Our Wedding Song

This is a piece that I've been working on for some time now. The current plan is to perform it at my upcoming wedding in July. A demo recording should be following in the not too distant future:

Our Wedding Song
For Justine
Lyrics by John W. Leys, Music by Elijah K Wilbury

E7
Tongue tied and stuttering
A7
Looking for the words to say
E7
To tell how much I love you
D G
Gotta keep from spitting up cliches

E7
You opened a door, shone a light
A7
And made my life complete
E7
No more lonely nights spent
D G
Wandering like a hobo in the street

E7-A7-D

E7
I was a man of constant sorrow
A7
Knowin' nothing but trouble all my days
E7
Now reborn like a flower
D G
Touched by the spring sun rays

E7
I followed my footsteps
A7
Ramblin' down a lost highway
E7
'til your love found me at that truck stop
D G
Finally giving me a reason to stay

E7-A7-D

E7
The prospect, it chilled my soul
A7
Can life really be this way?
E7
All my years on the road
D G
Love was just another way to betray

E7
But you made me a father; gave me a son
A7
Created a new family
E7
The light you shown opened by eyes
D G
Finally allowing me to see

E7
With your love in my heart
A7
And your pillow for my head
E7
There's really nothing left to fear
D G
For the past is truly dead

E7-A7-D

Wedding Song

I just posted my ukulele arrangement of Bob Dylan's 'Wedding Song' to UkerTabs. Check it out:

Wedding Song

Uker Tabs

Al Wood of Uke Hunt has recently created Uker Tabs, a blog where people can sign up to post their own ukulele tabs and chords. Things are off to a great start with a wide variety of songs. I myself have contributed a couple of arrangements. Go check it and and get strummin'!

Singing the Blues

I just posted a couple new Elijah Wilbury songs to my EZFolk page. The first is my version of the St James Infirmary Blues:



The second is an original blues song based on St James, which I call The Lost Love Blues:



The Lost Love Blues
Lyrics by John W. Leys, Music by Elijah K. Wilbury

Intro: Dm-A7-Dm-Gm-A7-

Dm-A7-Dm-A7-Dm

Dm A7 Dm
I went down to the station
Gm A7
Headed for I don't know where
Dm A7 Dm
I saw an old man layin by the dustbin
A7 Dm
With a pain he couldn't help but share

I asked him what the matter was
And what path to this place had led
He looked up with bleary eyes
And these were the words he said:

“I was looking for my lady
In the house where her parents dwelt
Not suspecting what I'd find there
And the hand that I'd been dealt.

Her parents sat on cushionless stools
The mirrors were covered and blind
And no sign there was of my true love
Who in this world I would never again find

Oh my sweet Lord, please bless her
Wherever she may be
I could search the whole world over
And never find one as sweet as she

I rent my shirt o'er my blood-pump
And dropped down to my knees
Asking the Lord of Hosts above me
'Save me if you please!'

It was raining when they buried her
In a plain box five feet long
Six Rabbis were her pallbearers
With Six Cantors to sing her songs

Not a flower colored the garden
Her family tree dressed in black
18 traveled to the graveyard
Only 17 came walking back”

His eyes rent open my breastbone
My soul for his love did cry
To hear of that wicked day
That he saw his future die.

And as he finished his sad story
He drew one last ragged breath
I pray he finds that lost love
Out there on the other side of death.

Outro: Dm-A7-Dm-Gm-A7-Dm-A7-Dm-A7-Dm