Beyond Words

Introducing “Beyond Words” my first solo album in 40 years.

While I have played as part of other bands, contributed arrangements or songs, been a co-writer as a member of other groups or artists, this is my first foray into my own compositions.

I chose an instrumental album at the encouragement of my wife, Tonya, simply because of the volume of snippets and rough outlines on my voice memos. In the next few weeks I will describe what inspired the title of each piece and how it speaks to me. Most of them flowed from a session of just relaxing with my instrument—thus the more quiet sound. Each song came about as a result of how I felt at the time.

Below is a my site where there are links to iTunes, YouTube, and other music downloading websites:

https://jonathanvarnell.my.canva.site

Jonny’s Proverbs #25

The wise refuse to impose conclusions on the facts, preferring to let the facts speak for themselves.

Jonny’s Proverbs #24

If life were a race, it would either be a track with hurdles or a mountain marathon.

Jonny’s Proverbs #23

One who has great wealth but no wisdom remains impoverished; one who has great knowledge without wisdom remains ignorant.

Jonny’s Proverbs

Behind the song: “Wide Awake and Dreaming”

Lyric:

Wide Awake and Dreaming

Will you whisper my name
when you’re wide awake and dreaming
of things worth believing
or just the joy of living?
If you open your heart,
will you tell me of
your longing for
something true
a love that stays by you?

An open heart
and kindred soul…

If you open yourself
to my deepest dreams and passions,
what shines through
will be my love for you
Will you search through the maze
of who we are
and what is true
and something more
that love we’re living for?

An open heart
and kindred soul…

(c)1998 Jonathan Varnell

My nephew, girlfriend and I on a lark decided to hit the beach one night.  I can’t remember what time it was when we chose to do this but it must have been early evening around five or six.  Since we were in Portland, OR, it meant an hour and a half from where we were at the time.

A few miles out of Seaside her car broke down.  Fortunately, I had my cellphone with me.  Unfortunately, I couldn’t get service at all.  We must have waited about forty-five minutes or there abouts before a guy came by to give us a lift into town.  After arranging for a tow truck we got a two bed hotel and ordered a roll away for my nephew.

As we went to sleep, my girlfriend asked to hold my hand while she fell asleep, so I reached across the space and held it.  I didn’t fall asleep for quite a while and neither did my nephew.  For a time everything was quiet and then she started whispering my name in her sleep–at least, I think she was asleep, I don’t know.  I looked at my nephew and asked in whisper if he heard it too and he nodded.

All of it was bit surreal, to be honest, and I’m a skeptic.  So when I told her about it the next day she claimed not to remember it.  But the idea of her whispering my name in such an open, innocent manner stuck with me when I got back to Portland.  For some reason I put on the capo and began to play these chords the words began to roll out.

Later I played it for her and she got all quiet.  I recorded it as part of a song contest thing and for my own recollection.  She and I parted ways not to long after but not the song.  It stuck with me as a wistful desire for love and romance–to matter this much that a quiet whisper would have the power of a shout.

One of These Two Things

Nothing has to be,
it’s said.
For to force a love, a choice, a heart,
from its given path
is to bury what is living with the dead

There is no force on earth
we know
that can change what is black
to white and back again
or in an instant overthrow

A desire held both deep
and strong
suppressed by fear, held down by what
some call love
will not be restrained for long

One of these two things
eventually dies:
the fear which holds us down
or the soul we fill
with lies.

(c)2014 Jonathan Varnell

Jonny’s Proverbs #22

If there is still a point of uncertainty, there remains a debate.

Jonny’s Proverbs #21

Methodology is secondary to results, though the ends don’t always justify the means.

Creating a song

Creating the Song

I stepped outside to sit on a bench my sister-in-law put out there next to her garden and this just popped out.  It’s raw and the recording happens within 20 minutes of the composition…