Thursday, October 22, 2015

I Walked In My Sleep Last Night

I Walked In My Sleep Last Night

My second song from our excellent time in Franche Comté in the northern summer. Music written in France and lyrics on our return to Oz after I did a little somnambulation on our first night back in our own bed - hadn't done that in over 30 years. Lyrics are stream of consciousness about the trip and being home. Jan does the top harmony in the three part harmony bits.

I Walked In My Sleep Last Night ©2015 Neil Porter

Just got back from promised land
Doom in doorway blood on sand
Have to do the best I can
Just got back from promised land

Big white bird on 2 day flight
Twelve hours sleep might put me right
Airports get me feeling tight
Big white bird on 2 day flight
I walked in my sleep last night

I walked in my sleep last night

Hole in pillow dreamed too hard
Racked up fortune credit card
Jet lag, gulf stream, beggar, guard
Hole in pillow dreamed too hard 

Out the door in my sleep last night
In the dark you’re out of sight 
Mumbling fool done nothing right
Out the door in my sleep last night
Walked in my sleep last night

Walked in my sleep last night

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Slow Beat To China

Slow Beat To China
©2015 Neil Porter

It's an instrumental!  Who would have thought ;)


Monday, June 22, 2015

Paint Them How You Feel

Paint Them How You Feel 

This was originally written as a jazz chord exercise, and has been around since February without a melody or lyrics. Some recent stress gave me the lyrics, which are a mixture of current reality and some past dreaming. I came close a couple of times to flipping it to a local singer for the vocals/melody/lyrics, but am happy that I kept it for myself. It's about time I posted something completely new. I did all the instrumental and vocal parts here. I seem to have lost the feel for what is good and what isn't lately - this sounds like it might be a good one, but, who knows?! 
Hope you like it.

lyrics

Paint Them How You Feel
©2015 Neil Porter 

Trusting you was my first mistake
I didn’t guess you could bring me down so bad
I couldn’t see you were just a fake
Didn’t think you could make me feel so sad

You've seen all the words I've written
You can read me like a book
You can reach your own conclusions
About the roads I took
You can form your own illusions
You can paint them black or white

You were long of limb and I was short of breath
I never thought that my heart could break like that

Would you catch me as I’m falling
Down to earth just like a stone
Or would you watch me as I hit the ground
And leave me there alone
You can have your own illusions
You can paint them black or white

You say you know just how I feel
I never thought I’d hate you being ‘round

I’m putting up my cone of silence
Taking down my “open” sign
Now I’ve seen some dirty players
You’ve done that for quite some time
You can build your own delusions
You can paint them how you feel

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Sea Of Dreams

Sea Of Dreams

A revised version of an older song about sleep - or lack thereof.










Sea Of Dreams
© 2008 Neil Porter

Late at night
When the seeds of dreams are forming
Delta waves on restless seas
Far away
Hear the distant voices calling
Turn away and let them be

Sea of dreams
Rocky shores
Is there shelter up ahead?
Darkest scenes
Closing doors
Am I safe here in my bed?

Shine your light
Use it well in times of darkness
Brighten up these shadowed days
Second sight
See beyond tomorrow morning
World might mend it’s wicked ways

Sea of dreams
Rocky shores
Is there shelter up ahead?
Darkest scenes
Closing doors
Am I safe here in my bed?

Look away
It’s just your own internal weather
It’s just your hurricane inside
Fight or flee
Sometimes both things come together
Batten down and try to hide

Sea of dreams
Rocky shores
Is there shelter up ahead?
Darkest scenes
Closing doors
Am I safe here in my bed?

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

BIG CAR video - with PBGB featuring Jen Halper


Thanks to Grant Webster for this video:
Post by Grant Webster.

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Live at last!

After a break of 3 years, I finally got a chance to play live with the new and vastly improved PBGB at the Nethercote Music Factory last weekend.  Only a cameo appearance, but the inclusion of John Drews on Hammond B3, Jen Halper on vocals and Rob Smallwood on guitar as well as long-term PBGB core members Pete (drums), Chris (bass) and myself (guitar) made for a pretty tight and funky set.

Here are a couple of videos from the night: