You Only Live Once (Do What You Mean)

You Only Live Once (Do What You Mean) By Jesse Scobie

Verse
Emaj Amaj
I saw an old man in the local dive bar, drinking away his deep pain
F#min Dmaj Emaj
Sometime later, he was in the parking lot, trying to escape the rain
Emaj Amaj
I saw a young widow, in the corner, drinking bourbon, smoking sorrow
F#min Dmaj Emaj
She lost her husband in the Iraq war, her dreams are dead for tomorrow

Chorus
Dmaj
It’s times like these that we think of everything we’ve done
How fragile and sacred our lives, and loved ones are
Remember when the fabric tears apart at the seem
You only live once, do what you mean

Verse II
I’ve known guitarists, piano players and songwriters in my life
Getting by in the capital city, or in Manhattan with a knife
Sang with your heart, wrote with your hand, what was on your mind
Working dead-end jobs, hustling corners, and living on the line

Chorus
Some people say you only know what you had when it’s gone
I know what I had to give and get, with the words in my song
Although we’ve lived in troubled times, I’m always on the same team
You only live once, do what you mean

Bridge:
Fathers and Mothers try to teach their children well
But it only goes so far, when you’re living in a hell
The preacher speaks wisdom, while politicians screams
You can find morals in the water, long as it’s clean

Verse III
Like Jesus, I am walking through this world of dark alone
Trying to live and forgive those who throw the stones
I don’t think I’ll make it far past the earth and sky
But I’ve done what I can to help the poor and sick survive



Final Chorus
Happiness doesn’t come in a bottle you can buy
It’s not gained through wars, legal fees or marketing your side
It’s about a foundation of truth and not fearing to be seen
You only live once, do what you mean
You can’t live your life like some forgotten dream,
You only live once, do what you mean!

Something Simple, Something Plain

Something Simple, Something Plain By Jesse Scobie

A maj
I bit the apple and drank the koolaid,
Bmin C#min
I slipped on the shoes, put on the shades
F# min Dmaj
Ashamed of the past, my drunk escapades
Amaj Bmin
I need a new fix, with nothing to gain
F#min Bmin Dmaj
Something to cross the finish line in,
Emaj Amaj
Something simple, something plain

The robins were singing on the old dead tree
Where I left your heart, and you said to me
“How can you separate love from the seed?”
I laugh, and smiled at her false frame
I leave the artificial light behind,
For something simple, something plain

The road signs read “whiskey and smoke”
I lost my will in town, to hear the folks
My job is my songs, my career is my jokes
My friends and lovers wash down the drain
I trade in my rhinestone suit
For something simple, something plain

Bridge:
As I wait for the refrain, and lose the cloak of shame
She wasn’t waiting for a hero to remain
The path to freedom’s clear, but you won’t find it here
When everything you fought for, has disappeared

Amaj
I fell for the wrong spell, but it’s just as well
Bmin C#min
Stood for something strong, but then I fell
F#min Dmaj
Now I’m the one left to ring the bells
Amaj
Hands are shaking as I leave on the last train
Stations full of ghosts bleed into
Something simple, something…
Beautiful faces that I drew
Something simple, something…
The only friend I ever knew,
Is something, something plain

Follow The Cumberland To Stardom

FOLLOW THE CUMBERLAND TO STARDOM By Jesse Scobie
(inspired by Nashville)

F maj Amaj Dmin Ab Bb
You’ll make the drive down to Tennessee tonight, like you planned
F maj Amaj Dmin Ab Bb
You played some bars and joints in DC, but it’s just where you began
Gmin C7(b9) F Emin Dmin C Bb
Your friends and family always said, “music as a living is martyrdom”
Gmin C7(b9) Dmin Bb C
But you knew in your heart one day, to follow the Cumberland to stardom

(Same Chords)
Like Willie Nelson’s hit, you are “On The Road Again” for your journey
The windy road of I-40 takes you to the Ryman and Grand Ole Opry
You reach Music City, step inside a honky tonk bar and say “Pardon”
“But I would like to sign up and sing, to follow the Cumberland to stardom.”

F maj Amaj Dmin Ab Bb
It’s hard to make end’s meet as a songwriter in the city of Music Row
So your trashcan is full of scrapped works, as you weep what you sow
Gmin C7(b9) F Emin Dmin C Bb
You follow all of the forms of Cash, Dylan, Haggard and Dolly Parton
Soon you have some story gems, setting you sail on the Cumberland to stardom


Verse: (Same Chords)
A manager hears your song about the wild west and barroom fights
He signs you right there and then beneath the bar’s neon lights
Now you have got some money, some fame, a thousands miles up from Harlem
Still, a writer is never satisfied, even following the Cumberland to stardom

F maj Amaj Dmin Ab Bb
Ten years past, five gold records last, you’re about to go on at the Ryman
You see a young man, a guitarist who’s a big fan, you shake his hand
Gmin C7(b9) F Emin Dmin C Bb
Up on the stage, with everything made, you smile as the lights darken
Gmin C7(b9) Dmin Bb C
You found sweet success, with God’s bless, you followed the Cumberland to stardom
Yes, you followed the Cumberland to stardom.

Solace For Tonight (anti-Trump song)

SOLACE FOR TONIGHT By Jesse Scobie

Bmin/G Emin
I feel betrayed, deserted and dismayed,
Cadd6 D7
but I know it’s always darkest before the dawn
We were told to expect, then respect,
the first Madame President singing her song
Instead we reached and breached,
the boiling point of deep seeded anger
While the year saw the silence of voices
And a distorted reality of danger

Bmin7/G B7
I just need some solace for tonight,
Emin Cmaj7
I see cities crumbling down, it gives me fright
I just need some solace for tonight,
We’ve come so far, raising the bar
For our right to survive, and one day thrive,
but for now..
We just need some solace for tonight, some solace for tonight

Bmin7/G Emin
The days grow shorter, in the post-mortem of our prime
Cadd6 D7
Mothers and fathers tell stories of the better days
When we stayed stuck on those email lines, they gathered their troops and sailed away
Now they have landed here in DC, our leaders have changed, and time will only tell
Who will govern the land of free, life and liberty, who rose above and who fell


Bmin7/G B7
I just need some solace for tonight,
Emin Cmaj7
I see my immigrant friends, their eyes filled with fright
I just need some solace for tonight,
For the women, children and sick, we still fight
For their rights to survive, but for now…
We all need some solace for tonight, some solace for tonight

Sweet Nolas Jingle

“Sweet Nola’s Jingle”
By Cory Davis, Jesse Scobie and Sam Zimmerman

Verse:
Get some hot gumbo, come to Sweet Nola’s!
Where the music flows, come to Sweet Nola’s!
Poboy sandwiches and alligator!
Foster pudding for later!
It’s the sunny side of the street!

Hear some hot jazz bands, come to Sweet Nola’s!
Lot’s of friendly staff, come to Sweet Nola’s!
Cool mementos from New Orleans!
Tasty rice and red beans!
It’s the sunny side of the street!

Bumper:
Sweet Nola’s is a place where warm New Orleans breezes & New South cuisine meet up with random acts of music to create the greatest Joie de Vivre!
We’re located at 688 North Loudoun Street in Winchester, Virginia. Open Tuesday through Saturday. Check out our menu at sweetnolas.com.

Refrain:
Come on down, eat at Sweet Nola’s!
The best food in town, come to Sweet Nola’s!

The Tipping Point

The Tipping Point by Jesse Scobie

Your life has been smooth sailing so far
You grew up wealthy, a mansion, a sports car
You aced tests in school, they were never hard
But, you never quite discovered who you are

Making friends was easy, wherever you went
Lots of girlfriends, didn’t matter who was spent
When things went south, all you did was vent
And now you’re grown up, it’s time to leave the tent

Chorus:
It’s the tipping point, the day we all must face
The tipping point, where we all can find our place
Time can only tell when we reach our goals
From that moment on, the truth lies in our souls

It’s the tipping point, the day we finally all realize
The tipping point, what we’re doing with our lives
The stars hold the future, what will they bring
The tables are turning, it’s our time to sing

We go through our lives, never being satisfied
We thought college was an answer, but not a free ride
So we slave away each day, in the factory lines
The news says “We’re just a product of the times”

Our mothers and our fathers somehow found a light
To succeed through the perilous, frightening nights
I believe I can see the tip of this iceberg
Our generation’s meaning will finally be heard

Chorus:
(same chords as before)
It’s the tipping point, the day we all must face
The tipping point, where we can all find a place
Time can only tell, when we reach our goals
From that moment on, the truth lies in our souls

It’s the tipping point, the day we finally all realize
The tipping point, what we’re doing with our lives
The stars hold the future, what will they bring
The tables are turning, it’s our time to sing

Great Expectations

"GREAT EXPECTATIONS" By Jesse Scobie

Verse I:
One door opens, the other closes
Always the wrong time and place
You had visions of where you would be
But now they’re gone without a trace

I see a boy in the mirror, with a smile on his face
He’s dreaming of playing at Carnegie Hall
He’s dreaming of the girl he’ll take to the ball
I wish I had the heart to say it’s not a waste

Chorus I:
We all have great expectations of where we think we should be
We all start on different foundations, but we share a common creed
Goals of success, helping the world from sea to shinning sea
To fulfill those great expectations, rising above is the key
To following your dreams

Verse II:
She’s been having the hardest time
Trying to remember all of her lines
He’s running through hell just to find
Money to put food on the table

I see a family of three, laughing in the park
They’re walking their dog on the street
While a homeless man eats for free
I see the world rising, past the dark


Chorus II:
We all have great expectations of where we think we should be
We all start on different foundations, but we share a common creed
Goals of success, helping the world, breaking the chains to be free
To fulfill those great expectations, we change what we need
And live out our dreams..