I got my suitcase packed for the rain
It contains everything and nothing
And no one to blame

The sky is falling
But I can't complain
My yesterdays
Were better than today

The mirror's cracked and there's not enough glue
To repair it and make it anew
I used to see you but now I just see through
The ceiling over the bed we used to view

Bits and pieces of my mind
Roll over the rocks
At the beach in the summertime
I think I had it
But it slipped down the slope
Of a distant place and time
Always yours and never mine

Thinking about moving west
Hide out in the Presidio
Or maybe fly east
To Paris

Once ran through Amsterdam
But not to by pot
To catch my plane to come see you
In 6 where the bombs didn't drop
Cause we gave you away back in the day

The mirror's cracked and there's not enough glue
To repair it and make it anew
I used to see you but now I just see through
The ceiling over the bed we used to view

Bits and pieces of my mind
Roll over the rocks
At the beach in the summertime
I think I had it
But it slipped down the slope
Of a distant place and time
Always yours and never mine

Jimmy was on his way out
And Ronnie funded the war machines
That paid for my Smurfs guitar
Back when I was three
And after these years now
Tell me in God's name how
I made it this far
Or not out of my backyard

Bits and pieces of my mind
Roll over the rocks
At the beach in the summertime
I think I had it
But it slipped down the slope
Of a distant place and time
Always yours and never mine

Wrote this at the open mic tonight:

A Portrait

Ever

If ever

There was a scene I would 

Like to 

Paint

Again 

As if it was an eternal portrait

Immortalize

For all time

What would it be

And who would see it

Would it be something I would share

Just with you

For you and me

Or would it be

Broadcast to all 

For everyone to see

For everyone

To want to be

No it would

Be just for us

Just with you 

For you and me

Activist/Musician Pete Seeger turns 90 on May 3nd.

Rather than write in sentence form I decided to write in verse.

90 90 on May three
Brethren payin' tribute to you from sea to sea
Concerts all around the land
Biggest in Madison Garden NYC
Couldn't get a ticket
To pay tribute Pete
So I did what you did so many times
And write some thoughts on you in rhyme

Grew up in a house
In a suburban land
Your words came through
The hi-fi speakers downstairs
I looked around
But you weren't anywhere!

You see my mother Dorothy
Was kinda a folky
She liked Peter, Paul and Mary and Joan Baez
And she played those records
Over and over again
Where have all the flowers gone was asked
And we shall overcome all this will past
And all those folksingers of that day
Were indebted to you
In an immeasurable way

But there was one that one folky singer
That my mother didn't like
Because of his voice
I heard his songs but not his vocal tone
Until I was in college
And the Dr. Hippie zone
In Dissent in America class he said to me:
"John, you're a singer-songwriter
And you don't listen to Bobby?
Get Freewheelin', 61 and Blonde on Blonde."
And after that I listened to all his songs
But Pete I think we'd all agree
If it wasn't for you
There would have been no Bobby
So thank you, Pete, for giving us
Someone not just for his generation
But for all of us

"I'd cut the cable
If I had an axe"
Famous words at Newport '65
Because you couldn't understand
The words coming from Bob's mouth
So many in the movement
Didn't like the electric guitars
But it's like he said a year before:
"The times, they are-a changin'"

There are many stories and thoughts
I could share about you
But I will only mention two:
Student teachin' at Norristown High
First lesson at 8 AM the day
The towers fell
And all the dust
Enveloped us
Whether or not we lived in Manhattan

Each one of us
To graduate
Had to have a final unit
Mine was called The American Mosaic
It was about music
We listened to songs like John Brown's Body
Only a Pawn
And We Shall Overcome
But the teacher man didn't like it none
But Dr. Kopa musta taken him aside
And said "Mike you offered
To do student teaching this time
So work it out."

He rearranged his curriculum
He wasn't pleased at all
No doubt from anyone
So for the end project
We did The March on Washington!
We did posters and presentations
Of all the people and musicians there
And I still have some of them
Somewhere
We also watched videos of the day
I was there with you in spirit
And for all of those who heard it
People like you who worked so hard
Gave your blood sweet tears and song
Made it possible for me to stand
In that same spot
January 20 of this year
I was there where Dr. King's Dream became clear

Progress doesn't come easy
Progress doesn't come free
But thanks to people like you, Pete Seeger
We have had and have
People who lead

A dissenter
An activist
A musician
A national treasure

Happy 90th birthday
Pete Seeger

http://globalpundit.org/2009/04/28/editorial-spect...

A short op-ed piece I wrote regarding my Senator Arlen Specter's decision to join the Democratic Party. Please comment.

http://globalpundit.org/2009/01/16/eyewitness-to-h...

This is the first of a three-part series of articles based on my experience as a volunteer with the Obama campaign. This part covers the primary. Forthcoming pieces will be my summer experience as an Organizing Fellow and the third will be my experience as an intern with the Pennsylvania Campaign For Change.

Hey everyone,

I am now selling SIDE ONE and THE BELLE SESSIONS combo for $10 without shipping.

You can preview them at http://www.purevolume.com/johnmcmanus

If you are interested, drop me a line. I am going to set up a Pay Pal button for this soon and money orders will also be accepted.

Happy Holidays.

Hi friends,

Happy holidays.

Tis that time of year
To spread good cheer
So you better
Or else
Santa will bring you coal
And that would kinda suck
Wouldn't it??

BIG NEWS: You can hear all of Side One and all of The Belle Sessions at http://www.purevolume.com/johnmcmanus. Drop me a line on here with your thoughts n the CDs. It's always great to hear from you all. It makes me smile like this: :)

Also, I have been writing so so so much. There is a lot of lyrics in my journals---I carry one wherever I go. And it's paying off. I now am the proud owner of a full-size Yamaha digital piano and I love it. So far, I have written three songs on it. Expect to hear some demos soon. I can do it at home now. So please keep in touch OK?

I love love vinyl. I don't even buy CDs anymore. Records just sound better. You should all get a record player and check it out.

That is all for now...Hope this blog finds you all well.

I want somebody to share
Share the rest of my life
Share my innermost thoughts
Know my intimate details
Someone wholl stand by my side
And give me support
And in return
Shell get my support
She will listen to me
When I want to speak
About the world we live in
And life in general
Though my views may be wrong
They may even be perverted
Shell hear me out
And wont easily be converted
To my way of thinking
In fact shell often disagree
But at the end of it all
She will understand me
Aaaahhhhh....

I want somebody who cares
For me passionately
With every thought and
With every breath
Someone wholl help me see things
In a different light
All the things I detest
I will almost like
I dont want to be tied
To anyones strings
Im carefully trying to steer clear of
Those things
But when Im asleep
I want somebody
Who will put their arms around me
And kiss me tenderly
Though things like this
Make me sick
In a case like this
Ill get away with it
Aaaahhhhh....

"For Sara"
November 30, 2008

Verse One:

I always dreamt I'd have an art school girlfriend
Dreamin' in my mind
She'd have brown eyes and short brown hair
And smiling all the time

And she would take my picture
And bring it in for show and tell
Didn't see it coming
But I fell

Chorus One:

Sara
Sara
I want to make you mine
Me and Sara
That would suit me fine
I'm not asking you to fall in love
Or be my valentine
But Sara
I want to make you mine

Verse Two:

She's got beautiful eyes and a smile
That could charm a dictator
And she starts talking to you
You're warped into another world

We met over a cigarette
At Chris' Jazz Cafe
Something
Made her want to stay

Chorus TwoL

Sara
Sara
I want to make you mine
Me and Sara
That would suit me fine
I'm not asking you to fall in love
Or be my valentine
But Sara
I want to make you mine

Bridge:

Could it be
That I finally be happy?
Cause I would kiss you all day long
I'd take you down to AKA
And we'd sing a Dylan song

Maybe you could dress me?
Maybe someday I'll undress you?
But that can wait
Just take my hand

Down Chorus:

Sara
Sara
I want to make you mine
Me and Sara
That would suit me fine
I'm not asking you to fall in love
Or be my valentine
But Sara
I want to make you mine

Outro Chorus:

Sara
Sara
I want to make you mine
Me and Sara
That would suit me fine
I'm not asking you to fall in love
Or be my valentine
But Sara
I want to make you mine

Can I be yours?
Can I be yours?
Can I be yours?
Can I be yours?

I wrote this for a dear friend that is going through a hard time. It's for anyone out there that can't see the light, can't see what they have to offer and take things out on themselves that they should not. It's for anyone that needs a friend that believes in them.

Calm down
And I'll show you
What it feels like

Calm down
And you'll see
A new life

You know you can't do it on your own
You know I can't do it on my own

I'm here for you
I'm here for you
And I'm always on call
And I won't let you fall
I'm here for you

And you know
You have to do what's best for you
And I know
You shouldn't take it out on you

You know you can't do it on your own
You know I can't do it on my own

I'm here for you
I'm here for you
I'm always on call
And I'll never let you fall
I'm here for you

I see you now
As you can't see yourself
But every thing's going to be fine
Cause there'll come a day
And you never know when
You'll be smiling again

I'm here for you
I'm here for you
I'm always on call
And I'll never let you fall
I'm here for you