John Mazur's Original Songs
In Progress
The following songs haven't been assigned to an album yet, so they are just placed in chronological order
Song Name
| Description |
|---|
| Been So Long | It has, very long. After having nothing for so long it's a bit of shock when you discover that's not quite case. 06/06/2015 |
| Golden Years | The final years. A euphemism that your final years are bathed in gold. Can be very tough for some people, the hardest of their lives. 06/06/2016 |
| Zillmere | Great times at the Brisbane Steel Club. Song about the Brisbane Steel Festival that is held at the Geebung-Zillmere R.S.L. A wonderful event even if you don't play. 30/6/2015 |
| That's Fine | Everything's just fine An instrumental. The words, the story are up to you. 10/07/2015 |
| One Country | One country, two nations. The political problem in Australia is that we do not have a treaty with the two races that claim the same piece of land. This surely has to be the starting point from which all else follows. 15/07/2015 |
| Cold Today | Well, it is Winter. Finally, a winter of old. The drought has spoilt us. 18/07/2015 |
| A Child Is Born | Children growing up too fast. We sure live in the lucky country. In other countries it's a fight for survival. 20/07/2015 |
| Surrounded By Turkeys | Every now and then ... Not all of the time, but every now and then you appear to be surrounded by turkeys. 26/07/2015 |
| Just Pickin' | Just a bit of fun. Just felt like recording something I didn't have to much to think about, hence it's a fun song. 28/07/2013 |
| Crowds Make Me Nervous | They sure do. Not really comfortable in crowds, my hearing becomes confused and having a conversation can become difficult. 29/07/2015 |
| I Really Miss | I really do miss my departed pets. I really miss the animals that have such wonderfull companions over the years. I was thinking about them, as I often do, and composed a song about them. 02/08/2015 |
| When I Die | Preparing people for my end. Before our time on Earth is done, we should make it clear as to where we should be laid to rest. It's something we should all do. My father wanted a traditional burial. My mother on the other hand simply wanted her ashes to be dispersed. I'm with my mum. 04/08/2015 |
| Taylor Blues | Taylor has some issues. All is not well in Taylor land. My brand new Taylor T3B has to be the worst delivered guitar I have ever purchased. Play the video and make up your own mind. My biggest Issue is with Taylor the company. They have design issues that need to be addressed but they are unwilling to acknowledge. 12/08/2015 |
| Abandoned | Time to move on from Taylor. Yes, abandoned. I've given up trying to get any sort of engagement from Taylor Guitars, they are just not interested. The guitar is an absolute winner as you can hear, fantastic! No ownership of the guitars they make, none. 14/08/2015 |
| I Can't Play the Blues | Respect, that's all there is to it. There are some thing that will always belong to race of people. It is part of them. To take that away from them when it is taboo or without permission is just plain theft. 14/08/2015 |
| In An Instant | Life can change in an instant. Life can change in an instant. The world can change in the blink of an eye. make the most of the moment. |
| In Five | Sometimes its five, sometimes its four. |
| Who Am I | In sense, who am I to challenge your beliefs. You have your point of view and I have mine. They do not have to be the same and we should respect that. A question to me in the sense who am I to challenge your beliefs? I certainly won't try and change your beliefs. change in the blink of an eye. make the most of the moment. 06/09/2015 |
| I've Got The Flu | Sure have. Haven't had the flu for a few years, but this year I did. Worthy of a song. I was doing just fine when a person coughed in my face without covering her mouth. 07/09/2015 |
| Cajun | I'm impressed. A truly new way to play drums in a band. Much kinder on the ears. 10/09/2015 |
| Ducks on a pond | Ducks on a pond. 13/09/2015 |
| Riding Down The Road | A really good idea. Riding a motorcycle is a most sublime experience. Just the best. 21/09/2015 |
| Vote With Your Feet | We all do it. We all vote with our feet. We either vote to stay or vote to leave. 22/09/2015 |
| Rehearsal | Fun activity Over nearly a lifetime of music I enjoy rehearsing the most. It's just more fun. 21/10/215 |
| Oops, Wrong Band | Made a mistake, it happens. Sometimes you can just be too keen and end up not fitting in. Alas, I was too keen. 24/10/215 |
| Hardest Thing | Really difficult to do sometimes. It may seem like the simplest thing in the world to do, but, for some people it's the hardest thing to do. 31/10/215 |
| Glad I'm Going Home | City driving is a pain. Just have to love those city drivers trying gain that extra few centimetres at any cost. No wonder driving in the city is stressful. 04/11/215 |
| Nashville | On my third trip to the U.S.A. I attended an annual get together of reso players in Nashville, Tennessee called ResoSummit, held by Dobro whiz Rob Ickes. This was going to be my last attempt at trying to find other players that think and play like I do. While the event was very good and met up with a lot of players I didn't find what I was searching for. The music was just fantastic as was the skill of the instructors and some of the attendees. I just stood out from the crowd as they say. I'm not a particular fan of Bluegrass music so that didn't help. Just can't stand all those rolls. With my right hand, I play with a plectrum, not the 'standard' thumbpick, in fact I was the only player there that that used that technique. The person that inspired me to play, Jerry Douglas, just does it for me. Love his approach to music as well as his fluid style. I was most fortunate to see him perform three times, once as a guest lecturer at ResoSummit and twice with his new band The Earls of Leicester. On the last day, as I was sitting out in the park land of Scarritt-Bennett campus, watching the squirrels run about and this song came to me. In terms of my search, I was disappointed and have accepted that I will not find what I wanted, but, I will persevere with the music that I can hear in my head. |
| Progress | What progress? Progress!? The music created today is mostly shallow and simplistic. I don't think music has made any progress in the last couple of decades. However, if you look really hard you can find it. 07/12/2015 |
| Why Do We Lie? | I just don't get it. I really don't understand why we let retailers shove Santa and the Easter Bunny down our throats when they have nothing at all do with the season. These are religious holidays, given so that we may give thanks to the Lord. 16/12/2105 |
| Blue Sky Boulders | Out of the blue, whammy! I have this philosophy that states that boulders just fall out of a clear blue sky and my task is to avoid them. 23/12/2015 |
| Edge | As we get older we lose our edge. Playing loud Rock music is just plain dangerous to your hearing, not doubt about it. Trauma in your life can really slow you down. I seem to remember a saying that your remember the pain long after the passion has gone. Seems to be the case. Given that, I have lost my edge as I'm no longer quite so aggressive and have taken the quieter path. |
| Another Day | Most days are followed by another day. Until that last day there's another day. 03/01/2016 |
| Tired of Waiting | Time to try another approach. Since I found playing in a real band at pub volumes and quieter really caused havoc with my hearing, I had to take some action if I wanted to continue playing in the public arena. I did get tired of waiting for something to happen in the local area, so I looked afar and found some gems. |
| I Still Have Good Days | I do. It's a great feeling having a good day, on top of the world. 17/01/2016 |
| Nothing To Say | Nothing to complain about. Life's rather pleasant these days, so I have nothing to complain about. 20/01/2016 |
| Water | Water, I like water. 29/01/0216 |
| Path Through The Forest | Nothing like a walk through the forest to clear your mind. The idea for this song goes back quite some time. On my first trip to the U.S.A., I made a point of going to Devil's Tower/Bear Lodge in Wyoming. I made time to take the walking trail around the plug. Just took my time and took in the sights, scents and sounds. Wonderfully refreshing. 30/01/2016 |
| Cull | Getting rid of the past. It's best if you just get rid of all the baggage from the past that's holding you back. 05/02/2016 |
| Star Man | My father was an avid astronomer. 06/02/2016 |
| Monday | Moonday. A song that just came to me on a Monday, hence the title. 16/02/2016 |
| Abandoned | Nothing last forever. 21/02/2016 |
| Tuesday | The English name is derived from Old English Tiwesdæg and Middle English Tewesday, meaning "Tīw's Day", the day of Tiw or Týr, the god of single combat, victory and heroic glory in Norse mythology. A song that just came to me on a Tuesday, hence the title. 16/02/2016 |
| Frozen Shoulder | Yes, and it hurts! Some years ago I had a frozen left shoulder and that lasted for some time before a rather slow recovery. I now have a frozen right shoulder and this is causing me quite a bit of difficulty with playing any instrument. Just have to move very slowly to minimise the pain. 03/03/2016 |
| Simple Song | Keep it simple. With the restrictions placed on me by my right arm, I'm keeping things simple. 06/03/216 |
| Just The Way It Is | Acceptance. Through experience I have learnt that some things are just the way they are and you have to accept them or go crazy. It doesn't mean that you have to accept them, just be wary of them and look for alternatives. 12/03/2016 |
| Update | The never ending story. Updating software is standard these days and that's a good thing. The timing of updates can however be a nuisance. 20/03/2016 |
| Same As The Last Song | I prefer my music fresh and original. My ongoing lament about the state of the music business. As a business, new music needs to be created rather than replay the past. It's only as good as you make it. 30/03/2016 |
| Take A Deep Breath | Always the best policy. You need to be able to accept that there are something's that will never change. Get on with your life. 10/04/216 |
| Tuesday Morning | Tuesday morning, twilight time. Ah the morning, twilight time just before the dawn, time to go to sleep. 16/04/2016 |
| Caveat Emptor | Read the fine print. I signed up for a Solar System Orrery without realising the length of time it would take to complete and the final cost. Not unhappy about the purchase, just caught me off guard. The way they crept the prices up was plain sneaky. 19/04/2016 |
| Wallhalla | Lovely place. Rode the motorcycle to Wallhalla the other day, a pleasant way to spend two hours. 22/04/2016 |
| Ants In My Kitchen | Home invasion. Woke up one morning and found the kitchen bench a sea of black ants. For some reason they smelled something and just went for it. I decided to use the squish technique to get rid of them and that sure took some time. Next day they were back but in a smaller number, so more squishing. After a week or so they gave up. Still get the odd straggler or two, but nothing like that first morning. 28/04/2016 |
| Sunday Morning | Another morning song. The title reflects the time I composed/recorded the song. 30/04/2016 |
| Windy And Warm | That's how it was this morning. Yes I woke up this morning and went out the back door and the wind was blowing hard but it wasn't cold. 03/5/2016 |
| Sometimes | Sometimes anything can happen. 13/05/2016 |
| Surprise | Believe it or not, I still get surprised. 20/05/2016 |
| Bump In The Road | Travelling to Melbourne and back a lot. Been travelling a lot to support my daughter who is in hospital. After awhile you feel like you know every bump in the road, every turn of the road. 23/05/2016 |
| Remind Myself | It's the journey folks. It's always been the journey for me. The destination is where I turn around. 28/05/2016 |
| Play Every Day | The Music model has changed. You can play in public as often as you like, just expect to be paid. 31/05/2016 |
| In My Life | A bit of fun. Sort of practice time for a song I intended to perform at the Brisbane Steel Club. Nothing fancy recorded on my iPhone. 05/06/2016 |
| Technology | Technology, a double edged sword. Technology delivers an improvement in some process. A faster computer, new drugs, labour saving machines, new materials. Whilst this is positive, technology also has the power to make people redundant. The social cost is enormous. 08/06/2016 |
| La Duff Up | Bit of Blues. The band I was with 'The Deep Blue' have folded. The main man, or so he thought, made a demand that wasn't met by the others so he walked. Lovely guy. 10/06/2016 |
| Dog Next Door | Woof, woof! I'm sure you can all relate to a nearby neighbourhood dog that is barking at nothing. The dog just goes on and on, barking at shadows. 11/06/2016 |
| What The Song Is About | What is that song all about? Have you ever wondered what a song without words, an instrumental is all about. You may get a few clues from the title, but mostly you'll make up your own narrative. I remember talking to Ross Ryans crew and discussing the song 'I Am Pegasus'. Ross had two unrelated stories to explain the song. 15/06/2016 |
| What Do You Do? | What do you do? It's hard just sitting back when the professionals are applying ECT to your daughter. You just hope that they survive the treatment. 19/06/2016 |
Minimum advertised songs |
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| Painted | I've painted myself into a corner musically. Over the years I have slowly, but surely, removed myself from the live music scene Some of it was due to getting old, part due to physical issues and part because of the lack of quality of the local players. I've settled into recording my own material and playing all the instruments. 21/07/2016 |
| Play The Music | I don't have a lot of time for music that's played on the radio or through an iPod, etc, I have a heap of music running around inside my head. 21/07/2016 |
| Rain | Woke up one morning and I could hear the rain on the roof, lovely. I like kayaking and motorcycling in the rain, just takes you to a different world. 24/07/2016 |
| The Sky Is The Limit | Going to have a bit of fun exploring the stars in the sky. 05/08/2016 |
| Let Down | Travelled to Melbourne to listen to my favourite band. I arrived to see another band playing the gig. Oops, wrong week. 07/08/2016 |
| Sunshine On A Sunny Day | Spending a lot of time with my daughter and we are enjoying ourselves in a difficult situation. That's what parents do, support their children. 26/08/2016 |
| Here And There | Another support song. 02/09/2016 |
| Lock 11 | 'Killing some time' at Lock 11 at Mildura. Lovely, tranquil place, even with the river traffic. 10/09/2016 |
| Taking It Back Today | Had a 'rush of blood' and purchased a Nikon P900. As good as that lens is, the camera lets it down. 18/09/2016 |
| Choices | At the end of the day we all have to live with our choices. The catastrophic choices really hurt. 01/10/2016 |
| Bell Curve | So, are you normal? 15/10/2016 |
| I Don't Like You | You know who you are and I don't like you. 28/10/2016 |
| Day To Myself | I don't get a day to spend with myself and today was such a day. 29/10/2016 |
| Rooms | It's sort of like being on tour, after awhile you don't know what city you are in. In my case I am commuting between two towns and it's becoming a bit confusing as to which town I'm in when I wake up. 18/11/2016 |
| Waiting | Just waiting. 20/11/2016 |
| Another Day With You | Don't take days for granted. You never know how much time you have with your loved ones. 26/11/2016 |
| Seventies | I've found over the years that's it's difficult to keep the attention of another muso. Guess I'm just boring! 02/12/2016 |
| Parallel World | Looking over my like I think I live in a parallel world. 11/12/2016 |
| Hit | First collision with a kangaroo. Happened very close to home and could have been far worse. The roo lodged under the car causing the car to turn around one hundred and eighty degrees and have to pass through oncoming traffic. Thankfully they avoided me. 18/12/2016 |
| Can't Be Hurt | When you're young you think you're bulletproof. After awhile though, the body gets tired of the abuse and complains and sometimes fails. 09/01/2017 |
| It Happens | I have a life saying that I try and avoid things that fall out of the sky. Lately it's been more hit than miss. 10/01/2017 |
| Father's Do That | Being a father is a full time job. Just because your children move out of the family home doesn't mean that they don't require your assistance from time to time. When you're called on you just step up. 12/01/2017 |
| Rhythm and Blues | I used to like going to jams, not just Rhythm and Blues but all sorts. I found the aggression level set way to high and I eventually voted with my feet. I wanted quality not quantity. Lately I have found that singing A Cappella in a SATB choir. 17/01/2017 |
| Been Here Before | Yes, I have and I don't like it. 24/01/2017 |
| Thought I'd Write A Song | Just thought I'd write a song and how people listen to music. Some people feel 'ripped off' if you play an instrumental song. They regard not singing a song as somehow not worthy of performing it. Instrumentals have their place. When I perform, I always start with a few instrumentals. Just sort of sets the scene. 25/01/2017 |
| Some People | Two races occupying the same land. Australia Day does it every time. There's the Indigenous and the Invaders. 28/01/2017 |
| Nowhere | What happens to people that follow false religions? In the sense that every religion believes it is the 'right' religion and everyone else is wrong. 31/01/2017 |
| Make It | It seems death is worse for the 'survivors', they have to cope with the results. Best to live your life in the present and enjoy your family. 07/02/2017 |
| Empathy | Being empathetic has its down side. If you do it to deeply you end up as injured as the other person. 09/02/2017 |
| The Other Side | No matter where you go or what you do, people can't seem to agree with the way something works. I exhibit a behaviour where I can see another solution and invariably this gets me into trouble. 10/02/2017 |
| Bountry | Me going off again at how things are put in boxes and once that's done you can't escape. My example is the Band Allison Krauss and Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas. These people can play Bluegrass with the best of them. They cause 'trouble' by pushing a more commercial/Country sound. It's a shame when both the Bluegrass and Country fans criticise them for selling out. 13/02/2017 |
| Today | Taking it easy today. Recharging my batteries as they say. 14/02/2017 |
| Country Song | I like well played Country. You can keep all that yelling and screaming. 22/02/2017 |
| Missing You | Life becomes difficult when you miss the one that you love. |
| Saved | Not me, but one of my guitars needed saving from the effects of corrosion. 27/02/2017 |
| Tax Time | To to have tax return prepared for the pervious financial year. 28/02/2017 |
| Democracy | Not every one gets they want using the democratic procedure. There will still be losers. The losers must now realign themselves with the elected leader. That's the hard part. 02/03/2017 |
| Riddled | Imagine you are walking towards an object and it looks whole and perfect. However, the closer you get you start to notice the flaws and blemishes. When you finally arrive, it's full of holes. A metaphor for groups, riddled with inconsistencies. 06/03/2017 |
| Political Games | We need another form of government. Our political system is so adversarial that it doesn't utilize the best, brightest people in Australia. 07/03/2017 |
| Memories | Looking back on all of the trips I have made. Glad I did it then. 14/03/2017 |
| Hazelwood | With the demise of Hazelwood Power Station looming, I remember it this way. 15/03/2017 |
| Cavern | Interesting environment to perform in. 16/03/2017 |
| Farewell | Missing Hazelwood Power Station. 18/03/2017 |
| Crazy 2 | Moving on, again. Once again, I have set things that aren't important or that I can't change aside and try and enjoy that things that I have. Makes life a lot simpler. 22/03/2017 |
| Nice | A nice song/tune played on a slide. 25/03/2017 |
| Quiet Day | After the storm it was a quiet day. 29/03/2017 |
| Miscellania 1 | The bits and pieces of ordinary life. Start of the Miscellania series of compositions. 04/04/2017 |
| Miscellania 2 | The bits and pieces of ordinary life. 06/04/2017 |
| Miscellania 3 | The bits and pieces of ordinary life. 08/04/2017 |
| Miscellania 4 | Quiet tonight. 09/04/2017 |
| Miscellania 5 | Old PC? 10/04/2017 |
| Miscellania 6 | Stormy night. 13/04/2017 |
| Miscellania 7 | Bump 17/04/2017 |
| Miscellania 8 | Mousey, mousey, mousey 19/04/2017 |
| Miscellania 9 | Ummm... 22/04/2017 |
| Miscellania 10 | Wildlife. 24/04/2017 |
| Miscellania 11 | Events ... 26/04/2017 |
| Miscellania 12 | Shopping. I used to enjoy going to the Melbourne CBD and perusing all the technical bookshops, something you can't do these days. All gone. 28/04/2017 |
| Miscellania 13 | NBN. Not so sure it's all as planned to be. Seems erratic, slow, and expensive in the sense that I was forced to move to the NBN. The only choice I had was to move to the NBN or if not be, cut off in eighteen months and have nothing. 29/04/2017 |
| Miscellania 14 | You have my number, call me!? It irks me that when someone you talk to promises to call at a certain time and they don't. 29/04/2017 |
| Miscellania 15 | Freedom of speech. Some people don't like it when you don't agree with them. 02/05/2017 |
| Miscellania 16 | I've just moved to a place where I can make my own music. 05/05/2017 |
| Miscellania 17 | At peace. 06/05/2017 |
| Miscellania 18 | Scotch fingers or Lemon tea? 07/05/2017 |
| Miscellania 19 | Bought new strings for my classical guitar. New for me, all of the strings are wound! 10/05/2017 |
| Miscellania 20 | I like it here. 13/05/2017 |
| Miscellania 21 | Updates. 13/05/2017 |
| Miscellania 22 | Paths ... |
| Miscellania 23 | Politics 16/05/2017 |
| Miscellania 24 | Pebbles 17/05/2017 |
| Miscellania 25 | Motorcycles and rain. I was going to go for a ride and then checked the weather bureau. Stayed at home. 20/05/2017 |
| Miscellania 26a | Waiting, possibly forever. Some people will just not return for calls and basically ignore you any ny level even they started the communication. 22/05/2017 |
| Miscellania 27 | Ah! Finally found out why my Taylor was constrained. 22/05/2017 |
| Miscellania 28 | Life's not meant to be easy. 22/04/2017 |
| Miscellania 29 | New things. 25/05/2017 |
| Miscellania 30 | Nice here. 26/05/2017 |
| Miscellania 31 | Showtime? 28/05/2017 |