Finding New Love

Finding New Love

(A Country Song)

         Okay, call me dumb. ‘loony tunes’. or something more demeaning, but I have this impulse to share with you a country song I wrote some years back.

         A dinner party was just winding down at our Arizona weekend mountain retreat, and we were feeling our oats. A dear friend of mine, Ray Morgan, gone now, but never to be forgotten, loved country music and could get teary eyed when some of our then contemporary C&W artists sung their sad ballads, a la Willie Nelson, Jim Reeves, Ernie Tubbs, and Hank Williams. Now, I loved country music but was more of a ‘My Way’ kind of guy, but this was Ray’s night…

        Because I don’t pick guitar anymore (never did really well), I once sang a song a cappella on YouTube and it just didn’t grab its essence without those strings strumming and a piano accompanying it. So, I’ll be sparing you the ‘gift’ of my voice on YT. When you read below the words to the song, just imagine that great C&W artist, Tim McGraw, picking and singing the words in that sensitive, unique, and soulful way he has that echoes memories from the past.

        Now, don’t be getting the idea that this is a great song, although I like it aplenty because it goes to the roots of country music – I think…

        If I’m lucky, some C&W artist will read the words to the song and want to record it. Well, I’ll surely make it easy for him or her. Just give me a jingle…he says with total lack of conviction.

         I’ve written a number of songs over the years, some I think pretty darn good. So, from time to time, I’ll post one or two or three or four… just saying!

*

Finding New Love

In the middle of a love song

I fell out of love with you –

Dancing ‘neath a star-bright sky

I found someone new.

She was everything I wanted –

She was every dream come true,

And she got my heart re-started –

She got me over you.

*

And now I’m happy again –

My heart is singing again.

Ah, yes, I’m happy again

‘Cause now I’m over you.

*

I remember our young love

I recall all the pain…

I remember every time we cried

Every time we tried –

I saw our young love die.

We were so new at love.

We had so much to give,

But all the pain we caused

Made it too tough to forgive…

So, I’m sorry for hurting you

And I know you’re sorry, too…

A part of me will always

Be a part of you.

But, tonight, this star-bright night,

I’ve found a new love,

A warm and a true love,

A love that won’t die.

*

In the middle of a love song

I fell out of love with you

While dancing ‘neath a star-bright sky

I found someone new.

She was everything I wanted,

She was every dream come true,

And she got my heart re-started –

She got me over you!

And, now, I’m happy again.

My heart is singing again.

Ah, yes, I’m happy again

‘Cause now I’m over you.

                             ©by Billy Ray Chitwood

         I totally realize that this post and song is self-serving to the extreme, but, really, what else is new? Aren’t we all just a teensy bit?

Billy Ray Chitwood – March 17, 2017

Hope you will stop by my Website, preview my 14 books, read some book reviews and author comments:

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The Soul of a Dreamer

or

Play Me a Tune, Piano Man

With this post I get to show not only some of my ‘warts of longing and wanderlust’ but an abiding romanticism that has tagged along with me through my life. The Piano Bar Is symbolic of some younger years when I was going to live forever, a time when I could play out fantasies and dramatic ‘movie scenes’ of a lonely and desperate man, a time when the amber juices made me not so lonely and desperate…when a young lady fell prey to my somber moans of despair, often leading from The Piano Bar to my hotel or motel room. My symbolism here likely matches well with many a fellow comrade seeking nebulous new beginnings. Those who might ‘wonder’ about a moral character issue, the ‘Romantic’ can quickly dispel the issue – given the time!

I’m not going to write in much detail about those nomadic days, my longings, my searching, my quaint poetry (also known as my etchings). Instead, I give you a song, a composition in my head and heart from some contemplative and mystic area of being I shall never fully comprehend. In some ways the song might remind many of Billy Joel’s ‘Piano Man’ song… That was never my intent to intrude on Billy’s very special material. In fact, Billy Joel’s song never entered my mind until later…besides, Billy Joel is a professional at what he does…and it’s likely okay with him if a guy wants to make a fool of himself.

The reason for my amateurish ballad piece is this: we have a beautiful house which we (my wife and I) have decorated. In our den over the fireplace mantel there is a colorful painting of a piano. As I type away on my laptop the blogs and the current book on which I’m working I constantly pause and look at that painting. At the end of the day I occasionally have one highball (usually a rum concoction of one sort or another), and, with each sip and loss of one or more brain cells, Bacchus stimulates me to sing aloud the words as I gaze at my piano painting…several times, until I feel I’ve captured the soul prompt. Here are those words

Play Me a Tune, Piano Man

Play me a tune, piano man…

Sing me a song from the years.

Play me a tune, piano man…

Bring back the joy and the tears.

Make all the words sad and lonely…

Sung whiskey tenor with heart.

Sing them all warm and embracing.

Keep the crowd rapt from the start.

Now give the keys some gaiety…

Give the crowd reason to smile.

Play ‘til the bar room is closing,

‘Last Call’, folks, for a while.

Play me a tune, piano man…

Sing me a song from the years.

Play me a tune, piano man…

Bring back the joy and the tears.

Song written and sung by: Billy Ray Chitwood – October 23, 2014

Now, if you wish to actually hear me sing the song A Capella, move the mouse on over to: https://goo.gl/FPGYH6. (You Tube)- booing and laughing are permitted since I cannot hear you hurting my tender feelings…my wife left the den when she heard the song – she never told me later that she had a need to retch… 

That’s it, music lovers! Please return to your favorite pastime! (Think I’ll write another song…)

Hope you will visit my Website: 

http://brchitwood.weebly.com 

Preview my 14 books, a few book reviews, and some comments by the author.

Please follow me on http://twitter.com/brchitwood (@brchitwood)

Music’s Message

Music’s Message 

Do you feel lonesome and sad?

Play Vivaldi! Or, play some songs by Tim McGraw.

Do you feel angry, mad as hell, and not going to take it anymore?

Play Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony. Or, play some songs by Toby Keith.

Do you feel contemplative, pensive?

Play Bach or Haydn. Or, play some songs by ‘Ole Blue Eyes’ Frank Sinatra.

Do you feel happy and full of life?

Play Mozart. Or, play some songs  by Taylor Swift.

Do you feel sleepy and tired?

Play Brahms. Or, play some songs by R and B ‘The Floaters’.

When the land is blanketed with snow do you feel the need to have soft background music when you work, write, or enjoy a fire in the fireplace?

Play ‘New Age’ or light classical.

It’s difficult for me to imagine a world without music. Our movies build their scenes of drama and mirth with music. Long drives are made a bit easier by the music one enjoys. A romantic evening with your special love is heightened by a ballad that sings the words your heart sends through the eyes.

All through our civilized history, music has been an international language that connects people with their senses.

On this day when commerce is stalled by the snow, I write on my laptop while my ‘Georgie Boy’ is curled and napping on my Lazy Boy leg rest. In this tiny spot of the world, ‘God’s in his heaven and all’s right with the world’.

Oh, were it so across the planet!

Billy Ray Chitwood – February, 2015

Do you like your murder mystery/suspense mixed with romance? Here’s one of my novels I think you will like…The Reluctant Savage has a love triangle plus a lot of evil and intrigue. Give it a read and write an amazon review…authors live by the reviews their books receive. Thank you in advance.

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http://www.about.me/brchitwood (bio and links)

http://billyraychitwood.weebly.com (my bio and books)

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http://amazon.com/author/billyraychitwood

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The Final Curtain1 by Billy Ray Chitwood

“The Final Curtain1” 

        I’ve always been a Frank Sinatra guy and “My Way” has accompanied me on many romantic adventures. “My Way” has been one of those ‘etchings’ to enjoy with someone special at the end of a candlelight and wine dinner, a song that can be parsed and qualified in so many ways…guess that’s my best reason for the blog title.

        It isn’t so much that those lines in the song, “The Final Curtain,” need to conjure up morbid thoughts and ‘let’s all be sentimental’ thoughts. In fact,”The Final Curtain” can conjure up benign thoughts, those that lift the spirit and put an extra swagger in our strides.

        I’m pretty much a ‘romantic’ with some life dreams realized and some that still wish to be. Mostly, these days, my writing speaks to me in so many ways, telling me so many truths about myself. Through the characters pecked out on the laptop, in their actions, reactions, interactions, there are glimpses of me, mini-portraits never seen before. Some are scary. Some are strangely uplifting and gratifying. Some glimpses make me sad. Some make me happy. Some make me confident. Some make me doubt myself.

        There is this ‘thing’ that always keeps me rooted to some true genetic spot: we can be no more in life than what we are intended to be.

        So, what’s with all the gibberish about “The Final Curtain” and the writing and the glimpses? Truth is, I’m aging with a great deal of reluctance, going through the ‘pages’ past, present, and future, still searching for the elusive and the unattainable, trying very hard to make up for some wasted moments in this passage. I’m here in the ‘wings’ and the curtain has not closed and I’m wanting to know about you, how you differ so much from me, how we are so much alike, how we can somehow better know each other.

        One of my favorite poet/writers is an ex-priest named James Kavanaugh. Among all his work, he has written two beautiful books of poetry: “There Are Men Too Gentle To Walk Among Wolves” and “Will You Be My Friend?” There is so much of his verse with which I identify. His words speak to me with the most marvelous clarity. With my Appalachian bible-belt roots, there is little wonder.

        Sinatra and Kavanaugh are my two favorite ‘etchings’ with some Kahlil Gibran thrown in, each of them fodder for the romantic and soulful parts of me. There is of course nothing wrong with the different tastes in music. There are those who like the brassy groups, the rappers, and the new gents and ladies of song — most of my soul dances favor the ballads. We can’t all like the same music. And, yes, of course, age, time, and place carry our predictable favorites.

        Now, ‘will you be my friend?’ Are you a ‘romantic’ – dreamer – pragmatist – young adult – baby boomer – timid – out-going… How do you approach the page on which you are about to spill your guts — or, your character’s guts? How much of you do you leave on the written pages of your books? You tell me, and I’ll tell you.

        If this kind of soulful musing is not your thing, pass me by…’thirty-one flavors’ you know. If you do like to muse and don’t mind sharing, jump on in. I’ll be lurking around the ‘curtain’ to see if someone shows up on stage. There’s a lot of time before the final curtain.

Billy Ray Chitwood

BUY SITE: Amazon Worldwide – http://authl.it/1su

Some Links:

http://www.about.me/brchitwood

http://billyraychitwood.weebly.com

http://amazon.com/author/billyraychitwood

http://facebook.com/billyray.chitwood

http://facebook.com/billyrayscorner

http://twitter.com/brchitwood (@brchitwood)

http://www.goo.gl/fuxUA (IAN – Independent Author Network)

http://asmsg.com (Authors Social Media Support Group)