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]
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A sly children’s bedtime story, set to a marching beat and bossa nova chorus, about three cats who climb up a spider’s web to have a picnic on the side of the moon we never see, where they find a grand surprise.
Watch a performance of this song from the original Stories revue at youtu.be/4DgmLEpuuS4
lyrics
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MOON
Words & Music by Dennis Livingston
There were three cats from New Orleans
who climbed up to the moon
on a ladder made of gossamer thread,
hung by a spider who stood on her head,
while listening hard (as best she could)
to the cry of a lonely loon.
The cats they took a pot of tea
and a bag of cinnamon scones,
along with a jar of marmalade,
cloth designed with fine brocade,
a knife, a spoon, a sugar cube,
and a pair of dried up bones.
When they arrived, they all set out
to see what they could see.
Leaping, pouncing, twisting, twirling,
suddenly still, then suddenly whirling,
having a party is oodles of fun
if there isn’t much gravity.
Proceeding this way, it didn’t take long
to enter a cratery gloom.
A great many things of varying size
appeared before their dazzled eyes.
They couldn’t believe it and started to laugh
on the other side of the moon.
They could see
a thousan’ toy boats torn loose from their docks,
a million stray sheep too far from their flocks,
a billion sad keys all missing their locks,
a trillion or so mismatched dirty socks.
Tattered teddy bears that once were so loved
‘till into a corner they were carelessly shoved.
Buttons and ribbons and earrings galore
that had fallen through the cracks in many a floor.
Pencils and paper clips in countless array,
tons of rusty fishing hooks from the Bay of Biscay.
Plenty of homework that never went to school
‘cause it fell off the table, rolled under a stool.
All had disappeared without any trace.
So it was thought, Your Honor, Your Grace.
But now the cats had found the place
where the many lost things of the human race
must make their way through outer space
to the other side of the moon.
Those daring three cats from New Orleans
danced on through the long lunar night.
They drank their tea and nibbled their scones
while rhythmic’ly banging the dried up bones.
One played with the bears, one chased the sheep
and one leapt away from a meteorite.
Till by and by, they felt themselves
begin to stretch and yawn.
It was time to go home, as good cats do,
before the crack of dawn.
They scampered back down to dear old Earth
on the ladder made of gossamer thread,
hung by a spider who stood on her head.
They were more than ready to go to bed.
So they softly crept, with nary a sound,
to the darkness of their room,
lapped their milk from a golden spoon,
far from the cry of the lonely loon,
purring with plans for returning quite soon ...
to the other side of the moon!
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
Dennis Livingston - Cabaret & Jazz SongwriterBoston, 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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