Snack Time
I walked into the Valley Hi Library for music time one week and saw 3 kids, sitting next to each other, eating snacks. I said, “it looks like it’s snack time.” I made up the music on the spot and finished the lyrics in 2 days. Sometimes, a song will just pop out like that. […]
It’s Raining
I wanted to make up a song about rain to sing with the kids at school when it’s raining and they have to miss recess. It doesn’t rain much in California, so i don’t play it that often. I didn’t know what instrument to use for the solo, so I added a thunderclap instead. I […]
Roses Are Red
This song was written using a page about plants from the back of a 1st grade science text book. I had to switch lines around and add a few extra lines to make it rhyme. But I wanted to keep as much of the vocabulary as I could. It’s a good one to sing at […]
Pinball Wizard
A long, long story is needed to tell you about this one. Maybe someday… I’ve been singing it this way for over 20 years. It was recorded with the Loose Acoustic Trio for our “Sorrow Be Gone” CD. I wonder if Pete Townsend will ever hear it… Ever since I was a young boy, I […]
Get On Your Feet and Dance
I started this one after reading about the song “Hokey Pokey.” It was originally a play-party song from the 1850’s. When it got to the part about “put your whole self in, take your whole self out, put your whole self in, and turn yourself around,” I wanted something at the end that rhymed. When […]
You’re So Beautiful
I was a stay-at-home dad. A Mister Mom. And so, I changed a lot of diapers. I would make up nonsense songs to pass the time at the changing table. This is an example of something I would sing to make my son laugh. It worked every time. You’re so beautiful, yes, you are From […]
A Friend Like Me
I wasn’t sure if a song like this would be a good fit for a children’s record. When the subject matter through the entire CD started to broaden, I was glad to include it. What I do is now called “family music.” And though this isn’t really a kid song, I hope kids will like […]
Willow Tree
I’ve always wanted to write an old sounding folk song about a willow tree, like the song “Bury Me Beneath the Willow.” When I called my brother for his birthday last year (April 6), we were sitting in front of our computers. We both went to Google Maps and looked around our old neighborhood in […]
Me and You
Another of the songs I recorded for the “Sorrow Be Gone” CD with the Loose Acoustic Trio. Richie Lawrence and Steve O’Neill joined in again so I could include it on Mister Cooper CD. Thanks, boys. Look outside, it’s a beautiful day We’ve got nothing planned Let’s take a walk through the neighborhood And hold […]
Horsey
When my son was 3 years old, his favorite game to play was horsey. He’d hop on pop and we’d circle the house while he’d say, “giddy up, horsey.” I still have the scars on my knees to prove it. This picture was taken near Disney World 10/1/1993. Left to right – my nephew Ben, […]