Hard to See.

Here's the last lyric-post of this week (and February).  Enjoy and have a wonderful weekend!

Hard to See

(c) 2014 Ross Christopher

Sometime ago

I heard it said

That your love 

Breaks through death and dark

And forgive me now

But I find it hard to see

When the darkest night

Comes from within the house

So many call your home

Peace,

Ross

Spark.

Today, you get a verse & chorus...enjoy!

Spark

(c) 2014 Ross Christopher

When I'm feeling nothing matters

Like no one wants to change

That's when I stir inside

To cure these times

I'm gonna turn this spark into a wildfire

This idea to an ocean

These words to worlds 

Peace,
Ross

Static.

Lately I've been songwriting...LOTS.
So over the next week or so, I'll share a few lines, verses, and a chorus or two.

First off: STATIC

Static

(c) 2014 Ross Christopher

Can we just get through the static

Can we break the unclear

Can we walk along,

Or walk alone

It's the static we fear

Peace,

Ross

Fighting Forward.

 Last week, Cora learned to swim.  It was so cool seeing her fight and fight, and finally get it!  Needless to say, it was perfect fodder for her songwriter-dad...

Fighting Forward

(c)2013 Ross Christopher

And just like that

She's diving in

Kicking and floating

With all her might

She's fighting forward

With the strength of a shark

And the heart of my girl

She's fighting forward

Forward, further and further

She's fighting forward

Forward, further and further...

And just like that

She's done the impossible

She's grown up

And fights to float

She's fighting forward

Towards new worlds

With the heart of my girl

She's fighting forward

Forward, further and further

She's fighting forward

Forward, further and further...

Peace,
Ross

See Things Through.

While in Italy, I wrote a few new tunes (poetry)...here's another, See Things Through.  Enjoy!

See Things Through

(c) 2013 Ross Christopher 

She's here thanks to Simon says

I'm here to see her too

And we'll make foreign moves

To see things through

I'll be her fool

And she'll be one too

Just so we can love

And see things through

Through to moonlit seasons

One by one, taking time

No hurries, no worries

Just to see things through

I'll be her fool

And she'll be one too

Just so we can love

And see things through

Every moment's building

Ever second lasts

Every breath goes in and out

Just to see things through

Peace,
Ross

Close Your Eyes Again.

While in Italy, I wrote 4 new songs.  Here's one I actually woke up during the night (mid-dream), to write what was spinning through my head.  Enjoy!

Close Your Eyes Again

(c) 2013 Ross Christopher

I woke up under a bed of the ocean

With waves crashing over me

Lights glowing, lifting me up

And sirens humming

Close your eyes

You're dreaming again

Close your eyes

And sleep

Back to oceans and mountains

And places of wonder

Close your eyes again

I woke up on the mountain

With snow falling in my eyes

Everything's white and still

And sirens humming

Close your eyes

You're dreaming again

Close your eyes

And sleep

Back to oceans and mountains

And places of wonder

Close your eyes again

Peace,
Ross

PAST

While wrapping up an instrumental piece yesterday, I wrote these lines...possibly a chorus or verse?  I like the overall concept; that linear-time constantly places things in the past.  By the time thoughts and words and experiences and sounds enter the brain, and register as beauty or darkness or joy or loss, they have already passed.  The present is miniscule and the future is fast-approaching!

Peace,
Ross 

PAST

(c) 2013 Ross Christopher

And by the time 

You hear this line

What was said

Will be the past

Momentary words

Are now and gone

Tomorrow's past

At last.

In Your Wake

Saturday morning I woke up with some lyrics rolling around in my head.  I poured myself a cup of coffee and got to work.  Here's what I came up with:

In Your Wake

(c) 2013 Ross Christopher

You walk in a room

And steal its breath

You steal its every thought

'Cause death is your wake

Don't slur your speech

'Cause what you say

Will change every thing

There's a history with you

A marked past of poison and broken cries

'Cause you couldn't care less

Hell bent on you

Don't slur your speech

'Cause what you say

Will change every thing

You - take what's not yours

And nobody says a thing

You - devour what you want

And no one does a thing

You - break and bruise

And no one is left

'Cause we've grown tired, sore, and worn down

Don't slur your speech

'Cause what you say

Will change every thing

Peace,

Ross

Flying Bird.

For the past few days I've been walking you through the creative process of writing a song.  Not every song writes itself the same way, but this is how I arrived at a new one.

The past 2 blogs have been about being prepared and ready to capture creativity as it comes - because there's no way to really schedule inspiriation.

However, rather than continue talking about the new love song that came out of no where, I want to switch gears to another song that, again came out of no where.

In the past week, I've written 3 songs...
1 about the end of the world
1 about falling in love
1 about drones

See the connection?  Exactly...there's not one. 
(except for being prepared to capture creativity)

If I wasn't prepared as a songwriter to capture the inspiration, these new songs may have been lost.

So this newest song (the one about drones), just popped in my head and luckily I was snowed in with pad, acoustic, and iphone.

Here's the lyrics:

Flying Bird

(c) 2013 Ross Christopher

(Verse 1)

Take to the sky

And sell them the lie

That everything is safer now

And life cries goodbye

(Chorus)

Flying bird, won't you go back home

Flying bird, won't you go

Flying bird, won't you go back home

Flying bird, won't you go

(Verse 2)

Driven by joy -

Sticks of death and bombs

And innocent blood

Bombs and blood

(Bridge)

1, 2, birds are flying

3, 4, worlds are dying

5, 6, lies are fueling

Birds to fly again

Peace,
Ross

Be Prepared.

I grew up in Boy Scouts.  I earned Eagle, so I guess I'm an Eagle Scout for life.  Having said that, I'm prepared.  It is the scout motto after all...

As a creative, being prepared is one of the most important lessons I've learned through the years.  I cannot tell you how many times I find random pieces of paper, napkins, business cards, etc lying around with bits and pieces of song ideas scribbled on them.

My iPhone has become invaluable!  I have tones of voice memos with melody or riff ideas, recorded.  Some songs are process.  But in my experience, those are the ones that sound like process - and who likes process?

If not for being prepared and having the tools I need in hand, who knows how much creativity might be lost and forgotten?

Peace,
Ross

Some Things Just Write Themselves.

As a songwriter, lyrics and music hit me at all sorts of random times.  Though 80% of the time I write in a similar fashion, I don't have (or prescribe to) "a system."  Having said that, I was finishing up a new single that I've been working on for about a month, called 'Lonely Earth.' 

As I was working on a mixdown, I all of a sudden got this lyric and melody in my head.  Immediately I had to open up a new project and record what was going on in my head.  In about 10 minutes I had recorded the acoustic guitar part and the lead vocal scratch track. 

I played the song for Kate the next morning and I'd be lying if I didn't say that I can't get it out of my head.  Some things you work on for weeks, and some things just write themselves.  I'm consistently surprised by, and with, the creative process!  I'm excited to share more of this process with you in the coming days.

Peace,
Ross

Lonely Earth

Yesterday I mentioned the new apocalyptic love song I'm recording.  Well, here's the lyrics...

Lonely Earth

(c) 2013 Ross Christopher

(Chorus)

What would you say if I told you

We were the last ones on earth

What would you do if we were as alive

As anyone could ever be

(Verse)

Would you change a thing

Would it mean a thing

Would it make all the difference

Or nothing at all

(Chorus)

What would you say if I told you

We were the last ones on earth

What would you do if we were as alive

As anyone could ever be

(Verse)

Would you see things brighter

Or would it all turn grey

Would life birth new meaning

If it were just you and I

(Chorus)

What would you say if I told you

We were the last ones on earth

What would you do if we were as alive

As anyone could ever be

(Bridge)

Would you look at the sky

Would you stare me in the eyes

Would you dance until you couldn't

Would you stare me in the eyes

(Chorus)

What would you say if I told you

We were the last ones on earth

What would you do if we were as alive

As anyone could ever be

Peace,
Ross

Stretching Lines

While on tour, I had lots of time to do some writing.  Over the next couple weeks, I'm going to share some of those poems/songs that are currently in the arsenal...

Stretching Lines

(c) 2012 Ross Christopher.

 

Stretching lines

That connect earth to sky

The perfect dance that's hovering

Of clouds and suns and crashing waves

Stretching lines between

Sketching city scapes

Souls fill the horizon

With a hopeful stir

They dance in spaces

And connect in sacred places

The garden's filled with rows

These stretching lines

Bringing life and feed

And hope to need

Quiet Spaces

 Last night, I got home from rehearsal with a melody and some lyrics in my head.  I immediately wrote down the words and headed down to the studio to capture the music.   A couple hours later, I think I'm on to a pretty promising piece.  Here's the lyrics - enjoy!

Quiet Spaces

(c)2012 Ross Christopher

There's a sound for the quiet spaces

A sound for the broken places

A sound that is stillness

It shakes the ground

There it is

Way off in the distance

It's growing stronger

The beat's getting faster

There's a sound for the quiet spaces

A sound for the broken places

A sound that is stillness

It shakes the ground

 There it is

It's unexpected

It's reconnected

Like lines between the words

There's a sound for the quiet spaces

A sound for the broken places

A sound that is stillness

It shakes the ground

Peace,
Ross

Sink [Left and Lost at Sea]

Today, I'm going to let you in on the creative process.  I scribbled down this new song/poem late last week.  I wanted to write something that was steeped in imagery.  And for whatever reason, the most graphic and visceral image I could conjure, was drowning.  Most of us have lost our breath - either at the swimming pool, or doing something else.  We might not have ever been "drowning," but that short experience of losing one's breath was more than enough to never forget the feeling(s).  Enjoy!

 

Sink [Left and Lost at Sea]
© 2012 Ross Christopher.

It seems like
I've been left
And lost at sea
With water welling up
Inside of me

It fills my lungs
With stinging taste
Of lonely waves, crushing dreams
And breaks silent
Cries of apathy

Can you keep my head up
Can you help me breathe
Can you wash me to land
Or am I going to sink

Not sure how I got here
I woke in drowning slumber
Forced to swim
And tread and breathe

Can you keep my head up
Can you help me breathe
Can you wash me to land
Or am I going to sink

It seems like
I've been left
And lost at sea
With water welling up
Inside of me

Lost At Sea

Here's a new piece I've been working on this evening...

Lost At Sea

(c)2012 Ross Christopher.

it seems like I've been left and lost at sea / with water welling up inside of me / it fills my lungs with stinging tastes / of lonely waves crushing dreams / and breaks silent cries of apathy / not sure how I got here / I woke in drowning slumber / forced to swim and tread and breathe

Peace,
Ross

Veil

Here's a new song lyric I'm working on...enjoy!

Veil
(c) 2012 Ross Christopher

Your smile's like a wrecking ball of grace / Like forty thousand pardons on my armchair to death /

You kiss my neck and split the veil / I breathe you in and I have life / And it is good / Again.

Peace,

Ross

I wrote a story

He's a walk-on stone
He's all alone
It's been a path to disaster
Falling faster and faster

Creeping towards zero
The rug's no longer there
He hits the bottom
And cracks the floor

Now he's looking right
And going left
The only light's
In the white of his eyes

So he grabs hold
Of whatever will hold him
Hoping he won't lose his grip
When he realizes he's still falling
Fooled and wrapped in disaster

But this fool won't cushion the fall
The final hit inching closer
Falling free to whatever will catch him
Only it's never there

No one was ever there

Except for you
But he didn't care
And no one showed him
To you

372 Year Eclipse

Here's a quick sneak-peak of an instrumental tune (372 Year Eclipse) from the new album, BOXES & HUMAN FOG.


If you enjoyed it, PLEASE CLICK HERE and PRE-ORDER your copy today (only $5)! There's another 5 "even-epic-er" tracks...

Much love,
Ross

Doubt Brings Hope

Here's a new tune I wrote this past week. Its a commentary on folks that would draw lines in the sand, limiting the hugeness of God. Its a dialogue of what I believe to be the cyclical nature of faith/spirituality...everything. I truly believe that doubt breeds all else. And in time, even the faithful again doubt. Doubt is not something dangerous (as some would have you believe); rather, doubt is a stage (and quite possibly the stage that faith itself hinges on). Doubt is the tension, and more often than not, God resides in the tension. Peace.

Doubt Brings Hope
© 2010 Ross Christopher

(Verse 1)
It’s black and white
One way’s right
It makes them sleep better

Cause if they’re wrong
Then I am right
Leading out of fright


(Chorus)
Doubt brings us hope
Hope brings us love
Love brings us faith
And faith leads to doubt


(Verse 2)
You’ve made Him a tiny god
With boxes and human fog
Can’t handle the blurry

You say there’s one way
To hell with another day
‘Cause doubt is the killer


(Chorus)
Doubt brings us hope
Hope brings us love
Love brings us faith
And faith leads to doubt