Poetry and Song – Collaborations Compiled

Lullaby
With Curie and Elia. This was originally written as a lullaby for Curie with help from the Hoaglands, but has since become bigger with versus for Elia. Curie and Elia wore bear coats, Curie wore white, and Elia wore brown.

Lullaby Remix – Originally written 2011, Elia verses added 2019, recorded 2020 Albert with Curie and Elia

Lullaby – same track before recording Curie and Elia – 2020 Albert

My Master Bought and Aibo 2.0
There is a My Master Bought an AIBO 1.0 which we wrote in collaboration in 2001. It is interesting to see that the older version of the song is less kid friendly. The story behind this is I liked the idea couldn’t find the original lyrics. Cy is working on the music for this one.

My Master Bought an Aibo 2.0 – 1.0 version written 2001 with Cy, May 1, 2020, Albert and Cy

Dinosaurs!
Easily the most addictive song at the moment. The girls have hand motions that go with this. First line from Curie and her idea, The rest of the song was with Elia and her rhymes. Recorded July 21, 2020 at 2:00 AM because Elia asked why I didn’t record it yet – I told her I was tired and fell asleep.

Dinosaurs! Written July 19, 2020, First line from Curie and her idea, The rest of the song was with Elia and her rhymes. Recorded July 21, 2020 at 2:00 AM because Elia asked why I didn’t record it yet – I told her I was tired and fell asleep.

Social Media, I Hate You!
Curie is credited for wanting to write a song about electric sharks.

Social Media, I Hate You… – Second camp song to the same styling of Polly Wolly Doodle All Day, May 3, 2020, we wrote it right after “Butterfly” recorded by Albert

Butterfly Flying Through the Fields
Erin’s Choice. This one was truly collaborative

Butterfly Flying Through the Fields – Camp song to the styling of Polly Wolly Doodle All Day. May 3, 2020, the whole family wrote it. Albert recorded it.

Sister Sword Fighters
The girls’ theme song, heavy metal genre. There are drawings as well.

Sister Sword Fighters – May 15, 2020 Albert as a theme song for Curie and Elia’s picture

Who Watches the Bird Watchers?
Here are two versions, spoken word and vocal, which do you like better?

Spoken Word Version Written July 23, 2020, recorded July 24, 2020

Vocal Version Written July 23, 2020, recorded July 24, 2020

Don’t Call Her Princess…
For years we told Curie that she wasn’t a princess, she was the king, and she would tell people on airplanes, in hotels, and shops that she was king. It wasn’t until pre-school and kindergarten kids convinced her that princesses were a thing that she started liking princesses.

Don’t Call Her Princess… – June 11, 2020, recorded June 12, 2020 at 1 AM

Why do the French Hate ze Fish?

Why Do the French Hate the Fish? Written June 14, 2020, Recorded June 15, 2020 Albert Chen

Ten Little Owls, A Different Take on the Counting Song

Ten Little Owls, Written July 23, 2020, Recorded July 31, 2020 – a little overproduced

The Rules of a Stick

The Rules of a Stick written September 20, 2020, Rough cut recorded September 23, 2020

Lawn Pawn

Written October 10, 2020 with input from Chris (bonus for using “spiked drum aerator”). Recorded October 11, 2020 at 1 AM.

Writing Warm-up
November 13, 2020, Written with the family right before bed

Bedtime
January 21, 2021

My Cupcake Has an Icing Toupee
February 3, 2021 Recording to come soon.

Joe the Shepherd Spy
February 27, 2021

Morning Quietude
February 27, 2021

Ah, Little Ones
February 22, 2021

Getting into the Disco Mood
February 14, 2021 (Celebrating the girls’ dance parties)

Initial rough cut recorded February 14, 2021. Elia sings the opening, Albert does the Eurovision rap, Curie sings the close. All four of us wrote the song after deciding to make a Mamma Mia song.

And How About This?
March 17, 2021

Red Panda Extravaganza
March 17, 2021, also meant to be a song

Has Clever Poetry Become Passe?
March 29, 2021

Super Fish Oil
April 4, 2021

Plastic Expectations
April 4, 2021

Evil Garden Gnome
April 4, 2021

Over the Thin King
April 4, 2021

Contemplating the Navel (Orange)
April 5, 2021

Haiku, Tanka, Sonnets, Sicilian Octave, Whatever!
April 6, 2021

The Cloud Eclipse
April 8, 2021

Bad Poetry: Making up rules when convenient
April 8, 2021

Healing
January 7, 2023

Birder Dating. a Survival Guide
May 3, 2023

Kids

Misc: Rhymes and Songs from Childhood
Poems that Suephy and Bernard made up from when we were kids

Section2

Section 2: More Serious Music Some Good, Some Cringy

New! Somewhere Across Forever
March 5, 2022 – Written 161 days after the last poem, started as a romance/70s Broadway-style ballad, but had some wartime overtones or aging parent overtones. Two versions here, which do you like better? Please message me. I think I need a third version. 🙂

Somewhere Across Forever first cut, faster version but more raw recorded March 8, 2022/written March 6, 2022

Somewhere Across Forever Slow cut, more precise but maybe too tedious recorded March 8, 2022/written March 6, 2022

A Little Jazz, A Little Blue, and Alone
Written because Anya or Juju could sing this, but I ended up recording a version because it begged for a melody. Cy is working on this one too.

This recording created December 24, 2020

Driving the Highway
Nostalgia with George, so this actually happened to us. We were driving on Sunset and turned onto a side street and saw the girl. It inspired an essay, a short sudden fiction piece, and this song.

Driving Down the Highway – Essay written in 1997, song written 2001, recorded 2009, re-recorded 2020 Albert

Started my Day in Brooklyn
This is also based on something that happened. I was traveling to Chicago for work and met up with Chris who was willing to drive down two hours, back up two hours to buy a guitar, and back again to hang out. He liked the song except for the wife leaving part since he and Nicole were together.

Started My Day in Brooklyn: Chris Country Song – Written with Albert and Chris 2001, recorded 2020 Albert and Chris

3 AM
Fifteen tracks of this were recorded on my last day in San Diego before I went to New York to go to work. Octavio said it would irreparably change me, and it did. We did try to meet up in Las Vegas to record a second one, but that didn’t work out very well. This was also recorded on MD player, and Octavio sang and played all the tracks, I just wrote the lyrics.

3 AM with Beat – 2000 Octavio and Albert – sung by Octavio

3 AM Last Cut – 2000 Octavio and Albert – sung by Octavio

Insomnia
Need to take the time to actually record and arrange this one, the recording below is a sketchpad version of a melody.

Unfinished recording in the link above, melody may not be the final one.

Teen Age Years and Fathers’ Tears
Unfinished. Cy wrote a beautiful melody and arrangement, I just can’t do it justice partially because I can’t hear the music when I sing. I tend to lay the tracks with the song and will need to practice. Listen to it in the melody only version and read it, I think it works better that way.

Teen Age Years and Father’s Tears. – Instrumental by Cy – go to lyrics to follow along.

Vocal track sung by Albert recorded July 17, 2020 remixed with the “karaoke” backing track to remove the violins from Cy.

Welcome Xavier!
For Reggie and Laura, this was originally written on the same melody as the Lullaby for Curie and Elia, but I didn’t want to give that up, so I recorded an entirely different song as a present for Reggie, Laura, and Xavier.

Welcome Xavier! For Reggie, Laura, and Xavier April 2020 written by Albert and Erin

Feed Yo’ Soul
For Naheem, this is a second recording when the first one didn’t feel right at all. Embarrassed a bit at trying to rap, but it is what it is. The idea of feeding your soul has become really important to me and I try to help young people keep balanced by working on what makes them happy.

Feed Yo; Soul, originally Makin’ a difference, on May 18, 2020, recorded May 20, too embarrassed at the result to put it out there, rewrote and re-recorded it May 22, 2020, written for Naheem McCleod,, a fantastic kid who deserves everything and more so long as he respects himself and feeds his soul.

Not Going to Cry Anymore
This was originally the last of three songs from the 2001 song writing time along with April Dreams and Woke up in the Morning, but when it came time to put a melody to it, it sounded trite to me and I stopped writing music. Interestingly, Anya really liked it and wants to record it, which has made me rethink the older songs as having some potential again. They are from a younger time when I didn’t have kids yet so was more melodramatic and willing to be more adventurous in my writing.

Not Gonna Cry: Anymore – Written 2001 Cringy version recorded 2020 Albert

Love Lives in the Heart
February 14, 2021

Techno Monk, Player Lite
February 14, 2021

Friendship Years Later
March 20, 2021

Loneliness Is Not Just For the Alone
April 2, 2021

My Friend Who Died on 9/11
April 3, 2021

Cherry Blossoms
April 5, 2021

Embrace Your Inner Me
April 5, 2021

Snobbery Has No Place in Art
April 5, 2021

A Tribute To My Parents
April 8, 2021

ABC
April 8, 2021

Embracing Age
April 8, 2021

An Ode to an Ideal Vacation
April 10, 2021

Twilight Descends
March 23 – April 21, 2021

NewSongs

Section3

Caught Dreaming Again
May 8, 2021

Yasmine on the Verge of Tomorrow
May 20, 2021

Seasons Change
July 24, 2021

Sentience
March 18, 2022

Waiting for you: Remembering Adolescence
March 23, 2022

Advice to a Younger Self
March 23, 2022

Whiskey and Pears
April 5, 2022

Nostalgia
April 15, 2022

Inevitability
April 24, 2022

A Descent Into Madness
April 30, 2022

Remembering
May 19, 2022

So Happy for You
July 13, 2022

Unfair
July 30, 2022

New An Unnamed Musing
September 22, 2023

Wedding Daze
October 15, 2023

Section 3: “I Stand Against Stupid,” Apparently I am Writing an Hamilton–esque musical to cope with my frustrations in politics, justice, and COVID.

– Credit to Michael Kelley for the title.

Opening Song, Lyrics Only: Withstand With us

Withstand With Us
July 27, 2020 Get out and vote

Overwhelmed and Angry
Recorded July 17, 2020 Parental Advisory, Explicit Lyrics, Political Innuendo I apologize for my rapping.

Overwhelmed and Angry, Recorded July 17, 2020 Parental Advisory, Explicit Lyrics, Political Innuendo I apologize for my rapping.

Wear the Goddamned Mask
July 25, 2020, Parental Advisory, Profanity, Explicit Lyrics and Angry Disdain

Summer of 2020 and the Inflatable Fool
July 25, 2020, I am trying to write one that doesn’t have profanity so I can read it to the kids.

Watching the News
July 26, 2020, Really mad after listening to Trump’s Press Secretary

Slow Burn
July 19, 2020, Cy edits and submission. Recording is the instrumental, lyrics are on the link above

Here is Cy’s Latest version, I have not recorded it with vocals yet, a little scared…

These two are called the Bipolar Duo, and are about social justice:

Holding on to Despair
July 12, 2020, 1 of 2 in the Bipolar Duo of Songs

We are all a little afraid of the dark
July 13, 2020, 2 of 2 in the Bipolar Duo of Songs, Anya Sol is interested in recording this one and says she has a melody already

These next two may not fit the collection and were kind of stream of consciousness in a frustrated manic moment

We Are Safe for the Moment
May 2, 2020 Written stream of consciousness and quick recorded to capture a tune unfinished and out of tune

I Hardly Sleep These Days
May 2, 2020 Wrote this one the same night, unable to sleep also recorded with a quick tune also unfinished and out of tune

November 2020
November 13, 2020, It is post-election and it is still crazy. Wrote this as a more explicit anger at Trump

Preparing for Hope A COVID Poem #COVIDPoetry
February 7, 2021

A Smile for A Hug Happy Chinese New Year!
February 12, 2021

Platitudes What started as a nice poem became sardonic
February 21, 2021

A Year in Quarantine
March 10, 17, 2021

Reflection 330 Days Out
April 3, 2021

Confession
April 4, 2021

What if the News Gets Boring
April 4, 2021

Disappointed in Society
April 6, 2021

Sadly, little friends with a little “f”
April 7, 2021

Pissed off Today
June 30, 2022

Gog and Magog
June 30, 2022

Giving Up
September 3, 2022

Christmas Again?
November 27, 2022

Pinkeye: What Am I Fighting?
November 9, 2023

Political

Recent

Political

Recent

Section4

Section 4: Introspection

These first three were written in one night being very therapeutic writing poetry.

The Essence of Me
August 5, 2020 right before midnight. First poem of the night, fairly dark (1 of 3)

Get a Grip, They are Counting on You
August 6, 2020, Poetry written just after midnight, less depressive, more hopeful (2 of 3)

Self-talk and Bootstraps
August 6, 2020 A more light-hearted take on the same topic (3 of 3)

Lighting the Darkened Corners
August 7, 2020 I think I scared myself with this one, opening up too much or risking having a panic attack that I felt the need to write Reverie.

Reverie
August, 2020 Written to make sure I pick myself up after writing “Lighting the Darkened Corners.”

I Am a Broken Pot
September, 2020 Probably my favorite poem lately

Discorporation
November 12, 2020 Hard to keep it together in November

My Travels in Egypt
January 26, 2021 The inevitable “the Nile” poem

Walking in Someone Else’s Shoes
January 28, 2021 A follow up to My Travels in Egypt

The Journey
January 30, 2021

Drowning A second darker poem written right after
January 30, 2021

And Snow It Begins I wrote this on the fly after Chris expressed concern about the Journey and not even before reading Drowining
January 31, 2021

Under the Poa Tree #tenminutepoem
February 5, 2021

No Pictures Please! #wordplay poem
February 6, 2021

Don’t Reject me! A ditty written after “No Pictures Please!”
February 6, 2021

Hunger All-Consuming Please read to the end
February 6, 2021

Going for a Walk #threeminutepoem
February 6, 2021

One Day Past Middle Age
February 14, 2021

Wintering in December
February 21, 2021

Teenage Again
February 21, 2021

A Friendship Prayer
March 4, 2021

It Would be too Easy to Give in
March 4, 2021

A Specious Life
March 4, 2021

On the Brink
March 4, 2021