This is a cover done by the late Joe Jamison. Joe passed away last month and he was a guitar student of mine. He pulled this cover off after 6 months of lessons and was very proud of his accomplishments. So was I. Joe had an amazing back story. He was a victim of a robbery and was shot in the head. He survived it and had to relearn how to walk and talk. His ability to learn new things was amazing. He was a good guy and I’ll miss him dearly. RIP

The only thing I did on this cover is some backing vocals and keys.

I wrote this song many years ago as a tribute in thanks to all the wonderful folks I met on iCompositions. I put it out as a collaboration and Garni, Dylan, Billy A and the inestimable Trilobite2 joined in and brought it to life.

So raise a glass with me, if you will, if you had the pleasure to sail aboard the Good Ship iComp … Bless her, and Cheers!

Welcome aboard the Good Ship iComper

The gangplank is that way and the bar never closes

She’s seaworthy, trust me, grab a free life-preserver

When the booze is aboard we’ll be a’weighing the anchor.

Our mission, like our crew, could not be any simpler

With Captain PM at the helm we will wander

The seas and the oceans a’searching for plunder

There’s no song too poxy that someone won’t cover.

Bless the Good Ship iComp, Lord, and all who sail with her

For we know not what we do but we’re we’re doing it together

And we’re likely to sink in the fairest of weathers

For we don’t know our port from our starboard or rudder

You’re welcome to board whether seadog or lubber

(Though there’s a hearty Yo Ho if you’re a good female singer)

But there’s no time for scurvy here or seasickness either

On the Good Ship iComp you’re either drunk or hungover

The crew, Lord, is motley we come from all corners

Alaska, Peru, Singapore, and Down Under.

There’s Brits, Cowboys, Indians (those Euro’s are bonkers)

And there’s ghosts that rise up known as Davy Jones’ lurkers

Bless the Good Ship iComp, Lord, and all who sail with her

For we know not what we do but we’re we’re doing it together

And we’re likely to wreck in the calmest of harbours

For we can’t tell our poopdeck from our … sea monsters

Leave a bad comment and we’ll shiver your timbers

No quarter is given to unsolicited pluggers

The CO is a map to lost buried old treasures

And the Chart it’s the Head, there you’ll find the old buggers.

So come all ye faithful old fiddlers and ravers

There’s a home for you here right by the old rockers

So what did we do with the last drunken sailor?

We promoted him, Sir, made him Chief Moderator!

Bless the Good Ship iComp, Lord, and all who sail with her

For we know not what we do but we’re we’re doing it together

And there’s no chance in Hell we will make decent sailors

So let’s stick to what all do best: annoying the neighbours … 

Bless the Good Ship iComp, Lord, and all who sail(ed) with her … 

Imagine if Jesus had been around in the disco 70s … 

Well you can tell by the way I use my walk

I’m the Son of God, no time to talk

Lepers need a’healing and bankers need forgiving

Thank God I’m on the job

I take from the rich and give to the meek

An eye for an eye, turn the other cheek

There’s plenty of tales about Jesus the man

Though not many folks know that I can dance

Come the Armeggedon I’ll be Moonwalking from heaven 

The Second Coming’s imminent my Daddy is omnipotent so I’ll get

To the head of the line 

Ah, Ah, Ah, Ah It’s party time in paradise

Ah, Ah, Ah, I’ll turn your water to wine 

(You want that red or white?)

You can tell by the way I move my feet

I’m a holy ghost the kind you’d like to meet

The gospel is a’groovin’ and the Holy Spirit’s moving 

I am the word on the street

So raise your arms in the air or get down and pray

With me you can move in mysterious ways

Join us and jive upon the water

With me, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John Travolta

Come the Armegeddon we’ll be discoing in heaven yeah

Let the Romans crucify me I’m too cool to let it bother me

Cos I have eternal life

Ah, ah, ah, ah It’s party time in paradise

Ah, ah ,ah, ah we’ll stay up all night 

(They call me Jesus H. Christ)

Hallellujah!

Brothers and sisters

Put your hands together

Love thy Neighbour!

You can tell by the way I move my shoes

I’m no dancing fool I’m the King of the Jews

Devil’s got the music yeah but I know how to use it

I am the way, the light, and the groove

Watch me slide and take control

The dance floor’s mine like your living soul

We can jive and gyrate

All the way up to Heaven’s Gate

A track from the vault.

For me 2010 to 2011 was a fun year for making music. I had a lot of collaborators.

This one lampoons heavy drinkers.

It features me on vox, guitars, and bass; with Andy Mackle on the live drum kit.

Hope you enjoy it!

Be careful the water is deep.

I started writing this last year in our friends’ place in Ougney-Douvot in France Comté. It’s taken almost a year to get the lyrics sorted out and to get confident enough to sing a little of it in French.
We’ve stayed in the area on three occasions now, and grown to love so much about it. It’s not a tourist area, but it has what we enjoy – forests, small villages and friendly people. We feel at home there.
If you’re wondering about the french sections, they describe some of the wonderful hikes we’ve been on there.
Just another song about longing I suppose.
Cheers from Oz,
Neil

Will My Ship Ever Arrive?

© Stan Loh August 21, 2019

Verse 1

G

When clouds are dark,

                                       Em

The future’s stark,

                  C                                                                                  D7

Tomorrow … tomorrow’s never coming,

C                                         G

Testing my patience,

                                           Em

My money in rations,

Chorus

                                   Em                         G

Oh will my ship ever arrive?

                                  Em                                G

When I am kicked can I survive?

                              C                                                            G

Pulling a rope which has no ending,

                                      C                                              G

Keeping the hope and embers burning,

                                  Em                           G

Oh will my ship ever arrive?

                                  Em                                G

When I am kicked can I survive?

                                        C                                                                 G

Knowing one day you’ll have me running,

                               C                                           G

After the ship has gone a-sailing,

Bridge

Gm                                                                                                                                                     C            Gm

Pull out my smiles, walk the long miles, no one can see inside,

Gm                                                                                                                                         C                     Gm

Meanwhile I plan, survey and scan, fill up the shell with pride,

Gm

Oh the years have stayed still, but I have built,

Gm

Without any guilt, without any guilt!

Instrumental  Eb   Ab/   Eb   Ab

Post Bridge

Ab                                                                                                                     Cm

What if I fall? Will I lose all that I now own?

Ab                                                                                                                                      Cm

Crazy it seems, chasing the dreams that I had sown,

Cm                                      F                                              C

Patience is running low, really low.

Instrumental   C   Em/   C   Em/

Chorus

Em                                                             G

Oh will my ship ever arrive?

                                  Em                                G

When I am kicked can I survive?

                              C                                                            G

Pulling a rope which has no ending,

                                      C                                              G

Keeping the hope and embers burning,

                                  Em                           G

Oh will my ship ever arrive?

                                  Em                                G

When I am kicked can I survive?

                                  Em                           G

Oh will my ship ever arrive?

Perhaps the strangest thing I’ve ever posted on any music sharing site. This is a number of snippets I produced for an upcoming podcast I’m producing where the conceit is that someone is scanning an old radio dial, with each skit or bit being something that the listener stops scanning long enough to listen to. This represents a number of parodies of specific songs or song styles. If there was an “Explicit” tag, I would add that. There’s definitely some adult language here.

A saute to JL, may he rest in peace.