Trini Christmas Cake

©Paul Gallagher Dec. 11, 2017/Rev Dec 7-19/Rv Dec 25, 2020

 

Half moon - in de sky

Near zero - North ‘a 49

 

Trini Christmas - on my mind

Trini Christmas - on my mind

 

(CH-1)

I wanna piece - a Christmas Cake

Trini Cake .... Black Christmas Cake

I know it took so long to make....

Cake so heavy - give me backache

Trini Cake .... Black Christmas Cake

 

(CH-2)

Rum id up, Spice id up, Love id up... non stop

Is de season to celebrate, 

Celebrate wid parang

Dancing an singing, 

Cooking an cleaning 

‘till we can’t stand

 

(CH-3)

No warm id up, 

Let’s start id up 

Wid rum an puncha créme

I wanna piece a Christmas Cake......

Trini Cake ......Black Christmas Cake

============================

(Verse A-1) 

Fin-a-lly, jet make touch down; 

Cra-zy taxi ride, into town

To Auntie Asha and Uncle Edwin; 

Already, Christmas lights – 

All around.........

(V-2) 

Palm trees soca in de breeze

Parang from back yard, 

And parang from de beach….

No one can fall asleep.

(V-3) 

Christmas time; time to fresh up,

New brushes, rollers an cans ‘o’ paint 

Uncle an Aunty ready to jump

Hang new curtains dat Auntie Asha make up

We gonna decorate.

=========================

(CH-1)

I wanna piece - a Christmas Cake

Trini Cake .... Black Christmas Cake

I know it took so long to make....

Cake so heavy - give me backache

Trini Cake .... Black Christmas Cake

 

(CH-2)

Rum id up, Spice id up, Love id up... non stop

Is de season to celebrate, 

Celebrate wid parang

Dancing an singing, 

Cooking an cleaning 

‘till we can’t stand

 

(CH-3)

No warm id up, 

Let’s start id up 

Wid rum an puncha créme

I wanna piece a Christmas Cake......

Trini Cake ......Black Christmas Cake

 =======================

(Verse B-1) 

Early morning, new stove come in

One by one cousins in de kitchen 

Assembly line, hand over hand, 

Cloves, sweet meat and cornmeal 

Making pastelles ........

(V-2) 

Me and Uncle Edwin start to clean 

Font yard an de porch

Friends lean over de fence 

Like parrots, to watch……

(V-3) 

Out come de wine 

An out come de rum

Out come de cuatro, bottle an spoons

Looks like de cleaning

Won’t be done too soon.

====================

Part II

(CH-1)

I wanna piece - a Christmas Cake

Trini Cake .... Black Christmas Cake

I know it took so long to make....

Cake so heavy - give me backache

Trini Cake .... Black Christmas Cake

 

(CH-2)

Rum id up, Spice id up, Love id up... non stop

Is de season to celebrate, 

Celebrate wid parang

Dancing an singing, 

Cooking an cleaning 

‘till we can’t stand

 

(CH-3)

No warm id up, 

Let’s start id up 

Wid rum an puncha créme

I wanna piece a Christmas Cake......

Trini Cake ......Black Christmas Cake

=========================

(Verse C-1) 

6 PM an Christmas lights

Shining so bright

Christmas stockings, 

Hang de palm tree... 

Not too high…..

(V-2) 

Auntie Asha still in de kitchen 

an floors do shine

Sky so dark 

All de stars a special light….

(V-3) 

Dog bark announcing 

Parr-an-dero 

Get ready for de chak chak, guitars an toc toc

Come de kitchen, parang all night long.... 

‘Til all de ham is gone………

(V-4) 

Call de neighbours... roti an rum......

Dancing and laughing and sing-along

It’s Christmas time, Christmas time, 

Limin, limin all night long

It’s Christmas time, Christmas time, 

Limin, limin all night long

 ======================

I wanna piece - a Christmas Cake

Trini Cake .... Black Christmas Cake

I wanna piece - a Christmas Cake

I know it took so long to make....

Cake so heavy - give me backache

Trini Cake .... Black Christmas Cake

Rum id up, Spice id up, Love id up... non stop

Is de season to celebrate, 

Celebrate wid parang

Dancing an singing, 

Cooking an cleaning 

‘till we can’t stand

 

No warm id up, 

Let’s start id up 

Wid rum an puncha créme

I wanna piece a Christmas Cake......

Trini Cake ......Black Christmas Cake

A conversatin with someone who is sad; why do you cry?

There was a challenge to write to the title “Why Do You Cry”. I resisted for a long time as I didn’t like the title. I worked on how to make a positive out of it. I came across a song by Jake Hiebert (Your Heart Belongs to You) that capsulated what I was thinking about. I took musical inspiration from Miles Davis (album Kind of Blue ) and early ’70’s Herbie Hancock syncopation and voicing. 

Why Do You Cry? (Paul Gallagher

SOCAN/ASCAP (IPI-377678792‬)

Intro:

Why do you cry

Come here babe

I see you’re upside down          

Dry your eyes on my shoulder

Go ahead and let it out

Vs 1:

Why do you cry babe……

Is it about the best friend 

You’ve known since you were eleven

Returning calls never come…and

A ghost into the desert

Lost the thread

You shared so much

Now she’s turned it down to off   

Are you missing the thick and buzzy talk talk?

Pre-Chorus:

Yeah, it’s tough

It won’t last forever

Let’s take a breath

You’re more than enough

Chorus:

Why do you cry, babe…

Whispers inside the head…

Are clouds rolling by..  

You answer only to you

Deep down you know

What is true

 

Vs 2:

Why do you cry babe……

Is it about your big brother 

Even though he’s two years younger

Your rock forever until he’s not

Cold shoulder girl

Hollow for his space

Something erased

Do you miss the hand on your shoulder

And hearing the words “It’s OK”

Pre-Ch

Chorus

Vs 3:

Why do you cry…….

Is it the unglued talk we had the other night

Yeah, we agree it was more of a fight

It was careless

We could have done better, yes

Expectations aside…

We’re two wheels on this bike…

Let’s try one more time

Now I’ll be quiet…

Outro:

Whispers inside the head…

Are clouds rolling by..

You answer only to you

Deep down you know 

What is true

Why do you cry babe

Talk to me…

Now I’ll be quiet  

You are more than enough…

Whispers inside the head…

Are clouds rolling by..

You answer only to you

Deep down you know 

What is true

I Shout it Out Loud

At a community open mic called The Bridge, we were challenged to write s song about learning. Have no idea where the idea to take on the Millennial age group as the protagonist came from and I researched what is going on in that world. Here is what I came up with.

VS

Don’t block the driveway

Don’t you park here

Nowhere to go now

There’s a hydrant over there

(It’s a dogs life) 

VS 

Where is that streetcar

It’s so late again, 

Look out, that car’s too close

Puddle is splashing

(Dripping wet) 

CH

I shout it out loud 

My face is red 

I shout it out loud 

Frustration I guess 

Or am I dismissed  

I shout it out loud 

What can I change 

What is the lesson here 

What’s the message I’m missing 

I shout it out loud 

I shout it out loud 

I shout it out loud 

VS 

Face Book is happy

They don’t have a care

I’m the one that’s shackled

To the merry-go-round here

(Ya nauseous) 

VS 

I’ll put on the brakes

Talk good to my brain

Snow my own gatekeepers

Move on out with 808

(Make some noise) 

CH

I shout it out loud 

My face is red 

I shout it out loud 

Frustration I guess 

Or am I dismissed  

I shout it out loud 

What can I change 

What is the lesson here 

What’s the message I’m missing 

I shout it out loud 

I shout it out loud 

I shout it out loud 

BR

Don’t want any handout  

Want space to grow 

Be brave you guardians

Unlock the zoo

Big game guardians

Unlock the zoo

What are you afraid of?

OUT

I’ve been locked out      

Give me a chance         

What is the lesson here 

What’s the message I missed                        

I shout it out loud          

I shout it out loud                    

There's a secret deal 

I’m breaking the code 

I own what I know         

I own what I do   

I shout it out loud          

I shout it out loud          

I shout it out loud         

I shout it out loud