Saturday Sonata XIV: Broken Place

LT here, with Saturday Sonata XIV.

Today a little music from that other guy from New Jersey, John Gorka. I love the intro on his Web site:

Whatever brought you here I thank you for stopping by. I check into the site every now and then but most of my time and energy goes into making music in the non-virtual world. That means a lot of traveling, coming up with new songs, recalling or learning old songs and making new recordings. I hope that you will find something here that’s worth your time and I hope to provide more fresh content than I’ve managed in the past.

All the best,
John Gork

One of the real ones. Here's "Broken Place," a sad, slow, quiet, depressing, warm song:

Expand the post +/-

From that beautiful broken place, that well of endless sorrow
Forever and a day, sing like there’s no tomorrow

That beautiful broken place that gave you a curtained freedom
Your bane and your saving grace, you showed them you did not need them

That beautiful broken place, sweet curse of disenchantment
Spanish without a trace, accent on hope abandoned

That beautiful broken place you could not outshine the twilight
Your demons were not outpaced, they still scratch away at the good nights

That beautiful broken place, the fuel to the early fires
Burned down a whole damn place, no greater than your desires

…That well of endless sorrow
Forever and a day, sing like there’s no tomorrow
Sing like there’s no tomorrow
Sing like there’s no tomorrow
Sing like there’s no…no beautiful broken place

John does Woody Guthrie:



John talks about making songs, and plays one:



These are the lyrics to John Gorka's "Stranger With Your Hair":

I saw a stranger with your hair
Tried to make her give it back
So I could send it off to you
Maybe Federal Express
'Cause I know you'd miss it
I saw another with your eyes

The flash just turned my head
I went to try them on for size
But they looked the other way
And they wouldn't listen

Chorus: But you're never hard to find in a crowd
The people around you smiling out loud
Their feet don't touch the ground
No, their feet don't touch the ground
No, their feet don't touch the ground

I heard a stranger with your voice
It took me by surprise
Again I found it wasn't you
Just an angel in disguise
In for a visit

By the way how is my heart
I haven't seen it since you left
I'm almost sure it followed you
Could you sometime send it back
I'll buy the ticket

(Chorus)
I saw a stranger with your hair
I saw another with your eyes
I heard an angel with your voice
By the way how is my heart
By the way how is my heart

The following is not John Gorka. I don't even know who these people are. I put them here only because they're singing the song lyric'd above. It's the only version I could find. And though the person handling camera duties found it too pressing, apparently, to turn the camera on before the song began, it is nevertheless a wonderful version of the song. And they're singing in church - so you know they're being very sincere. Please enjoy it, and have a wonderfully depressing day here in this broken place.