Songs from Ancient Myths 2. Cassandra

Cassandra

Cassandra by Willy Grigg 6/23/21

You [Am] tried to make the [G] science true
You [Am] checked your methods [G] through and through
Yet, you find people treating you
Like Cassandra

You said time will bear you out
And there’ll be floods and heat and drought
But other voices drowned you out
Like Cassandra

No one [G] hears, no one [C]wants to make a change
It might [E7]hurt, It might [F] cause a little [G] pain

Someday, it’s true the blind will see
When this world’s just a memory
And they’ll be cursing you and me
And Cassandra

Real World by Willy Grigg

12/27/2020

I (A)Don’t wanna (D/A)live in the (A) real world, I don’t want to deal with the facts
I don’t want to live in a hurry
Really I just want to relax
And if that’s[E] all right with you
Then it’s [D]all right with me
I ain’t [E]bothering you
Don’t be [D]bothering me

I don’t want to live in the real world
I want to keep all the plans that I’ve made
I want to pretend things are normal
I’ll never admit I’m afraid
And that’s just all right with me if that’s all right with you
You keep on laughing at me, cuz I’m laughing at you

This (F#m)crazy guy, he drove a bus a [A] way up in the mountains
On [F#m] one lane roads with no guard rails he was [A]speeding like a demon
The [D]passengers were [E] trembling
They [D]wanted to relieve him of his [E] job
But he said you don’t have to worry our lives are in the hands of God
And he decides
If we live and if we die
( You have no personal responsibility)

I (D)can’t be(E)lieve there’s danger out there
(D)I won’t (E) live my life that way
God will surely take care of me
Don’t I always kneel down and pray
I have been a faithful servant
Why does this world let me down
Just tell me who to blame, Lord
Tell me who to run out of town

Only One Thing

This is a song I wrote last April. It’s about a very self-centered person. We probably all know someone like that.

Only One Thing by Willy Grigg 4/13/20

There’s only [F] one thing he cares about, it isn’t war and [C7] peace
There’s only one thing he cares about, it’s not famine or dis[F]ease
The whole wide world can go to heck from sea to shining [Bb]sea
There’s only one thing he [F] cares about and [C7] it’s not you and [F] me

There’s only one thing he cares about, just listen to him speak
There’s only one thing he cares about, he’s never shy or meek
There’s only one person he’s working for
It isn’t hard to see
There’s only one thing he cares about and it’s not you and me

He’s a [Bb] simple man with a [F] simple plan,
He [C] isn’t hard to [F] understand
He’s [Bb] spent his life in service to one [Dm] thing a[C]lone

He might say some things to make you cheer
And make you get upset
The fact that you’re reacting,
Means you haven’t caught on yet
He doesn’t mean the things he says
He’s empty as can be
There’s only one thing he cares about and it’s not you and me

My Holy of Holies

Play “My Holy of Holies” by Willy Grigg
Pretty close to where I wrote this song. Taken on the day I wrote it.

My Holy of Holies by Willy Grigg 8 / 16 / 20

(with drums by Rod Meyer!)

You are (A)my my my / holy of (DM7)holies
you are (E)my help from on high my / saving (A)grace (D)(E)
you are (A)my my my holy of (DM7)holies
where I (E)find my piece of mind my resting (D)place. (A)

When the (E)road gets kind of (A)Rocky
and I’m (E)having a rough (A)ride
no(F#m)body seems to (C#m)know me
no(F#m)body’s on my (C#m)side
but (D)you’re still there
and I (E)know you care

The world keeps moving faster
Like it’s some kind of race
I start to feel exhausted
I can’t keep up the pace
But when I feel your light
Everything’s alright

This song is about finding peace. Peace can be found in nature, in art, in loving relationships. I was staring at a tall limestone cliff after swimming in a stream, when I wrote this. I was enjoying the peace of nature. Peace to all of you!

Staying Alive

Original recording 1/11/2020 with Rod Meyer on drums. Overdubs by Willy

Staying Alive by Willy Grigg

Staying alive, staying alive
I’m having a pretty good time, just staying alive

The miles roll by, the clock runs down
You notice a lot of the people you knew
Are not around
They had their time, you’ve still got yours
And maybe there’s still something out there
You’d like to explore

Staying alive..

At the end of the hall, you see a door
A door so many of the people you’ve known
Have gone through before
You feel the darkness, The night draws near
Maybe you’d like to do something important
While you’re still here

Staying alive

Baby please don’t go
Don’t you leave me alone
You think anybody’s gonna care about me
When you’re gone?

To Be Happy

 

This song was written for Sarah & Zach on the occasion of their marriage August 31, 2019. Sarah is my niece. She stayed with us a couple summers while she was doing an internship in Rapid City. She was and is an absolute joy. Lucia and Gianna adore her!

A couple weeks before the wedding, Sarah asked Jenny if I would write and perform a song at the wedding. Luckily, inspiration came. Here it is.

To Be Happy by Willy Grigg 8/20/19

I don’t care which way you voted
Or if you’re on the winning side
I don’t care which school you went to
I don’t care what car you drive
If you’re happy with you, that’s what matters to me
And you can be rich, or you can live in a ditch
Just be happy

You don’t get too many chances
To be so young and so in love
You’re going into the deep forest
You hope you’re strong enough
To look into the darkness
And face the thing you most fear
And spread out your wings
And risk everything to be happy

The time has come and now you’re standing
You say you’ll be brave, you say you’ll be true
Be true to your spouse and your family
And the little voice inside of you
So go out and get it, nothing stands in your way
It wouldn’t be to extreme
To go and follow your dreams and be happy

sarah_zach_hammer sarah_zach_crop Sarah_Gianna_Lucia

Three new recordings…

Hi Friends,

These are works in progress. These songs all feature the amazing Rod Meyer on drums – Thanks Rod!

Hopefully, there will be more polished versions posted soon. Let me know what you think… any ideas for finishing these?..

You’re Bad!

Monkeys Wearing Clothes

Nature of Things

You’re Bad!

This song is dedicated to my nephew, Will and my mother in law, Lila. Apparently, whenever Lila says no to Will, he replies with, “You’re bad!”. It is frustrating when people won’t let us have what we want.

I went a little overboard with the recording. Any comments or suggestions are appreciated.

You’re Bad! by Willy Grigg

I don’t want to take a nap, I’m not tired, let me go
I want to play, don’t make me stop
Don’t you tell me no, no, no

You’re bad, you’re bad, so bad I had to say it twice
You’re bad, you’re bad, and I don’t think you’re very nice

I want that candy, let me have it
Let me have that doughnut hole
I won’t wait ‘til after supper
Don’t you tell me no, no, no

I want to run, I want to jump
I want to dance a do-si-do
I want to yell and punch my brother
Don’t you tell me no, no, no

 

I wrote the lyrics while sitting in Christ Presbyterian Church near Greenville, NC, October 5, 2014.

Isn’t It Convenient?

convenient
Here’s a song for everyone with divine opinions.

The lyrics are below for those who like to sing along.

Isn’t It Convenient? by Willy Grigg 8/9/14-9/12/14

I love the Lord and He love me, we’ve got it all worked out
I’ve read his holy scriptures, I know what he’s about
His ways are not mysterious they’re there for all to see
And isn’t it convenient, God agrees with me

Everyone should have a gun, nobody’s taking mine
God only said “Thou shalt not” once and “kill” a dozen times
And “Turn the other cheek” – he meant that metaphorically
And isn’t it convenient, God agrees with me

There’s compassion in my heart / for any person who doesn’t agree
They’ll have time to think about it / while they  burn in hell / for all eternity

I believe each embryo has an eternal soul
We shouldn’t tamper with it, we should shun all birth control
A soul that’s born in darkness is one more he can set free
And isn’t it convenient, God agrees with me

I’ll believe what I believe don’t tell me otherwise
Your science-based reality is just a pack of lies
I take my orders from above, I hear them perfectly (or – they’re clear as clear can be)
And isn’t it convenient that God agrees with me