CliffSongs 4 You

Finally got this song recorded.  This is the true story of my spiritual journey and what it has meant to me.  It is definitely written in a tongue and cheek fashion, because, as I say at my gigs, ” Some of you may have attained that level of enlightenment you have dreamed of………this song is for the rest of us!”

After you listen to my story, please post yours.  Lets trade, share, laugh and cry together. Being Human is such an amazing thing.  I’d love to learn what your journey’s been like.

I had alot of help on this one.  Richard Mekedeci played keyboards, David Batts played bass and mandolin, Kathy Milam sang back-ups and Charlie Shepard loaned me the flutes I used to create the solos.  All folks dear to my heart.

So, please listen, vote and comment.  I really enjoy this one.  I know you will, too!

Click here to listen->Being Human

What is it in our day and age to be a way shower?  Is it just preaching the gospel?  Is it telling others they must be saved?  I believe it’s walking our talk even more than talking our talk.  When frustrated by a service you’re supposed to be receiving, how do you respond to the customer service person?  Even if your anger is justified, are you standing for what you say you believe in that moment?

It occurs to me the answer is no, at least for me.  Since I believe that I, as an expression of God, create my life, since I believe in the love that Christ spoke of, it is up to me in that moment of frustration to take responsibility for the reality I have created and perceive and just love the person on the other end.  Transformation does not rectify, it transmutes, but transformation can only occur if I shift.  Simple, but not yet easy for me.

In relationship, I have said, “Why do I always have to shift first?”.  And yet, isn’t that exactly what I want? The chance to shift as quickly as possible to the God-being I proffess to be, instead of stuck in whatever dark emotion has taken me over.  I need to relish the opportunity to shift first, as my God-given right and pleasure, because once I’ve shifted, I feel so much better and wonder what all the fuss was about.

I’ve been thinking about this story ever since I first read it in 5th grade. It’s called “The Gift of the Magi”, written by O Henry. So, when I came up with the opening riff, which ran so perfectly into the hook, I knew this was the time to translate that story into song.  My wife was a huge help and co-writer on bringing this song to fruition.

Some folks think of this as a Christmas story, some, idyllic love. To me, it goes way beyond both of those. It represents the best in all of us, rising above the petty, finding beauty, wonder and joy no matter what the situation. I believe this story represents what we all strive for in our lives: living that truth that love is all that really matters.

Some may say this is a song of sacrifice, but, I don’t see it that way, because, by the end of the story, both have been lifted by their efforts, no one has lost anything; true giving, beyond what we see in our normal way of perceiving the world. But, that’s my take on it. I look forward to reading yours.

I kept the instrumentation sparse on this, so nothing gets in the way of the story. Click here to listen:Love Is All That Matters.

As a side note, I’ve been told this story was written in Asheville. I’m likin’ that the song that honors it was written here, too.

This song was inspired by our 2008 presidential election. Watching all those folks on TV showing so much excitement; feeling my own. I knew we had moved into a new millennium for the first time.

When Roger Bannister ran an under 4 minute mile in 1954, no one thought that was possible either.

I love being in my 50’s and still finding wonder and new things to get excited about. Life for me is as fresh as ever and for that I am very grateful.

I wanted to put down in song that wonderful saying that only comes out at extraordinary times, “Unbelievable”, in the hopes of inspiring others to continue their quest for whatever it is that seems beyond them.

Whoever you are, keep going, don’t quit, you’re the ones that lead us all into a greater reality, raising the bar, bringing to life something that never existed before and that is a beautiful thing worth living for.

I rocked this one. Listen here: Unbelievable and enjoy! After you enjoy, you can purchase and download it here:Purchase My Music

Blessings;
Cliff

It’s that time of year again, so, for all you folks who have enjoyed and been inspired by my music over the years, I’ve cut my prices to make it easier for you to share it with family and friends. Let others hear how beautiful and wonderful they are in song. Let others dance to their own magnificent spiritual rhythm.

just click here: Special Gifts 4 You

and you’ll be taken to a page where I’ve made it as easy as I could think of for you to give a gift worth giving. If anyone has any ideas on how I can make it even easier, please let me know.

Blessings and Happy Holidays!!
Cliff

This song was inspired by Rev. James Lockard, who was a guest speaker at the Center for Creative Living in Asheville, NC while I was the guest musician. He said and I paraphrase, it is our nature to want more because we are part of an ever expanding universe.

Rev. Jim went on to say the problem is we interpret those feeling as wanting more stuff, instead of recognizing that we are more; it is us who are expanding with the universe.

I love that concept and feel it deeply within me. So, i wrote a song about it.

The instrumentation on this one is a little different for me. Another concept I really like is that we, as United States citizens, are not alone in the world, but part of a larger global picture. As such, I wanted to expand my understanding of music from other locales and incorporate those instruments that originated from those places. I love the idea of embracing the world as a whole and expressing my love of this world through my music.

So, you’re gonna hear some instruments you might not have heard before, along with those you have. My intention is to do more and more of that with each new song. My wife, Kathy, and I are enjoying listening to music from around the world, something neither of us have ever done before. It’s exciting to open to the possibilities that lie ahead in this new way of thinking about music and it’s expression. Click here:“More”; enjoy, vote and, please leave me feedback. I’m looking forward to reading what you think of this new direction of mine. Like it or not, I’d like to know.

I was up visiting the in-laws with my wife for Christmas. On this particular morning, The news got turned on the TV in our hotel room. Not sure how that happened as Kat and I never watch the news; some divine intervention, I’m sure.

It was a report on Katrina victims. A family; mom, dad and 2 kids were held up in their home when the storm hit. The roof caved in on top of them all. The shots of the devastated home, in fact the whole block, were enough to make you cry. The good news was the whole family escaped the wreckage unscathed.

A TV news reporter is interviewing the dad. He asks, “What are you going to do now that you’ve lost everything?” The dad answered, “I’ve lost nothing, because my family is safe.” That statement inspired this song. In fact, I pulled out my guitar and started writing right then and there.

I’d like to say I knocked it out that day, but, the truth is I wrote and re-wrote and re-wrote that song for over 2 months before I got it to it’s present form. One of the last lines to fall into place was the first line of the chorus, “Times Like This humble me..” The truth of that statement left me feeling quite vulnerable, so, I’m not surprised it took so long for me to get it.

Continuing on the sound quality and style of “Feels Like A Minute”, I kept the acoustic guitar and drums up front. I’m particularly fond of the bass line throughout and how it pulls the song through it’s changes. My friend, Shamora Duffie played piano, my wife, Kat, is singing the back up harmony.

You can listen here:Times Like This (Rate This Song). Enjoy! I look forward to your comments.

This is the oldest song I still play. 31 years ago, I was invited to a psychic’s house. Instead of predicting our future, she had us write as fast as we could, without thinking about what we were saying. She would help us pose questions, and keep us writing faster and faster until we got out of our own way and could feel our pens being guided by a higher source. I now know this to be stream-of-consciousness writing, which I have used many, many times through the years.

I lived just north of the Bay area in California at the time. Back then, I didn’t have a clue about any of this stuff, and believed in it far less. Still, I went with a very pretty woman, so, i went along with what was happening.

I had asked about furthering my music career and what was up for me to do next. For quite a while, I wrote only gibberish, but at some point, I did feel something outside my own conscious mind take over. I was told to fast for 10 days, then go sit on Mt. Shasta (a place I had never been) and I’d be given 3 songs.

I got to tell you, it was very freaky. the woman I was with insisted I do it, said she’d go with me. Okay, it was the, “she’d go with me”, part that got me to do it. I did say she was pretty and I was in love.

So, I fasted for 10 days, we drove up to Mt. Shasta and walked up the mountain. We arrived at sun up and started meditating. While the sun was still pretty low in the sky, I heard a voice say, “Here is the first song.” The voice sang as I wrote down and played on my guitar what I heard. That song was called “I’m Glad To Be Alive”.

The sun was straight overhead when the voice came again and gave me the second song called “I’m Free To Be”. At sunset, I heard “I Am Beautiful”.

It really wasn’t until I started attending church, about 10 years ago, that I started thinking about that day and those songs. In between, I got lost in the world of sex, drugs and rock and roll, till I found myself in the hospital, almost dead. I guess i had to go through all that to become the person I am today. Rediscovering that higher voice, a higher vision and a spiritual life has been my blessing and saving grace.

“I Am Beautiful, I Am Light, In Everything I do, My Love Shines Bright”. This is the vision of myself I carry today, even if it took 31 years to realize it. Please listen to the new version and compare it to the original here:I Am Beautiful.

The differences in the 2 versions: I updated the drums, beefed up the vocals and acoustic guitar and shortened it. Looking forward to seeing what you think.

Thanks so much for being a part of my journey and allowing me to be a part of yours.
Blessings;
Cliff

Okay, I got a brand new song for folks to listen to.  I want to thank those who have commented and or voted on “Right Now”.  I so appreciate all the feedback.  It’s great fun learning what you’re thinking.  You can see the voting results at Right Now Results .  If this is your first time to my site, you can vote on which version of “Right Now” is better at Vote on Right Now.  Now, on to the new song:

I was freakin’ out about getting older.  Especially after visiting my mom.  Actually, my mom inspired this song. She’s in her 70’s.  One day said to me, “I can’t believe over 70 years have gone by.  Feels like a minute.”  Gave me the jitters thinking about it.  Thus, this song was born.

It’s funny how many of my songs have been inspired by my upset as a way of calming myself down.  This song is no exception.  The style is a little different from what you might be used to from me.  I got a little edgy here.  It was really fun to record.  My wife, Kat, and I did the background vocals and my buddy, Don, played the harmonica.  Listen here at Feels Like A Minute.  You’ll be helping me decide whether this goes on the next CD or not.  Listen, Vote and Enjoy!

This was the first inspirational song I’d written in over 20 years. I’d just started going to church, felt inspired to write something to cheer myself up. I still remember the first time the church band played it. Everyone leaped out of their chairs. Definitely inspired me to write more along these same lines. The most important thing to me was to keep anything I wrote real to my experience.

So, in remixing this one: I switched out the drum machine for real drums, got rid of the strings and beefed up the acoustic guitar and piano. Listen to both and vote here :Vote on Right Now. After you vote you’ll get to download the new version for FREE.

I hope you’ll take the time to come back here to comment as well. I look forward to reading what you have to say.

Blessings;

Cliff