Music

[untitled song]

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For several years – stretching back to my college days, actually – I’ve been writing these little songs. Some are pretty good, some are just OK, some will never see the ears of day. Ever since technology allowed anyone to turn their computer into a recording studio, I’ve been recording some of these gems with varying results (you can check out my SoundCloud page for examples).

My interest lay dormant for a few years until a took I few online courses through Coursera; specifically, Berklee College of Music courses in Songwriting and Music Production.

Since then, my passion for music-making has been renewed, and I’ve been working more in my “studio”, which lately has been my iPhone, set up with Garageband iOS, Audiobus, AmpliTube, AmpKit, and various other apps. Readers of this blog (the three of you) will already be familiar with my arsenal of axes.

It’s been a couple of months since I’ve completed a song, and I’m ready to begin work on another project. I’ve decided to take the reader along with me on this journey, which may take a couple of months, or the rest of the year. It might yield something I’m happy with, or I may scratch the whole thing. We’ll see.

At the moment, the only thing I’m starting with is a guitar riff, which is demonstrated in this video:

(The instructor, by the way, is Griff Hamlin, my guitar “teacher”. I’ve been working with a couple of of his DVD courses, and they’re really excellent. Check out Blues Guitar Unleashed.)

The riff is my starting point; it’s likely that exact riff will be different by the time the song is finished. Or maybe not. I may play around with the riff a bit, then set it aside and write some lyrics. I never know where I’m going to end up once I’ve started, or how I’m going to get there; that’s part of the fun, the excitement, and the self-discovery.

I’ll be back when I have something for you.

Gee-Tar Six

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So I found myself with a nice little collection: a Strat, an acoustic, a Les Paul, something I thought looked pretty cool, and a fake Tele.

There remained one style I needed to satisfy my GAS: a hollow-body electric. And if you know me, there was only one on my list. That, of course, would be an Epiphone Casino.

 

I visited my local Guitar Center and spent some time with a Casino, and fell in lust with the way it felt, and the way it played. I must have this piece! Unfortunately, the retail price of $599 was a little budget unfriendly. 

But I was desperate. I turned to a source I’d never used when guitar shopping before: eBay. Not that there’s anything wrong with eBay; I’ve purchased many items through auctions. The thing about guitars, though, is that I prefer to hold my prospective purchase, play around with it a little to check out the action, the weight, and all those little things that connect a guitar to its player. Having auditioned a Casino at GC, though, I knew I wanted one.

After  a few days, a listing for exactly what I wanted appeared: a nearly new Casino with case for a Buy It Now price of $445, plus shipping. The seller had 99.5% feedback, everything looked good, so I took the plunge. 

A week or so later, my package arrived, and I was ecstatic. The Casino was perfect, and to this day remains my favorite acquisition (don’t tell the others, though). 

2013-01-30 18.51.12

At this point in my life, although there are a couple of guitars I wouldn’t mind having (like a Steinberger, a Hofner bass, and especially a Vox Phantom), I’m out of GAS. And looking at my wallet, it’s going to be a while before I can refuel.

 

Gee-tar Five

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I had lost out on a half-price American-made Fender Telecaster, but a Tele was still on my Wish List.

Problem was, life circumstances had changed a little, and even if I had found another deal like that, I couldn’t really justify shelling out that kind of money for another guitar. Even a cheaper made-in-Mexico model would be stretching the ol’ budget.

I mean, it’s not as if I’m a working musician. I’m a bedroom musician. The only person who hears me play is my son when we occasionally jam together. And I already had four guitars.

But I also had the dreaded GAS. I wanted my Tele!

 

 

One day I was thumbing through Guitar World magazine, and an ad caught my eye. It was the Tele I was looking for, but it was a clone manufactured by Xaviere guitars. Intrigued, I checked out their website, and liked what I saw. I prowled various guitar forums looking for independent opinions; those who had tried Xaviere were almost unanimous in their praise.

So I took a leap of faith and ordered their XV-820 and a hardshell case for it. Including shipping, the total cost was…$266.00! And I must say, I’m very happy with it. It’s not real great at staying in tune, but I’ll replace the tuners and it should be fine.

 

 

Gee-Tar Four

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I told the story in my last post how I lost out on a great deal on a Fender Telecaster, and how I satisfied my GAS with an Epiphone Les Paul Custom.

 

GAS has a nasty habit of resurfacing, though, and it wasn’t an eon before I was ready to adopt again.  It made things a little easier that Cameron was still taking lessons at the anonymous music store in the west end of town; for an hour a week I could sit and chat with the clerks, and play around with some of the pieces they were selling.

 

One guitar I liked playing around with was a well-worn Vantage VS600 “Witch”, a Japanese model manufactured in the early 1980s.

 

 

It played pretty well, and I liked the looks of it, and they were only asking $250 for it. So it became the fourth member of my collection.

 

 

Gee-Tar Three

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OK. where was I?

There is a well-known and much-discussed phenomenon among guitar players called “Guitar Acquisition Syndrome” (which can affect other musicians, but guitarists most often; hence the name). It has been (accurately)  described as “The uncontrollable need to purchase ‘just one more’ guitar to satisfy the inner desire that knows no boundaries.”

I became afflicted not too long after the purchase of my Epiphone acoustic. I had read rumors of GAS while visiting various forums, but didn’t pay too much attention. I had an electric and an acoustic; what else could I need?

For starters, I needed a Les Paul. Sure, I had a Strat, but the LP’s have a different sound, different tonal qualities. And since I had a Stratocaster, I had to complement it with a Telecaster. Again, completely different playing experience. For the same reason, a semi-hollow body went on my list. And a bass; might as well have a bass.

Cameron was taking guitar lessons at a local music shop (which shall remain nameless, but that’s another story). I used to go down with him, and spend the time chatting with the sales staff and playing around with the instruments they were selling.

One particular day we arrived for his lesson, and on the sales floor was a new piece: a 2008 Fender American Standard Telecaster, Natural with a maple fretboard. I’ve coveted this particular configuration since I first saw it. Guitar Center stocks a Mexican made version for $449; the Made-in-America flavor retails for $1275. This one was on consignment sale for…$600. Jim, the Guy Behind the Counter, told me that the owner had only played it for a few hours, and decided he didn’t care for it all that much, and was anxious to be rid of it.

I spent the half-hour during Cam’s lesson playing and examining the Tele closely. Also examining my finances closely. Could I go another $600 in debt? For a $1200 guitar, I could probably find a way.

During the next few days I debated the merits of buying the Tele. I wanted it. Badly. My American Express account was empty…but they don’t take Amex. They also don’t accept Guitar Center credit, dammit! I almost went to the shop a couple of times, but some vague feeling kept me away.  I told Cameron, “If it’s still there Friday, then I’m meant to have it. If it’s gone, then it wasn’t meant to be.”

Friday comes, and I’m sitting at work, doing my job, when a salesman comes in the office. The guy’s name is Frank (he’s been in a few times, and we’ve had conversation. He’s a Giants fan, I favor the Browns), and I’m afraid I don’t recall the company he works for. The person he’s come to see is not in the office at that particular time, but he’ll be back soon, so Frank waits.

We start making small talk, he notices the Beatles calendar hanging on my wall. “You like ‘em, huh?”

“Oh, yeah, been a fan since ‘64.”

“Me, too. That’s what got me starting to play.”

“You play? What do you play?”

“Guitar. Why? You play?”

“Yeah, and same thing. They started it.”

“Yeah, what do you play?”

“A little blues, some 60’s rock.”

“That’s what I play, too. I just picked up a new one a couple of days ago.”

“Did you? I’m hoping to pick one up tonight.”

“Really? I got a Telecaster…”

“Really? That’s what I’m getting. An ash-body. I’ve wanted one since…”

“That’s what I got! And you won’t believe the price!”

A sick realization hit me.

“Oh. Where’d you get it?”

“Up at ******** Music. My son takes lessons Tuesday night. I picked it up on Wednesday.”

Of course. Well, like I told my son, I wasn’t meant to have that particular guitar.

So I decided to go out to Guitar Center Saturday morning and plunk down the $449 for the MIM.  I walked in the front door, and what was the very first thing I saw? Something else that was on my Wish List, a beautiful Epiphone Les Paul Custom, Alpine White with gold hardware. Generally retails for $800, but this one was used and marked down to…yes, $600.

 

 

I figured I wasn’t meant to get the Tele, because I was meant to get the LP. I can always get a MIM Tele for $449 (and it’ll be decent quality), but who knows when I’ll find another LP Custom in the color scheme I want for 25% off? So I snatched it up.

 

 

Epilogue: The following Friday I took Cameron in for his lesson, and fell into conversation, as usual, with Jim (who had been gone the previous week).

“Oh,”, he said, “ I have to tell you a funny story. Remember that Tele you were looking at a couple of weeks ago?”

“Yeah, I really wanted that.”

“Yeah? Well, my brother ended up buying it…”

“Wait…what? Frank is your brother?”

“Yeah. Oh, are you the guy from the construction office?”

“Yeah!”

We didn’t start singing “it’s a small world”, but maybe we should have.

 

Gee-Tar Two

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After settling in with my Strat for a bit, I decided I needed a nice acoustic to keep it company.

As I mentioned in my previous post, the Yamaha I owned was hard to play, so I started shopping around. I tested a number of Ovation, Takamine and Ibenez models. Each had their pros, but I had a tough time choosing one with the right combination of playabilty, looks, and price point. I wanted a certain sound; I wasn’t sure what, but I’d know when I heard it.

After several trips to a few local music shops, I had just about decided on an Ovation Celebrity CC44.

But after receiving a Guitar Center mailing, that changed. Gibson was re-issuing John Lennon’s go-to acoustic under the Epiphone brand, the EJ-160E John Lennon Acoustic-Electric.

Of course, being a huge Beatles (particularly Lennon) fan. I had to check this out. I rushed down to GC, but they hadn’t received any yet, and they only had a few ordered. The sales person I spoke to took my number, and promised to call me when they arrived. I went back weekly and checked, in case the guy forgot about me. Surprisingly, I did receive a call when their stock arrived. I went in and spent a half-hour or so playing around with it, and loved it. Felt good, sounded good, looked good, and it was in my budget. I played around with a few other guitars I had looked at to be sure the Epiphone was what I wanted, but there was no question about it. I took it home.

You’d think that, armed with a nice electric and a nice acoustic-electric, I’d be satisfied. Particularly since I’m just a hobbyist, not a working musician.

You’d be wrong.

There is a phenomenon known as GAS that we’ll discuss next time.

In the meantime, Keep On Rockin’!

Gee-tar One

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I love playing guitar. I’m not great at it, but I’m OK. I started playing when I was about 14. You’d think after 45 years I should have some proficiency, but, truth be told, there was a very, very long period of time when my instrument sat, unused and forgotten, in a remote corner of the various places I’ve lived over the years.

I seem to remember that the first setup I had involved a black-and-white Sears Silvertone and a cheap amp, the brand long forgotten. I started taking lessons, but we moved around a lot, so they didn’t last long. Plus, I was discouraged, because after an hour of paying, I didn’t sound anything like George Harrison.

I’m not sure what happened to the Silvertone, but my friends Dennis and Kim gave me my first electric guitar sometime early in our (community) college careers. Again, I can’t remember the make and model; the only clear recollection that I have is that it was a white Strat knockoff, and I played the hell out of it. As life happened, I moved away, and I have no clue where that old axe ended up.

My next guitar was a Yamaha FG-160 acoustic, which I purchased from a friend who had upgraded to something better. That guitar was tough to play; you almost need two people to make a barre chord. I banged around on it for a few years, but eventually more life happened and it became a corner decoration.

Flash forward several years, and I’m a father to a son who has a penchant for video games. He got caught up in the whole Guitar Hero craze. His mom thought maybe he’d enjoy the real thing, so one fateful Christmas she bought him a Berenger starter set on eBay.

A star is born!

Long story short (too late! the reader cries), watching him play reminded me how much fun I used to have knocking around, so I picked it up again. Figuring I deserved a step up from the Yamaha, I went shopping. But what to choose?

As every member of Woodstock Nation knows, there’s only one guitar: a white Stratocaster.

OK, there are plenty of others to choose from, but I set my sights on a white Strat just the same.

So, on April 20, 2008, I became the proud owner of a Made in Mexico Fender HSS Stratocaster, Arctic White, Serial #MZ6206890.

I have so far resisted the temptation of giving it a name (no offense to Frankenstrat, Blackie and Number One), aways referring to it as simply “The Strat”.

Wanting to make it my own, I did a small mod job. I replaced all chrome and plastic accessories (except the pickguard) with their black counterparts – even the string trees. This necessitated replacing the stock humbucker with a Seymour Duncan, but all’s well.

The Strat was the first addition to my collection. Other pieces will be discussed in future posts.

In the meantime, Keep On Rockin’!

The Saddest Song

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So share with me, Loyal Reader. What’s the Saddest Song you know? What song has the tear ducts gushing every time you hear it? Even before you hear it; if you know you’re going to hear it, your eyes start leaking like a cheaply waterproofed basement. If you as much as think about it, you get all choked up. Everybody has one. What’s  yours?

(I should mention that I’m talking about songs that affect you emotionally, not songs that make you cry because they should have never been made, like Ringo Starr’s album of old standards, or anything by Michael Bolton.)

There’s a few that get me going. Just about anything from Les Miserables. I’ve seen this musical four times, and heard several versions of the soundtrack. I usually start tearing up at “I Dreamed A Dream” (I’ve never seen Susan Boyle’s performance, but Ruthie Henshall’s isn’t too shabby):

Is there any more tragic figure in literature than Fantine?

And “On My Own” is the ultimate Unrequited Love Song, particularly as sung by Lea Salonga:

But, even with all that angst, the song that always reduces me to a blubbering fool is from…The Little Mermaid??

Back at the end of the last century, we visited Walt Disney World (my favorite place in the world, by the way. Just sayin’.). This particular trip was my third, and it was the first with my son Cameron, who was 5 at the time. He had a huge crush (as huge as a 5-year-old can have, I guess) on Ariel, so one day I found myself standing in line at Ariel’s Grotto, waiting for an audience with the Mermaid Princess while Cam was jumping around in the play area, getting wet and having a good time running around with the other kids.  In the background, cleverly hidden speakers subliminally played songs from the movie.

At one point, they were playing “Part Of That World”, which is, as you know, a song about Ariel wishing she were a human, so she could have legs and jump and dance and walk around like all humans:

“I wanna be where the people are
I wanna see, wanna see them dancin’
Walking around on those – what do you call ’em?
Oh – feet!”

I was having a good time, standing in line, watching Cameron cavort.

“Legs are required for jumping, dancing”

I happened to look ahead at the line of waiting people to get an idea of how long the wait would be. I happened to spy an Asian kid, 10, maybe 12 years old, waiting in line, sitting in a wheelchair. The look on his face as he watched the other kids play broke my heart.

“Up where they walk, up where they run
Up where they stay all day in the sun
Wanderin’ free – wish I could be
Part of that world”

Every time I hear that song, even now as I write about it, I think about that kid and kids like him, and, well, you know. They flow freely. Every time.

So what about you? What song never fails to turn on your waterworks?

Meant To Be, Or Meant Not To Be. What Was The Question?

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I’ve played guitar for the majority of my years, nothing fancy, just enough to keep me amused.

Christmastime of ‘07, my son, who had become enamored of Guitar Hero, received a Behringer starter guitar and amp set. He loved it and (thankfully) started spending more time with that than the game.

This reinspired me to pick up my own battered Yamaha FG-160 acoustic and begin playing again. Soon I was hankering for an electric, since I hadn’t had one in over 40 years (my first was an old Silvertone).

I made myself a Wish List of several models I wished to have, and armed with a Guitar Center credit card, began collecting.

The first piece I picked up was a Fender Standard HSS Strat, Arctic White with a maple fretboard. I eventually made it my own by replacing several of the white and chrome pieces with black. Looks pretty sharp. I’m sure I’ll post a picture some day.

Soon after I picked up a Yamaha RGX A2. It wasn’t high on my list, but at the time a new one was selling for $499, and Guitar Center had a used one for $199. The volume knob and battery door were missing, but a $37 investment made it as good as new again.

I decided I wanted to replace the FG-160 with an acoustic-electric, and being a lifelong Beatle fan, opted for the Epiphone EJ-160E, the John Lennon signature model (after all, it was the Beatles that got me interested in playing in the first place).

At this point, my GAS (Guitar Acquisition Syndrome; if you play, you understand) was pretty well sated. Although there were still items on my Wish List, I was happy to play around with what I had.

Until February 27.

On that day, at about 5:27 pm Eastern Time, my son Cameron and I arrived at West End Music for his weekly guitar lesson. On the sales floor was a new piece: a 2008 Fender American Standard Telecaster, Natural with a maple fretboard. I’ve coveted this particular configuration since I first saw it. Guitar Center stocks a Mexican made version for $449; the Made-in-America flavor retails for $1275. This one was on consignment sale for…$600. Jim, the Guy Behind the Counter, told me that the owner had only played it for a few hours, and decided he didn’t care for it all that much, and was anxious to be rid of it.

I spent the half-hour during Cam’s lesson playing and examining the Tele closely. Also examining my finances closely. Could I go another $600 in debt? For a $1200 guitar, I could probably find a way.

During the next few days I debated the merits of buying the Tele. I wanted it. Badly. My American Express account was empty…but they don’t take Amex. They also don’t accept Guitar Center credit, dammit! I almost went to the shop a couple of times, but some vague feeling kept me away.  I told Cameron, “If it’s still there Friday, then I’m meant to have it. If it’s gone, then it wasn’t meant to be.”

Friday comes, and I’m sitting at work, doing my job, when a salesman comes in the office. The guy’s name is Frank (he’s been in a few times, and we’ve had conversation. He’s a Giants fan, I favor the Browns), and I’m afraid I don’t recall the company he works for. The person he’s come to see is not in the office at that particular time, but he’ll be back soon, so Frank waits.

We start making small talk, he notices the Beatles calendar hanging on my wall. “You like ‘em, huh?”

“Oh, yeah, been a fan since ‘64.”

“Me, too. That’s what got me starting to play.”

“You play? What do you play?”

“Guitar. Why? You play?”

“Yeah, and same thing. They started it.”

“Yeah, what do you play?”

“A little blues, some 60’s rock.”

“That’s what I play, too. I just picked up a new one a couple of days ago.”

“Did you? I’m hoping to pick one up tonight.”

“Really? I got a Telecaster…”

“Really? That’s what I’m getting. An ash-body. I’ve wanted one since…”

“That’s what I got! And you won’t believe the price!”

A sick realization hit me.

“Oh. Where’d you get it?”

“Up at West End Music. My son takes lessons Tuesday night. I picked it up on Wednesday.”

Of course. Well, like I told my son, I wasn’t meant to have that particular guitar.

So I decided to go out to Guitar Center Saturday morning and plunk down the $449 for the MIM.  I walked in the front door, and what was the very first thing I saw? Something else that was on my Wish List, a beautiful Epiphone Les Paul Custom, Alpine White with gold hardware. Generally retails for $800, but this one was used and marked down to…yes, $600.

I figured I wasn’t meant to get the Tele, because I was meant to get the LP. I can always get a MIM Tele for $449 (and it’ll be decent quality), but who knows when I’ll find another LP Custom in the color scheme I want for 25% off? So I snatched it up.

And as an Epilogue: This past Friday I took Cameron in for his lesson, and fell into conversation, as usual, with Jim (who had been gone the previous week).

“Oh,”, he said, “ I have to tell you a funny story. Remember that Tele you were looking at a couple of weeks ago?”

“Yeah, I really wanted that.”

“Yeah? Well, my brother ended up buying it…”

“Wait…what? Frank is your brother?”

“Yeah. Oh, are you the guy from the construction office?”

“Yeah!”

We didn’t start singing “it’s a small world”, but maybe we should have.

NPR’s 100 Most Important American Musical Works of the 20th Century

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The NPR 100
The most important American musical works of the 20th century

* ADAGIO FOR STRINGS, SAMUEL BARBER (prem. 1938 )
* AIN’T THAT A SHAME, words/music FATS DOMINO (1955); as performed by FATS DOMINO
* ALEXANDER’S RAGTIME BAND, words/music IRVING BERLIN (1911); as performed by IRVING BERLIN
* ALL OR NOTHING AT ALL, words/music JACK LAWRENCE/ARTHUR ALTMAN (1940), as performed by FRANK SINATRA and HARRY JAMES & HIS ORCHESTRA (1943)
* APPALACHIAN SPRING, AARON COPLAND (1944)
* AS TIME GOES BY, words/music HERMAN HUPFELD (1931)
* BACK IN THE SADDLE AGAIN, words/music RAYWHITLEY/GENE AUTRY (1939); as performed by GENE AUTRY
* BLOWIN’ IN THE WIND, words/music BOB DYLAN (1962)
* BLUE MOON OF KENTUCKY, BILL MONROE (1947)
* BLUE SUEDE SHOES, CARL PERKINS (1956)
* BODY & SOUL, instrumental version by COLEMAN HAWKINS (1939)
* BORN TO RUN (LP), BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (1975)
* CHORUS LINE (musical), music MARVIN HAMLISCH/words EDWARD KLEBAN (1975)
* COAL MINER’S DAUGHTER, LORETTA LYNN (1971)
* CRAZY, words/music by WILLIE NELSON, performed by PATSY CLINE (1961)
* DJANGO, music JOHN LEWIS; performed by MODERN JAZZ QUARTET (1955)
* DREAM A LITTLE DREAM OF ME, GUS KAHN/WILBER SCHWANDT/FABIAN ANDRE performed by Kate Smith (1931); revived by Mama Cass Elliot (1963)
* DRUMMING, STEVE REICH (1971)
* FIDDLER ON THE ROOF (musical), SHELDON HARNICK/JERRY BOCK (1964)
* FINE & MELLOW, words/music BILLIE HOLIDAY (1940)
* FIRE AND RAIN, words/music JAMES TAYLOR; as performed by JAMES TAYLOR (1970)
* FOGGY MOUNTAIN BREAKDOWN, music EARL SCRUGGS, performed by EARLE FLATT/ LESTER SCRUGGS and THE FOGGY MOUNTAIN BOYS (1949)
* 4:33, JOHN CAGE (1952)
* GIVE MY REGARDS TO BROADWAY, GEORGE M. COHAN (1904)
* GONE WITH THE WIND (film score), MAX STEINER (1939)
* GOOD VIBRATIONS, THE BEACH BOYS (1966)
* GRACELAND (LP), PAUL SIMON (1986)
* GRAND CANYON SUITE, FERDE GROFE (1931)
* GREAT BALLS OF FIRE, JERRY LEE LEWIS (1957)
* THE GREAT PRETENDER, THE PLATTERS (1955)
* GUYS & DOLLS (musical), FRANK LOESSER (prem. 1950)
* HELLHOUND ON MY TRAIL, ROBERT JOHNSON (1937)
* HELLO DOLLY (tune), words/music JERRY HERMAN; as performed by LOUIS ARMSTRONG (1964)
* HIS EYE IS ON THE SPARROW, words/music C.D. MARTIN/C.H. GABRIEL; as performed by MAHALIA JACKSON (1958 )
* HOOCHIE COOCHIE MAN, words/music WILLIE DIXON; as performed by MUDDY WATERS (1954)
* HOUND DOG/DON’T BE CRUEL, words/music JERRY LEIBER/MIKE STOLLER; OTIS BLACKWELL/ELVIS PRESLEY; as performed by ELVIS PRESLEY (1956)
* I GOT RHYTHM, GEORGE & IRA GERSHWIN (1930)
* I WALK THE LINE, words/music JOHNNY CASH; as performed by JOHNNY CASH (1956)
* I WANNA BE SEDATED, THE RAMONES (1977)
* I’M SO LONESOME I COULD CRY, words/music HANK WILLIAMS; as performed by HANK WILLIAMS (1949)
* IN THE MOOD, words ANDY RAZAF, music JOE GARLAND (1939), performed/recorded GLENN MILLER & HIS ORCHESTRA (1940)
* (GOODNIGHT) IRENE, words/music HUDDIE LEDBETTER (LEAD BELLY) and JOHN LOMAX (1950), as performed by THE WEAVERS
* KIND OF BLUE (LP), MILES DAVIS (1959)
* KING PORTER STOMP, JELLY ROLL MORTON (1924)
* KO KO, CHARLIE PARKER (rec. 1945)
* LA BAMBA, words/music WILLIAM CLAUSON; as performed by RITCHIE VALENS (1958 )
* LET’S STAY TOGETHER, words/music AL GREEN/WILLIE MITCHELL/AL JACKSON; as performed by AL GREEN (1971)
* LIGHT MY FIRE, THE DOORS (1967)
* LIKE A ROLLING STONE, BOB DYLAN (1965)
* A LOVE SUPREME (LP), JOHN COLTRANE (1964)
* MACK THE KNIFE, words MARC BLITZSTEIN (after BERTOLT BRECHT)/music KURT WEILL; as performed by ELLA FITZGERALD (1960)
* MAYBELLENE, words/music by CHUCK BERRY, RUSS FRATTO, and ALAN FREED; performed by CHUCK BERRY (1955)
* MOOD INDIGO, DUKE ELLINGTON (1931)
* MY FAIR LADY (musical), LERNER & LOWE (1956)
* MY FUNNY VALENTINE, music RICHARD RODGERS/words LORENZ HART (1937)
* MY GIRL, words/music by WILLIAM ROBINSON and RONALD WHITE; as performed by THE TEMPTATIONS (1965)
* NIGHT & DAY, COLE PORTER (1932)
* A NIGHT IN TUNISIA, DIZZY GILLESPIE (1946)
* OKLAHOMA! (musical), RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN (1943)
* ONCE IN A LIFETIME, THE TALKING HEADS (1983)
* ONE O’CLOCK JUMP, COUNT BASIE (1938 )
* OYE COMO VA, words/music TITO PUENTE (1963); recorded by SANTANA (1971)
* PAPA’S GOT A BRAND NEW BAG, JAMES BROWN (1965)
* PEGGY SUE, words/music JERRY ALLISON/BUDDY HOLLY/NORMAN PETTY; as recorded by BUDDY HOLLY (1957)
* PORGY AND BESS, music GEORGE GERSHWIN/words IRA GERSHWIN/DUBOSE HEYWARD (1935)
* PSYCHO (film score), BERNARD HERMANN (1960)
* PURPLE HAZE, JIMI HENDRIX (1967)
* RAPPER’S DELIGHT, SUGARHILL GANG (1979)
* RESPECT, words/music OTIS REDDING (1965); as performed by ARETHA FRANKLIN (1967)
* RHAPSODY IN BLUE, GEORGE GERSHWIN (1924); orchestrated FERDE GROFE (1926)
* ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK, words/music MAX FREEDMAN and JIMMY DE KNIGHT (1953); first recorded by BILL HALEY (1955)
* ROUND MIDNIGHT, music THELONIUS MONK (1946)
* (GET YOUR KICKS ON) ROUTE 66, words/music BOB TROUP (1946); performed by NAT KING COLE
* ST. LOUIS BLUES, words/music W.C. HANDY (1914); as performed by BESSIE SMITH
* SHAFT (single), ISAAC HAYES (1971)
* SHOWBOAT (musical), HAMMERSTEIN/KERN (1927)
* SING, SING, SING, words/music LOUIS PRIMA (1936), as performed by BENNY GOODMAN & HIS ORCHESTRA at Carnegie Hall 1938
* SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN (film musical), words/music ARTHUR FREED/NACIO HERB BROWN (1952)
* SITTIN’ ON THE DOCK OF THE BAY, words/music OTIS REDDING and STEVE CROPPER (1968 ); recorded by OTIS REDDING
* SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT, NIRVANA (1991)
* STAND BY YOUR MAN, words/music TAMMY WYNNETTE and BILLY SHERRILL (1968 ); as performed by TAMMY WYNNETTE
* STARDUST, words MITCHELL PARISH/music HOAGY CARMICHAEL (1929)
* SYMPHONY OF PSALMS, IGOR STRAVINSKY (1948 )
* TAKE FIVE, music PAUL DESMOND (1960); recorded by DAVE BRUBECK
* TAKE MY HAND, PRECIOUS LORD, words/music THOMAS A. DORSEY (1932)
* TAKE THE A TRAIN, BILLY STRAYHORN (1941), performed by DUKE ELLINGTON ORCHESTRA
* TALKING BOOK (LP), STEVIE WONDER (1972)
* TAPESTRY (LP), CAROLE KING (1971)
* THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND, WOODY GUTHRIE (1956)
* TOM DOOLEY (traditional), arranged by DAVE GUARD (1958 ); as performed by THE KINGSTON TRIO
* THE VELVET UNDERGROUND & NICO (LP), THE VELVET UNDERGROUND (1967)
* WARNER BROS. CARTOONS, music CARL STALLINGS (1940s & 1950s)
* WE SHALL OVERCOME, words/music ZILPHIA HORTON, FRANK HAMILTON, GUY CARAWAN, PETE SEEGER (1960); believed to have originated from C. ALBERT TINDLEY’S 1901 Baptist hymn I’LL OVERCOME SOME DAY
* WEST END BLUES, words by CLARENCE WILLIAMS/music by JOE OLIVER (1928 ); as performed by LOUIS ARMSTRONG AND HIS HOT FIVE
* WEST SIDE STORY (musical), LEONARD BERNSTEIN/STEPHEN SONDHEIM (1957)
* WHAT’D I SAY, RAY CHARLES (1959)
* WHAT’S GOING ON, words/music by AL CLEVELAND, MARVIN GAYE, and RENAULDO BENSON (1970); recorded by MARVIN GAYE
* WHITE CHRISTMAS, IRVING BERLIN (1942); as performed by BING CROSBY
* WILDWOOD FLOWER, CARTER FAMILY (1927)
* WIZARD OF OZ (film musical), words E.Y. HARBURG/music HAROLD ARLEN (1939)

Just as an aside to aspiring songwriters: All of these songwriters/performers wrote timeless music and made their points without once using the word “fuck”. Just sayin’.