If you haven’t visited sixstr stories in a while, this is what’s been going on. 

(If you have, you can skip this and scroll right on down to the songs on Side 2.)

There Are (These Songs, Too) is a collection of 45 songs.

Covering the years 1976 – 2026, I wrote these songs before, during and after putting together my three “officially” released albums: There Are (Songs To Be Sung), Anytime and Five Songs.

These acoustic-guitar-and-vocals (with the occasional harmonica) performances were captured in my home studio (with two exceptions), direct-to-two-track, with no overdubs, splicing, editing or other electronic shenanigans.

I’ve chosen to present this collection in nine, five song “Sides.” (I guess you could call this my “box set.”) The song sequence is chronological, by year of initial composition. Any songs that were subject to a re-write and/or re-recorded at a later date are so noted.

Several of these recordings, it will also be noted, have been previously released here on sixstr stories.

Most are available here for the first time.

So, here we go…

Track 6: “Time For A Bath”

When my kids were little, some things went easier with a song. Years later, I was thrilled when I learned that my daughter had started singing this one to my grandson.

Time For A Bath

Oh, it’s time for a bath
Time to get all clean
Scrub your face, your tummy and toes
Your elbows, ears and knees
Grab the towel and soap
It’s time to splash and play
Rub-a-dub-dub, jump right in the tub
It’s time for a bath today

This morning at breakfast
Your got oatmeal on your chin
The peanut butter sandwich you had for lunch
Barely made it into your mouth
And then, tonight at supper
Your got your elbows in the soup
With all the clothes that fill your drawers
Why must you wear your food?

Oh, it’s time for a bath…

Today has been a great one
Filled right up with fun
Dancing and singing and digging and swinging
Running all around and laughing in the sun
But now the day is over
It’s time to come inside
And try to turn this dirty little mess
Back into my child

Oh, it’s time for a bath…


1986

Track 7: “Love Song Lately”

I’ve always felt that the “feel” of this song is quite different from just about any of my other songs. That’s probably why it’s always been a fun one to play!

Love Song Lately

I don’t know why I haven’t written you a love song lately
Don’t have to tell you that things have been kind of crazy
Ah, but that’s a pretty lame excuse
You say you know the way I feel
But that doesn’t mean that 
I can let myself get lazy
Aw, no

I used to wonder where I’d be if I hadn’t met you
As if I didn’t know that I was meant to
See your smile
Well, I want you to rest assured
That in my eyes you’re still my dream come true
What can I say?
Well, I love you

I don’t know why I haven’t written you a love song lately
All of the old ones are probably driving you crazy
So, here’s a little something new
Every love has its ups and downs
But the one we’ve found has 
Never ceased to be amazing
Oh, yes, say it again
I love you.

I don’t know why I haven’t written you a love song lately
Can’t quite figure it out
I don’t know why I haven’t written you a love song lately
Maybe ‘cause you been away
Love song lately
Love song lately
Love song lately
Welcome home.


1987

Track 8: “Paying Attention”

Getting stopped by the police for speeding while on my way to a gig only happened to me once. Luckily, I got off that night with just a warning. The next day I got lucky again when I wrote the first verse and chorus of this song.

Paying Attention

Early evening 
Mid-December
Running late
Just like usual
Blue lights flashing
Caught red-handed
Give up the green
You got no excuse

Come the morning
Sunshine and coffee
Start thinking maybe
You got lucky
Heed the warning
Go carefully
You got responsibilities

Ah, you better start paying attention
Where you’re going
What you’re doing
Didn’t anybody mention that
Life has a habit
The nasty habit of
Taking advantage
Of a daydreaming fool

See that woman
Cross the table
She’s the one
She’s your one and only
Don’t be taking 
Her for granted
She didn’t come with any guarantees

Ah, you better start paying attention…

Kids are growing
Before you know it
They’ll be telling you
Right where it’s at
Give them time and
Understanding
You don’t get a second chance

Ah, you better start paying attention…

Ah, you better start paying attention…

Oh, you better start paying attention
You better start paying attention
Yes, you better start paying attention
Don’t you think you better start paying attention.


1989

Track 9: “100 Watts Of Light”

There is a joke: “How many folksingers does it take to change a lightbulb?” Answer: “Four. One to change the lightbulb and three to sing a song about how good the old lightbulb was.” This is what I came up with when I tried to write that song.

100 Watts of Light

When I was a boy
The light in the hall burned out
Times back then were pretty hard
So, we tried to do without
We fumbled and we stumbled
But when Billy fell down the stairs
Ma and Pa decided
It was time to make repairs.

So, Papa took the cow
And he went to the hardware store 
He came back with the biggest bulb
We’d ever seen before

It was a hundred watts of light
One hundred watts of light
It shown our way through many a day
And every cold dark night
A hundred watts of light
One hundred watts of light
There’ll never be another
Like those hundred watts of light.

We danced around that hallway
Billy clapped his hands
The hardware man he promised us
That bulb was built to last
It hung there like a beacon
Burned like a hundred suns
It showed us things we’d never seen
It made our family one.

Oh, a hundred watts of light…

Well, just last week I noticed
That the light was growing dim
And this morning when I flicked the switch
I was in the dark again
Ah but, times are going better now
I changed it right away
But in the spirit of conservation
I put a sixty in its place

It was a hundred watts of light
One hundred watts of light
It shown our way through many a day
And every cold dark night
A hundred watts of light
One hundred watts of light
There’ll never be another
Like those hundred watts of light.


1989

Track 10: “Candles”

Yes. In 1990, I wrote myself a birthday song. In 2022, I gave it a better second verse and cut this new recording.

Candles

I used to have a moustache
I used to have great big sideburns, too
I used to wear my hair long enough
To tie it in a pony tail.
But those days are gone
They only come back now in my dreams
And I don’t need anyone to tell me
What it all means.

Just as long as I keep waking up
As long as my heart still keeps the beat
As long as this song singing in my soul
Still sounds so sweet.
Don’t you know that I don’t really care
How many candles it takes
As far as I’m concerned
The more I’ve got to burn
The more of a reason I’ve got to celebrate.

Well, I used to have a neighbor
Just before she turned twenty-nine
She woke me up in the middle of the night
With her screaming and her crying.
Well, I’ve never understood
Making such a big to-do
And one year later, I was sure glad
That neighbor had moved.

Just as long as I keep waking up…

There’s a lot of mysteries I’ll never unravel
Words I’ll never be sure how to spell
For all of my questions and all of my travels
The only secret that I want to know is the one
That only tomorrow can tell

So, just as long as I wake up
As long as my heart still keeps the beat
As long as this song singing in my soul
Still sounds so sweet.
Don’t you know that I don’t really care
How many candles it takes
As far as I’m concerned
The more I’ve got to burn
The more of a reason I’ve got to celebrate.

Yes, I’m gonna celebrate
Happy Birthday, to me!
Oh, I’m gonna celebrate.


1990/2022

“Candles” was previously released (with the original 2nd verse) here on sixstr stories on August 8, 2010, in the post: “On This Day… me.”

There you have it! As always, I hope you enjoyed the songs on Side 2. Stay tuned for Side 1!