Mark Shepard: A Life In Song

Posts Tagged ‘inspirational song’

I See The Blue Breaking Through | Song # 401 | 10/7/09

Now what? We begin to begin again
Now that the rain has decided to end
And our hearts are certainly on the mend

(Can you comprehend?)

How good it feels to look up and see
Blue sky begin to break through and The
Clouds of grey beginning to blow away

Gravity. Sometimes drags you down
Relax. Stretch out upon the ground
Look up. And watch the blue break through

Refrain:
I see the blue breaking through
Do you catch a glimpse of it too?
What’s it like to be brand new?

I can’t say I knew it would work this way
Had a moment when I had to keep fear at bay
But at the end of a very long day

(I have to say we found a way)
To have fun while we got the job done
And I want to thank everyone
Who joined in and helped us with our play
(hip hip hooray)

Refrain:

So what’s next?
Where do we go from here?
Climb with me up to where the air is clear
And watch the blue break through for you…

Refrain

Commentary: This song arose out of a conversation I had with Playwright and Director, Jill Jayson of Center Stage Theatre Company reflecting back on the intense week of rehearsals and 4 performances of “Letters To Daddy, Jr” with 19 amazing elementary school age actors. Saturday We did 2 performances in Westport CT. It poured rain all day. But that did not dampen anybody’s spirits! The rain let up just as we had to break down the set and pack it into a half dozen parent’s cars for the NYMF performances in Manhattan on Sunday. Sunday dawned clear and beautiful and everyone and every thing got to New York City by 9 am! We set up. We did a run through for lighting cues. We checked the sound. The kids did two great shows (although by the 4:00 pm show you could tell they were tired (I know I was exhausted!).

Then we had to break down the set and pack it all away in all the different cars and head back.

It’s all a blur now but, Tuesday morning Jill and I were discussing future projects and while we were speaking the sun broke out of the heavy clouds and blue sky began to show through…I said to Jill, “I see the blue breaking through…”

“There’s a new song!” she said.

So here it is still in a bit rough form but you get the basic idea. Can you imagine 19 kids belting out the chorus?

I just want to send out a special thank you to Jill Jayson, and the Parents of all the cast members! THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

Copyright by Mark Shepard

I See the Blue Break Through by Mark Shepard is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Please leave a comment below!

Fly, Fly, Fly (version 4)  |  #324  |  11/11/02

I’ve seen a flock of geese fly on a windy night
Like Christmas lights across the moon
I’ve heard a mocking bird sing everything

in the world Except for his own tune
I’ve seen blank horizon fill with thunderclouds
Whirling in the August sky
The wind on my skin is the house I live in
Let me teach you how to fly

Refrain: Fly, fly, fly, fly, fly

If you want to see, well then, you’ve got to look
If you want to hear just listen
If you want to learn you’ve got to pay attention
Every failure gives a lesson
If you dare to be who you want to be
You will be judged by some
But if you stretch your wings and open up your heart
You just might reach the sun

Refrain:

There are so many things I want to learn
So many things I want to know
So many places that I want to see
That I’m packed and set to go
I choose you to be my traveling companions
Brothers, sisters, friends
We lift up today into a sky
That beckons to the end!

this is the fourth version of this song which started out as “Ride, Ride, Ride” and eventually graduated to flying…

please leave a comment below or share this with the buttons above.

Thanks for listening!

-Mark

Fly, Fly, Fly by Mark Shepard is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Please Pass This Song Along:

1. Download and Send this file to a friend (it’s sort of big, so ask first).
2. Send them the link so they can download it themselves:
http://www.markshepardsongs.com/beautiful-day
3. Burn as many copies of this or my other songs to CD as you like. Give them to friends.
4. If you prefer, you can order a copy of the Eyes On The Horizon CD containing this song

It’s A Beautiful Day | 9/11/2003 | Song # 334

(Nancy’s Birthday Song)

It’s a beautiful day to be alive
It’s a beautiful day
It’s a beautiful day to watch birds fly
It’s a beautiful day
It’s a beautiful day to be your friend
It’s a beautiful day
It’s the kind of day you never want to end
It’s a beautiful day, it’s a beautiful day, it’s a beautiful day

Look o’er your shoulder and see
Just how far you’ve come
From where you used to be
Look up ahead in the distance
The future is bright and
Don’t you just want to dance?

It’s a beautiful day to want to dance
It’s a beautiful day
It’s a beautiful day to take a chance
It’s a beautiful day
It’s a beautiful day to celebrate
It’s a beautiful day
It’s the kind of day you commemorate
It’s a beautiful day, It’s a beautiful day, It’s a beautiful day,

Remember when you were young
And thought that you knew?
Now you know that you don’t know
Now graced with abundance of years
Full of laughter, some tears
And the love that always grows

It’s a beautiful day to grow your love
It’s a beautiful day
It’s a beautiful day to be a dove
It’s a beautiful day
It’s a beautiful day to eat birthday cake
It’s a beautiful day
It’s a day to remember there are no mistakes
It’s a beautiful day, It’s a beautiful day, It’s a beautiful day,

© 2003-2009 by Mark Shepard All commercial rights reserved. Permission granted to reprint lyrics as is. Permission granted to download and share song for non-commercial purposes.

Commentary:

In September of 2003 I had just finished my NLP Training. I arrived home in CT after 9 weeks of intensive study and practice in CA only to confront some of my old demons. Impatience. I had the unrealistic expectations of starting to teach and practice NLP right away. My frustration level built and built until I could hardly stand it anymore. I remember finally going out into the back yard and cleaning out this old shed that was full of all kinds of junk. In the process my mind cleared. The weather was perfect as it often is in September in New England. It also happened to be the anniversary of the 9/11 World trade center attacks. A friend of mine, Nancy, was turning 50 that week and she had asked everyone coming to bring a poem or a song or some other creative expression to celebrate.

Suddenly everything seemed to be put into perspective and I was able to relax into being alive and filled with the joy of each perfect precious moment unattached to “goals” and “results” and “the bottom line”.

Please Note: This song is sponsored by Maureen Carney

Sponsoring a song enables me to record it and share it. Over 30 years and close to 400 songs, some have been recorded but many have not. I’m starting to forget them and I’m not getting any younger ). Find out how you can help me preserve and share these songs through the Life In Song Project – Sponsorship Program

And finally at the risk of being redundant, may I ask you a favor?

If you got anything out of this song, I’m hoping you’ll do something for me:
Pass it along to someone else. E-mail the link. Download it to your computer. Burn it to a CD. Play it for a friend like you used to. Share with them how it made you feel. Ask them to listen to it. Maybe you can sing along to it together.

Maybe they need to hear this song today. Maybe you need to connect with someone you care about who you haven’t touched in a while. This is one way.

We (these songs and I) need you. We need your friends too.

A song does no good unless it is heard. Spread the word.

Thank you so much!

- Mark

Play the Song. Download it Free. Share it.

 

 Field of Dreams by Mark Shepard: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This song is from Thirsty For The Sky: Songs of Empowerment and Healing

Field of Dreams (Take A Ride With Me)  | 7/21/2002 | Song #320

When I was a young boy I dreamed a mighty dream
But I told it to the dream thieves and they laughed and called me “green”
They told me I should wake up to reality
They said that I had better take responsibility

So I got myself a good job I and went to school at night
I followed to the letter all their sound advice
I got a better job and then a bigger house and car
I had my benefits and a dozen credit cards

Refrain:
Take a ride with me, Take a ride and see
Take a ride with me, To your field of dreams

One night I could not sleep and so I went out for a walk
It seemed as if the moonlight and the stars began to talk
They whispered and they sang about my long forgotten dream
They told me I could live it. It was mine still to redeem

The moon said I should listen to that still small voice inside
Instead of to the dream thieves because the dream thieves have to lie
They have to steal from you ‘cause they’ve been robbed right to the bone
But if you dare to live your dream, they just might find their own

Refrain:

Bridge:
Why do you see the possibilities?
Why do you live a mighty dream lately?
Why do you listen to your own wisdom?
Why do you know to ask the right questions?

So if you are a young boy or a young girl in your heart
Now is the time to give that mighty dream of yours a start
If you come to a crossroads where you need to choose
Choose the “path with heart” and it will give you dancing shoes

Refrain:

Why do you see the possibilities?…

Tuning: EBBEBE

Copyright 2003-2009 by Mark Shepard. All Rights Reserved.

Commentary: All my life I’ve struggled with the conflict between what I wanted to do and who I wanted to be versus what I felt others wanted. I think that is a natural part of growing up. We are told so many things by well meaning parents, teachers, friends, society. We hear “You can’t always have what you want…” We hear, “Well how are you going to pay the bills?” We hear, “be sensible, be practical.”  We are told constantly to “settle”. So we do. Until it starts to fester inside. Many people get cancer. I’m taking a course with Dr. Bernie Siegel. In the first class he says one of his cancer patients said, “My mother’s words have been eating away at me…”

A few radically change their lives. They start living for themselves instead of for all these others. Healing occurs. We discover that when we are being true to ourselves, we have excess love and energy for others. When we try to be who we think others want us to be we stifle and start dying. We close up. We dry up.We get sick.

I ask myself every day, what would I do if I only had 6 months to live. Not always easy to answer or to live according to my truth.

I was put here to write and sing songs. I’m a storyteller. I’m a healer. But first and foremost I’m a songwriter. “Every one knows it’s impossible to make a living as a songwriter.” Particularly now. Bah, blah, blah, blah, blah

That’s fine. I’m going to do it anyway. What would you do if you could not fail? If you were guaranteed to succeed? That’s what you should be doing. Sometimes you will miss the mark. I would rather go for what I want and fall flat on my face than to be miserable thinking “if only I had….”

You are not getting any younger. As Bernie Siegel’s mom said to him everyday. “Do what makes you happy.”

May I ask you a favor?

If you got anything out of this song, I’m hoping you’ll do something for me:
Pass it along to someone else. E-mail the link. Download it to your computer. Burn it to a CD. Play it for a friend like you used to. Share with them how it made you feel. Ask them to listen to it. Maybe you can sing along to it together.

Maybe they need to hear this song today. Maybe you need to connect with someone you care about who you haven’t touched in a while. This is one way.

We (these songs and I) need you. We need your friends too.

A song does no good unless it is heard. Spread the word.

Thank you so much!

Thanks! – Mark

p.s this song can be found on my Thirsty For The Sky CD

p.p.s. Please leave comments or reviews below!

This song goes well with the post I wrote today over at www.ModernJedi.com about “Failure”

Download this song for only $2.00!

This song is from Eyes On The Horizon CD.
Get the whole CD (plus a full length Bonus CD of my newest songs) for only $20 postpaid!

Stand Tall |  Fall 2003, Winter 2004, Fall 2004 | Song #340

A rainy day and it’s not yours
You had to face a few slammed doors
So you sit and hang your head (wondering how to earn some bread)
Was it something someone said?
Or is it a picture in your head?
Was it a feeling in your gut
Was it an open door you imagined shut
You decide.

Refrain:
Stand tall. Force a grin. Forget the loss and count the win
Hold fast. Dig down deep. First you sow and then you reap
Look up. Breathe it in. You’ve got the gold of Solomon
Look left, Look right. Brighten up your inner light

When did you decide to lose?
Don’t you know we always choose
To retreat or to go forward
To move away or to move towards
So pick yourself up off the boards
Give yourself an award
You gave it your best shot and now it’s time to dig down deep
And pull out just a little more, pull out just a little more.
You decide.

Refrain:

What just changed? Not the world, the world’s the same
You just rearranged your perception
You shifted your focus and in the process chose to let go of some old pain.
That’s right! Take it, shrink it down, fade it out, push it far away and Let it go!
Rearrange it into something you can learn from.
Now you know. And it just goes to show…
It’s lost its power over you hasn’t it?
And every thought has become a friend
Like the cripple throwing a way his crutch or
The shy kid reaching out his hand
And looking you right in the eye with an open smile and warmly inviting you to dance…It’s the shy kid inviting you to dance…
You decide. You decide.

© 2004-2009 by Mark Shepard ASCAP All Rights Reserved

commentary: I wrote this song at a time when I was really struggling just to get by even though I had invested thousands of dollars and thousands of hours in learning NLP specifically so that I would be able to break through the junk that was holding me back. Little did I know at the time that I was “deep in the process” of learning and practicing tools and techniques that would enable me to “hang in there” and eventually get back to my original “purpose” which was to share my 30 years of original songs with people who would not only appreciate them but who would benefit from the songs, the story as well as the NLP concepts and techniques…

Please share this with your friends and loved ones.

all the best! – Mark

Here’s a high quality studio version of the song featured in my previous post  “A Drum For X-Mas: A Mark Shepard Christmas Story”

Download this mp3 for a limited time FREE! (my gift to you)
Right click the link below and choose “save as” or “save link as”

Download Children of the Drum

This song is from the CD “Thirsty For The Sky: Songs of Empowerment & Healing vol 1″

Get the Thirsty for the Sky CD! Available here for $20 postpaid:

Children of the Drum | 11/27/2001 | Song # 323

(dedicated to Kevin “Kazi” Oliver, Master African Drummer)

He was born in Trenton New Jersey
Where the boom box ruled in the streets
He was born in Trenton, New Jersey
But he lived for an older beat
Kevin wanted a drum for Christmas
Kevin wanted a drum (2X)

I was born in suburbia just
Wondering what I was worthy of
I was born in suburbia
With a passionate rhythm love
I just wanted a drum for Christmas
I just wanted a drum (2 X)

Refrain:
Play on my brother
Play on my friend
Play on my brother
We are brothers of the drum

Kevin joined the marines for music
They said that he could march in the band
Kevin joined the marines for music
But they put a gun in his hand
I got a job just to pay the rent
And soon I felt like a rat in a race
I got a job just to pay the rent but
My dream still showed on my face

Refrain:

Life somehow brought us both together
To the beat of an African drum
Life somehow brought us both together
Two souls playing as one
Sometimes it takes a while to live
The dreams you had as a kid
Sometimes it takes a while to live
But aren’t you glad that you did…

Last Refrain:
Play on my brothers
Play on my friends
Play on my sisters
We are children of the drum

Kevin wanted a drum for Christmas
Kevin wanted a drum
I just wanted a drum for Christmas
I just wanted a drum…

© 2001-2008 by Mark Shepard. All Rights Reserved. ASCAP

I need your help to get this music out into the world where it can do some good!

Please leave a comment below or “Stumble” or “digg” or “facebook” this or share the link by e-mail. Thanks! – Mark

Play Audio:

 

 Thirsty For The Sky: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Download this song for only $2

This song is from Thirsty For the Sky CD.
Purchase the CD for $20 post paid.

Thirsty For The Sky | 9/18/2000 | Song # 310

I’ve been dreaming of birds and leaves,
Clouds of dust and dandelion seeds
And other things that spend their time in the sky
I’ve been working on healing the hurt,
Digging myself up out of the dirt
Mending these broken wings so I can take flight

Refrain:
I feel so dangerous and I feel so alive
I get so receptive to the heavens,
So thirsty for the sky
I feel like a Peregrine Falcon,
Untamed and unbound
It’s been a long time since
I’ve had my heart on the ground

Sometimes when I am talking,
I think I’m brilliant, I think I am stalking
Some great truth but then
I realize the weakness of words…
Though I may be just a candle flame
In a universe too huge to explain
That doesn’t mean I can’t speak
My intent and be heard!

Refrain:

I release myself from the chains of fear
Climb up into the atmosphere
Learn to quiet my thoughts
So that I can see
I give myself to the calling wind
Out to where the horizon bends
Unattached and at ease I set myself free

© 2000-2008 by Mark Shepard. ASCAP. All Rights Reserved

Commentary: This is the second version of a song that originally wasn’t quite so positive! Written several months before I discovered NLP, it is heavily inspired by some of the key Toltec concepts from the books of Carlos Castandea.

Please leave a comment below or “Stumble” or “digg” this or book mark it with any of the sites below. Also feel free to e-mail a friend or 2 (or 20). thanks – Mark

Play Motivation:

Download this song for $2.00

Motivation | 9/7/2006 | Song #356

(The Kathy MacAfee Song)

Motivation
It’s concentrated inspiration put into action
Its 10,000 steps in the right direction
It’s a goal on the horizon that you always keep in sight
It’s taking a chance on a dance at the leading edge of life

Motivation
It’s what you said to yourself this morning that got you out of bed
It’s focusing on the things you want to do before you’re dead
It’s a quiet kind of power that grinds down walls or goes around them
It’s the ability to see opportunities where everyone else sees problems

Refrain:
Focus in on who you truly are
Aim high for one specific star
Stop trying to be everything to everyone
Focus in on who you truly are
Aim high for one specific star
Then take a deep breath… and get it done

Bridge:
Motivation,
Innovation, Inspiration,
Motivation
Concentration, Re-Creation,
Motivation

Motivation
It’s noticing the grass is just as green over here on your side
It’s thinking the kinds of thoughts that open the world up wide
It’s standing strong in the moment you decided
To call upon the deep resources you always had inside

Refrain:

© Mark Shepard 2006

Please leave a comment below! Help spread this music! “Stumble” or “Digg” it or “Facebook” it or email it to a friend. thanks!

Sometimes I get inspired and I can’t help but write a song. Other times something someone says causes me to feel the song writing “motivation”. In this case all of the above. I took a seminar with Kathy McAfee, “The Marketing Motivator”. As a result many of her key ideas are in this song. Hope you enjoy it.

Get Motivated and Stay motivated. Download this song for $2 bucks!

It’s easy. Safe. Secure. You can download it to your mp3 player and go for a walk or a run or work out at the gym or just kick back in your lazyboy recliner and think about all the cool stuff you could be doing if you were motivated to do it right…now! )

Learn more about Kathy McAfee (the inspiration for this song)’

It’s Kathy McAfee week at www.ModernJedi.com learn about NLP motivation strategies and other cool Modern Jedi stuff.

Please help me share this music with as many people as possible. Leave a comment or “stumble” or “digg” or “facebook” or “Twitter” this. Also just e-mail it to someone who may need a little inspiration.

- Mark

p.s. next post will have high quality audio down load and lyrics.