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    THE STORIES IN MY MIND, recorded live at a New York revue of Dennis Livingston’s songs, reaches back to the American Songbook to offer multi-genre, contemporary-based tales of life, relationships and the unexpected chanciness of existence in our time. Comes in a CD jewel case.

    Includes unlimited streaming of The Stories In My Mind: The Songs of Dennis Livingston [Live at the Metropolitan Room] via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
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about

Midtempo storysong about a divorced parent at Christmas time - funny, sad, serious and nothing but the truth about what goes in many "blended" families during the holidays.

Sheet music available by request from dennis@dennislivingston.com

Watch a performance of this song from the original Stories revue at youtu.be/OWm3s-Caxt0

lyrics

I’M SEEING MY CHILDREN FOR CHRISTMAS

Words & Music by Dennis Livingston


Fragile balls all wrapped in tinsel,
strings of tangled, colored lights.
Silver angels, rocking horses,
things I love to see.

Candy canes and one stray gnome,
brought out from their closet home.
Soon my kids will hang them on the tree.

I’m picking up my children at the airport tomorrow.
They visit me for two weeks at Christmas time each year.
I wish they didn’t have to live so far away,
but then they do.
I wish I could be more than Father Christmas/Missus Santa
for a week or two,
following the plan that mandates
how long they’re allowed to leave their Mom/Dad
and travel here.

But that’s what we worked out:
my ex-wife and her lawyer,
my lawyer and myself,
the judge, the mediator too,
with much advice from
friends and our relations,
the neighbors and our shrinks,
even someone at the Bronx Zoo.
Everyone was patient and sincere.

I’m seeing my children for Christmas.

In a week on Christmas Eve,
I’ll make a special dinner.
I hope I can remember
not to burn the roast.

My mother will be coming,
with her second husband.
I think he’ll want to bring his
daughter from the coast.

Of course, my brother must be here,
with his charming boyfriend.
We’ll talk about the B and B
they opened in the South End.

When it’s dark, we’ll take a drive
just to look at houses,
hung with rows of blinking lights
and some boughs of mistletoe.

Back at home I’ll get my kids
ready for their bedtime.
They like to hear me read an Oz book.
I hope we’ll have more snow.

I’m picking up my children at the airport tomorrow.
They visit me for two weeks at Christmas time each year.

Although the world seems deranged
and my family has changed
in ways I scarcely dared to contemplate before,
my love for them will outlast
any problems from the past.
What matters most is that they’re coming back once more.

I’m seeing my children for Christmas.


© 1999 Hallmark Music Co.

credits

from The Stories In My Mind: The Songs of Dennis Livingston [Live at the Metropolitan Room], released November 13, 2016
Producer: Dennis Livingston
First performed at the Metropolitan Room, New York, NY
Ensemble vocal arrangements: Scott Coulter & Kenneth Gartman
Recording: Jean-Pierre Perraux
Mixing & mastering: Doug Hammer, Dreamworld Productions, Lynn, MA

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Dennis Livingston - Cabaret & Jazz Songwriter Boston, Massachusetts

Stories offers an intriguing group of original songs by Dennis Livingston from a variety of genres, rooted in the sophisticated lyrics and story-telling tradition of American Songbook standards. Performances feature the harmonies and passionate singing of (l to r in the photo) Kenneth Gartman, Julie Reyburn, Alex Goley, Christina Connors & Scott Coulter, plus Matt Scharfglass (bass) & Dennis. ... more

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