Corey’s Coming (based on original song by Harry Chapin)

As I sit on his chair I think back to the stories he had told me – times in his life that he held on to like a security blanket – the passengers he befriended, the overnight stopovers where he learned about love, loneliness and the art of just making it to the next sunrise. His world travels searching for something that he eventually would find right within the stuff he was made of. But the memory that kept him warm in his lone space here, the memory that made it all worth it was the memory of his Corey and the love they shared.

Soundtracks of My Life – Billy Joel

What he did for 22 years, from “Cold Spring Harbor” through “River of Dreams,” was change the worlds of millions of people. He gave them encouragement to be who they were; to think for themselves but to not forget the ones who loved them. He told us about our past before we even had one to hear about, he told us about the bars, the taverns, the street corners, about the crazy summer in New York City with blackout, heat wave and the 44 caliber killer. He told us to sing along with the Piano Man because even the Piano Man needs the support to make it through the songs. He told us about “Keeping the Faith” and about his meeting with a Russian clown, Viktor, who made his daughter laugh. He sang to us about his mood swings, how he goes to extremes and he has no idea how to control them. He is the piano man, he is the Streetlife Serenader, the Fisherman trying to stay afloat despite the laws and regulations all stacked against him. He is the everyday guy who, well learned stickball, found how to dance and still look tough and of course, made it with the red haired girl in a Chevrolet.

Soundtracks of my Life – Bruce Springsteen

I listened to these songs, over and over again. Music had always been a part of my heart and soul; before this there was Elton John, Bob Dylan, Simon and Garfunkel, Billy Joel, the Beatles...but when I listened to Bruce Springsteen I felt a sense of freedom. I felt that it was alright to express yourself without having the poetry of Dylan. To express yourself by spitting it out there for the world to hear. The dream of finding the girl who may not be "The One," but is the one; having her jump into your beat up Chevy and heading to where the "Highway is alive" to "wash the sands off of our hands." The sins of allowing ourselves to be caught and imprisoned in a reality built by walking dead figurines. By the ones who need to numb themselves to get through another day - beat up their wives and kids to find the manhood they had taken away. Listening to Bruce I lost my virginity; I lost my sense of blind trust and I questioned everything from God to the existence of life on Mars.

Bob Dylan (Soundtracks from my Life)

One day I had the nerve to switch sides and put the album on side 2. My life changed… “Mr. Tambourine man.” I closed my eyes and listened to him and I was mesmerized; Then take me disappearin’ through the smoke rings of my mind Down the foggy ruins of time, far past the frozen leaves The haunted, frightened trees, out to the windy beach Far from the twisted reach of crazy sorrow Yes, to dance beneath the diamond sky with one hand waving free Silhouetted by the sea, circled by the circus sands With all memory and fate driven deep beneath the waves Let me forget about today until tomorrow…

Elton John (Soundtracks from my Life)

His songs continue to be the soundtrack of my life; "Something about the way you look tonight" was my wedding song and his "Songs from the West Coast" remains as one of my favorite and most listened to albums. His "The Captain and the Kid" album was the sequel to "Captain Fantastic" album from 31 years earlier -I loved it and feel it was not given the attention it deserved.