Category: music

More Songs and Videos added!

Yup, more songs and videos added. Just like the title says. Scattered throughout the site for your listening and viewing pleasure. Or not. You decide.

Found a live performance of just me playing an acoustic at Kern River singing “I Lika my Fishies” – heck, that’s gotta stun the crowd of disbelievers thinking I had never gone camping before! In fact, I found a whole dang camping video which I plan on posting (down the trail).

I am hard at work, when time permits of course, cataloging old tunes and videos to find items that have made it through the ides of time. Sadly, not all them have. 

Enjoy the day!

Stephen Wolfe Smith and I

Well, the original title of this post was “no promises” – the last of three tunes that Stephen and I worked on together almost 30 years ago. Somehow, I realized that turning my post into a static page would make the songs easier to find and access.

That’s what I love about word press. Some clever programmer had done jus that. The plugin is called “Post Type Switcher” and it works! Very easy to use and takes the tedium out of even trying to do it by hand.  Nice work programmer person!

So, now at the top of my screen or in the menu section is a new page called “no promises”.

Clever? Yep. I like to think so. (smile)

 

 

Cat-Dog

 

Had a little time on my hands this morning…

Proves the “idle hands – devils playground” theory. (smile)

…the second song

Just a Dream.

The second song from almost 30 years ago I wrote/played and Stephen Wolfe Smith sang. Adding lyrics and making the videos have been a blast! And Stephen poured his heart into every song we did together and it shows in his emotion, nuances and beliefs he held true to his heart.

Me, being the romantic song writer. Who would ever have pictured that? Not my dogs. Or my neighbors. Maybe my therapist. At least if I had one. At the time, I was too poor. Lived on Nestles Quik chocolate milk and BBQ potato chips I would get from 7/11.

Ah, the good days…(smile)

One song to go in our trilogy of recordings. The next one, well, is not romantic. I know, right? You were thinking that’s all I know how to write! Surprise! Until then…

 

how can I…

A friend posted a beautiful poem on a messenger group I belong to earlier today. Which kinda reminded me of a song I had written about 30 years ago. Seems to me I wrote quite a few songs during that Renaissance period in my life. Mostly romantic ones for some strange reason (hopeless romantic that I am…smile). So tonight, I dusted it off, downloaded some stock videos from various royalty free sites, (which I will be giving credit at the end of the video when I finish it later) and spent the last few hours making another lyric video.  For now, it’s a watchable rough draft.

how can I…   (c) jascar music ascap

 

The poem copied below that started me down this road.

If I could Catch a Rainbow
by: Sandra Lewis Pringle

If I could catch a rainbow
I would do it just for you
and share with you its beauty
On the days you're feeling blue.

If I could build a mountain
You could call your very own
A place to find serenity
A place to be alone.

If I could take your troubles
I would toss them in the sea
But all these things I'm finding
are impossible for me.

I cannot build a mountain
Or catch a rainbow fair
But let me be what I know best-
A friend who's always there.

 

always love me

Many years ago during the dark ages… well not that long ago, more like during my early recording days, I met this guy. His name was Stephen Wolfe Smith. He was an actor and a singer. At least that was my interaction with him.

I was writing songs at a breakneck speed and really not able to sing most of them as they weren’t in my vocal range. I asked Stephen if he would sing a few of my tunes. And so began a pretty interesting 3 tune adventure.

However, there was one of my tunes that didn’t haven’t any lyrics, although the melody line and song title, chorus etc, I had already written. Rough for sure, but it was there.

Stephen asked how would I feel if he wrote some lyrics to my tune “Always Love Me”.

I thought it was a great idea. While there is another story related to me and Stephen, which I’m not getting into here, what he came up with was a very emotional story that fit so well with my music – I was amazed.

Sadly, he passed away shortly after, in his prime, and it wasn’t until a few years later I would learn he wrote the lyrics for his lover. Which explains the depth I could feel as he was singing during the recording session.

Fast forward almost 30 years. I dusted off the cobwebs and thought, “this would make a nice lyric video”

I found some wonderful public domain images to use and put this together tonight. Since this is my first attempt at making a lyric video, go easy on me…(smile)

I may polish it a bit more – or not. In the meantime take a listen. Hope you enjoy it…

 

practicing for the zombiepocalypse

Today started out as any other day. With the exception of the preparations for the coming zombieapocalypse. Maybe. I don’t know for sure. But if there is one, I want to be prepared. And to coin a recent phrase I heard “I will be prepared so you don’t have too”. Knowing I’m on the job makes you feel safe, right?

One arrow got away from me, mostly because the zombie was messing with my head. Looking at me. Daring me. Confusing me. In the end though, during the Zen moment when the arrow and me become one with the universe, I wiped the smile right off it’s face! Take that – zombie zombie bo bombie, banana-fanna bo-fombie, fee-fi-mo-mombie, zom-bie. (just saying…little happy dance!)

Tonight I will finally be able to rest, knowing my training is progressing quite well. Or indoctrination. Or brainwashing. That’s what the leader keeps saying, during the photo-strobe while I’m strapped to a chair in a dark room watching images of zombies flash on the projector screen. Eek!

Hope you sleep well this evening. I might wait a bit until the tick under my right eye settles down…

Bonus Music Section: I’m a Zombie

I'm a zombie
(c) 2015 carl jasper hoffman : jascar music

VERSE

I woke up this morning alone in my bed
I smelled something awful, I smelled something dead
I looked in the mirror my head was a mess
my clothes were all torn I did not look my best

CHORUS

I'm a zombie, you can't tell me otherwise
I'll show you, I'll poke out my eyes
I'm a zombie, this isn't a clever disguise
just pull on my arm for a big surprise

VERSE

I tried to eat breakfast but something was wrong
my stomach was craving a nice bloody blond
I went to the market to get a raw steak
then some sheriff shot me, I could not catch a break

CHORUS

BRIDGE

when the sun is going down
you need to hide, to not be found
I'm just another  pretty face
that wants to eat you, without a plate

if there's anything you've learned
set me on fire and watch me burn
or I'll come right back for you
a little crispy through and through

CHORUS

 

life unplanned

Starting to work on house again. Slowly. Because “fastly” would give me gas. Although I can get that just from eating chocolate with maltitol in it. A supposed sugar alcohol that makes something sugarless. Well, hate to bubble your burst – it doesn’t. In fact on the glycemic index it’s only a few points down from white sugar, raising your blood sugar almost the same. Diabetics beware, maltitol intolerant people – fart away – if you like eating chocolate. There’s a much better solution. Eating Choczero which is made with monk fruit. Zero G.I. Or even making it yourself like my previously mentioned ChocCarl bars in an earlier post.

Sometimes you go through life with blinders on. Hoping that things gets better. At least until you crash the car, burn the house down and fall on a branch while cleaning the dead brush for the upcoming clearance mandated by the city. That did not happen to me. But if it did, I would be crying like a newborn. I would probably curl into a fetal position and wonder if this is what Elvis did as he ate and ate and ate, becoming Mr. Elvis Pudgy. Not to make fun of the guy, he was one of my heroes as a young teenager. I wore tight clothes like him and could never understand why my voice didn’t change until the doc said “you need time to let the testicles drop, might want to get some looser pants…”

Ah, the pains and gains of being young. There were so many moments as I sprouted from a teenager into a man, that life became overwhelming. I never wanted to check out, as some say, I only wanted to grok what was happening. So, I read books, learned to play guitar, was possibly tricked into swallowing some LSD as a teen, and while I’m not admitting that exactly, it was amazing and humbling at the same time. I learned that people are not always what they seem to be. Some are, of course, but the tricksters in life come off normal or somewhat sane, fooling the best of us.

Life unplanned, that’s what everyone born on this planet goes through. Some better than others. Choices are made and carried out while others appear to be forced on us. I watched all three John Wicks the other week. Sadly, I was cheering him on, watching the carnage unfold at rocket speed. Bodies were dropping left and right. I was his biggest cheerleader! The main story has his wife pass after being sick for some time. Two days after she passes – he receives a gift in the form of a puppy from his wife explaining he needed something to take care of after she was gone. Some jerk gang members break into his house later, beat him up, kill his puppy and take his car to teach him a lesson. All because he wouldn’t sell them his car. What the gang members don’t know is John Wick is the boogeyman. An assassin extraordinaire, that was employed when the odds were impossible to carry out. Yes, this movie is over the top. Yet, I found it intensely satisfying, mostly because they killed a defenseless puppy and John Wick, took them out for doing that, one by one.

I have a new puppy now.

Arrived at through a different route of course, no wife passed, no one beat me up or stole my car. Or killed one of my existing puppies. Although my pups will be doing that by themselves shortly as they are well past 18 years or so. I also say that every month  – and every day I wake up with a smile – seeing faces only a squirrel would love… i.e. to run away from as fast as possible in the other direction. Heck sometimes – I’m even scared seeing them in the morning, drooling over my face…ready to lick my skin completely off with their exfoliating tongues.

My new puppy is a challenge. I am learning patience all over again. I have always been forgiving of others. Forgiving of my pups. I lost that right before I first got the Malinois. Why I got the pup is a novel for another day. Suffice it to say, the NSA most likely know the truth. Where is Snowden when you really need him, hmmm? My reason for living, for life, for meaning, has slowly been returning to me. While I got her for a reason, I keep her for love. As much as she taxes my will, my patience, my responsibility, I am filled with hope. That the changes that are taking place within me, will lead to new adventures.

Life unplanned.

P.S. I love this song! God Gave Me You

Warms my little heart…

 

 

Love Like There’s No Tomorrow

So, this is a repost kinda. From the old site. I really like this song. Hope you do as well…

Right now gonna take you in my arms
Hold you closer and tighter than I ever have
I’m gonna say all the things that I thought could wait
Now I realize that later could be a little too late

Baby let’s love like there’s no tomorrow
(Love)
Live for every moment, laugh at least a little everyday
If we see the sun rise in the morning, is impossible to say
So let’s love
(Let’s love)
Like there’s no tomorrow
(No tomorrow)
Today

From now on every time we kiss
It’s gonna mean so much more when I touch your lips
When I give myself to you baby I won’t hold nothin’ back
‘Cause there’s nothin’ I wouldn’t give to make every minute last

Baby let’s love like there’s no tomorrow
(Love)
Live for every moment, laugh at least a little everyday
If we see the sun rise in the morning, is impossible to say
So let’s love
(Lets tomorrow)
Like there’s no tomorrow
(No tomorrow)
Today

Baby let’s love like there’s no tomorrow
Live for every moment laugh at least a little everyday
(Every moment)
If we see the sun rise in the morning, is impossible to say
So let’s love
(Baby let’s love)
Like there’s no tomorrow
(No tomorrow)
Today

Oh baby let’s love
(Lets love)
Like there’s no tomorrow
(No tomorrow)
Today

music to live by.

I always wonder if anyone reads my blog. Of course other blogs get read. But mine ends up being swallowed up by the millions of personal stories told each and everyday in the world. I meant gazillions not millions…geesh.

From now on, I will be posting my thoughts here. Instead of there? There being my main music site. Located here. (opens new tab) Yep. Another musician. So, using a simple calculation I would be…the 456,223,549th musician to post a blog. While I don’t know if those numbers are correct, my dogs do. But they are keeping the info to themselves.

For now, I am only testing. I will be back.

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