A wannabe rock star, I play bass guitar. One of the few girl students of electric guitar in the 1970s, I offer classes in lyrics and songwriting - MUSIC FROM THE HEART: WRITING FEARLESS LYRICS.  

I'm now collaborating with musician/composer Donna Upson (www.donnaupson.com), an awesome and amazing musician.  I write lyrics and Donna composes and performs.  We've recently released three independent CDs:  "Christmases Past", "Stand Up for the Veteran", and "At The Speed."  For song clips, please click:

Track 02.mp3        Track 03.mp3      Track 06.mp3       Track 09.mp3

Listen to these two songs in their entirety:

I Want To Stay

Shadow of her Silhouette

Donna and I are available for collaboration performances at schools, bookstores, and libraries.  I read from my work, and Donna plays the guitar and sings.  We may be contacted via email for more information.  Upson-High is also available to compose song jingles and customized/personalized songs for birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, memorials, and other occasions.  A song is a wonderful gift for the person who has everything!  Some of my song lyrics follow:

Track 10.mp3 (click for song clip)

Met an old man       
on Main Street tonight;                            
His eyes were soft blue;
His hair a pure white.
He shuffled and huffed,
and walked with a cane;
When he spotted a flag,                              
the man stopped to pray.

That's when I noticed
a faded tattoo;
The old man was a veteran
of World War Two.

(CHORUS):

He fought for our freedom,
and our rights;
He trembled with terror
on too many nights.
Stand up for the veteran,
and shake his brave hand.
Thank him for fighting
to keep this free land.


Met a scarred man
on the streets of D.C.;
He spoke of our country,
and how free isn't free.
He'd served in Korea
for three lonely years;
As he told me his stories,
his eyes filled with tears.
He reached in his pocket
and pulled out a star:
His honor for bravery;
He'd carried it far.

(CHORUS):

Met a man without legs
on the boardwalk today.
People hurried past him,
simply looking away.
Sitting in his wheelchair,
Vietnam in his head;
He wished for a smile;
He wished he was dead.
He spoke of the landmines
and he told of the fear
in Vietnam jungles
for so many years.

(CHORUS):

Met a young man
on the streets of New York;
He fought against fires;
He fought the Gulf War.
He spoke of the horror,
and he spoke of his pain.
He'd lost many brothers
on a sad awful day.
His voice breaking choked,
face drained a ghost-white;
He spoke of his brother,
gone over to fight.

(CHORUS):

© 2002

Linda Oatman High & Donna Upson

My Dad's a Korean War Army veteran, and I like writing patriotic songs. 

 Track 05.mp3 (click for song clip)

The spotted dog Patch is a Dalmation,
who lives in a New York fire station.  
Devoted and loyal, with true dedication,
Patch never asks for a vacation.

(CHORUS):

Patch's life is the firefighters,
and they'd die for Patch;
With love like a fire:
A passion unmatched.One September morning, the sirens blared,
as Patch was napping in her favorite chair.
The chief said, "Patch, take a break . . . just stay there,"
And then he whispered a quick Lord's Prayer.

(CHORUS):

Late that night, smoke still rose in the sky;
Patch whimpered softly with a lonely cry;
Then wailed out her love in a dog's goodbye,
as she labored in birth with Puppy Number Five.

(BRIDGE):

The firefighters left that day
and they never returned;

Life goes on
was the lesson Patch learned.

But Patch's love was a fire:
It burned and burned.

(CHORUS):

© 2002

Linda Oatman High & Donna Upson

You are the
lucky clover
under the cover,
undiscovered,
in my love struck book

You're the
Line in the water;
where bird wings flutter
in tranquil sun-butter:
an alluring still brook.

(CHORUS):
You’re the firefly light
on a dark starless night;
The butterfly jar
of my dark broken heart;
Butterfly jar;
Love like a kite.

You're my
Soft yellow roses;
a rainbow of hope,
twisted like rope,
helping me cope.

Red blood of a heart;
Blue hole in my soul;
White-cold, empty hole.
Without you,
I spin like the stripes on a barber's pole.

(CHORUS): X2
(BRIDGE):
I collect the bright memories,
in my butterfly jar:

The one shining glimmer
in my dark broken heart.

© 2002

Linda Oatman High & Donna Upson

Track 01.mp3 (click for song clip)

Another sundown:     
low sunken gold.
Nights keep on goin’.
Whole sky’s growin’ old.
Don’t hold
onto busted junk,
dusty love, green lust,
dead sea monkeys,
rusty stuff nobody needs.
Let the blood-flowers bloom,
yank out the brown weeds.

(CHORUS):

At the speed
of a beating heart,
part with the broken,
hopin’ to start
tomorrow soakin’ up
free borrowed sun;
old sorrows laid low;
a new day’s begun.
Moon man is shinin’;
white light’s pourin’ down;
stars are all dancin’
in black velvet gowns.
Don’t hold
onto hopeless old dreams,
melted ice cream,
blue-moon beams,
sky-castle stuff nobody needs.
Throw out the fake pearls;
Bring on the love beads.

(REPEAT CHORUS):
© 2002

Linda Oatman High & Donna Upson