hair keeps changing colour ‘til she’s who she’s meant to be.
She is dancing ‘cross the kitchen without moving.
Oh, Oleana. Oh, Oleana.
Oh, Oleana. Oh, Oleana.
Oleana’s in the city, but it’s not where she belongs.
She should live beside the mountains or the sea.
She came here seeking something, that she thought would be worthwhile.
But it slipped right through her fingers, brushing hair out of her eyes.
So, she’ll climb upon the mountains she has carried on her back,
She will wash away her worries in the ocean waves of time.
Oh, Oleana. Oh, Oleana.
Oleana, in the darkness, is a light that’s shining through.
She’s a dream you can’t remember in the morning.
She seduces without knowing as she smiles, then turns away.
She wonders where she is, where she’s been, and where she’s going.
Oh, Oleana. Oh, Oleana.
Oh, Oleana. Oh, Oleana.
Oleana puts the kettle on and waits for it steam.
She will take a chance and pour a cup of tea.
© Dave Semple – 28 March 2018
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6. |
Liars and Fools
02:57
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Liars and Fools
When it rains, it rains. When it pours, it pours,
And the hurricane lands upon your shores.
When the darkness comes, stealing all your light,
You can’t decide: fight or flight.
The rain ain’t gonna hurt you,
And the darkness will yield as it bleeds into the dawn.
When you lose, you lose. You can never win,
And you see no point to begin again.
When you can’t keep up with the world you know,
You can’t decide: stay or go.
When you lose, that’s when you’re learning,
This world never plays by the rules,
Just liars and fools.
‘Cause the rain keeps falling down, down, down.
And the world is spinning round and round.
What was lost will soon be found, found, found,
Keep your head in the clouds and your feet on the ground.
When you fall, you fall, then, you fall again,
And yet, every time, you get back up, my friend.
When the road’s too long, and you’re so damn tired,
Don’t forget: you just walked through the fire.
You’re still here, a true survivor.
And you won’t let your heart become cruel,
Like the liars and fools.
‘Cause the rain will keep falling down, down, down.
And the world will keep spinning round and round.
What was lost will soon be found, found, found,
Keep your head in the clouds and your feet on the ground.
Keep your head in the clouds and your feet firmly on the ground.
© Dave Semple - 10 October 2018
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7. |
Say My Name
03:47
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Say My Name
Winter winds are whistling through the skies of autumn grey.
Leaves have fallen like the sheets upon the bed.
Soon the snow will blanket them as the daylight slips away.
There are words unsaid.
Caught up in my separate world, I admit the fault is mine.
We get lost, then connect when time allows.
But in between those moments you are always on my mind.
There is only now. Only Now.
Say my name. Just say my name.
It sings the sweetest music as it dances off your tongue,
Just say my name.
We can’t stop the hands from moving, spinning circles ‘cross its face.
But we can steal ourselves away for just a day
Lock the door, pull the curtains, disappear without a trace.
Push the world away. We can push the world away
Say my name. Just say my name.
It makes my body tremble every time you close your eyes,
And say my name.
(Say my name) I will say your name. (Say my name) I will say your name.
It’s a flame to warm the winter winds. It’s the tingle on my lips.
And the sound reminds me of your skin beneath my fingertips,
When I say your name.
(I’ll say your name.) Just say my name.
(I’ll say your name.) Just say my name.
It sings the sweetest music as it dances off your tongue,
It makes my body tremble every time that you’re the one
To say my name.
Winter winds are whispering through the skies of autumn grey.
Leaves have fallen like the sheets upon the bed.
I say your name.
© Dave Semple – 18 November 2018
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8. |
Standing Out In The Rain
04:02
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Standing Out in the Rain
Locked out of the house, been tryin’ to get in.
There’s a party goin’ on and I think I’d fit right in.
Lookin’ through the glass. There are faces that I know.
Is someone up above lookin’ down below?
All I really want is to be part of the show.
Been knocking on the door. Do they even know I’m here?
Wish I had a key that could get me anywhere.
Even just a way to get from here to there.
Standing out in the rain, wondering what to do,
Tryin’ to make my break into a world I wish I knew.
Standing out in the rain. I need someone to let me in.
Someone to let me in.
The music’s playing loud. I can feel it through the wall.
It’s reaching out to me and I can hear it call.
But the rain is coming down. I am soaking to the skin.
Been out here far too long. Won’t you let me in.
Won’t someone let me in?
Standing out in the rain, wondering what to do,
Tryin’ to find my way, but I haven’t got a clue.
Standing out in the rain. I need someone to let me in.
Someone to open the door.
Just a little crack to get my foot inside. That’s all I need.
I can do the rest. Just put me to the test. I’ll only give my best,
To see what I can be.
Standing out in the rain, wondering what to do.
I keep tryin’ to go around when the only way is through.
Standing out in the rain. I need someone to let me in.
Standing out in the rain, lookin’ up to the sky,
Nowhere else to go and all I’ve got is time.
Standing outside the door, hoping to get inside.
Someday it’ll open wide.
© Dave Semple – 29 November 2018
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9. |
Head Back Home
05:06
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Head Back Home
I took my pack and left the city. I wasn’t sure what I would find.
In a clearing in the wilderness: a sacred place to ease my mind.
The grandmothers and grandfathers were trying to whisper in my ear.
With beads of sweat cascading down by back, too rapt with weariness to hear.
Wey yai-a. Wey yai yo-a.
Wey yai-a. Wey hi-yo-way.
I went into the woods a spirit, so I could let my body heal,
When I let go of my consciousness, the forest’s energy revealed.
The trees were swaying up above me together sharing the sunshine.
Gave of themselves to feed and comfort me. Below, their fingers intertwined.
Wey yai-a. Wey yai yo-a. Wey yai-a. Wey hi-yo-way.
Wey yai-a. Wey yai yo-a. Wey yai-a. Wey hi-yo-way.
Nookomis moon, she was shining, peaking out between the clouds,
Telling me, “It’s time to head back home,” without word and without sound.
Wey yai-a. Wey yai yo-a.
It is time to head back home.
Wey yai-a. Wey yai-a. Wey yai-a. Wey yai-a.
Wey hi-yo-way.
Wey yai-a. Wey yai yo-a.
Where you need to be is home.
© Dave Semple – 11 June 2018
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10. |
Three Chord Song
04:11
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Three Chord Song
Thirty years of guitar playin’, tryin’ to find the words to say and
Searching for the perfect imagery.
People say, “You write so heavy. You should really lighten up, already.”
I’ve never been much for frivolity.
This time I will keep it simple and play it in a faster tempo.
The first verse really gets things going. The second builds to help it flow and
Matches all the rhythms of the first,
Then it offers up a few examples, connecting all the oranges to the apples
And hinting at the theme that’s meant to be.
The big reveal’s just waiting for us, set up by a sweet pre-chorus…
I thought I’d write you a three-chord song.
A three-chord song. Just a three-chord song, so you can sing along.
A three-chord song. A three-chord song. Just a three-chord song
That you can sing along.
The third verse starts to get redundant. All the good stuff has been said and done and
All it’s tryin’ to do is buy some time,
So I’ll head back to that sweet pre-chorus. All the good stuff’s just waiting for us…
In this three-chord song. A three-chord song. Just a three-chord song
That you can sing along.
I really must apologize. I had to change things up.
By throwing in this minor chord to get out of the rut.
This is called “the bridge”, you see. It’s different, but the same.
Breaking up monotony is really… its only aim.
In this three-chord song. A three-chord song. Just a three-chord song
That you can sing along.
Three-chord song. A three-chord song. Just a three-chord song
That you can sing along.
Capo 2 and it’s
G – C – G. C – G – D. G – D – C, so you can play along.
Gotta have a key change.
Three-chord song. A three-chord song. Just a three-chord song.
Did you sing along?
© Dave Semple – 6 July 2018
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11. |
Scattered On The Wind
03:58
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Scattered on the Wind
Half a life has come and gone, mistakes along the way,
And every time I’ve fallen down, a lesson learned that day.
I don’t begrudge a single one. They’ve made me who I am.
Now I give them to those come after me in the hopes of handing down.
And all the things that I have learned, I’ll scatter on the wind.
For if they fall on fertile ground, a seedling can begin.
A sheep that calls itself a sheep is probably a wolf,
Their reputation’s wrongly earned - they’re just misunderstood.
We’re all misunderstood.
East is east and west is west and n’er the twain shall meet,
Unless you stand on frozen ground, either pole beneath your feet.
And all the things that I have learned, I scatter on the wind.
If those seedlings thrive and grow, a forest can begin.
There is no black and white; shades of grey,
Between the words and lessons learned,
Of what we leave behind,
One seedling at a time.
A rose by any other name will surely smell as sweet,
But always there’s a price to pay, beware the thorns beneath.
There are always thorns beneath.
Like a butterfly that flutters by, we have to go through change.
To be what we are meant to be, we can’t always remain the same.
Of all the lessons I have learned and scattered on the wind,
The most important one of all:
There are things that have to end… so others can begin.
© Dave Semple – 29 October 2017
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12. |
Do Not Go Lightly
04:11
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Do Not Go Lightly
A photograph: a frozen smile, a forgotten memory.
That look in his eye: a hunger inside to be something more.
Oh, he had dreams, he had conviction, and he had fire that burned in his soul.
You should have seen him when he was young and inspired.
Oh, he was driven by an idealistic fire.
Where did it go? Lost in transition, an altered design through the passage of time.
He used to be a dreamer, but those dreams all faded to grey.
Now he says he’s searching for the colours so he can believe in dreaming again.
And to this end, do not go lightly... my old friend.
Circumstance, decisions made, all practical, logical.
He put it behind him only to find that his mind
Keeps wandering back to the beginning. Wanting to try one more time.
So, I look in his eyes, that are mine, and I struggle to say:
When you think you’re not good enough,
You pull back before the going gets tough.
And now you find yourself wondering why.
Is it better to fail, as they say, than to never have tried?
You see, I used to be a dreamer, but my dreams all faded away.
Now I’m… I’m tryin’ to light the fire so I can be a dreamer again.
And to this end, I will not go lightly.
I cannot afford… to go lightly.
No, I will not go… I will not go lightly… this time.
© Dave Semple – 9 January 2018
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Dave Semple London, Ontario
Born in Montreal and raised in Noranda, Quebec, Dave is a graduate of the University of Windsor and has lived the last 30 years in London, Ontario as an educator, musician, actor, director, songwriter, and novelist. Playing live with just a guitar is THE BEST, but Dave loves spending time in his studio filling out the sound layers. Story is everything. ... more
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