so gather around and sit right down as we sing these songs to you
rick cuevas | we got stories
about the songs
"We Got Stories" ... this song and title came to me as I have recently been thinking about how we learn about ourselves and our families from stories told by the family elders, and by friends. These stories help us to figure out who we are... where we have been, and perhaps where we go next. Now that we are getting older, too, with some of the elders passing on, etc., it is now our turn to tell stories to our children and friends. Now We Got Stories To Tell!
"The Sun Is On Its Way" was the only new song on this album to be recorded recently with my Roland VS-880 (and the 3 older instrumentals). I recently switched to my new iMac computer for recording, and I used the latest version of Garageband software. When I first recorded the song, I thought it was like Pink Floyd doing a Hey Jude kind of song. The original working title was "Hey Floyd".
Next, "What We Would Be" is a touch like a corny Euro-Romance song of the past, but I made sure to put a ripping Les Paul solo in it (initially trying to be Santana-esque).
"Closer To You" was actually the first Rick song to be recorded on the new iMac. I ended up tweaking a few tracks on it, and remixing it towards the end of the project.
"The Love Artist" was the final song I recorded for this project; I needed one more song with lyrics and I had a writer's block. Luckily, I found these lyrics from 1984 in a drawer of old papers when I was cleaning the house recently. The music is brand new vintage 2008.
"From My Spirit To Yours" is based on a sentence I wrote in an email that I sent to my great female friend Benny in Genova, Italy. She inspires a lot of my recent works.
"Letter To Elouise" was inspired by the name of a young friend of my daughter Sophia, whose name is Elouise. To me, the name brought images of a World War II era person, and the inspiration for lyrics started with a joke about "she's more than the girl nextdoor; she's from 2 doors down"; so it became like a letter being written by a soldier, coming back to his hometown girl, Elouise.
"The Show Must Go On" was inspired by the passing of my father's brother, Uncle Jim Cuevas. He passed away in April of 2008, just 11 months after my father. The family is saddened that Jim is gone, but life goes on...as it must.
The three instrumentals (tracks 4, 7 & 11) were done back around 2001, for my author friend Tad Williams, for possible use on an online novel. These songs were never used for that or anything, so I wanted to show them to the world.
With each new album, I am trying to take it up a notch. I am trying to sing better (in honor of my late musical/singer father Tony). I am trying to explore new ways to combine past pop music sensibilities with newer diverse sensibilities. I am not sure if I have achieved that. I hope that I have, however. Thank you for stopping by!
love, Rick Cuevas :)
songs from we got stories:
We Got Stories, The Sun Is On Its Way, What Would We Be, Jester's Dance, Closer To You, The Love Artist, Graceful Dance, From My Spirit To Yours, Letter To Elouise, The Show Must Go On, Lady Of The Lake.
lyrics
We Got Stories: It’s time we sit and listen to the stories that we’re told by mom’s and dads and friends we’ve had, for your picture to unfold. But then comes time we realize that we got stories, too. So, gather around and sit right down as we sing these songs to you. We got stories, we got stories to tell.
The Sun Is On Its Way: The sun is growing dark as if we’ve lost our mark. The world is growing cold, as if we’re growing old. The sky is turning grey, as if we’ve lost our way. But the sun is on its way. The sun is on its way.
What We Would Be: What would you say if it all went away? what would “we” be, without “you and me”? if not happy and free, well then, what would we be? Now that we know what will come, what will go. Now that we feel all the love that is real… now we’re happy and free, knowing what we would be.
Closer To You: Closer to you, I feel closer to you. Closer than the people who are closer to me, and you’re on the other side of the world! We are two, we are one, using numbers can’t be done. There is no way to explain the whole wide world. What’s been gained? What’s been won? Now that two is only one, and the spirit of love for us is unfurled. Now you see, we have arrived, nice to see the other side, for the truth will always win there is no doubt. And the lives that we live give us back what we give, and the world of love is all what it’s about. La la la la, la la la la…That is why I stand here saying I feel closer to your soul than to any other soul that I have known. And I thank you for the love and for making me feel whole from the purest love that one has ever shown.
The Love Artist: The love artist, the painter, painting the picture. The love artist the sculptor, engraving the scripture. The love artist, the actor, the factor, the fiction, the dreams and the nightmares, the fractures and the frictions. Love undercover. Love like no other. He thought that painting false pictures would brush away the madness, like canvassing a neighborhood that’s tainted with sadness. Hung out to dry, and framed by his tears. Ignoring the memory, yet holding it near. Shedding skins, it fades with time. Collecting dust like an ancient rhyme.
From My Spirit To Yours: From my spirit to yours. The wonder near it endures. Time’s passing by and standing still. Where once I emptied now I fill. The spirit’s rising hear the call… read the writing on the wall.
Letter To Elouise: Elouise, more than the girl nextdoor, you’re from two doors down and I’m home from war. I’m hoping to see you sometime, and hoping that you wouldn’t mind. With all the things that I’ve seen, in all the lands that I’ve been… it was the thoughts of you that got me through the most frightening times of my life. And now the sky is clear and blue, like your lovely eyes revealing ‘you”… and so Elouise, I feel so much at ease, and I will ask you please to stay a while. However long you want to stay, so I can hold your hand and melt away…with my Elouise, not the girl nextdoor, she’s from two doors down and I’m home from war….
The Show Must Go On: So the curtain comes down, the show still goes on in places…so the people have seen it, there will always be new faces, like you and who knows who? And the show must go on, like the sunrise every dawn. And the show must go on, even before we’re all gone. So the people are standing and walking out the aisle, and the chamber seems empty, but will fill up in a while with maybe two or maybe three.
credits
All Songs, words&music ©2008 RICK CUEVAS, ASCAP. All songs performed, recorded, and produced by Rick Cuevas, at his home studio in Palo Alto, California, USA. Also, all songs, except for “The Sun Is On Its Way” [Roland VS-880], were recorded on a 2008 iMac using Garageband software (and a ton of outboard gear). Much love to all of my family (including all relatives dating back to the dawn of mankind) and friends throughout the world, without whom I would not be here, nor would I be the person I am today.
4 & 20