1. |
Morning Walk
05:43
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2. |
5 Haikus
03:20
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riff*
Sit Tua Pek Kong
Fmaj7 Ebmaj7 F Gm
Birds, locusts and stray dogs sing
Cm F D7
But my heart’s crying
C Dm
Lucky Jim forgot
C Dm
How he loved my old string bag
Em Dm Am
The bag remembers him
A1 A2 D/B
Hebai Wuchang frown
Am7 D Em
Why you leave this nice place?
G A Bm
For cold and sadness
Em A7
The dogs want to fight
Em A7 E7
But heat laid their bodies low
A3 G Em
They bite me in dreams
Am Em
A Haiku has three
Am Em Am Em
Lines but it always comes out
Am Em Am Em
Wrong - I’m so stupid
TJD 23/9/21
riff: xxxx88 - xxxx78 - xxxx68 - xxxx58
A1: x0x78x
A2: x0x56x
D/B x2023x
A3 x0x45x
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3. |
Lucky Jim
03:48
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Lucky Jim
Am9 Am7 G Am
The monkeys say ‘Stay’, but my heart says ‘Go’
Dm G Am
Leave this island with its roots deep in my soul
Am9 Am7 G Am
And the stray cats, the laurels, the lizards and the birds
Dm G Am
Beg me not to return to that far cold shore
Dm C Dm E7
Lucky Jim’s at the temple, burrowing in my bag
Am E7
‘Take me with you’ he pleads with soft purrs
F C E7
Even the waves below me on the sand
Am E7 F G E7
Seem to say ‘Don’t leave us’, this land is yours
When the black clouds rise and sweep in from the sea
They say ‘Just excuse us’ shed their load and pass on by
Penang needs the rain, and the sun and the skies
More than it needs me and my bitter sighs
The sultans in their grand colonial istanas
Say ‘Your time is done, you’re not wanted you can leave’
We’ve taken what we need and feast on your ruin
While the hawkers and trishaw drivers grieve
And I shall grieve for this imperfect land
With its elements, its sounds and its smells
And the kindness of friends, and humour of strangers
Its love that has cast me into its spell
TJD
26/8/21
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4. |
Sundown
02:50
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Sundown
E2 A E F#m
There’s a couple on the beach looking for diamonds
B A E
Paddling knee-high in the gentle waves
The shadows are long from the Indian almonds
The last half an hour before the soft light fades
Dm C G
This evening the Strait is like an endless ocean
Dm A7
The haze hides all sight of the hills the other side
Dm C G A7
A soft kind breeze cools my skin, my emotions
G A Dm C A7
And the high pale clouds watch the day slowly die
Dogs are barking, scooters growling
As the surf breaks on the shore below
Children are playing, joggers are panting
I see Fauziah walking to where I don’t know
I’ve eaten my satay and bak kut teh
Washed down with tea hot and sweet from the shop
Crows are cawing, the ceiling fan stirs the air
I’m alone but content as the sun drops
TJD
28/7/21
E2: 0x445x - 0x444x
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5. |
Laksa Corner
02:56
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Laksa Corner
E G#m A G#m
I need to absorb every moment at this place
A G#m F#m
To last me long months in the Northern frost:
E G#m A G#m
The Strait caressing the sands;
A G#m F#m
The smell of prawns, coffee and tide;
D A F#m G
The sound of the breeze in the ancient almond trees
D A Em G
And children’s laughter, the crows and a radio
G#m C#m G#m C#m
Playing Malay songs
G#m C#m G#m C#m
and chitter-chatter.
D C#m Bm A
Nasi goreng, kopi-c and a cheap cigarette
A D C#7
Are all the victuals my body needs.
D A Bm F#m
And the smiles of the ladies with rusty English
C#m F#m C#m Bm
In hajibs and masks and long black dresses
The cafe appears unsteady as an old drunk sailor
Collapsed among the rocks and roots of trees;
But in its imperfection lies its beauty
And attracts me more than a luxury tower
I don’t need to leave but I know I must
Face the nightmare of travel to a cold grey grave
But in this moment I’m already in heaven
C#m F#m A C#7
And will sleep here at peace in my dreams
TJD
18/9/21
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6. |
Dusk
02:40
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Dusk
E Bm A E
There’s a tanker in the Strait, I wonder where it’s going
F#m Bm A C#7
Malacca, Bombay or Singapore
D A E F#m
And I’m wondering where my life is going
Bm F#m E F#m
The madhouse, the poorhouse, flotsam on the shore
(Riff) A7 Dm
The clouds are like marble, Italian colours
A7 Dm F C
Their edges tinged with the dying rays of the sun
C#7
But blue becomes grey and pink becomes purple
D A G F#m
As the ship sails away and the Penang day is done
Street lights get brighter, as the call to prayer sounds
The crows and dogs begin their dusk lament
Mosquitos awake, declare it’s opening time
Late walkers leave the beach, crabs and lizards content
Now the sky is darker than the deep deep sea…deep deep sea
My lights draw all the winged beasts from the air
The fan stirs the air, the smoke from my cigarette
I sit here alone, listen to the waves in my chair
TJD
10/8/21
Riff: E B C# D E DC# B
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7. |
Penang to Winchester
04:26
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Penang to Winchester
D/B C#/B C/B Em
Wake at 4, a shower and red LD
Fmaj7 G Am
in 10 minutes I'm packed all set to go
G D Em Bm
But King Kong's not due until six thirty
Em Bm Em D
So I'm fretting, checking lists and so
Em
anxious even valium can't shut me down.
A7 Em
Playing chess, gazing at the news and the sea,
G A B7
praying my higher power will see me home
Em D C D Em
Because Hampshire's the place I want to be
To the airport, the very first to arrive
with only one guard and the halls all bare
dragging my luggage like I've a battery drive
Panicking over a form. hoping I'll be there
at the front of the queue when check-in opens
I smile at a Japanese couple behind me.
When Scoot check my ticket I'm in a state of suspense
But offer gratitude when the boarding pass I see
At Changi we're marched like a school parade
from Terminal 1 to the transit station
Twelve hours with nothing to do but wait
But I'm happy and chatting, full of elation
that little can stop my final departure
I can smoke and eat from a vending machine.
On the plane the staff feed me with nectar
I don't need any movies and sink into a dream
At Heathrow I'm full of anticipation
and worries about delays and quarantine
But in 5 minutes I'm sailing through immigration
And Wessex Cars are there to greet me like a queen
We chat about cricket and Inzamum Al Huq
and the petrol crisis all that's wrong in Britain
In an hour I'm at my door, so glad to be back
Drinking coffee, in a foam bath sitting
TJD 14/10/21
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8. |
6 Haikus
04:48
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Six Haiku
Dm7 Dm6 Dm5 Dm
Meet at Tom's deli
Gm Am7 Dm7 Am7
Old men with twinkling young eyes
Bb C Dm
Expecting the worst
Em G Am Em
Up on cold high Downs
F Am
Barbed wire distant rifle shots
Em G Am
Echoes of the war
Am
Chapel, morning prayers
E7
Last gasp of a dying faith
C G F Dm Am
Before the abyss
B/D G
Knight to Queen's rook three
C G
Hippopotamus defence
Dm Em Am
White scorns, but loses
Em Dm Em Dm
Playing Corelli
Em C Em Bm
Two violins and piano
C D Em
And no mandolins
F G Am
Goodbye dear Penang
Dm E7
I weep for your wonton mee
Am D E7
But not your rulers
TJD 24/11/21
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9. |
5 xmas haikus
04:20
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5 Xmas Haikus
E
Xmas Eve at twelve
E Bm
The organ plays so sweetly
A7 G A Bm A D
But our ears wear masks
E7 C/A [0767xx, x0555xx]
Let me love my God
Dm7 E7
With all my heart and body
Fmaj7 G Am
Thank-you for this life
A7 Dm
The choir stream past me
A7 Dm F A7
Mendelssohn to lift my soul
Em D x4
I am not worthy
Am - G x4
Rain, rain and more rain
Em/A [x0545x]
Mist around the cold lamp-posts
F#m/A Em/A Bm [x0767x]
The moon is soaking
G Em Am D
We pull cheap crackers
G Em Am D
Trinkets fall into the food
B7 B Em Am Em
En route to dustbin
TJD 27/12/21
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10. |
Island Haikus
04:18
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Island Haikus
The tide in full ebb
past the old Needles rocks
Carries off our tears
The Buddha is gone
From my father's lonely grave
As we are gone too
Seagulls follow us
Swoop and taunt and eye our food
We steal their beauty
The Solent is calm
Sun sets on a rippled sea
As the March light fades
Shingle Bank rises
Falls again as the sea floods
Tomorrow the same
TJD 21/3/22
1: x0769x - 0x547x - 0x543x - x0542x - 0x543x - x0765x - Em
2: D9 Am7 Em Am7 C G Dm7
3: xx0675 Em x0545x F#m A Em Bm
4: x0x67x x0x65x Em A Bm F#m Bm F#m
5:xxx030 x3202x xxx030 x3202x xx0533 xx0532 Gm D7 Gm
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11. |
April Haikus
04:41
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April Haikus
My amazing life
Blessed with love and fractured dreams
It's a long story
Bathe as soft dusk falls
Badedas coffee and crossword
Richer than Elon
Easter messages
Preaching more hypocrisy
Rwanda welcomes
I sit with Otto
In the alley in the rain
Smoking wet roll-ups
Lounge jazz on my phone
The girl singing 'I don't care'
Soothes more than Voltaire
TJD 17/4/22
1: x764xx x664xx x424xx 4x24xx x046xx x464xx x02xxx E D A
2: A D F#m B C#m D - A C#7
3:E A x0x07x x0x05x Bm
4: xx0330 Dm G Dm C - Dm C -Dm E7
5: xx076x xx055x Asus4 A 0xx033 A F - Dm7 x057xx x056xx
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12. |
3 Tankas
03:28
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3 Tankas
A9 Dm7
The world has gone mad
Em Am
Now they want us dead and gone
C G B7
Plague, war and famine,
C G D C
But where is the last horseman?
Em D B7
Oh, there he is now, Hi There!
Am7 D
My clothes lie askew
Am E7
Cigarette ash in the bath,
F C G F
Tiptoes become steps,
D7
Full volume is allowed now,
Em Am Em
The evil spirit is gone
E9 D
I miss my island
A Bm
The sound of soft waves at night,
D/A D
And the call to prayer,
Em D F Am
Mixed with Chinese temple bells,
Em Am Em Am
And the smell of Bak Kut Teh
TJD 23/5/22
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13. |
More Haikus
04:06
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More Haikus
Robin flirts with me
More choosy than the pigeon
That eats anything
The goldfinch hops up
He cares no0t for Dutch Masters
The art school loves him
The pox is on us
Monkeys will be put to death
And we will follow
It's Jubilee week
Bunting and Cliff Richard
Oldies will get smashed
Miles away waves lap
On the Tanjung Bungah shore
Calling me "Return!"
TJD 1/6/22
1. Am Em, B Em, F B7
2. Bm F#m, Em C, G F Em
3. A/D G/D, E7 Am, Dm7 Em Am
4. Bb F Bb A7 Dm C
5. F Am Dm C, Dm Em/D F/D Em/D, E D A
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14. |
June Haikus
04:32
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6 June Haikus
Sit in the green Close
The Inner is more peaceful
Outer more sinful
White poplars rustle
Falcons screech on the lead roof
People talk nonsense
My Raleigh my steed
Stronger than my clapped out legs
And more beautiful
Pigeons full of hope
Hold no ill will towards me
Empty beaked they leave
Tom the tramp creeps by me
White skin black from smoke and tar
I wish I could help
Cycle on flat bliss
Uphill is like cruel torture
Downhill is scary
TJD
!0/6/22
1. Em C G Am, F C Dm Em, Am Em Am
2. Bm/D A/D G/D Dmaj7, edcbcb Cmaj7, Fmaj7 Emin7 Am7
3. 5540xx 3100xx x2120x Em, C G B7
4. Em C, D C, Em Bm Em Am
5. x0x03x x0x02x, 0x40xx x042xx xx021x Bm, F#m Bm A Bm
6. D Am, Em A, D Am B7
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15. |
More June Haikus
04:16
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More June Haikus
The East is calling
I'm flying to Singapore
Transit to Penang
Today it's 30
Summer crammed into one day
More rain tomorrow
Hazel brings the ball
But she never lets it go
This is not a game
Gentleman Jack, hung
in 1724
Still lives, in quizzes
Today I'm cleaning
Spick and span before boss comes
I'm back in hiding
TJD 17/6/22
1. A-E D, A-E D, Em Bm Em
2. Dm Am, C G, Dm Bb Dm
3. xxx100 x2xx00 x2xx4x x4xx00 A Cm Gm Cm x3x33x
4. (X0555x xx0432) x2 Em G Am B7, Dm7 G X0555x xx0432
5. (Em G Am B) x2, C D Em
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Toby Darling Penang, Malaysia
Amateur enthusiast.
Feel free to do anything you want with these tracks, I am not interested in making money from music.
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