To see how it’s played in the cover song music video, CLICK HERE!
“All For You”
Sister Hazel
(Capo 1st fret)
Am D
Finally I figured out,
But it took a long, long time.
But now there’s a turnabout,
Maybe ’cause I’m trying.
Em Am
There’s been times, I’m so confused.
All my roads, they lead to you.
Em Am D
I just can’t turn and walk away…
G C(add 9) Am D G
It’s hard to say what it is I see in you,
Wonder if I’ll always be with you.
But words can’t say, and I can’t do
G C(add 9) Am D G C(add9) – D – G
Enough to prove, it’s all for you.
I thought I’d seen it all,
‘Cause it’s been a long, long time.
But then we’ll trip and fall,
Wondering if I’m blind.
There’s been times, I’m so confused.
All my roads, they lead to you.
I just can’t turn and walk away…
It’s hard to say what it is I see in you,
Wonder if I’ll always be with you.
But words can’t say, and I can’t do
Enough to prove, it’s all for you.
MIDDLE:
Am Em Am D
Rain comes pouring down, falling from blue skies.
Words without a sound, coming from your eyes…
SOLO: G – C(add 9) – Am – D (repeat)
Finally I figured out,
But it took a long, long time.
But now there’s a turnabout,
Maybe ’cause I’m trying.
There’s been times, I’m so confused.
All my roads, they lead to you.
I just can’t turn and walk away…
SING A CAPPELLA:
It’s hard to say what it is I see in you,
Wonder if I’ll always be with you.
But words can’t say, and I can’t do
Enough to prove, it’s all for you.
GUITAR & VOCALS:
It’s hard to say what it is I see in you,
Wonder if I’ll always be with you.
But words can’t say, and I can’t do
Enough to prove, it’s all for you.
G C(add9) Am D
It’s hard to say…
It’s hard to say…
Am D G C(add 9) – D – G
It’s all for you.
** 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. **
A D Bm
I thought I saw you in The Battleship but it was only a lookalike.
She was nothing but a vision trick under the warning light.
Bm F#m A F#m
She was close, close enough to be your ghost,
F#m A
But my chances turned to toast when I
D Bm A
asked her if I could call you her name.
I thought I saw you in The Rusty Hook, huddled up in a wicker chair.
I wandered over for a closer look and kissed whoever was sitting there.
She was close and she held me very tightly until I asked awfully politely,
“Please can I call you her name?”
D Bm
I elongated my lift home.
F#m D
I let him go the long way round.
Bm E
I smelt your scent on the seat belt and kept my short cuts to myself.
I thought I saw you in The Parrot’s Beak messing with the smoke alarm.
It was too loud for me to hear her speak and she had a broken arm.
It was close, so close that the walls were wet,
And she wrote it out in Letraset,
D Bm C#m
“No, you can’t call me her name.”
A C#m
Tell me where’s your hiding place?
A C#m
I’m worried I’ll forget your face.
F#m
I’ve asked everyone;
Bm E
I’m beginning to think I imagined you all along…
D Bm
I elongated my lift home.
F#m D
I let him go the long way round.
Bm Dm
I smelt your scent on the seat belt and kept my short cuts to myself.
SOLO: (A D – Bm) x2
F#m Bm
D E
I saw your sister in The Cornerstone on the phone to the middle man.
When I saw that she was on her own I thought she might understand.
She was close, well you couldn’t get much closer;
She said, “I’m really not supposed to,
but yes, you can call me anything you want.”
** 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. **
Good evening and welcome to another week of all-new Laptop Sessions posts! Today was busy, and although I had a lot of work to do around the condo, I was able to finally relax a bit and begin enjoying being here. Since tonight marks my first cover song music video since the move, you’ll notice a new backdrop. It’s a bit plain, since we’re still unpacking boxes and hanging up posters, etc. In fact, I’m not entirely sure where I want to play my sessions here. Although I miss having the “wall o’ CD’s” in the background as I did when I lived in the apartment, I do like the light and acoustics of the living room here at the condo.
Still, the visuals should come second to the song at hand. My session tonight is a cover of Elvis Costello’s “Alison” from his classic 1977 debut album My Aim is True. As for how I’ve never recorded this song before, I really don’t have an explanation. This is widely considered Costello’s best known and best loved recording, second only to “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding?” There are certainly other Costello songs that are more rocking, more complex, or simply better, but this heartbreaking tune is a wonderful little song. Although I’ve loved Elvis Costello and the Imposters since Delivery Man, I’ve only recently gotten into his older material (via Live at Hollywood High – CLICK HERE for the full review). Even still, I’ve always loved “Alison.”
I’ve been thinking recently about why it took me a while to warm to Costello’s material, and my best guess is the way his “best of” is compiled. The Very Best of Elvis Costello, the quintessential EC greatest hits that was released in April 2001, is a two-disc set with virtually no booklet to speak of. This, to me, is a cardinal sin — how could one, as an album designer, decide to disconnect a “best of” compilation from the appropriate context? Instead of liner notes, there is a series of the same photo of Costello colorized in different shades. And, really, I would have been happy with any type of text: brief notes about each song, an essay about Costello, or even a message/reflection from the man himself.
And what really surprised me years ago when I opened this CD on Christmas morning was that it was a Rhino release. Anyone who’s ever bought an album release from Rhino knows that they’re typically very generous with booklets and other packaging. At least, that’s the experience that I’ve had.
Regardless, I picked up Live at Hollywood High, an Elvis Costello and the Attractions concert from 1978, out of curiosity, and I actually felt a little guilty about spending money on it. After all, the last time I had listened to his early songs, I hadn’t been overly interested. But it has also been a good number of years since I had heard them.
The concert is fantastic.
I went back last week and listened to all 140 EC songs on my iPod and five-starred the songs I really liked. In the end, I was left with a 36 song playlist that I’ve been listening to in shuffle mode constantly for days. (And, since there’s no new music of interest coming out this week, it’ll have to sustain me for another seven days.) Not surprisingly, several of the live versions of his songs made the playlist over the studio versions. Typically, I opt for studio recordings, but this was one of those cases where the live versions are sometimes just better — more catchy, passionate, etc.
The studio recording of “Alison” is classic, though.
I’m posting late tonight because I had a faculty meeting today, followed by a trip to a fancy locale known as K-Mart (remember those??) to pick up a dinette set with the help of my parents, and I’ve been building the chairs ever since. You can’t believe how many nuts, bolts, washers, spring washers, screws, and other little pieces go into the assembly of these things.
It’s been so much work that I might record my session next week at the dining room table just to feel like it was for a purpose…
Seriously though, it’s actually been a lot of fun just building this set while watching season five of The Office. Of course, it wouldn’t be exciting without an issue. In this case, I unpacked the pieces to find that the table has a six-inch crack down the center of it. They’re getting more in on Friday, so I’ll be able to complete the building then, but I just have to wonder… why did it have to be the BIGGEST piece that’s broken? Couldn’t it have been something like one of the chair spindles?
Until next week, I want to remind you to stay tuned here all week for some great new posts. There are more Laptop Sessions to come, as well as music reviews and more. And the Guest Sessions submissions have been multiplying recently, which I couldn’t be more thrilled about, so once I review those videos, you can look forward to the cream of that particular crop over the next few weeks.
Hello and welcome to a mind-blowing edition of the Laptop Sessions. You won’t believe that we haven’t recorded a cover song music video for this band’s category…
The Lovin’ Spoonful, best known for their early single “Do You Believe in Magic,” are an interesting sixties rock band that developed quite a history in less than a decade of work. From their roots as a jug band, their connection to the folk movement genre, and their eventual electric sound, The Lovin’ Spoonful went on to release some great singles, such as the chart topper “Summer in the City.”
The song I’ve learned and recorded for tonight is from the 1968 album Everthing Playing. I chose this song not because it was a favorite of mine, or even one that I’ve known for a long time. I came across this song the other night, and it struck me as relevant to some life changes that one of my friends is going through.
You know who you are, and I wish you the best!
That being said, I spent a great deal of time researching and figuring out the chords to this song. I compiled my chords post from two different sources, and I’m still not entirely happy with the final transcription. I do think this is as close as I can come, and I think the chords sound good in the song.
“Younger Generation” was the final single of the John Sebastian-led incarnation of the Lovin’ Spoonful, and it is a compelling mediation on the relationships between parents and children, as well as the transition from youth to “maturity.” Sebastian’s references to futuristic inventions are interesting, particularly the “videophone.” We’re not too far off…
Well, it’s been a tremendously hectic day, so I’m off to sleep. After getting up early, exercising, teaching, attending one meeting, rescheduling another, recording this session, and attending a football game at school to help at the concessions stand, I am happy to say that this day has been a very complete one. I’ll be back again later this week with another music review, so check back tomorrow for an all-new Jim Fusco Laptop Sesssion and then later on when I return in a text-only post.
