tonychapmanmusic.com

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Painting

“Dancers kissing” by Tony Chapman (oil on Canvas)

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Poem

Andromeda’s Cave – poem by Tony Chapman.

Andromeda’s Cave

1.
Unbearable sadness. 
25 years: GONE ... please God ...

2.
I pleasantly wave:
 
from the ditch 
to the chandelier,
from the hemp sacks (empty and piled high), 
to the silk,
from the gloating, uninformed ones,
to the big turquoise bird.
and the tiny scarlet bird, 
(sharing the same tree).

I happily sit at the feet of giants 
and count my blessings 
and pour them into my tiny silk bag, 
and put it in my inside pocket for safe keeping.
 
I pleasantly turn in my sleep and dream 
of heavy curtains being drawn back
to reveal a morning sun.

" Hello, Sun," I say. 

"Greetings from Andromeda’s Cave," 
  the Sun answers.

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Song

“First Place” by Tony Chapman

First Place:  words and music by Tony Chapman

I'm gonna make me free, I'm gonna make me be 
What I wanted to be in the first place
I'm in the first place now

Everyone I teamed up with 
I thought would make things right
They must surely know the answer, 
help me see the light
But I stayed stuck at the beginning, 
now I’m on my feet and I'm singing

I'm gonna make me free, I'm gonna make me be 
What I wanted to be in the first place
I'm in the first place now

I tried out what the government said, 
I tried out television
I tried out what newspapers read, 
I let them cloud my vision
I tried to be a rebel without a cause, 
now I'm coming back,  through the front doors

Listen to your soul, she knows best
Someone said the mind will turn on you if its needs are not expressed

Inst:  

I listened to my parents, I listened to the teachers
I listened to my girlfriend, I listened to the preachers
A good Christian boy, I never sinned
Now I'm only going to listen to the wind

I'm gonna make me free, I'm gonna make me be 
What I wanted to be in the first place
I'm in the first place now
I'm in the first place now,  I'm in the first place now

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Links to some of my other works: My: Maze Poems Book, Bandcamp – some of my songs available, https://tonychapmanmusic.Tony Chapman – ABOUT/ about me … and website.

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Painting

“Fairground” by Tony Chapman

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Poem

“Walking On Eggshells” by Tony Chapman

Walking On Egg-shells.

walking on: eggshells, cornflakes, drawing pins, 
with no sound
grasping at straws
no no-man's-land singing tonight 

only plummeting angels, who whisper fairytales 
as their feathers scatter and their golden and black, curly, flowing hair 
stretches out behind them, 
undisturbed robins, chirruping in its folds and fissures  
and sparkling, elegant strands. 

Plummeting, they all go, 
whistling, at last, no-man's land songs, 

cups, saucers and saucepans 
scattering behind them.

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Song

“5th Element” by Tony Chapman

Links to some of my other works: My: Maze Poems Book, Bandcamp – some of my songs available, https://tonychapmanmusic.Tony Chapman – ABOUT/ about me … and website.

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Painting

“Nemal” by Tony Chapman

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Poem

“Ireland Holiday” by Tony Chapman

 Ireland Holiday. 
 Poem by Tony Chapman - finished.
  
 Ireland Holiday.
  
 All good things 
 come 
 to an end. 
  
 Sheer: 
 vicious 
 barbed wire 
 rusty edges. 
  
 A happy time was had by all 
 all good things come to an end.  
  
 Bare your teeth 
 bite the hand 
 that doles out good times 
 then takes them back. 
  
 Put: 
 the sunset: 
 into a black, lead-lined box. 
 Bury it out on the mud flats. 
  
 Put: 
 the grey stone hills 
 the curlew's call 
 the rock wall 
 the torn sky 
 the seabird‘s cry 
 the warm wind 
 the salt sea 
 the soft arm 
 the breath of life 
 the embrace 
 the laughter 
 that releases 
 dry leaves and flying bullets 
  
 into a black box 
 (lead-lined for preservation) 
 and bury it 
 far out , 
 on the mud flats
 deep
 so it won't be found
 for a million years 
  
 then 
 wander back 
 to the concrete jungle:
 twisting of limbs 
 paintscraper of skins 
 sandpaper of bones. 
  
 All good things
  
 come 
  
 to an end.
  
                               (Ireland). 
  
   

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Song

“Love Has Caught Me” by Tony Chapman

Verse 4 of Love Has Caught Me …. verse 5 in next Blog

then I meet your eyes, and all the skies they no longer cave-in on me

and I touch your skin, you let me in and I’m living in exstacy

LOVE HAS CAUGHT ME

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Links to some of my other works: My: Maze Poems Book, Bandcamp – some of my songs available, https://tonychapmanmusic.Tony Chapman – ABOUT/ about me … and website.

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Painting

“Aliens 1” by Tony Chapman

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Poem

“Come in Number Five” by Tony Chapman

 Come In Number Five.
 Poem by Tony Chapman - finished.
  
  
 Come In Number Five.
  
 “Come in number five, your time is up.”
  
 Life is an endless, showprize conveyor-belt
 the same a thousand miles back as a thousand miles ahead
  
 and all the prizes glitter
 and are useless.
  
 ah,
 but my memories
 are mine
 and they torture
  
 just like hope. 

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Song

“Love has Caught Me (verse 3)” by Tony Chapman

Love Has Caught Me … verse 3 (verse 4 in next blog )

then you turn around, I hear the sound of your footsteps as they walk to me

then I touch your hand, and no-man’s land  is no-longer surrounding me 

LOVE HAS CAUGHT ME

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Links to some of my other works: My: Maze Poems Book, Bandcamp – some of my songs available, https://tonychapmanmusic.Tony Chapman – ABOUT/ about me … and website.

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Painting

Sports series 7 : Football

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Poem

Bedtime Poem by Tony Chapman.
 
I'm riding the hint of a wave
as the twisting clouds expand and contract 
and the birds whirl, grey and pink
amongst its billowing whiteness, above me
 
Continuum: 
Mum's overcoat is under the ground  
Dad's overcoat is there too
life is too ludicrous for words
 
perhaps only writing is real
 
now to sleep, as the night falls 
and the last-post bugle blows
 
and the man in the moon closes his eyes.
 
Now I'm 
running
up a hill 
blue sky
watching grey and pink birds
flying below me
looking at their feathered backs
 
an unusual sight.

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Song

LOVE HAS CAUGHT ME
written by Tony Chapman
Verse 1 only (verse 2 in next blog):

I   tumble and spin, want to get in

but I’m stuck out here in no-man’s land

I knock on you’re door, I want you more

but you’re slipping right through my hand

LOVE HAS CAUGHT ME

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Links to some of my other works: My: Maze Poems Book, Bandcamp – some of my songs available, https://tonychapmanmusic.Tony Chapman – ABOUT/ about me … and website.

Tony Chapman and The Big Event

The Christmas (New Year) Song

1).

what with global warming, hurricanes, tsunamis droughts, floods, earthquakes, wars
the news is always sad, the news is always bad but even us, with all our flaws

can celebrate this new year because, phew! we are all still here!

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CHORUS:

Santa and his reindeer … are flying through the galaxy, Christmas presents trailing, behind them endlessly gifts for every planet in the whole universe

raise our smiles to heaven, lets all be of good cheer

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR! MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR.

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2).

we’ve been riding the range, across a cactus prairie rounding up the cattle of our lives

Just like the Lone Ranger, on his horse called “Silver” under massive, unbroken, blue skies

we’re as powerful as a lion, nimble as a deer

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CHORUS:

Santa and his reindeer …are flying through the galaxy, Christmas presents trailing, behind them endlessly, gifts for every planet in the whole universe

let’s wave our cowboy hats, as our horses rear

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR, MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR.

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3).

we started out crawling, stood and started walking now we drive the sports-car of our souls
speed must not broken, but if the road is open lets drive to the light, out of our holes

you are in the driving seat, its you who can steer,

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Santa and his reindeer …are flying through the galaxy, Christmas presents trailing, behind them endlessly, gifts for every planet in the whole universe

lets put our foot down, take it up a gear

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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BRIDGE:

you planned, you guessed, you wished, you gazed, deep into your crystal ball,
visualised the future, imagined it to be true, tried so hard to see it all

now your dreams of tomorrow, today they are here …

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4).

whatever you were scheming, protection you were weaving, take off your armour, let it all go
no more animosity, you don’t need an enemy, no more suspicion, we don’t need a foe

there’s no need for worry, no need for fear

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CHORUS:

Santa and his reindeer … are flying through the galaxy, Christmas presents trailing, behind them endlessly, gifts for every planet in the whole universe

no need for cynicism, wipe off that bitter sneer

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR! MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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5).
you may be overseas, in a foreign country, wishing you were home again,
or working late on some … urgent, business matter, or caught in a snowdrift or in rain

even if they are far away, at Christmas, your loved ones are near

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CHORUS:

Santa and his reindeer … are flying through the galaxy, Christmas presents trailing, behind them endlessly, gifts for every planet in the whole universe

let everybody shed a happy tear

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR! MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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Frohe Weihnachten, Frohes neues Jahr vrolijk kerstfeest gelukkig nieuwjaar Vrolike Kersfees gelukkige nuwe jaar Shèngdàn kuàilè xînnián kuàilè Veselé vánoce a š astný nový rok
kalá Christoúgenna eftychisméno to néo étos feliz Navidad Feliz Año Nuevo

S Rozhdestvom Khristovym S Novym godom Nadolig Llawen blwyddyn hapus newydd mutlu Noeller mutlu yýllar
god jul og godt nytt år feliz Natal Feliz Ano Novo Joyeux Noël bonne année
gleðileg jól hamingjusamt nýtt ár allegro natale felice anno nuovo Merîkurisumasu shiawasena shin’nen maligaya pasko masaya bagong taon hyvää joulua onnellista uutta vuotta harshit krisamas naya saal mubaarak ho boldog karácsonyt boldog új évet Selamat natal selamat tahun bar
veselo Rizdvo z Novym rokom

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Links to some of my other works: My: Maze Poems Book, Bandcamp – some of my songs available, https://tonychapmanmusic.Tony Chapman – ABOUT/ about me … and website.

I started playing harmonica at 15 yrs old. I only just found out I can tune it, replace reeds , keep it going forever it, maintain it. The number of harmonicas I threw away and bought new ones which were very often, also out tune or not in concert pitch. Now I find out I completely wrong …all because of the INTERNET!

it’s a like miracle actually. I could rarely find a harmonica that would play in tune with the piano. Now I can actually tune them!