Tag Archives: laptop sessions

“Dam Would Break” (Toad the Wet Sprocket Cover)

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By Jeff:

There’s a saying i’ve been hearing lately – “mush brain”.

Because I feel like I have that.

Let me preface with this.  I was rendering the video last night to prepare it to upload.  My wife says “Can you help me with the laundry?”, and because i’m such a chivalrous gentleman, I let the laptop continue to render the video and went upstairs to help with the laundry.  3 loads of laundry later, I say “Wow I’m bushed.  I better head to bed.”  And off I go to sleep.

And then I wake up this morning and say “Holy crap I didn’t upload the video and post about it.”  Needless to say, I feel like a total dbag.

So while i’d technically like to call this “Fail Friday”, but i’d rather call it “Thumpin’ Thursday which is too cool to be posted on time.”

Anyway, on with the video.  Tonight I am covering a song from Toad the Wet Sprocket called “Dam Would Break”.  It’s from one of my favorite albums.  The song is “Dam Would Break” and it’s the 4th track from the album “Coil”.  I remember trying to figure out how to play this song 10 years ago before I knew what a capo was.  Naturally I didn’t know enough chords at the time to figure out this song without a capo.  It’s a wonderful tool for sure.

You’ll also notice the new guitar strings.  Sound good don’t they?  I wish I could say the same about the forgetful person playing the song.

I’m began my semester last week, so if any of my current students are reading this, I hope you did your homework!  (It could easily be any of the 80+ students I have)

Ok i’ll see you in 6 days for a (hopefully on time) new video!

Editor’s Note: Unfortunately, Jeff’s acoustic cover song music videos are no longer on YouTube, but we decided to keep his cover song blog posts up.  We figured these music blog entries would be good for posterity’s sake and because Jeff always gave such insightful posts each Session.  We hope to see Jeff’s impressive catalog of acoustic rock songs here on the Laptop Sessions cover songs and original music blog again in the future.  But, for now, please make sure to check-out hundreds of other acoustic cover songs from all of your favorite bands here on the Laptop Sessions music blog!

“R U Ready?” by Ringo Starr – Chords, Tabs, & How to Play

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“R U Ready?”
Ringo Starr

D
Are you ready to cross over?
Are you ready to let go,
D  G                                                               D
To face the final curtain in the land of I don’t know?
D                  Bm                    G                   D
Jesus was a wise man, and everyone’s a saint.
D           Em                  A
Are you ready to cross over?
A           G              D
Are you ready?

You can read the good or bad books,
Read them fast or slow.
But is it fact or fiction?
There’s just one way to know.
Buddha was dancing underneath the Bodhi tree;
He was ready to cross over.  He was ready.

D           G           D
So, why hold on, hold on?
D   G
It’s good that you believe,
G         F#
But it’s better if you know.
F#     G           D – Bm – G
Don’t hold on, h   o   l   d       on;
G                             Bm                                A                D
Someone’s there to catch you when you’re ready to let go.

I was sitting by the Ganges looking for another way.
But all roads lead to heaven,
No matter what they say.
Krishna was a good man.
Why was he so blue?
He was ready to cross over; he was ready.

So, why hold on, hold on?
It’s good that you believe,
But it’s better if you know.
Don’t hold on, hold on;
Someone’s there to catch you when you’re ready to let go.

(Play me to heaven…)

SOLO

Are you ready to cross over?
Are you ready to let go,
To face the final curtain in the land of I don’t know?
Everyone can get there, ’cause we all have a soul.
Are you ready to cross over?
Are you ready?

So, why hold on, hold on?
It’s good that you believe,
But it’s better if you know.
Don’t hold on, hold on;
Someone’s there to catch you when you’re ready to let go.
Someone’s there to catch you when you’re ready to let go.
Someone’s there to catch you when you’re ready to let go.

** These chords and lyrics are interpretations and transcriptions, respectively, and are the sole property of the copyright holder(s). They are posted on this website free of charge for no profit for the purpose of study and commentary, as allowed for under the “fair use” provision of U.S. copyright law, and should only be used for such personal and/or academic work. **

“Wherever You Will Go” (The Calling Pop Cover)

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By Mike Fusco

Hey all!  Well, it’s been such a big week for me and for news in my world, and I guess people cope in different ways.  Much like comfort food, there are certain songs and albums that act as “comfort music”, and take me back to a time or place.  My acoustic cover song selection for today is a song by “The Calling” that almost everyone knows (and usually likes).  I discovered it and the album (Camino Palmero) in high school, and it was one of the first I listened to when I first got my license.  That time of life and love and discovery and loss all seem to give me answers for things that happen modern day.  This is a song about believing in something and maybe knowing when to let go, and when to hold on.

Im just troubled by a lot of stuff in the news- new war in Georgia from Russia (without love, apparently)… Bernie Macs death, a kid in my town at my middle school who died in a fight, and the brutal destruction of Jim, Chris, and our friend Alberto in Monopoly this evening (in which I won!)  We did our home run derby radio show the other day, and that resulted in a major win for yours truly as well… What do you know!   I’m trading in some accumulated good karma, and I will buy myself a lottery ticket tomorrow (and if I win, I’ll be posting from my own mac laptop, instead of Jim’s like today!)

I really love this song and I hope my quick take on it is enjoyable, and reminds you that you only have to answer to one person every night- Your heart.  So you better live each day right so you don’t have any ‘splainin to do! (Luuuucy!)

Later all!

“I Would Prefer Not To” (Chris Moore original)

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By Chris Moore:

Hello and welcome to another edition of Original Wednesday here at the Laptop Sessions!

Tonight, I’m happy to present the second installment of my summer preview series of my forthcoming album The 2010 Project.  I began recording demos a few months ago, as I mentioned in a previous post, and now I’ve officially hacked out a track listing.  There will be thirteen tracks, all of which are fully composed now and have been recorded in demo form — a few of the demos are more fully produced, but minimally.

Now, I’m at the phase where I’m putting together the tools I need to record.  With the help of a friend, I’ve recently picked up a set of seriously great headphones, which will be a necessary component of the mixing process.  He also helped me pick out a USB microphone that I’ve been experimenting with this week.  There is a line in and external mic plug that I may use if I’d like to refine the sound quality as I begin to record the tracks in a couple weeks.  Finally, I had to replace my guitar pedal, which I had to throw away a few months ago when I pulled it out of storage and found the batteries had leaked.  I tried to clean it out, but it was too far gone.  So, I just got the latest Zoom pedal, which I can’t wait to try out!

Which brings me to the track I’m unveiling today.  Previously, this has only been played for two people: my girlfriend and one of my dearest friends of all time.  Both encouraged me that the new music I’ve been writing is among my best, so I’m hoping to make them proud by the time I’ve finished recording this new album.

And it’s about time — this marks four years since Love Out of Fashion!

“I Would Prefer Not To” will be the second track on the album, following “No Lights, No Sound.”  Those of you English majors out there will pick up on the allusion to the Herman Melville short story “Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall Street.”  The verses are as simple as they come, only two chords: D and A.  When I record the studio version, I hope to flesh out the riff I have in my mind and make that more catchy.  The chorus is more interesting and, as in my favorite songs by artists like Bob Dylan, Mike Fusco, and others, the lyrics change slightly each time around.  The song deals with the conflicts that arise from not wanting to disappoint others, but also needing to follow your impulses and passions.  It’s a very personal song, critical at times — though it’s meant to be more confident than scathing — and I think there is a universal quality to it, regardless of its personal nature.

Without further ado, I give you my acoustic performance of “I Would Prefer Not To.”  I hope you like it, and that you’ll continue to check back for more Original Wednesdays in the near future.

See you next session!