Too Much Inspiration?

Inspiration. Can we have too much of this good thing? What do you think? I suspect I’ve got too much, serving a life sentence in the grip of the muse, writing songs and hoping some of them will inspire you as much as they inspire me.

The latest is a collection of 75 uplifting little Radha Sahar masterpieces I’ve been working on for 15 years, tweaking lyrics & melodies, and doing re-writes. They have to pass a sort of ‘This-song-will inspire-us-in-our-efforts-to make-the-world-a-better-place’ test, which I subconsciously carry out in group-singing events I lead 🙂

I see your eyes roll up as you remind me how much strife exists on this precious planet nowadays. But that’s the point. We need uplifting songs, don’t we? Songs that help see us through hard times. Songs of hope, that remind us who we are and that we’ve all got something beautiful to bring to this world. This latest batch, my One Earth Singing collection, opens in Community, and moves through the elements, Earth, Water, Fire, Air, Ether & Spirit. It’s a big baby, wanting to be born sometime soon. You can help.

Let me know in the ‘Comment’ box, if you’d like to try out one of these songs for yourself. It will put pressure on me to get cracking in the recording studio. Or would that pressure see my inspiration-pot boil over? I don’t know yet. Let’s see what happens … And you? ‘Stay awesome.’

 

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Thank You Joni

I’ve been a Joni Mitchell fan all my life, and wrote these two songs a while ago, to express my gratitude and inspiration; Thank You Joni, and ‘Can’t Help Singing About Joni’ The latter I originally called ‘Cant Help Evangelizing About Singing Joni’ – in hindsight, that cuts to the chase. But with ‘evangelizing’ being such a loaded word, I succumed to advice. Bet Joni wouldn’t have! Enjoy!
… Contact me to book a house concert. I (sometimes ‘we’) perform Joni songs on several guitars (each tuned differntly to Joni’s tunings), and a dulcimer.

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Love You to Bits – songs of Tenderness & Affection

‘Beautiful’  ‘deep’ ‘very moving’ is what people are saying – Thankyou. These songs are sincere-as – of lovers, family & friends …
On all online download sites & on CD with lyric booklet.

Official Lyric Video page

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Still Dancing? Yes!

~  You’ve been waiting forever, and forever has arrived! Thanks for your extraordinary patience.  After ten years enjoying rewriting sprees & recording sessions, your ears, and even your toes, are about to be rewarded with some extraordinary songs.
~  Songs celebrating life’s crazy journey when sometimes we just have to laugh. Quirky rock tracks that dance the twilight away, and songs that replay moments we never forget.
~  Still Dancing, with its upbeat joyousness, is a breath of fresh air. New songs jumped into the album alongside some of the songs I wrote for my first band, ‘Baby Boomer Girl.’
~  These days, living out of the city,  I work with local musician and engineer, Stephen Poulton. Placing the lyrics prominently in the mix, across a wide variety of musical styles, we bring you the Magic & Mischief sound.
~  Still Dancing is on every kosha download & streaming site in the universe 🙂 Here are a few links to get you started. Enjoy, subscribe, & please spread the word!

https://open.spotify.com/album/6atyt4kSoG29FYzKp2H55l

https://itunes.apple.com/album/id/1610272701

https://www.youtube.com/playlist…

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Still Dancing

You’re not a dancer – but a quirky rhythm sometimes compels you to cavort? We’re on the same dance sheet then. And Still Dancing, my new album, is likely to get you laughing and celebrating the later stages of life as you rock with the beat.

Yes! The album is almost finished! Truly! After being a loyal follower of this site, patiently waiting for the album for the past decade, you must be saying, ‘Oh Yeah? Believe it when I see it and hear it.’ Let me reassure you. All the tracks bar one are now mixed and in the mastering engineer’s bin. When Lockdown is lifted, we’ll be completing the last beautifully crafted track, sorting the cover design and lining up the release date … after several years of weekly studio sessions; good things take time!

Working with award-winning sound engineer, Stephen Poulton is fantastic. He’s a stunning guitarist who is tuned into the finer details needed to develop a meaningful emotional journey in a song or arrangement. So I love working with him; musically, we’re on the same wavelength, as they say.

My songs cross many genres, and every track we do has a unique sound and feel, heightened by the talented musicians in Magic & Mischief. We’re mainly a studio band, but occasionally we play live. Meanwhile, here’s the lyrics of the title song.

Still Dancing

She brings sweet love baked in cake tins
To the weavers’ community ball.
And flowers – those frilly fake ones,
To decorate the hall.
You can almost touch her excitement.
I can’t believe she’s 93!
As her partner invites her onto the floor,
She smiles and says to me …

‘The old gal’s still dancing,
High heart and low heels.’
Singing and laughing, how graceful she feels
Swaying a lifetime of love round the room.
The old gal’s still blooming, still romancing,
Still dancing.

Over supper she tells me, ‘Come visit,
For a chat. Love to see you again.
Number 7, just knock, I’ll be there- if I’m not
Living in memory lane!’ she laughs.

She says, ‘While your ticker’s still ticking,
You’ve got so much to offer this world.’
She tells me I’m just a spring chicken.
‘Cheer up, lass! Inside you’re still a girl.
Go play! Make the most of each moment.
go swirl that pretty blue dress!’
A quiet voice asks, ‘Are you up for a whirl?”
Tell myself as I say ‘yes’
The old gal’s still dancing …

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Bloke with a Shed

I wrote this song when I first met Charles. Umpteen years later it’s finally adding a bit of mischief to the Still Dancing album.  Steve Poulton’s playful instrumentation includes, yes …  the screw gun. And here’s a pic, (in case, like me, you hadn’t seen one before 🙂 )
Bloke with a Shed
I’m a savvy woman who likes to bed
An intelligent man – well bred
A creative type, artistically inclined
With a studio workshop of some kind
Yeah, maybe a bloke with a shed?

Hey wood-worker man! – you look the part
You can fix a fence and a broken heart
I like your shed, yeah, very nice
Look at that bench that buzzer, that vice
That welder – we could spark!

You’re a real bloke with power tools
Y’ gotta skill saw, drill press, very cool
Y’ gotta band saw, grinder, sander – geez, your
Power tools make me weak at the knees!
Y’ gotta nail gun too! But I have to say
That screw gun honey, blows me away
Makes a gal so easily led
Lusting for a bloke – a bloke with a shed

Y’ got so much stuff that just might prove
To be handy one day, y’ cannot move
For number 8 wire, bolts & dust
Oily rags, car parts and rust
Old timber, wing nuts & glue  

This shed is such an awesome place
A heritage spot, a sacred space
You could open it up for public viewing
Earn a fortune while you’re – knitting
(But I see that look on your face …)

You’re just you – don’t realise
How attractive you are as the varnish dries
What is this? Is this for me?
Will I be your girl? Certainly!  Woah!

You’re a real bloke with power tools
Y’ gotta skill saw, drill press, very cool
Y’ gotta band saw, grinder, sander – geez, your
Power tools make me weak at the knees!
Y’ gotta nail gun too! But I have to say
That screw gun honey, blows me away
Happy ending! Paint the town red to
Show how much I lust ya, my bloke with a shed!
My bloke with a shed!

 

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Black

Do you ‘wear the uniform?’ Being such a sweaty colour, is black cool? What percentage of your wardrobe is black? And do you think Baby Boomer Girl looks slim in that black wig & Gothic getup? 🙂  Why not join her and rock along with the Black track on her Still Dancing album.

Black © Radha Sahar

Black as jet, black as night
Colour’s wrong, black is right
Black magic at witching hour
Black has balls. Black has power
Gothic girl, Dracula drools
Vampire black, very cool
A Mahler Symphony, a bouncer, a waiter
Not in black? Then see ya later

Black – makes your Guinness thicker
Black – woo! – the sexiest knickers!
Black –  makes you graduate prouder
Black –  makes your stereo louder
Black – makes you graduate prouder
Black Light – makes the dance floor shimmer
Black Tights – make your belly slimmer
Black Beans – make the vegans grin, and
Black  Teams – make the Kiwis win, Go
Silver Ferns, Black Caps, All Blacks!!!

I bet ya you have never seen
Johnny Cash or Iggy Pop in pink or green
Black riding boots. Black spinning vinyl
Black undertaker. Black is final
From top to toe in formals and burkas
The artists ‘n musos and office workers
Wear that black – It’s a guarantee
You’ll be taken seriously …

We buck the system, refuse to conform
But we choose to wear the uniform
A sea of people in the street
Black from their heads to their
Burdened urban feet …

Black – makes you’re Guiness thicker
Black – woo! the sexiest knickers! …
Go Silver Ferns, Black Caps, All Blacks!!!
Black!   Beautiful black!  Glorious black!
Victorious black!

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Beautiful New Beginning

Each moment is a new beginning …  each generation … How to remember this in the ongoing push of the day, the addictive pull of the blue-light screen? … Like all the plastic in the ocean no one needed in the first place, our lifestyle is locked afloat … and we, caught up in it all, rush around … insanity …  Let’s shelter a while in a virtual cafe …

Barista art in chocolate dust swirls across our coffee, exquisite hearts anchored in delicate, creamy froth  …  perfect … reminding us love is … and living things grow …delicate cotyledons push up through heavy soil …

It’s a clear autumn morning in the garden. I’m with my grand daughter, dirt on our hands, sun on our faces. A wave of stillness pervades my being …  A wide opening to the day and, thanks to her presence, a timeless moment … She is my beautiful new beginning … inspiring this song for her and maybe for you …

Beautiful New Beginning © Radha Sahar

The summer heat is fading. She says
‘Gran – it’s gardening weather!’
We plant some kale and cavolo
And gather the pumpkins in
She’s humming a sweet little song
There’s a feeling of forever
We’ve all we need in a morning fresh and new

This is life how it’s meant to be
Simple contentment and harmony
And, like I recall my Gran, will she remember me
On a peaceful autumn day with not a breath of wind?
As a wide blue sky sings
A beautiful new beginning

We come indoors, wash our hands
And while Gran prepares dinner
She draws a picture of the sky
With a rainbow in the corner
The sun is bright in her world
It warms the coming winter
We’re kindred souls together on this earth

This is life how it’s meant to be …

She’s my little pumpkin, now asleep
I gaze at her skin – it seems to glow
She’s snuggled in a soft, pink rug
On the floor beside my bed
There’s a shiver in the air
I pull her covers over
She’ll be going home tomorrow bathed and fed

This is life how it’s meant to be
Simple contentment and harmony
And, like I recall my Gran, will she remember me
On a peaceful autumn day with not a breath of wind?
Not a breath …
She is my beautiful new beginning

Beautiful New Beginning (Lyrics)

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Warm Hearted Friends

Patricia & Radha chum BVsYou know the ones … who stick by you … who smile, hug and comfort you … I wrote this song to thank you. You’ll be able to hear it on my Love Me to Bits album. I was in full swing recording, when my dear, sweet, wonderful dad passed away.

I needed you then, friends, and you were there. I came to a grinding halt missing him … He sang in a choir. Music & humour spilled out of him constantly. I knew he’d want me to sing, to finish my album. That’s my warm hearted friend, Patricia with me in the photo. We’re about to sing together … Now the track is finally complete.

Nothing comes in ones … especially warm hearted friends – many of us are blessed to have many. Thank you all, dear friends in this world and the next …

Warm Hearted Friends
Sometimes I shiver on a cold winter’s day
Friends, when you’re around I never feel that way
Barely need the heater, forget to light the fire
You radiate such a great glow!

Thank you, my warm hearted friends
You light up my life, keep the sun shining through
Thank goodness for warm hearted friends
Warm hearted friends like you

You make the world a better place. I wanna do that too
To shine a light together – a little spark or two
Along with you I wanna do some good – is that naive?
You keep me believing that I can

Thank you, my warm hearted friends …

“My Goodness!” you say – and well you may;
Coz goodness is your middle name!
I know you’re sure to reply that we’re all good inside.
All the more reason for me to say …

Look around the room – we’re only here for a while
Time enough to give someone a hug or a smile
Time enough to thank someone for the little things they do
That is why I‘m here thanking you

Thank you, my warm hearted friends
You light up my life, keep the sun shining through
Thank goodness for warm hearted friends
Warm hearted friends like you

Warm Hearted Friends – Free download lyrics

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Happy Holidays & a Happy New Year

Here's to You

Smiling is a good idea; and feasting. You can never have too many songs that make you smile, and feasts that make you feisty. And those of us keen on events that embrace people of many persuasions reckon we could do with a few new ‘traditional’ songs, (oxymoron I know, but every trad song had to be raised aloft for heaven’s judgement at some teetering point in time …) So I wrote this little one in the spirit of inclusion for the ‘festive season’.

Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year

Peace and love to you as the year draws to an end
Many happy times with family and friends
Sit back and relax, celebrate and cheer
“Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!”

We can celebrate special days and times
In so many ways, and maybe we will find
Good in everyone, kindness everywhere
Happy holidays and a happy new year. (Yeah!)
“Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!”

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