The Songs One by One
About a third of the song pages are still incomplete. Each of them currently includes a chord chart (a text document showing the lyrics and chords) and a lead sheet (a musical score showing the lyrics, chords, and vocal melody). You’re welcome to read these online or download them for personal use.
Each finished song page also includes a recording of the song, an audio track of its melody as it sounds on a virtual piano, or both. If you listen to the recording or melody track while reading the lyrics and (optionally) playing the chords, you should be able to learn the song.
Please note, however, that the chord progressions used in the recordings aren’t always the same as those shown on the charts and lead sheets.
Audio tracks on the song pages are indicated as follows:
- An asterisk (*) = a melody track.
- A dagger (†) = a professional studio recording.
- A double dagger (‡) = a simple demo recording.
I
Songs for My Beloved
Meadowlark*†
Let the Love in Your Heart Shine*†
Mama, Let Me Be Your Loving Man†
Over and Over Again†
In a Prairie Schooner*
I Will Be Your Lover
Starla*
II
Hymns to Nature
On a Mountain High*
Something to Wonder Upon*‡
Lily of the Highlands*†
III
Songs for Children
The Mountains Will Abide*†
The Stowaway Astronaut‡
Babes Will Be Born*
IV
Political Songs
The Workers’ Chorus*
The Gathering Storm*
No One Is Illegal*
History Lessons
Dollars and Doughnuts
A Woman’s World*‡
Not a Terrorist*
Yellowcake*
Soldiers of W
The Emperor’s New Skin
Ode to the National-Security State
Planetary Democracy
Cordillera*†
V
Gospel Songs
The Book of Vice and Virtue
The Lord’s Prayer*
Butterfly
VI
Songs about Imaginary Lovers
Rosalie†
Jack of Diamonds†
I Gave You My Heart
Sweet Marie‡
Love’s Epitaph*‡
Come Sit by the Window
The Willow and the Pear
VII
Novelty Songs and a Dance Tune
That Certain Someone*
A Generic Love Song
Suzy Q*
Santa Claus Town*‡
My Love Is Gender Neutral
Animal Shows*†
Tangerine*
Everybody’s Dancing
VIII
First-Person Ballads
Strait of Georgia*†
A Plain Old Song*†
The Saskatchewan Shuffle*‡
Rocky Mountain Rambler*
𝄞
- Chord changes in these songs always come on the downbeat.
- However, when a song has a syncopated rhythm, the syllable on which the chord change falls will often begin an eighth or sixteenth note ahead of the downbeat. Wherever possible, I’ve tried to indicate this in the chart by placing the chord name above the second letter of the syllable.
- Occasionally, the chord name appears above the third or fourth letter. This indicates that the syllable begins more than an eighth note before the chord change.
- In either case, for the precise timing of chord changes, you may refer to the lead sheet.
- The lead sheet is also the place to look if you aren’t sure how to play any of the chords.
- The PDF viewer used on the song pages may not work on every device. If you can’t see a chord chart or lead sheet, you can open it in a new window by clicking the link beneath the viewer.