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Songwriting Workshops,
Song Jingles,
Customized, Personalized Songs
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:
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:
STAND UP FOR THE VETERAN
Met an old man Track 10.mp3 (click for song clip
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. Here's another one, titled "Patch."
The spotted dog Patch is a Dalmation, Track 05.mp3 (click for song clip)
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
BUTTERFLY JAR
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
AT THE SPEED
Another sundown: Track 01.mp3 (click for song clip)
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
NEWS FLASH: DONNA AND I HAVE SIGNED A SONG PUBLISHING CONTRACT FOR OUR SONG "EMPTY CHAIR!"
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