Here in Roma the sun is up and I hear the bickering seagulls and the church bells through the windows of the Palazzo Cenci. Was going to post something recorded in the stairwell last night for VOM, but this one's more timely:
I wrote this song 3 years ago for Lauren, before we met. Now we're here in Roma co-teaching an Urban Design studio/History of Rome semester. Lauren's birthday is coming up, and so is mine. Hers is July 14 (Bastille Day), and mine is July 16. The most significant thing that happened on my birthday was the first nuclear device detonation, at Alamagordo, New Mexico.
[[[Have just edited this post to replace the originally-submitted 1.5-year-old recording with a brand new one, done just 6 hours ago. Much more 'of the moment', and much more in the spirit of VOM. I went out to the stairwell of the Palazzo Cenci and recorded the song 1-take, using my $10 pawnshop guitar and my Zoom H2. Also in the lyrics I have replaced the repeated half-verse ending with a new ending.]]]
Lyrics for 'Happy Birthday (Lauren)'
Happy Birthday to you An auspicious day/storming the Bastille All the bells tolled/and all those heads rolled Change was in the works/it was a change to believe in What's a girl to do/wanna make it all come true In the fog-bound city or a cave in the sun Make a wish/blow out the candles one by one
Happy birthday to me An auspicious day/four years ago No bells were tolling/mushroom cloud explosion Alamagordo/from the middle of nowhere a shot heard 'round the world What can I do/wanna make it all come true There's a castle on a hill/I can see it from the middle of nowhere Make a wish on the morning star/make another song for you
What's a girl to do/wanna make it all come true A pilgrimage across the bridge of angels/up the seven hills I make a wish on the morning star/make another song for you
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