FAWM Compositions: FAWM 2022
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Triple failure at FAWM in 2015, 2017 and 2018 led me to abandon any attempt to participate in the years that followed. I focused instead on revising my novels, and in 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, I decided to do live online reading of my first two novels. But in 2022, I came up with a new concept and added new songs to my "40 Days" rock opera. I even threw in a few additional sets of lyrics for other projects. I completed FAWM that year and completed most of the songs with music as well.
- Carrying The Spices
- Who Will Roll Away The Stone?
- Shaken
- Report Of The Guards
- Fear!
- Crap Song
- Fear
- On The Mountain
- Breakfast of Fish
- Betty
- New Song
- Burying Our Sorrow
- Music Is The Master (Performed by Rocky Mason)
- The Favorite
- The Holy Spirit
- Peace Beyond All Understanding
Women
What do we do now, since our Lord has died?
What do we do now, after we have cried?
What do we do now, when our tears have dried?
What do we do now, who will be our guide?
We are purchasing the spices
Purchasing the spices
To preserve the body of our Lord
We are purchasing the spices
Purchasing the spices
To honor the life of our Lord
What do we do now, since we’ve bought the spice?
What do we do now, will it still suffice?
What do we do now, since he paid the price?
What do we do now, is he in Paradise?
We are readying the spices
Readying the spices
To preserve the body of our Lord
We are readying the spices
Readying the spices
To honor the life of our Lord
What will we do now that the day has dawned?
What will we do now, how can we respond?
What will we do now, in the days beyond?
What will we do now, for him we have a bond?
We are carrying the spices
Carrying the spices
To preserve the body of our Lord
We are carrying the spices
Carrying the spices
To honor the life of our Lord
Women
We are just but women three, with the spices and perfume
But the path which we must take is blocked by stone to the entombed
No one dares to come with us for fear that they will be arrested
All we’re guilty of is words our Lord himself attested.
Will they be at our behest
To open up this dreadful chest?
May we treat him with our best?
Who will roll away the stone?
Our sorrow raw, our feet are sore
No Earthly power can open that door
Our hopes are dimmed, outlook is poor
Who will roll away the stone?
We have arrived, the stone aside
We dare not even look inside
A body’s theft, cannot abide
Who has rolled away the stone?
Guards
The earth is quaking, we’re all so shaken
Our lives are flashing, we’re so forsaken
The end is near, our lives are lost
We must stay here, but what a cost
We can’t stay here longer or we’ll die
We must flee now, time to say goodbye.
The sky is dark now, the lightning’s flashing
The wind is blowing, the trees are thrashing
A man appears right here before us
He’s white as snow, he won’t ignore us
We can’t stay here longer or we’ll die
We can’t see now, this is our goodbye.
Angel
I am here to move the stone
You’re not alone, don’t lie there prone
As he told you, he lives once more
Forevermore, a life restored
Guards
We still are shaken, that he awakened
Too much to witness, too much to take in
Our lives are forfeit if we speak of it
And to the truth we must not admit
We can’t stay here longer or we’ll die
We must find a tale we can stand by
Guards
It’s a tale, too strange to tell
With lightning, to the ground we fell
An angel of God, he moved the stone
We feared so much, our lives were done
Priests
A tale for sure, it has no fact
You cannot share, we’ll make a pact
A sum of riches, yours to spend
Keep quiet or it will be your end
Guards
A mighty feat like this to view
A fearful sight, we’re telling you
A story that cannot be shared
A truth that must be undeclared
Priests
But a mere fable, it is true
No one will know, what you once knew
Forevermore you must relate
That this was false, that is your fate
The followers came through the dark
They took the body, left no mark
This is the tale that you will tell
Now go away, you’ve been paid well.
Fear
Drives me crazy, can’t control it, going out of my own head
Fear
All the people, every moment, always full of deepest dread
Fear
It’s a problem, can’t abide it, gonna hide myself away
Fear
But the nighttime, it is worse than other portions of the day
Fear
Who's that knocking? What’s that noise there? Never find a moment’s peace
Fear
It’s too shocking that I hear it, where can I find sweet release?
Fear
Not a minute of each hour is my heart not in my throat
Fear
Not a second of each minute are my hopes to stay afloat
Why can’t I learn to live with it
Why can't I learn to live through it
Who can help me find my way from it
When will I have my life without it
Fear
Frantic panic, nervous feeling, there is never a good time
Fear
Baseless danger, always looking o’er my shoulder for a crime
Fear
To befall me, I am victim, life is always fleeting by
Fear
Death release me, can’t go living, life is better should I die
Sitting on a bed of nails, being an imposter
Hurting like you think it should, eating too much pasta
Waiting in the ticket queue, ready with my dollars
Now and then I take a few, spend it on some collars
This is such a nonsense song, shouldn’t waste my ink on
But it counts as one more try, even though it’s stinking
Now I write into the night, cannot get to bed now
Dog and cat are crying out, time for getting fed chow
Dog is biting on my leg, wants me to stop singing
Cat is scratching at his ears, ready to be springing
Elephant is in the room, cannot just ignore it
Major piece of garbage here, beginning to abhor it
Disciples
Who has taken him away, who of us will get the blame?
Who would think to steal the dead? Heaven knows we’re not the same.
Fear has fallen on our lives, trembling now under the weight
Lives are forfeit, end of times, and here we know we cannot wait
Let us go to Galilee, as the women said we must
Let us go away from here, we stay here we will be crushed
Let us hide ourselves away
Never see the light of day
Let us find what we have lost
Forget we ever saw the cross
But we promised we would serve
Tell the truth and spread the word
We cannot just flee the scene
We can’t leave, it was foreseen
He told us all to meet him there
He told us all to brave the tide
He told us he would come again
He told us that before he died
But we could not believe him then
We could not even understand
He told us but we did not hear
And now we live our lives in fear.
Peter
Let us go up to the mountain, by the town of Galilee
There we’ll meet him, as he told us, at the mountain by the Sea
His disciples, his commandment, not just for us but all of them
A great return, with the five hundred, women, children and the men.
Some believers, many doubters, they will see with their own eyes
None will doubt us, sight delivers, no one left to call it lies
There in the distance, see him standing, see him shining like the sun!
Fall down and worship, he is risen, he is yet the Holy One!
What words of wisdom shall be spoken, here upon this holy mount?
Open all your ears and listen, write it down, the full account!
Jesus
Here’s a fire ignited
Here’s a basket of bread
Bring me some of those fishes
Sit down for a big spread.
Eat your fill and
Tell me your all your tales
They’re incredible!
Peter
We were out on the water
Having nary a bite
Almost ready to give up
When you came into sight
We believed and
Rolled up our sleeves
And the net filled!
And now we’re once more
Eating with the Lord!
The fire is warming us
Our faith once more restored!
We just couldn’t be silent
When we saw it was you
None of us needed
To ask “Who are you?”
You are the Lord and
Life is our reward
No longer skeptical
I
Betty
When I see you I’m sweaty
It’s just the nerves in me
Betty
I’m a living wreck
Betty
I may never be ready
To face a future with
Betty
I’ll never be there
In time
I’ll find that I’m left behind
Such indecision is
My crime
I cannot commit
Meantime
Forever seems like a long time
When it all comes down to
Showtime
I cannot declare
My love for you
Love for all my life
Yes, it’s true
The love I have for
Betty
It’s the thought of us steady
It makes me feel all
Fretty
And I can’t back down
Betty
I know I come off as petty
And a life without
Betty
Is the one I choose.
My love for you
May not fade away
But we two
Never meant to be.
Every tune and every chorus
Somehow you’ve found new ways to bore us
Hear our pleas, please don’t ignore us
Do not write another song
It’s just an abomination
That you think this combination
Sour notes an aberration
Do not write another song
It’s this melody we’re thinking
It’s so terribly stinking
With it all our hopes are sinking
That you’ll write another song
If you do, we tried to warn ya
Your stupid rhymes from California
Are causing ears the greatest harm, yeah
Stop it with your blasted songs
You’d be better off composing
Something else that’s less imposing
Something we won’t thumb our nose on
Just don’t write another song
But the tide seems to be turning
And for music we are yearning
Once again our hearts are burning
Will you write another song?
The Men
We are burying our sorrow
Waiting ‘til tomorrow
To avoid the breaking of the law
Laws that are unjust, he was quick to break
Laws that he discussed, measures he would take
Nothing would be lost, to his quickened mind
All but for what cost, now that he has died?
We are hiding here in sorrow
Focusing on our woe
When we should be thinking of our Lord
Where do we begin, how do we react?
While we look within, his death is a fact
Questioning our faith, he would scold us so
Is he but a wraith, urging us to go?
We are pondering our exit
Sabbath day prevents it
We cannot go out to mourn our Lord
Everyone is here, they think, to see the master play.
But the master is the music, and the music makes the day.
Wind and rain and dirt and mud, the ground is almost split.
But unifying all the world, the music comes from it.
To the North, I feel the cold, to the South as well.
To the West and from the East, the Sun’s own heat does swell.
Look inside your own true heart, and realize the day
Is only half of what there is, and darkness does take sway.
But darkness is not to be feared, as music conquers all.
Daylight’s not to be revered, as music makes its call.
Old or young, ill or well, the melodies do speak.
They come together, unison, and chase away the bleak.
Music’s master, (or its servant?) never will it rest
Tunes are turning, heads exploring, puts us to the test
Lyrics flowing, rhymes and meter, universal speech
From a deep place, within one’s soul, that is its mystique
Where’s the future? When is past and what becomes of now?
In reflection, nothing matters, but this solemn vow
Music is our revolution, music has us rapt
Music heals us, helps us, finds us, when we’re feeling trapped
Peter
What about him?
Jesus
Why should you care? What is that to you?
If I want him to stay alive, what else can you do?
You must follow me, my commandments
You must feed my sheep
You will find that, should you falter
You won't fall asleep
Peter
So he won’t die?
Jesus
Did not say that, just you nevermind
He will tell our tales to the world, he’s the one assigned.
Were they written down in volumes
All the pages filled
There would not be room enough for
Prophecies fulfilled
Peter
Will you guide us?
Jesus
I won’t need to. You will guide yourselves.
But the spirit I will send you, will be something else!
Just a nudging, that you’re feeling,
You may hear a call
Answer swiftly, hesitate none
Don’t let the movement stall!
Jesus
Now that we all have fed, let’s take a moment’s rest
And talk about the things you all must do
You are my chosen, and we are not through
It’s a pretty simple task, I don’t think too much to ask
Just stay in town, await the gift to come
As my Father promised to Jerusalem.
You know of John the Baptist, the methods he practiced
He used water to immerse
Now in just a few days, we’re practicing new ways
A Spirit, a new vital force.
It’s everything you’ve hoped, this Spirit sent by God.
It’s nothing like you’ve ever seen before.
It will provide you new ways to explore.
It is not for you to know, time and date for it to show
But you will get the pow’r to spread the word
My witnesses you’ll be, and you’ll be heard!
In Judea, Samaria, and all ‘round the area
You’ll testify with many tongues
It won’t matter your language, your status, your village
The word will be spoken as one.
Jesus
Peace beyond all understanding
Heav’nly bliss awaits for you
No more fear, no more demanding
The life you know will soon be through
When the Father greets his children
When he welcomes one and all
A new age will start rebuilding
Summer, Winter, Spring and Fall
Point no fingers
Share no blame
Find your joy in
He who came
Care for others
That’s your call
Treat them equal
Big and small
Live a life that’s worth reliving
Live a life you’d care to share
Be the person that’s forgiving
Fill your life with daily prayer
Peace beyond all understanding
It’s a lesson we can share
Live in happiness expanding
Live a life that’s full of care
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