A cute association I made when it looked like I was finally going to get a divorce last year. This song blends ideas over a number of years as many of my lyrics tend to do. Screaming over nothing. Saying stuff she knows isn’t true. But the reflections of a love that got away was from a past relationship decades ago. What are your Eight Letters?
I love you
I am sorry
A B C D E F G A
Posts Tagged ‘#midimike.com’
Eight Letters MSK 2017
Posted: July 4, 2023 in PoetryTags: #audio, #lyrics, #Martinguitars, #michaelskennedy, #Midi, #midicontroller, #mididrums, #midimike, #midimike.com, #music, #musician, #personal, #poem, #poet, #poetry, #poetrypod, #recording, #recordingstudio, #songwriter, #sound
Take Away One
Posted: June 30, 2023 in #poetry, My TunesTags: #lyrics, #michaelskennedy, #midimike, #midimike.com, #musician, #personal, #poetry, #songwriter
Take Away One
The song has already begun.
Look at the possibilities
And Take Away One
Take Away One
Makes it more difficult to run.
Everything used to be a breeze
‘til you Take Away One
Take Away One
It’s now someone else’s problem.
All dressed up and eager to explain
Then they Take Away One
Take Away One
Not enough shade from the sun.
Finally only one will remain
Until they Take Away One
Take Away One
Take One Away.
Soon they take another one away.
Take Away One
Take One Away
Now there’s no more to take away.
Don’t Say It MSK
Posted: June 27, 2023 in PoetryTags: #lyrics, #michaelskennedy, #midimike, #midimike.com, #personal, #poem, #poet, #poetry, #poetrypod, #singersongwriter, #songwriter
Doin’ the Don’ts MSK 2005
Posted: June 20, 2023 in PoetryTags: #lyrics, #michaelskennedy, #midimike, #midimike.com, #music, #musician, #personal, #poem, #poet, #poetry, #poetrypod, #songwriter, #writing
Pretty obvious theme here! Self-restraint has a long learning curve.
Deep Inside MSK 2017
Posted: June 13, 2023 in #poetry, PoetryTags: #audio, #lyrics, #michaelskennedy, #Midi, #midicontroller, #mididrums, #midimike, #midimike.com, #music, #musician, #personal, #poem, #poet, #poetry, #poetrypod, #Presonus, #recording, #singersongwriter, #songwriter, #sound, #studio
As with many authors, I often write about my personal experiences. For some, peace is not something to be attained but avoided. Quiet leads to suspicion and tension. Better to whip up some good old fashioned drama that helps you feel excited and important. In the center of the storm you can’t feel the winds ripping the rest of the world apart. This is what makes you happy, but there is only room for one.
Cut the Fat MSK 1995
Posted: June 6, 2023 in PoetryTags: #alesisadat, #artists, #audio, #guitar, #lyrics, #michaelskennedy, #midicontroller, #midimike, #midimike.com, #music, #musician, #personal, #poem, #poet, #poetry, #poetrypod, #politicaldivision, #politics, #recording, #singersongwriter, #songwriter, #sound, #vocalist
This was just a fun song in so many ways. National news has always been a good source for ideas and material and Cut the Fat takes it all and smashes it into a kaleidoscope of political slogans to irrational fears. In the recording I got everyone including neighbors, my kids and other relatives to sing and read news sections. My wife Ellen did a quick run on the vocals to get a feel of the timing. We never recorded another take.
When I Dance
Posted: June 2, 2023 in My Tunes, PoetryTags: #dancing, #eternaloptimist, #michaelskennedy, #midimike, #midimike.com, #musician, #personal, #poetry, #songwriter
Destined to walk in a city
That does not care or love.
My hope drains as I go
But, eventually……
With an uncontrollable urge to laugh
I can’t help but dance.
Look around: they’re just friendly faces
The feeling of romance.
Working endless hours is no way
No pay, no praise, no life.
Needing what I can’t afford
Goals are for another day.
You don’t have to know why
Simply let it move you.
The energy is powerful
Rising up from the groove.
With an uncontrollable urge to laugh
I just can’t help but dance.
Look around they’re just friendly faces
The feeling of romance.
You don’t have to know why
Simply feel how it moves you.
The energy becomes powerful
Rising up within the groove.
Destined to walk in a city
That does not care or love.
My hope drains as I go
But, eventually……
With an uncontrollable urge to laugh
I can’t help but dance.
Look around: they’re just friendly faces
The feeling of romance.
Criminal MSK
Posted: May 23, 2023 in #poetry, PoetryTags: #lyrics, #michaelskennedy, #midimike, #midimike.com, #musician, #personal, #poem, #poet, #poetry, #poetrypod, #songwriter
The Merchants
Posted: May 19, 2023 in MUSIC, My TunesTags: #hearnow, #localbands, #lyrics, #michaelskennedy, #midimike, #midimike.com, #music, #musician, #personal, #poetry, #reeltoreel, #singersongwriter, #songwriter, #tascam, #teac, #themerchants, #themerchantsofdeath, #video, #vintage recordings




I have referenced members of my originals band many times in this blog. I was fortunate to meet Tom Robinson in my senior year of high school. It was a rough time in my life. Just finding people even similar to you was difficult let alone finding friends. TR and I became friends immediately. He let me borrow a guitar so I could learn how to play and we could play guitar together. That became the core of a song-writing community that would span decades. A number of local musicians, songwriters and interested observors orbited that core. Separate core members were discovered and their songs were also shared.
I moved up to Dayton, Ohio and became part of the Merchants of Death. (….story to that name and it is really cool but no time for that now) With percussionist/vocalist Tom Gorman and bass guitar genius Mike Wheeler, TR and I blended the Cincinnati sound with the Dayton sound. This was my first real band in that we only played out a few times for friends and family, but we listened to each other. We wrote great songs together. Members filled in for core members as needed. I recorded almost everything with two Radio Shack condensor microphones (that I still have) sitting somewhere on a coffee table on my 4-Track Tascam/Teac reel-to-reel tape deck. Yes, this was 50 years ago.
We got back together on-line during the Covid 19 lock down. The latency was difficult but the connection was priceless, and we started jamming regularly. Eventually we were brave enough to meet in person and had a blast dusting off the old tunes. From that we decided to begin where we left off and started to record our first album project entitled Reinstated. Thinking the ‘Death’ reference in our name was a bit too close to home, we refer to this project as The Merchants.
We have a collection of original songs and a few tasty cover tunes that we perform in our own style. I think you will like a number of these. The project includes 18 songs (18!!) and that might give you the impression that we are done. As logical as that might seem for a bunch of old guys, we are already recording our second album project!
TR was goofing around with some old pictures and I decided to make a short video to introduce the Reinstated project release. Unfortunately I do not have a whole lot of flashy media from those days but there are some pictures that are worth a thousand words. To visit Youtube click here.
I have an easy web page that links to most media streaming services so you can get an idea what we were playing last millenia. To hear more of The Merchants – Reinstated, click here.
Thank you all for the years of listening and sharing. MIDIMike.
Country Rag MSK 1981
Posted: May 16, 2023 in #poetry, PoetryTags: #audio, #lyrics, #Martinguitars, #michaelskennedy, #midimike, #midimike.com, #music, #musician, #personal, #personaltouch, #poem, #poet, #poetry, #poetrypod, #recording, #recordingstudio, #songwriter, #sound, #vocals
Here are lyrics I wrote to be as much a country song as a parody of country songs. Even back in 1981 I was reflecting on spending most of my time growing old. Another song of mine performed with my first real band, The Personal Touch.