This week I decided to cover Mad World.  This song was originally written and performed by Tears for Fears, and has since been covered by Gary Jules (on the Donnie Darko soundtrack) and Adam Lambert (on American Idol).  Here I give you my acoustic version.

Mad World
Written by Roland Orzabal

All around me are familiar faces
Worn out places, worn out faces
Bright and early for their daily races
Going nowhere, going nowhere

Their tears are filling up their glasses
No expression, no expression
Hide my head I want to drown my sorrow
No tomorrow, no tomorrow

And I find it kind of funny
I find it kind of sad
The dreams in which I’m dying are the best I’ve ever had
I find it hard to tell you
I find it hard to takeWhen people run in circles it’s a very, very
Mad World, Mad world

Children waiting for the day they feel good
Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday
And I feel the way that every child should
Sit and listen, sit and listen

Went to school and I was very nervous
No one knew me, no one knew me
Hello teacher tell me what’s my lesson
Look right through me, look right through me

And I find it kind of funny
I find it kind of sad
The dreams in which I’m dying are the best I’ve ever had
I find it hard to tell you
I find it hard to take
When people run in circles it’s a very, very
Mad World
Mad World

Enlarging your world
Mad World

This week I covered a song by George Michael called Careless Whisper.  (I actually never knew that was its name till this week… I always referred to it as Never Gonna Dance Again).  Either way, this song has one of the most memorable saxophone riffs in history, and was super successful.  I read this week that it went #1 in 25 different countries.  It is an excellent song.  I hope you enjoy my version of it.

Careless Whisper
George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley

I feel so unsure as I take your hand and lead you to the dance floor.
As the music dies something in your eyes
Calls to mind a silver screen and all its sad goodbyes.

Chorus
I’m never gonna dance again
guilty feet have got no rhythm
Though it’s easy to pretend
I know you’re not a fool.
I should have known better than to cheat a friend
And waste the chance that I’d been given.
So I’m never gonna dance again
the way I danced with you.

Time can never mend the careless whispers of a good friend.
To the heart and mind ignorance is kind.
There’s no comfort in the truth, pain is all you’ll find.

Chorus

Tonight the music seems so loud
I wish that we could lose this crowd.
Maybe it’s better this way
We’d hurt each other with the things we want to say.
We could have been so good together
We could have lived this dance forever
But now who’s gonna dance with me? – Please stay.

Chorus

No dance
no dance
no dance
you’re gone – no dance
you’re gone.
This matter is so wrong
so wrong
that you had lo leave me alone.

This week I wanted to cover something a little more unexpected, so I covered one of my favorite Rihanna songs: Don’t Stop The Music.  Every time I hear this song it makes me want to dance.  Plus, I saw Rihanna in person when she was on tour with Kanye West, and she is, in my opinion, one of the best and most natural stage performers I have ever seen.  It also helps that a lot of her music is highly danceable and very catchy.

Rihanna Don’t Stop The Music Lyrics
Written by Mikkel Storleer Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen, Tawanna Dabney, and Michael Jackson

Please don’t stop the music (4x)

It’s gettin’ late
I’m making my way over to my favorite place
I gotta get my body moving shake the stress away
I wasn’t looking for nobody when you looked my way
Possible candidate (yeah)
Who knew
That you’d be up in here lookin’ like you do
You’re makin’ stayin’ over here impossible
Baby I must say your aura is incredible
If you don’t have to go don’t

Do you know what you started
I just came here to party
But now we’re rockin’ on the dance floor
Acting naughty
Your hands around my waist
Just let the music play
We’re hand in hand
Chest to chest
And now we’re face to face

I wanna take you away
Lets escape into the music
DJ let it play
I just can’t refuse it
Like the way you do this
Keep on rockin’ to it
Please don’t stop the
Please don’t stop the music

I wanna take you away
Lets escape into the music
DJ let it play
I just can’t refuse it
Like the way you do this
Keep on rockin’ to it
Please don’t stop the
Please don’t stop the
Please don’t stop the music

Baby are you ready cause its getting close
Don’t you feel the passion ready to explode
What goes on between us no one has to know
This is a private show (oh)

Do you know what you started
I just came here to party
But now we’re rockin’ on the dance floor
Acting naughty
Your hands around my waist
Just let the music play
We’re hand in hand
Chest to chest
And now we’re face to face

I wanna take you away
Let’s escape into to music
DJ let it play
I just can’t refuse it
Like the way you do this
Keep on rockin’ to it
Please don’t stop the
Please don’t stop the music

I wanna take you away
Lets escape into the music
DJ let it play
I just can’t refuse it
Like the way you do this
Keep on rockin’ to it
Please don’t stop the
Please don’t stop the
Please don’t stop the music

Ma ma say, ma ma sa
Ma ma coo sa
Ma ma say, ma ma sa
Ma ma coo sa (5x)

Please don’t stop the music (2x)

I wanna take you away
Lets escape into the music
DJ let it play
I just can’t refuse it
Like the way you do this
Keep on rockin’ to it
Please don’t stop the
Please don’t stop the music

I wanna take you away
Lets escape into the music
DJ let it play
I just can’t refuse it
Like the way you do this
Keep on rockin’ to it
Please don’t stop the
Please don’t stop the
Please don’t stop the music

Ma ma say, ma ma sa
Ma ma coo sa
Ma ma say, ma ma sa
Ma ma coo sa

Please don’t stop the music

Ma ma se, ma ma sa
Ma ma coo sa
Ma ma se, ma ma sa
Ma ma coo sa
Please don’t stop the music

This week I decided to cover one of my favorite songs of all time:  Landslide by Fleetwood Mac.  Written by Stevie Nicks, Landslide has been performed and covered by many people.  Stevie Nicks’ version of this song however is unparalleled.  I hope my version doesn’t detract from the beauty of this song.  Thanks Stevie Nicks for writing and sharing something so beautiful.

Fleetwood Mac Landslide Lyrics
Songwriter:  Stevie Nicks

I took my love and I took it down
I climbed a mountain and I turned around
And I saw my reflection in the snow covered hills
‘Till the landslide brought me down

Oh, mirror in the sky what is love
Can the child within my heart rise above
Can I sail through the changing ocean tides
Can I handle the seasons of my life

Mmmm Mmmm

Well, I’ve been afraid of changing
‘Cause I’ve built my life around you
But time makes you bolder
Children get older
I’m getting older too

(Interlude)

Well, I’ve been afraid of changing
‘Cause I’ve built my life around you
But time makes you bolder
Children get older
I’m getting older too

So take my love and take it down
Climb a mountain and turn around
And If you see my reflection in the snow covered hills
Well the landslide will bring it down

And if you see my reflection in the snow covered hills
Well the landslide will bring it down
Oh the landslide will bring it down

Let It Be by The Beatles is in my opinion one of the best songs ever written.  Here I cover the song.  I just recorded this on my iPhone, in my room, playing my little Yamaha keyboard.  I hope you enjoy

The Beatles Let It Be Lyrics:
Songwriters:  John Lennon and Paul McCartney

When I find myself in times of trouble
Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom
Let it be

And in my hour of darkness
She is standing right in front of me
Speaking words of wisdom
Let it be

Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be

And when the broken hearted people living in the world agree
There will be an answer
Let it be

For though they may be parted
There is still a chance that they will see
There will be an answer
Let it be

Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be

And when the night is cloudy
There is still a light that shines on me
Shine until tomorrow
Let it be

I wake up to the sound of music
Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom
Let it be

Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be

Last night I went and saw Benton Paul at the Boardwalk in Sacramento (it’s actually in Orangevale or Citrus Heights…).  It was an awesome show.  He was playing with Brooke White and Michael Johns from American Idol Season 7.

Benton Paul Live at The Boardwalk last night

Besides being one of my good friends, he is an excellent musician and songwriter.  If you’ve never heard any of his music, please take a listen to the following songs.  The first is a cover of Yellow (by Coldplay) from his live show at the E Center with David Archuletta.

This second is my favorite song of his: The Devil. If you look close in this video you might be able to see me in the third row or so. This is a live video recording from his CD release show last year.

After the show I took a photo with him, and then we sat down and chatted for awhile about life.

Benton Paul and I after his show at the Boardwalk

Benton and I after his show... Here we are chatting on the Boardwalk (literally a walkway made of boards)

One of the guys I work with just walked into the office singing “Summertime” to himself–he didn’t know I was there.  I said something to him, and that made me think of this performance, so I showed it to him.  This is by far my favorite American Idol performance of all time.  There are others that have been awesome, but this one takes it for me.

Fantasia Barrino singing “Summertime.”

If you have a favorite American Idol performance, I wanna know what it is.  Leave a comment below.

I have been working on lyrics for a new song called “The Flame” or maybe just “Flame”.  Tonight I got the urge to write music for it.  So, for the last hour I’ve been figuring out how it goes.  Here is a sample clip (not high quality audio or video; this is me in the middle of being creative–writing music and melody)…  The song may change as I continue to work on it.

The lyrics in this portion go like this:

Walk away
Don’t stay
The flame is just a vision of what’s hurting me
I need the flame not the pain
But when I get too close you consume me
The flame is just a game that brings the pain

This is a song I finished this year.  I wasn’t sure what to name it, so I named it “Untitled”.  I may have had a slight cold when I recorded this…

Untitled Lyrics

Will you watch me fly
Will you watch me as I jump through the sky
Will you catch my fall
Will you catch me if I start to fall down

Will you wait for me when I’m out alone
Will you pray for me that I’ll make it home

Being with you makes it easy
Being with you makes it right
What have I done to deserve this
I must be dreaming if this is my life

Will you draw me in
When no one else will see me
Will you draw me in and believe in me
Will you hold my hand with your life
Will you take me home tonight

Will you come for me when I can’t stand
Will you strengthen me when I don’t think I can

Being with you makes it easy
Being with you makes it right
What have I done to deserve this
I must be dreaming if this is my life
I must be dreaming cause you’re by my side
I must be dreaming cause this is my life

This is Susan Boyle on the T.V. show Britain’s Got Talent singing I Dreamed a Dream from Les Miserables…

If you haven’t seen this yet… you have to check it out. I would have embedded the video, but I couldn’t find a copy that allowed embedding.

Utterly breathtaking…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY