Wobbly Musical Lyrics

In all honesty, my music is alright, very interesting, very different but more melancholy, than expected. It does have a darker, sad, overtone, that is much different than my personality. See, most of my songs, were created, at a time, back in 2000, when I had just faced a whirlwind transition, to a world of oxygen assistance with a plastic trach stuck in my throat and a chord of oxygen tubing, coming out of my body, too.

That was very tragic. That was very harsh. That was my reality. I think I used my opportunity to create my music, to give people a better understanding of all the emotions I had wrapped up inside me, from this incredibly strange existence I was adapting to.

Let's go down the row, and look at some of the songs and my reflections. It will give you a better understanding and allow the lyrical words to convey deeply my inspirations.

IF LIFE BRINGS---just a hopeful song. not much to it. but if you look deeper, I am showing you that I basically found a way to adapt, to my extremes. All the lyrics of this song, set up a pattern of showing the obstacles in life, that may come your way and how I simply knock that out of the way. I had that "Run thru Brick Walls" mentality, back then, you see. I was lucky I had that tremendous force/ability to bash thru my anguish and pain, knock it right out of the box.

COSMIC WOBBLY INTRO---I love being a bit of a Rod Serling, TWILIGHT ZONE storyteller. See, my life is very much a TWILIGHT ZONE type existence and rather than be spooked by the ominously wicked stuff that comes my way, I have fun with it. This little intro, tells you THE WOBBLY BRIDGE is gonna be a bit fore-boding, a little more rough, than you anticipated but that if you hang tough and hang in there, like me, you'll find yourself able to cope better and be able to focus on crossing the Wobbly Bridge.

BRING BACK YESTERDAY---This song took on a totally different vibe than intended. My original concept was a song that reflected a more cherished look at the past but we took a stab at dropping the tempo, all the way, down, as slowwww as we could. It almost felt like I was the late, great, Johnny Cash, as I was slurring my words, as slow as possible. It is very wild to imagine myself, with such a reduced lung capacity and on only a portable oxygen unit, to try to project such a long-winded, tempo...It was so difficult for my lungs to push that long a breath for each verse. I was shocked I was able to pull it off. Although the song, is a bit tedious and sad, it does capture a funky vibe that is undeniably cool and ultra-special. Hey, it's me doing Johnny Cash on oxygen & a trach, to boot. That's pretty cosmic with all those variables, thrown in.

FROM OUTTA THE WAY---this was my attempt at pushing the ideal that THE HOPE THAT BRINGS TOMORROW, WILL GIVE US A BETTER CHANCE TO RIDE. Sure, my life had been de-railed, completely, but I was able to laugh at my bizarre reality and project my unique ability to bounce back, despite the overwhelming odds. It's just a cute, little song, a jambled mix of little stories, showing that adversity is a part of all our lives and we all seem to come out of things, no worse the wear, so don't let the fear and anxiety of adversity, hold you back.

WINTER UNDER WOBBLY BRIDGE---my best song, no doubt, Jeff just has the perfect intro, that puts you into a cosmic, other-worldly dimension as Eric weaves a magical melody, in the background. Boom, I come in, with a great vocal effort, unwinding a really funny & imaginitive look at our trials & tribulations, of coping with "winter". I absolutely, have to listen to this song, every October, when there is a tinge of frost & frigidness in the air, that sharp crispness, that catches your breath, creeping into your bones. Right then and there, you know, you're gonna have to brace for another freeze over, here in the Midwest. This is a loving tribute to the Wobbly Bridge too, sort of bending the Bridge away from its edgy origins and showing it in a positive light, embracing the happy side of amassing together, under the protection of the bridge, for our annual hibernation, from the cold.

I GOTTA RHYTHM---I wanted to really reach deep and show the mindset, you needed to drop yourself into, to contend with extreme/harsh pains. See, you really do, have to get a kooky little mantra going, at those moments in life, when your ability to think clearly is devastated. At that point, a mantra, or song like I GOTTA RHYTHM, just kicks in, like cruise conrol, and allows you to ride thru the turmoil and uncertainty, with a bit of flair and even/self-assuredness that is a secret approach to handling such circumstances. It's got a catchy beat and it just shows you plow straight ahead, with that crazy rhythm, pounding you forward, not acknowledging the pain or unthinkable obstacles, you'll need to contend with, to get by, that moment. Eric just exemplifies that fun, almost giddy approach, with his added kooky personality really making it a hilarious song, like no other.

WHO STANDS TO TAKE THE FALL---I agonize leaving this song, in my songbook because it is truly sadder than sad. It does show you the lowest of low, deep depressive pressure that brings us down. It just sends you into a space of reality that screams HOPELESSNESS. There is no silver lining, in this song. It embraces the despair and never lets it go. Now, maybe you think it should have been left off. But let me tell you, we all hit points in our life, where we all feel like we just took the fall, a harder fall, than we thought we could handle. Whether it is breaking a leg or dealing with a crushing personal difficulty. This song shows, WOW...I could really fall off a deep edge..and just fade away...fade away...furhter and further, just embracing the woe & misery. That's frightening, almost terrifying. But see, I want you to feel that hideous grief, just tremendous, punch in the gut, life pulls the carpet from under you, pain & devastation. By experiencing this emotion, you will gain a better understanding our ability to rise up, someway, somehow, even when our strength and resolve seemed to leave you behind and we become lost souls, just grasping for any piece of daylight, we can. And yes, Jeff, really shines thru, immersing himself in the grief and anguish as he pounds so hard, down on the keyboards and almost sends out a ghastly whirl of emotional wrath our way. It's powerful. It really is, Jeff's performance.

TOMORROW---see, right up, after the song of despair, is my ultimate song of HOPE--TOMORROW...this song just has a beautiful melody and it was easy to ride with this emotion of hope and belief and a sense of inner goodness, helping us along, our journey thru life. This is one of my favorites, for sure, how can it not be. It shows the essence of triumph, having the courage, having the bright spirit within us all, to come out and shine us thru to a better tomorrow. To me, this is wondrously magical, to listen to, every single time. And I am amazed I was able to write this song and feel blessed, it will be around, long, long, after I'm gone.

WHERE IS SANTA CLAUS---just a sweet little diversion, an impish little tranquil ditty. It has no meaning, just sends out a slow & soothing image of our annual Christmas ritual, of waiting for Santa, to arrive, when we were kids. I love how we put that little, sly, off-key bend, to it, almost showing you, the imperfection, of our youth. Just a silly little, happy note, that has us get a bit of a whimsical smile, every time, it pops up. Jeff, once again, with his tremendous skill, tossing that in, at the last moment, after I had such trouble, pushing my voice to such a low note.

SECRET TRACH MAN---I wrote this to show the humorous side, of adapting to a life with a trach. This song was written a year or two, after my trach was put in, and I was getting my funny, happy-go-lucky spirit back in stride. It's flat-out funny. My strange lyrics, my over-the-top delivery of the ultra-cool song originally from Johnny Rivers classic, SECRET AGENT MAN. Just a hoot and Eric just picks up that kickin' guitar beat and rocks it out, to perfection. A lotta fun, putting ourselves in a goofy orbit and it kinda sets the table of getting even more goofier with my OSAMA BIN LADEN RAP SONG...down the line...

A WALK ON THE WOBBLY BRIDGE---The musical number that started the ball rolling, back in 2000. A funny romp, of a song, capturing the silly escapades of encountering the Wobbly Bridge, straight on, giving it an oofty-goofty, feel. It sounds a bit faded, but it still burns brightly, as one of my top 5 favorites. I took a big chance, trying to sing it, myself and was shocked it turned out to be an all-time Wobbly classic...Little did I know, of the wild times ahead, from these crazy musical moments. Jeff & Eric, helped create and flourish the message of the Wobbly Bridge, outward, from their honest, impeccable talents of bringing my musical visions, to life...

OSAMA BIN LADEN RAP SONG---oh yes, this is purely funny beyond funny. We just got, flat-out, wacky, taking a sappy little blues number I had written and blasting it up into a sound explosion with so many chaotic & disturbing elements, all for fun. Each one of us, really gets into our cosmic groove, unleashing the essence of OSAMA, the most hated man, in America, back then, in 2001. A person, we so desperately wanted to see punished, yet this song emulates his defiance and disturbing image, where we truly hate this guy, but are cracking up, at the sure silliness, almost like the parody of watching a phony wrestling match. We get caught up in its, whimsical nature, of good, clean fun, captured with a hoaky blend of rap & synthesizer chaos and Eric's wondrously detached, spooky/haunting voice, pleading to our elusive nemisis, OSAMA...Truly the high mark, of all our creations and you can thank Jeff for pulling out his special mind-blowing talent of creating that delicious sound masterpiece, that has you transfixed by its power and bold cosmic waves.

MELTING PEOPLE---this is equally, our way, of saying, why not, do a Punk Anthem...!!!...Sure, this song about finding myself in Phoenix in July. Yes, I had no idea it could get this scorchingly brutal during an explosively hot, heat-wave. I thought I would show the crazy side of it all. And blasting out as a "Punk Shocker" was our special way of defying any repetitive seams, within my musical collection. Because this is almost my last song, recorded, with my Milkwood gang and I'm glad it included a wild punk song becaue we grew out of that era, early 1980's, when Punk actually had a bit of an influence, on our senses, as teenagers. Let's face it, my Punk vocals are so flat at times, it is painful, but I somehow, get some crazy/funny rhythm, that shows you, I can kick it out there, punk style...in a bizarre, freakish, hilarious way...In the end, we are just showing all our musical renderings were, simply, off-beat attempts to reach your senses...from every conceivable angle. Nothing more, nothing less. It was a fun adventure. A strange experiment from the get-go, with a kooky guy with a trach, doing some tremendously different things with a musical flair, enhanced by the super talents of a couple of guys, just trying to spread the joy of music, thru their Milkwood Foundation.

SANTA-LAND---just a silly song, as alot were. Utilizing the Christmas spirit of childrens supreme happiness and affections for Santa. The whole kit-and-kaboodle of surreal surprises, come into play, popping out silly Santa notions, with Jeff really pretending this stuff, is truly, 110% real. And Eric is so intensely driving the heart-thumping beat, all the kiddies get, when the craziness of Christmas catches hold in all our hearts.

HUNGRY HANNAKUH---this was my special creation for Eric & Karla, for the festive Jewish holiday of Hannakuh. Eric's eyes lit up, when he saw it and immediately threw in his favorite Hannakuh dish, POTATO LATKES, right up front. Eric really took a simple little ditty to bring a smile and turned it into a lovely interpretation of Hannakuh. I gotta admit, I didn't know much about Hannakuh but Eric's performance is sparkling and it drives home the special magical flavor of Hannakuh, many of us, probably would never realize. Just a super little song and I'm certainly glad to play it, come December/Hannakuh season, bringing a smile that I had created this special song, for Eric & Karla, that is the best darn song ever done, for Hannakuh, in my books.

{the 2008--Spirit of the Season--lyrics are in a special blog--

http://2008spiritoftheseason.blogspot.com/

...just some great Christmas thoughts I recorded recently in November 2008}

...also if you would like to listen to Jim's tour de force...performance...click here...
(just go to Jim's Milwaukee Bucks Chat Forum and look on the far left column, half-way down for Bucksjam's Christmas Message, scrolling on by....HIT green PLAY arrow...)

Well, there you have it, I did write every single word, of these "Ultimate Wobbly" songs...(except for Eric's couple lines he added during my Hannakuh song...)...and I am very proud, to have done this crazy stuff. I'm kinda shocked by it all because it does convey some deep emotions, that hit me hard, when I listen to them again, even 9 years later. Jeff & Eric, kinda slid into my life by complete accident, as I was flipping thru my DePaul Alumni magazine, back in 2000. (we are just 3 bizarre/kooky Blue Demon kids that probably will never grow up.) Next thing, you know, I'm saying I think I could do something new, like write some very unique songs, from my chaotic perspective...in an e-mail to them...and sure enough, they graciously agreed...and the rest is "Wobbly Bridge" history...