Begin the Millennium Rhyme: Lyrics 1973-2017

By Eric K. Richardson

Begin the Millennium Rhyme presents the authors original song lyrics over five decades, at the end of the twentieth century, into the new millennium. Raised in the American West in the 1950s and 1960s, Richardson chronicles a personal narrative in 124 song lyrics, the internal and cultural shifts, tenor, and style of his era, reflecting the influences of folk-rock and Americana songwriting. His writing takes the reader on a journey of short stories in rhyme, of time and place. These crafted stories are married to rhythm and melody, as sung on guitar, solo, or performed in band arrangements and sound recordings.

This collection offers autobiographical and social observations of an American songwriter in the late twentieth century.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Abbott Press
• Release date: Dec 12, 2017
• ISBN: 9781458221469

Eric K. Richardson

Eric Richardson a fourth generation Californian, is a husband, father, grandfather; a retired telecommunications engineer and project management professional. He composes and performs music solo and with friends and is engaged in studio recordings of his original songs. He currently lives in Sacramento and welcomes reviews and responses to his work at website ericrichardsongs.com

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Copyright © 2017 Eric K. Richardson.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Abbott Press

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

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ISBN: 978-1-4582-2148-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4582-2147-6 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4582-2146-9 (e)

Abbott Press rev. date: 12/6/2017

Contents

1970’s

Love Is Winning

Tread, Tread

Katie Wheeler

It’s Not Easy To Be This Free

Anchorage Bound

Kicking Down The Streets

Cardboard Highway Song

Former Friends And Lovers

Milky (High)Way

Here I Am 17 (Journey Through The Highland Green)

All My Dead Friends

Riverboat

More Than Laugh

Ex-Old Man

Falling Blue

Cranberry Jam

Total Obscuration

Four Seconds Later

Sounds Is Getting Louder

North Alaska Way

Cutting Up A Little Slice Of Life

Eloise

I’m Not Going To Work Today

You’re Dead On Rock And Roll

1980’s

Harvest

Little Aches And Pains

Song For A Feel

People’s Choice

Under The Impression

Morning Blue

Goat Roast Blues

Snowshoe Racer

Six Figures

Middle Ages

Love, Peace And You

Memo From Eagle Lake

Three Long Rows

Esperanca

Eyes Of Age (Nothing But Love)

Remembering

Hot Day August

Ashley Marie

Eagle Lake

Slow Ye Down

You’ve Left Me Hangin’ Too

1990’s

Grange Hall Girl

The One I’ve Come To See

Walk Away

Chester

In My Opinion

Murmurs Of A Songwriter

Reno In The Rearview Mirror

Angel On The Town

Jewel

Rivers Of Joy

Steppin’ Out

Third World Girl

The Longest Time

Tie Up The Rain (With A Bow)

A Long Ways From Home (Chicago)

Coo Coo And The Mole

Pop Daddy

El Nino High Water Waltz

Cal-Vada

Father

Central Valley Boyz

After I Retire

Five Shades From Nowhere

I Brake For Jesus

Warning Sign

Blue Is The Color (Of This Life)

2000’s

Old Mexico

My Heart Has A Mind Of Its Own

Six String Love

Prairie Town

Rebel Around

Undecided Voter

Spine Highway

Sweet On Her

Primordial Ooze Blues

Swami Beach

Yogananda

Gone On

Would You Like To Dance?

A Little Break

Jane

Coral

Quake of ’02

Beige Age

Embracing The Blues

Bring It On

Curious Love

The Ballad Of Alice Hall

Fall Away

Come Down Sweet Angel

Presents Under The Tree

Rumor Has It

Hold My Soul

Middle East Outer West

Not Too Far

No More Matter of Fact

Big Water, Big Wind

We’ve Had A Life

2010 – 2017

I Will Miss

Livin’ On The Edge

2:14

What Would You Have Me Do?

Unrequited Love

Blind, Deaf, and Dumbstruck in Love with You

When You Get That Way

Limelight’s Edge

Resplendent

BK

Winter Blues

Scars And Stripes

The Day will Come Kim Jung Un

Love And Complication

Roastin’

Red Red Rain

Nonetheless

The Bible And The Gun

Running Days

Since The 49er Days

We Disappear

Introduction

This collection of original song lyrics is a culmination of writing set to music from my days listening, as a high school senior to today as senior citizen. The writing years range from 1973 to 2017, the conclusion of the 20th century, and the end of one millennium and on through the beginning of a new one. Except in rare instances the lyrics have been married to rhythm and melody, as sung on guitar solo, or in band arrangements. Some of the lyric material has found it’s way into studio recordings both in the Sacramento, California area where I was raised, in the Sierra Nevada gold country, and in Nashville, Tennessee. Aware as I am that some songs may not get recorded, (studio expense and musical accompaniment being factors), hence this lyric book.

In large measure, just getting these wayward ideas written on envelopes, legal pads, field records, napkins over the years, into one bound book, has taken discipline I infrequently muster, but feel compelled now to do so.

Lyrics often write themselves and I feel blessed to receive them; and then there are those that require labor for 10 years and more. This holds true for music composition as well. In dead of night, in morning chill, or driving, sometimes with a fever, or in the wilderness, verse will come and is grabbed while able, knowing the fleeting nature of the giving source.

Fortunate as I was to be raised in a nurturing environment with caring parents, my early exposure to Mother Goose rhymes, player piano rolls from the 1920’s and 30’s, (foot pumped manually while singing), and 78 RPM records formed my early inspiration. Yet as a toddler I listened cross-legged to a portable record player the 45RPMs of the Classical giants, and felt a connection, an attunement, to that sound, much beyond myself or ability, true to this day, later in life.

I am indebted to good friend and fellow writer Bill Slater, in the development of lyrics and music accompaniment over the years, and to the musicians and artists who journey the creative path in their lives. They know that solitude, struggle, and joy of creation makes for a rich, if not impoverished life. We have day jobs but are musicians, working, playing. Thanks also to Ken Surface for his remarks and friendship.

Lucky I am indeed to have closest friends since the age of 4 that remain so. This is rare and cannot be purchased. They know who they are.

Lastly and most importantly, to my family, I thank you for your love and patience for a husband/father oft occupied with career, work and the craft of songwriting. I cherish life with you.

Eric K. Richardson

March 7, 2017

Carmichael, CA.

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Songwriter

1970’s

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With Karin, Palenque, Yucatan Penisula, January 1975

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Blues Rock

Love Is Winning

Time makes clear that love is winning

I’m wondering why?

Life feels light when the right one sees you eye to eye.

Love is winning, it’ll keep you grinning

I’m wondering why? when you live in the blues

Every once in a while kiss it good-bye.

Friends say I’m a changed man since you said hello

I suppose friends really ought to know,

And the silvery moon keeps on spinning around

When love is winning, then you’ll wake up on the ground

Sleepy, feeling warm and free, touching the key,

Give it a squeeze.

A story told of suffering, we linger with the loss;

A black wind is buffeting, on every worthy cause: but

Time makes clear that love is winning

I’m wondering’ why, life’s out of sight

When the right one sees you tonight.

Time makes clear that love is winning

I’m wondering why?

Life feels light when the right one sees you eye to eye.

Love is winning, it’ll keep you grinning

I’m wondering why? when you live in the blues

Every once in a while kiss it good-bye.

Tread, Tread