More lyrics today:

No-one likes a gambler,
Too afraid to start.

Everyone hates the loser,
Just playing the part.

I'm like a sailor,
Who's never been to sea.

She's like a prisoner,
Who can't stand being free.

Vid: Lviv Art Academy grounds

Pic of a mural in France that I liked.

Lyric writing coming thick and fast.

Songwriting happens in bursts for me.

We became furniture,
In a shared tragic tale.
I'm trying to find the exit light,
Without saying I failed.

Pic is of a mural in France I liked.

It's really hard when you think someone is playing the part of being unstable, and then you discover they are just really unstable.

I thought they were filming from an office, but now understand it was from a psych unit.

mistakes are cool *and

Photo of Kyiv cityscape in Ukraine.

How do you come back from failure, and rejection?

A weird thought I had this morning is, 'perspective.'

One person's worst epic fail is another person's normal every day failure.

Living in your own head is the worst. Go out and do, and fail, an maybe succeed.

*ai didn't touch this

Today has been semi-productive - new notebook started - 3rd time lucky.

Documenting the journey to releasing a vinyl record is difficult to maintain.

Now it's time to reward myself with a Varvar IPA in Lviv.

Yeah there was something glorious about our school music lessons when the teacher handed people random instruments...and then everyone made a god awful racket.

Every once in a while something would click.

We live in an age where we can film ourselves playing our ideas...I'm less and less inspired with tech solutions. My best ideas come from playing instruments I don't know very well.

What a morning! Starting off with Sergii Zhadan's poetry. Then an American slam breakfast.

I had a fly on the wall view of how people present themselves on a first date versus how they actually are.

Inspired for lyrics writing now.

Tuning the old piano has begun. It only took me 10 minutes to tune four notes...see you in three years.

Sometimes it's important to see different sides and different angles that are not in the media view.

Today I had an absolutely spectacular lunch in #lviv and was reminded how different it is from what people think of when they think of #Ukraine.

And two things can be true at the same time.

Air alerts going off in Lviv. A good reason to stay home for lunch.

This morning has been productive.

Modern tech makes demos fast. A drum sample, a guitar, a bass (played on guitar), some keys, and a vocal.

I only did a verse, but it came through in 15 mins.

This was supposed to be my mission for today.

Tuning this Ukraina piano made in Chernihiv.

Unfortunately, the key I had was the wrong size.

I've ordered a replacement.

Looking forward to writing songs at the piano again.

Instruments and notebooks on a bed.

Trying the whole narrative arc with this album. The storytelling is different over 10 songs.

The photo shows my morning songwriting process.

I usually try using an instrument I can't play very well. In this case blues harp.

Sometimes it helps when you don't know the notes.

Started a song about redemption today. It's about as close as I do to uplifting. I think I have a verse and a chorus.

Lyrics:

I think I can let it go now
I think I can think slow

I'm not the one
Who's old now

Got to let it go
Got to let it go

Photo taken in Striskyi Park, Lviv, Ukraine

Captain Relaxo playing an accordion

Sometime lyrics can cut right to the point for you, but someone else would have a completely different perspective.

I finished this verse this morning:

Nothing that I ever told you
There was nothing not a lie
I can do whatever I like
And you'll stay right by my side

It's an accordion number.

I feel conflicted.

Normally I write #lyrics in the morning, but today I can't focus.

I'm still angry about yesterday's strike on Lviv.

Why hit a monastery?

What kind of military significance does that have?

Knowing I won't get any answers that I don't already know.

Chorus: Nothing changes.

I say I don't look at people's ages, but that's a lie. If someone is more than 6 years older than me, I probably wouldn't be interested - it is a weird thing to lie about imo.

Just before waking up this morning, I had a song playing in my head.

The lyrics went:
Please forgive me
I'll pay for every smile

I don't think it's an existing song, although that lyrical combination must have been used before.

My #songwriting dramas.

Accordion - blue and gold.

It's not mine. Wheezing, creaking, and dusty as fuck.

Unsure if I should fix it, or play it broken. Sometimes, the broken things bring a more beautiful song.

At times, I deliberately don't set up guitars, playing the buzzy frets till something special happens.

The buttons stick, it's learning.

Coming back to Bluesky...changed phone, it's been a year, really looking for a place to chuck my thoughts...maybe they will resonate with someone.

Living in Lviv in Ukraine and writing songs for a vinyl release.

Waiting for spring to really take hold and for the courtyard to come to life.

Sternenko - I talk to Ukrainian soldiers weekly, and told them I donate to Sternenko, they said it was a good choice.

Re-writing songs and lyrics, it feels so weird changing words after they've been that way from the conception of the song, I don't know if I like it, it feels like the song is changing, it is almost unnatural. Does anyone re-write their lyrics? #songwriters #lyricsquestion #lyricwriting #whatdoyoudo

Nuanced? You said there are Nazi regiments, which is just patently false, and that there is an authoritarian regime, both of those statements are factually inaccurate. I lived in Ukraine for 10 years. I know Kremlin propaganda when I hear it. I have friends in Azov, they're more liberal than you.

Really? Still on that trope? Ukraine's President is Jewish, the Defense Minister is a muslim, as are most Crimean Tatars. Ukraine also supported Syrian independence from the dictator, Assad, who slaughtered his own people. The new Syrian president, who fought for Palestine, is supported by Ukraine.

Thank you! And for those who can, please donate directly for drones, every little bit helps.

Luckily Trump doesn't control Ukraine...even if Trump withdraws all military support and intelligence sharing, and all platform support, unless the US joins Russia militarily against Ukraine, Russia will still lose.

Trump's major miscalculation: Zelenskiy has said he might make the deal public, it will show how cruel Trump has been and will isolate the US further on the world stage. People in Ukraine now believe more than ever that Trump is either a Russian asset, a complete idiot, or both.

I don't disagree, but Ukraine has defeated Russia's stated aims, so is in effect losing. So, is it that Zelenskiy successfully asked for help in defeating Russia? Or is it that Trump sees Russia as what should be a major player because it suits his vision of oligarchs stealing from their people?

We all have a seat at the table, we don't need to bow down to this false idea of 'realism.' I find that donating for drones helps when I read inane untruthful nonsense like the posts from the US president. We also need to find common cause and stick with people who share our values.