Back Story - Credits - Lyrics
I met Aaron through being a member of Taxi. He posted on a Facebook page that he was looking for collaborators here in Albuquerque. I contacted him and we worked on a couple of songs together. I’m lucky to know him and to have worked with him…such an amazing talent. Please check out his website.
Another collaborator on this song is my good friend and collaborator on many songs, Doug Flint who is also playing bass.
Lyrics:
This is one of many songs I wrote with Jim Collins. He would send me lyrics – sometimes a bunch at a time. I’m not sure exactly what year this was written but it was definitely before 1975. I ended up entering the song in a song contest and in order to do so, I needed a recording of it. The band I was in at the time was Flavour. I asked the guys if they would help me make a recording and this version is us performing it live.
Credits:
The members of that band were: John Stanewich (singing lead), Don Guito (guitar), Tony Esperance (bass), Mike Younce (drums) and I’m playing a Vox Continental Baroque.
Lyrics:
I can’t heal the world and make us see our lives
I can’t change the tide with just one word
Bound only by my tasks, perhaps I’m just a man…
With a dream
My drama in life comes from everyday
And it’s the everydays that show what we are
Bound only by my dreams, perhaps I’m just a fool
But I can try
I can go forward with my dream
I can give strength with my hope
I can feel, and give love
I can hope, I can dream
I can go forward
(extra verse not recorded)
I’ve built all my dreams just from searching
I’ve reached throughout my soul just to find
That I’m…bound only by my imagination
Perhaps I’m not alone…so here’s my stand:
The next 4 songs all have the same music (chords and melody line). They’re in order of when the lyrics were written.
This first song was started in July of 1984. We were playing in Alamosa, CO and I was spending the afternoon at a local park reading the Rocky Mountain News. There was an article about Steven Spielberg possibly making a movie about Peter Pan and it was going to be called “Hook”. In my infinite wisdom, I thought he might need a “theme song” and started writing some lyrics…”you might catch me dreaming of a place where I can fly”, etc. I didn’t finish the lyric but I held on to the ideas I had written down.
Fast forward to sometime in 1998 when my niece’s 5 year old son was starting to act in commercials and movies. He got a part in a Steven Spielberg movie, my niece (Tara) told me about it and I immediately thought of the song I had started. Just maybe she could get a demo to someone who could give it to Spielberg and voila, my song is in a major motion picture. (The making of “Hook” had come and gone by then, by the way.)
So I found the ideas, wrote the song over about 3 days, called my friend and great singer, Jennifer, and she came over and sang to my tracks in my garage. Hey, I needed a demo! Well, obviously it wasn’t good enough but I’m glad she put her voice on my tracks because it gave me an opportunity to re-do the tracks and highlight some of the things she sang. So I booked some time at a local recording studio here in Albuquerque, recorded the tracks directly off of my sequencer and she sang the version you hear in this recording.
Long story even longer: as far as I know, Steven Spielberg never heard the song.
Credits:
Words and music and tracks by moi, lead vocal by Jennifer Rico.
Lyrics:
Verse I
You might catch me dreaming
Of a place where I can fly
Imagine the feeling
To be free up in the sky
I’ll see so much clearer
Like I’ve never seen before
So you might see me flying
You might even see me soar!
Verse II
I want to be somewhere
A place I can believe
That everyone from there
Has faith in more than what they see
I know that it’s out there
Not very far from here
So you might catch me hoping
This dream of mine appears
Chorus I
And this world is filled with hope, it’s so much brighter
When it’s seen from my point of view
Come take my hand…we’ll fly off to Never, Never Land
And we’ll find how our dreams can come true
Bridge
All my life, I’ve been
Like a bird without her wings
Now I know, I can fly
I’ve got to let my heart sing:
Chorus II
That this world is filled with hope, and so much wonder
When it’s seen from my point of view
Come take my hand…we’ll get lost in Never, Never Land
Then we’ll know that our dreams will come true
The lyrics to Our Fantasy were written about a year later, maybe two after initially writing and recording Never, Never Land. I came to the realization that Never, Never Land was too specific and not viable for anything but a Peter Pan thing. I was proud of the music and wanted the song to have a chance so I wrote the lyrics again, using some of the same lines but attempting to make it more of a love song.
In the meantime, I had worked with my Mom on a CD of elementary school songs she compiled and I used my daughter (Alexandra) and her friend from the school choir (Shauntel) to record the vocals for that CD. (By the way, the recordings from that CD are on this website here). Shauntel was a budding recording artist so I asked her to sing the lead vocal on this version.
Credits:
Same as before…music, lyrics and tracks are mine. Shauntel Campos is singing the lead.
Lyrics:
Verse I
You might catch me dreaming
Of a place where I’m with you
I can’t help believing
You’re all I need to get me through
I know if you’re with me
We can soar up to the sky
Imagine the feeling
We can spread our wings and fly!
Verse II
I’m dreaming of somewhere
A place I can believe
That everyone from there
Has faith in more than what they see
We’ll see so much clearer
Like we’ve never seen before
So you might see me hoping
That with you my heart will soar
Chorus I
And this world is filled with love, it’s so much brighter
And it’s all because of you
Come fly with me….we’ll get lost in Our Fantasy
Then we’ll know a love like ours can come true
Bridge
All my life, I’ve been
Like a bird without her wings
Now I know, I can fly
I’ve got to let my heart sing:
Chorus II
That this world is filled with hope, and so much wonder
When it’s seen from my point of view
Come fly with me….we’ll get lost in Our Fantasy
Then we’ll know that our dreams can come true
Along came American Idol and their song contest. This is great, I thought. Another shot for my song to be heard and noticed. But I still wasn’t that thrilled with the lyrics. I asked a collaborator if he would help me with the lyrics (we were already writing a couple of other songs together for possible entry into the contest). He agreed and this version is the result. I also changed the arrangement. Instead of both verses being together before the chorus, I stuck the chorus in between the verses.
Credits:
Lance Katz and I fixed up the lyrics, and the music and tracks are still mine. I brought back Jennifer Rico for the lead vocal.
Lyrics:
Verse I
You might catch me dreaming
Of a place where we can fly
Imagine the feeling
All alone, just you and I
We’ll see so much clearer
Like we’ve never seen before
So you might see us flying
Together we can soar
Chorus I
Now my world is filled with love, it’s so much brighter
And it’s all because of you
You are my life! With our love we can Touch the Sky
And I know that our dreams will come true
Verse II
I want to be somewhere
A place we can believe
That everyone from there
Has faith in more than what they see
I know that it’s out there
Not very far from here
So you might catch me hoping
This dream of ours appears
Bridge
All my life, I’ve been
Like a bird without her wings
Now with you, I can fly
I’ve got to let my heart sing:
Chorus II
That my world is filled with hope and so much wonder
And it’s all because of you
You are my life! With our love we can Touch the Sky
Now we know that our dreams will come true
Last version! The new lyrics that became A Perfect World were written because I was a member of Taxi and a notice was sent out that a song similar to Israel Kamakawiwo’ole’s version of Somewhere Over the Rainbow was needed. Basically a ukulele based Hawaiian sounding song. I didn’t know anyone who played the ukulele so I called a friend of mine and his brother said he could play an acoustic guitar and make it sound similar to a ukulele. This version is the result.
Credits:
I went back to some of the same lyrics from before with a twist in the chorus and the chords and melody are the same. Jacob Mondragon is playing guitar and Marianna Herschkorn is singing the lead vocal.
Lyrics:
Verse I
You might catch me dreaming
Of a place where I can fly
Imagine the feeling
Flying free up in the sky
I’ll see so much clearer
Like I’ve never seen before
You might see me flying
You might even see me soar
Chorus I
And our world is filled with hope, it’s so much brighter
When it’s seen from my point of view
Come take my hand…we’ll fly off, we’ll never ever land
Then you’ll see, a perfect world, for me and you
Verse II
I want to be somewhere
A place I can believe
That everyone from there
Has faith in more than what they see
I know that it’s out there
Not very far from here
So you might catch me hoping
This place will soon appear
Bridge
All my life, I’ve been
Like a bird without her wings
Now I know, I can fly
I’ve got to let my heart sing:
Chorus II
That our world is filled with hope, and so much wonder
When it’s seen from my point of view
Come take my hand…we’ll fly off, we’ll never ever land
Then we’ll see, the perfect world, for me and you
You Must Believe was one of three songs Lance Katz and I wrote with the possibility of entering them in the American Idol song contest. The other two were “I Always Knew” and “Touch The Sky”.
Credits:
Lyrics – Lance Katz, Music – me and I recorded the instruments. Singing lead is Jennifer Rico.
Lyrics:
Chorus I
You must believe so dreams will find you
And know your heart to make them true
One leap of faith will bring you closer
To live your dreams, you must believe
Verse I
There’s a long road ahead of you
You can’t go back, you must go on
With all the choices in front of you
You can’t give up, you must be strong
Look inside, you will find your strength
Never hide, you will find your way
And you will see:
Chorus II
When you believe your dreams will find you
Just know your heart so they’ll come true
One leap of faith will bring you closer
It’s up to you, you must believe
Verse II
Along the way, there will be mountains
Only you can make the climb
No matter how you make it over
Your dreams are on the other side
Keep moving on, though it’s dark inside
Soon you’ll see dawn, if you give it time
Then you will see:
Chorus III
If you believe your dreams will find you
They’re in your heart to show the way
One leap of faith has brought you closer
You must believe, if you only believe
To live your dreams, you must believe
This song requires somewhat of a back story.
I met Steve Bringelson in the fall of 1976. We had mutual friends/musicians that we joined up with to form a band. Fast forward to 1979, still going strong and writing lots of original songs. One of many songs that Steve wrote was one that sounded like it could have been written and recorded back in the 1940’s. It could have been a jazz standard back then. This song is “I Take the Heart”.
Years later, I had joined Taxi and was receiving notices for songs needed and this particular notice was asking for a song similar to something Rosemary Clooney might have recorded back when. The song was needed for an NBC soap opera. I asked Steve if I could spruce his song up and record it for this opportunity.
I arranged the instruments and again, called Jennifer to sing on it for me. This is the first version.
Credits:
Music and lyrics by Steve Bringelson, arrangement and additional sprucing up by me and lead vocal by Jennifer Rico.
Lyrics: