First Melodies for Ukulele

First Melodies for Ukulele (PDF) is a gentle, musically-grounded introduction to reading and playing melodies on the ukulele. Each song pairs traditional staff notation with easy-to-follow ukulele tablature, alongside chord indications that invite simple harmony and duet playing from the very beginning. Featuring a familiar collection of folk songs, hymns, and seasonal favorites, this resource is designed for beginners of all ages—supporting solo play, teacher-student duets, or family music-making that grows naturally from melody into harmony.

Contents

• Mary Had a Little Lamb
• Ode to Joy
• Row, Row, Row Your Boat
• Tom Dooley
• Drunken Sailer
• Lavender Blue
• Michael Row the Boat Ashore
• Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
• The Bear Went Over the Mountain
• Buffalo Gals
• Kumbaya
• When the Saints
• The First Noel
• London Bridge 
• Joy to the World
• Silent Night
• Brahm’s Lullaby
• Amazing Grace

96 American Spirituals for Voice & Ukulele

Perfect for families, choirs, music teachers, worship leaders, and anyone who wants to sing faith into daily life.

Free eBook

Get the free eBook with all 96 spirituals, including words, melodies and chords (organized from the simplest songs to more harmonically rich—grow your confidence in playing as you sing). From the famous, to the largely forgotten, these songs resonate deeply with me for their reflection of faith in difficult circumstances, and the hope they inspire. I think it is important to keep the spirit of these songs alive and available to all who are interested in faith and putting trust in God in the midst of oppression.

Bonus: Video Tutorials

Free video tutorials for the first 14 songs—learn by listening and singing along (YouTube playlist).

Included Songs

• Let us Cheer the Weary Traveler
• He’s Got the Whole World 
• Stars Shining
• We are Climbing Jacob’s Ladder
• Sinner Man
• Sit Down Servant
• Palms of Victory
• Good News, the Chariot’s Comin’
• I’m Gonna Sing!
• It’s Me, O Lord
• Little David
• Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen
• Old Ark’s a Moverin’
• Rock-a My Soul
• Stand the Storm
• Standing in the Shoes of John
• Tell All the World, John
• Swing Low, Sweet Chariot
• Calvary
• O Shepherd, Feed My Sheep
• Every Time I Feel the Spirit 
• Keep Me from Sinking Down
• Michael Row
• When the Saints Go Marching In
• Rise, Shine, for the Light is A-Comin’
• Open the Window Noah
• Mary, Don’t You Weep
• Joshua Fought the Battle
• Keep Your Lamps
• No More, My Lord
• The Downward Road
• Tryin’ to Get Home
• Wade in the Water
• You May Bury Me in the East
• A Little Talk With Jesus
• He is King of Kings
• I Want to Be Ready
• Lonesome Valley
• Some of These Days
• Let Me Fly!
• Do Lord Remember Me
• I’ll Fly Away
• Jesus is Risen from the Dead
• Study War No More (Down by the Riverside)
• Go Down, Moses
• Ride On King Jesus
• Angels Watchin’ Over Me
• Anchored in the Lord
• Daniel Saw the Stone
• Trampin’
• When the Train Comes Along
• Shepherd, Shepherd
• Peace Like a River
• His Name’s So Sweet 
• By and Bye 
• Lead Me to the Rock
• The Lord’s Been Here
• There is a Balm in Gilead
• This Train is Bound for Glory
• You’d Better Run
• Get on Board, Little Children
• The Lord is My Shepherd
• Done Made My Vow
• Soon A  Will Be Done
• Deep River
• Tryin’ to Cross the Red Sea
• My Lord, What a Morning
• The Wings of a Dove
• Steal Away to Jesus
• Plenty Good Room
• Who Built the Ark?
• Show Me the Way (Down in the River to Pray)
• One More River
• I’m On My Way
• One Sunday Morning 
• Lord, Make Me More Holy
• Lord, I Want to Be a Christian
• Ain’t That Good News
• All My Trials
• I Believe this is Jesus
• Amazing Grace
• Listen to the Angels Shoutin’
• Give Me Jesus
• Shall We Gather at the River?
• Free at Last
• Were You There?
• Be With Me
• Steal Away and Pray
• De Blin’ Man Stood on de Road an’ Cried
• Wayfaring Stranger
• Lord, Help
• Didn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel?
• Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child
• Didn’t it Rain?
• Never Felt Such Love

Power-Up Ukulele Level 1 Bingo

Made for my students, now available to all.

Free Ukulele Skills Bingo Sheet (PDF)

Build real ukulele skills — one square at a time.

I’ve been wanting to create this resource for a long time, and I’m really glad it’s finally here.

The Power-Up Ukulele Level 1 Bingo Sheet is a simple, encouraging way to track your progress as you learn the core skills every beginner needs. It’s designed to pair directly with the Power-Up Ukulele Level 1 video and to support what we work on in lessons and classes, giving you a clear path forward and something solid to come back to anytime.

Whether you’re brand new, returning after a break, or reinforcing what you’re learning in lessons, my hope is that this helps turn practice into progress — and makes your time with the ukulele feel more confident and enjoyable.

What you’ll work on

Each square represents a foundational skill you’ll actually use:

• C & G7 chords
• F & C7 chords
• First 5 strums (including the Chattanooga strum)
• Two beginner fingerpicking patterns (3241 & 1423)
• C pentatonic scale and an introduction to TAB
• Playing a melody from tablature
• A complete two-chord song that’s easy to memorize

No busywork. No overwhelm. Just the essentials, organized in a way that feels doable.

How to use the bingo sheet

1. Watch the Power-Up Ukulele Level 1 video
2. Practice each skill at your own pace
3. Check off squares as they click
4. Revisit skills anytime you need a refresh

Reward yourself for a bingo, but go for a full blackout. You’ll know exactly what you’ve learned — and what’s coming next.

Who this is for

• Adult beginners who want structure without pressure
• Youth players building confidence
• Current ukulele students who want a reliable reference
• Anyone who wants their practice time to feel clearer and more rewarding

Think of this as your Level 1 home base — something you can return to again and again as your playing grows.

Happy strumming! 🪕
Ryan

Summer Ukulele Youth & Choir Immersion

American Fork, UT

For the first time, this summer I’m bringing together choir and ukulele into a coordinated studio experience. Students may enroll in choir or ukulele on their own, or choose both for the richest, most integrated musical experience — combining vocal and instrumental study in a way that work powerfully side by side.

When students study both voice and ukulele within a coordinated program, skills reinforce one another in powerful ways. Instrumental study strengthens rhythm, harmony, and independent musicianship, while choir develops listening, blend, tuning, and musical expression. Together, these experiences help students become more confident, versatile musicians — able to read music, understand how parts fit together, and engage more deeply with music as a whole, not just a single skill.

Super Early Bird Pricing — Available Through February

Super Early Bird pricing is available now for both summer offerings. Families may choose one program, or combine both for the greatest benefit.

Summer Ukulele Fellowship
https://choirworks.ticketspice.com/summer-ukulele-fellowship

Voices of Light — Summer Choir School
https://choirworks.ticketspice.com/voices-of-light

Sign up by the end of February to lock in the best rate and ensure your child’s place.

Youth Ukulele Beginner Class — Starting in March

For students who are brand new (or just getting started), our Youth Ukulele Beginner Class begins in March. Use code ‘ukuleleplay’ for an exclusive 10% discount for newsletter and website readers at https://timpanogosartsfoundation.ticketspice.com/tyc-ukulele-youth-beginner-class

This class is designed to help young players build skills quickly while keeping the experience fun, social, and confidence-building — and it serves as a great on-ramp to summer study.

PIT OF DESPAIR – Letting Go with Laughter

Sheet music and audio available for download at https://www.patreon.com/posts/pit-of-despair-129617603

PIT OF DESPAIR – Happy Mental Health Awareness Month! 🎗️ Is it wrong to have so much fun singing about the worst experiences of your life? I guess that’s how ‘the blues’ got popular. This song is particularly about letting go of caring too much about all the things you have no control over (i.e. fostering ‘light careless regard’). I’ve been pretty quiet lately regarding mental health issues, partly because at times it feels like people start to treat you like a ticking time-bomb if you’re too vocal about it. Regardless, I’m still filled with a longing to let people know what I’ve discovered in my road to recovery. First of all, if you’re perpetually unhappy (depressed, anxious, etc.), don’t assume that you’re normal and that this is just how everyone feels (some people call this ‘denial’). Secondly, while ‘the pursuit of happiness’ is inherently toxic (so, so toxic), there is much you can do to invite happiness in for a cozy cup of herbal tea (Bengal Spice = Yum). For me this has included:

• Letting go of toxic thought loops and replacing them with messages of trust (for me that is trust in God and Jesus, including prayers filled with gratitude for the wonders of the world and that I can let go of the past thanks to the atonement … you don’t have to keep punishing yourself forever because a former you was foolish).
• Meditation is all about the discipline of the mind. There are many forms, but most of them are about choosing the focus of your thoughts, rather than being swept away by the flood of your thoughts … you can’t always control your thoughts, anymore than you can control the weather, but meditation builds the strength of mind to refocus your mind on gratitude, your breath, lovingkindness, etc.. It has not only benefited me but people I love.
• Drugs for depression, anxiety, and insomnia often overpromise on how helpful they can be. Study after study shows that CBT, meditation, lifestyle, exercise, diet changes, and many other things can be more effective than medication. This is not a call of judgement; if medication is helping you, that is awesome. It just didn’t help me, and the side effects … oh, my (I’m convinced my insomnia medication was the straw that broke the camel’s back).
• Investing time in activities that bring you joy or into a ‘flow’ state. For me this has included joining an excellent choir (Cantorum) to experience musical bliss and bump elbows with people, doing lots of lyric writing, songwriting and composition, investing time in practice (lots of piano this year), and working toward worthy goals whether or not anyone else will care (i.e. recording and releasing songs, entering choral composition competitions, etc.). This also includes spending time in nature with my family (a big, huge love and thanks to my partner in life Dixie).

There’s more than I can impart in a single post, but these are some of the biggest things. My hope and prayer, in the words of a lovingkindness meditation, is ‘may be happy, may you be healthy, may you be filled with love and grace and gratitude and hope.’

Recording PIT OF DESPAIR was so much fun! I pulled my Godin Multi-Uke off the wall, my DigiTech Vocalist Live FX and ZOOM G3 out of mothballs and spent hours diving into finding and crafting patches … for the joy of it. The song is underpinned by my love for The Princess Bride and the band They Might Be Giants. I hope it brings a little joy to your life as it invites you to laugh at the ‘cares of the world.’

If you read this far … please post your favorite Princess Bride quote in the comments. 🙂

Don’t Feed the Vampires – Video

Audio, sheet music, lyrics and notes at https://www.patreon.com/posts/dont-feed-127826483

What are the vampires in your life? Don’t feed them! … Another song born out of my struggles with OCD, invasive thoughts, PTS and depression. The good news being that I’m doing really great right now. Having a near collapse in my life forced me to figure out what was going on in my head, diagnose problems I didn’t know I had, and develop healthy ways of thinking. One of those is not allowing the search for happiness to kill happiness … that’s largely what this song is about for me, but there are plenty of alternative ‘vampires’ out there to ruin your joy (news, doom scrolling, politics, worry, blame-gaming and many more). Whatever your personal life-suckers are, I invite you to take a breath, let them go and deny them the food that keeps them keeping you down.

Beautiful People – Video

Download the sheet music, audio and find the lyrics for BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE at https://www.patreon.com/posts/beautiful-people-127314417 .

Buried Alive from New Lyrics

Don’t you remember that scene?
The one with all the witches
gently persuading Jen
to treat her toys like riches?
No, Bowie wasn’t in that bit,
the crones worked to convince,
and blind the girl with useless baubles,
to forget the infant prince.

But she refused to let some trash
obscure the quest, where they’d connive
to hide it midst the filth and ash
and see poor Jen buried alive.

Buried alive, buried alive
under the baggage of yesternight;
let it all go; let yourself thrive
climbing up into daylight.

Sometimes we’re living in that scene,
surrounded by seducers
whispering softly to us
in subtle, swift maneuvers,
while Bowie sings, as goblin king,
distracting us with sweet,
like honeyed lullabies of sirens,
all to knock us off our feet.

But we refuse to let some trash
obscure the quest. We will revive
and wash off all the filth and ash;
escape the sets of eighty-five.

Buried alive, buried alive
under the baggage of yesternight;
let it all go; let yourself thrive
climbing up into daylight.

#31

Copyright 2025 M. Ryan Taylor
_______

Note: If you haven’t seen the film Labyrinth, starring Jennifer Connelly and David Bowie, then this one may not make a lot of sense. It is a really strange movie, but there are a few scenes that my mind goes back to on occasion. I actually began this lyric with the title Buried Alive, a reference to my struggle with food addictions. How do you write a song about that? The scene involving the ‘Junk Lady’ (she is later joined by others) from Labyrinth came to mind; this scene is not about food, but about burying yourself with attachment to possessions … allowing me to talk to myself about addiction, without actually mentioning food.

Photo: ddzphoto via Pixabay

Follow the Music from New Lyrics

You, and I, and everything
are the dancing echoes of a string;
within this space of sacred sound
all harmonies, when sought, are found
where dissonance can find a way
to grace the melodies we play,
the pepper in the pot to spice
this swirling recipe of life.
Follow the music.

For I am yours and you are mine
and we are ours in the divine;
as moon reflects the light of sun,
we mirror back what makes us one;
the aspect of a greater grace
which shines in every human face;
each one of us to play a part
in that symphonic work of art.
Follow the music.

By singing, playing out our gifts,
with varied rhythms, rhymes and riffs,
our voices blend to make or brake,
through this harmonic give and take;
joy might be ours, and not alone,
when sharing songs that bring us home
to root, to branch, to leaf, to tree;
an everlasting family.
Follow the music.

#29

Copyright 2025 M. Ryan Taylor

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Note: Oh my heck! This one just started with the idea that all matter is made up of strings, aka ‘string theory,’ which though problematic and requiring at least 10 dimensions … is still a beautiful thought. From there, writing this was just not easy. I was trying to come up with a unifying closing stanza to sum up, but it was just so heavy handed I had to axe it. It wasn’t until I did an image search to go with posting the song that I stumbled upon the refrain that now tags the end of each stanza, “Follow the music.”

Photo: Jabber Visuals via Unsplash

Don’t Feed the Vampires … from New Lyrics

Oh no, they don’t just want your blood,
but any life or sign of heart,
and they will latch on in the bud,
desperate for breath, tear it apart,
find out the core and suck it dry,
leave nothing but an empty husk
before it had a chance to fly.
All through the night, and dawn to dusk,
they’re seeking, circling, drawing near
to any ember, flicker bright;
hiding in shadows thick with fear
to leap upon that passing light.

Don’t feed the vampires.
Don’t feed the vampires!
DON’T feed the vampires!!
DON’T FEED THE VAMPIRES!!!

They’re always waiting. Take a care
to practice out your self-defense
before they rush you unaware
and overturn your commonsense
to sack, consume all that is fine;
that frantic hunger will destroy
before it has a chance to shine,
or give you any hint of joy.

Don’t feed the vampires.
Don’t feed the vampires!
DON’T feed the vampires!!
DON’T FEED THE VAMPIRES!!!

#28

Copyright 2025 M. Ryan Taylor

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Note: In the opening chapter of Gratefulness, the Heart of Prayer, Brother David Steindl-Rast talks about three ways we can approach the gifts life has to offer. The first of these is vampiric, where we’re so desperate for joy, or recreating past happiness, that we snuff out the life of anything that might actually bring us joy. This reminds me of an article I read in BYU Magazine some time ago about how the ‘pursuit of happiness’ is really a misguided notion (according to research) … you can do things that foster happiness, but the more you pursue it, the more fleeting it is. I’m certainly guilty of having experienced something incandescently joyful, and in my desperation to feel that again, trying to recreate that moment by doing the same thing again … of course, in trying to duplicate it, my motive has changed and ruined the attempt. So, ‘don’t feed the vampires.’

Photo: Gaelle Marcel via Unsplash

Level 1 Ukulele Skills Bingo

I’ve had a great time so far with our new ukulele youth beginner class (22 students) at the TAF arts center in AF, and yesterday I recorded class for those that couldn’t make it, as well as for review for those that were there live. I thought others might appreciate it as well since we cover all seven Level 1 ukulele skills, including fingerpicking and strumming patterns, first chord pairs, tablature and the C pentatonic scale. I have posted it on my patreon site at https://www.patreon.com/posts/level-1-ukulele-124860634 (you will need to sign up for a free account to view it, or can purchase it without an account). We covered a lot of material in one hour. Hope it’s helpful!

I’d Rather Be … Right Now from New Lyrics for a New Album

I’d rather be … right now,
I’d rather be … right here
than have my head lost in some future
blinded by hopes and forest fear.

I’d rather be … right now,
I’d rather be … with you;
let what may be, both thorn and blossom,
lead me on to the rendezvous.

I’d rather be … right now, right here, my dear
than famously arrayed,
pinned up to be displayed,
bring me into your shade.
I’d rather take … what we have got,
even if it’s not a lot;
whether sailing smooth or rough,
always ‘with you’ is enough.
I’d rather be … right now.

We don’t need no more;
no taking names, no keeping score.
Time doesn’t need a guide;
just let this moment ride.

I’d rather be … right now, right here, my dear
than worried ’bout a win;
obsessed with where I’ve been.
My yang just needs your yin.
I’d rather take … what we have got,
even if it’s not a lot;
whether sailing smooth or rough,
always ‘with you’ is enough.
I’d rather be … right now.

#27

Copyright 2025 M. Ryan Taylor
_______

Note: While I think it is good to be loosely mindful of goals, hopes and plans for the future … it is so easy to get caught up obsessing on these ‘dreams’ or lost in the past, and lose the moment we are in. I’m trying to stay grounded in the wonders of what ‘right now’ has to offer. So much of my struggle with depression in the past can be traced back to this tendency to pine or obsess … what I can do now is tend the seeds I’ve planted, remaining unattached to the outcomes, grateful for what this moment has to offer. Only one of the fig cuttings I took last Fall is thriving out of about 30. I had no control over that … I did my best to keep them watered, but still, most of them leafed only to wither and die. So much of what I do in life feels like that; why be miserable over what I can’t control. Instead, I can celebrate the one fig cutting that is leafy green and cheery and be cheery with it.

Photo: Alex Alvarez via Unsplash

Crickets from New Lyrics for a New Album

It’s not that I don’t care if you don’t listen,
I’d love to see you hear me and reply,
but audience or not, I’m sharing what I’ve got
to write and sing, it is my thing …
I know I am ‘that guy.’

I cannot help but be what God has made me,
resisting it, I’m left alone to cry.
I may as well dive in a new song and begin
to weave the words, sing for the birds,
this moment vivify.

1 2 3 4 … the song that no one’s waiting for.
5 6 7 8 … map out a dance to captivate;
dress up the tune, shoot for the moon
and hold on to your tickets
for the gentle, peaceful, lulling sound of crickets.

Chirrup up up, chirrup up up …
the gentle, peaceful, lulling sound …
of crickets.

#25
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Copyright 2025 M. Ryan Taylor

Note: I was hesitant to share this one, but here it is anyway. Now for the sound of crickets. 🙂

Photo: Julius Jansson via Unsplash

Hush-Hush Bathtub Gin from New Lyrics for a New Album

Seems like it would be nice,
just a dalliance once or twice,
but if I flirt with you, ignore what’s proven true,
and sample your sweet vice …

I will fall in, headfirst and drowning.
Your hush-hush bathtub gin can only leave me frowning.
There is no ‘sip or two’ when I am under you;
it might just seem like fun, until I come undone.

No such thing as just one.
Slam me like a megaton;
every time I let your kiss give me a shock of bliss
it’s a bloody ‘hit and run.’

Then I fall in, headfirst and drowning.
Your hush-hush bathtub gin has only left me frowning.
There is no ‘sip or two’ when I am under you;
it might just seem like fun, until I come undone.

So let’s call it day.
I don’t really want to play.
I know you’ll try again to sway me now and then;
it’s in your DNA.

I won’t fall in, headfirst and drowning.
Your hush-hush bathtub gin has only left me frowning.
There is no ‘sip or two’ – I’m finally over you;
remind myself each day, ‘there’s so much more in play’ …
So, forget it.

#24

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Copyright 2025 M. Ryan Taylor

Note: I purposefully left this ambiguous to allow folk to apply it to whatever addictive influence they want to break free from … whether it be an actual person, doom-scrolling on social, some kind of substance abuse (from pills to chocolate brownies to jalapeño cheese puffs), or a self-abusive thought process. Gave me a chance to write a ‘break-up’ song.

Photo: Lisa Zins via Flickr

Troubadour – In Memoriam

If death is the end
and life’s a sad joke,
where nothing’s waiting round the bend
and everything goes up in smoke,
no free will and no meaning, friend,
no choice but ‘roll, and go for broke,’
it doesn’t matter how we spend
our days, there’s nothing to transcend.

But if death is a door,
and life is a gift;
the music has an underscore
of joy that ANYTHING exists.
Between the now and evermore
we’re not alone, we’re not adrift.
So sing out like a troubadour,
‘With all that is, there’s surely more.’

To choose between these voices
proves you have the gift of choices.
In turning in, or turning out,
in choosing faith, or choosing doubt.
We all are blessed and all are free
to ‘find ourselves’ in unity,
where ‘all for one and one for all,’
a chorus of both great and small,
sing ‘there is no final curtain call.’

Death is a door,
and life is a gift;
our living has an underscore
of joy that ANYTHING exists.
Between the now and evermore
we’re not alone, we’re not adrift.
So sing out like a troubadour,
‘With all that is, there’s surely more.’

#23
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Copyright 2025 M. Ryan Taylor

Note: In memory of David Sargent, a man whose belief in me shifted the course of my life; I’m pretty sure he was the moving force that got me accepted into the masters program in composition at BYU. He was a kind mentor to me over the course of my time there and was always ready with a warm greeting, a pun, a joke, a thoughtful anecdote, or a bit of life story. He felt deeply, but maintained a smile. I’m grateful to have known him and look forward to hearing his new music when I pass through the door to where he is now.

Photo: Alexander Grey via Unsplash

My Life is a Prayer from New Lyrics for a New Album

When I keep myself open to joyful surprise
and cheerfully notice the rose-scented air,
accepting with grace both hellos and goodbyes …
My life is a prayer.

When I let myself thrive, instead of just cope,
when I speak out my thanks and not my despair,
when I let go of grudges and hold on to hope …
My life is a prayer.

When faith guides my footsteps, not merely beliefs,
and I offer my chipped, broken heart for repair
when I’m trusting my Jesus to heal all my griefs …
My life is a prayer.

My life is a prayer when I lay down my care,
and accepting his gifts, all the fog gently lifts,
and I now clearly see what this grace means to me,
and all I’m free to dare … My life is a prayer.

Come let him heal your heart.
Come let your life start …

#23
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Copyright 2025 M. Ryan Taylor

Note: This one is heavily influenced by a book I’m now re-reading the third time: Gratefulness, the Heart of Prayer by Brother David Steindl-Rast … though it is a difficult read at times, it is just so, so good … highly recommended.

Photo: Diana Simumpande via Unsplash

Doxology from New Lyrics for a New Album

“Praise God from whom all blessings flow,”
from contrabass to piccolo,
from ocean wave to mountain stream,
the beggars with the seraphim,
“Hosanna,” shout, “He will redeem,
and prove the tyrant’s overthrow.”

“Praise Him, all creatures here below,”
from shining dove to blackest crow,
the humble ant, majestic stag,
mankind from under every flag
will bend the knee, yet justly brag,
“Where Christ has gone, I too can go!”

“Praise Him above, ye heavenly host,”
descending to the uttermost,
the Christ, the Least, Servant of all
broke error’s chain, reversed the fall,
invites to share His golden hall.
Let every creature, coast to coast,
“Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.”

#22
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Copyright 2025 M. Ryan Taylor

Note: I woke up this morning and the famous ‘doxology’ hymn popped into my mind, and I thought to start with the first line and write something new to go with it … this expanded to each of the verses beginning with the next line from the original and wrapping up with the last line as a coda to the last verse. I had to look up the word ‘doxology’ and “A doxology is a short hymn that praises God.” It stems from the Greek word doxa which means glory. So, a study in glory.

Photo: Andrea Zanenga via Unsplash

When I See the Way You Smile from New Lyrics for a New Album

When I see the way you smile, dear heart,
together here and all alone,
those emerald eyes transport me to the start,
when you first were mine, I was your own.

When I see the way you smile, my friend,
that look you save for only me,
I want to walk you down the aisle again;
when my ties to you became my liberty.

What if you had never challenged me that day?
Never boldly called me out?
I might be nothing but a wannabe in play;
still parched and thirsting through a lover’s drought.

When I see the way you smile, dear heart,
together here and all alone,
those emerald eyes transport me to the start,
when you first were mine, I was your own.

#21
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Copyright 2025 M. Ryan Taylor

Note: For Dixie.

Photo: Laura Ockel via Unsplash

Honeycomb from New Lyrics for a New Album

I’d rather be a dolphin than a shark.
I’d rather swim with family
than circle in the dark.
We’d hunt and play beneath the waves
and leap into the air.
We’d watch with half a brain while sleeping
and laugh without a care.

I’d rather be a flying honey bee
than live a ground-bound ant-life
in a lightless colony.
We’d gather pollen, flower by flower
then pilot back to home,
transform the clover, seal it up
in waxy honeycomb.

I’d rather float with Lyra as a star
than wander, moon-like,
lonely through the darkness near and far.
We’d sing and shine our lights
on all the people down below.
We’d guide and cheer the sailors
as they’re sailing to and fro.

The truth be told, and all the same,
it’s time to just leave off this game,
and celebrate what is so true:
with all compares to ‘me and you’ …
So, bear, or bee, or star, or tree;
unitedly we are most free.
I’d rather take whatever comes,
as long as we’re both in the sums.

#20
_______

Copyright 2025 M. Ryan Taylor

Note: This song started when walking to school with Taavi we started making up our own ‘Would you rather …” questions. I brought up sharks and dolphins – by looks, they’re so very similar, but socially they’re very different animals. When I was young and pretty socially isolated, the thought of being a mountain main, alone in the wilderness, was pretty romantic to me. Now, however, after 24 years with Dixie, I find it hard to imaging a happy life being a ‘lone wolf’ (or shark or bear). Happy Valentines Day!

Photo: Meggyn Pomerleau via Unsplash

Let Jesus In from New Lyrics for a New Album

He’s come through fasting forty days (let Jesus in),
Rebuffing all the dark one’s ways (let Jesus in).
Through wedding feast, water to wine (let Jesus in),
He is the root, the one true vine (let Jesus in).
Inviting both his foe and friend (let Jesus in),
He knocks and knocks unto the end (let Jesus in),
For though he trod the press alone (let Jesus in),
Within our hearts he’d make a home (let Jesus in).

Let him in, let him in, does not matter where you’ve been,
He can bind each broken heart, give your life a brand new start.
Let him in, let him in, let his healing hand begin;
All your error wash away … let his joy be yours today.

He heals the sick, the blind now see (let Jesus in),
He breaks the the chain to make you free (let Jesus in)
From death and hell to walk the way (let Jesus in),
You daughters and you sons of day (let Jesus in).
Through pains that only he could bear (let Jesus in),
He’s brought a crown for you to wear (let Jesus in),
Sandals of peace to shod your feet (let Jesus in),
Open the door, your Savior greet (let Jesus in).

Let him in, let him in, does not matter where you’ve been,
He can bind the broken heart, give your life a brand new start.
Let him in, let him in, let his healing hand begin;
All your error wash away … let his joy be yours today.
_______

Copyright 2025 M. Ryan Taylor

#19

Note: This is in the tradition of old ‘call and response’ spirituals and will be set in that style with a soloist calling out declarations which are answered by the choir: “Let Jesus in.” I had originally hoped to add more details of the things Jesus walked through to get to us from his life and teachings, but it took a slightly different turn. Mostly written during ‘Stake Conference’ yesterday (a bi-yearly, 2-hour, multi-congregational meeting of a combined number of ‘wards’ that make up a ‘Stake of Zion’). After singing with the choir, I came down to sit with my family and just started with the thought ‘Let him in.’ The word ‘let’ has been a big deal to me lately; the whole idea of letting things happen naturally, rather than grunting and pushing your way through life … there are times when concerted effort is necessary, but for much of life we can calmly set things up and let things happen. Letting the Savior do his work in us can be at times one of those things. I believe, like a doctor making a house call, he’s just waiting for us to let him do his work, we just have to open the door and let him in.

Still and Still Moving from New Lyrics for a New Album

How can I be still, all the same be still moving?
Content with my life, and intent on improving?
How can I belong, and yet keep my heart free?
Be found full of hope where no promise may be?

To be lost in love, yet in loving be found …
To bend in the storm while I’m standing my ground …
To offer my all while accepting the way …
To let go, release, as they cry ‘Seize the day!’

Still and still moving, still and still moving …
each moment entangled with infinity;
this time and this place filled with infinite space;
the hummus of earth sprouting divinity.

Let faith warm itself by uncertainty’s cold.
While careful of moments, my hours grow more bold.
I’ll temper my strengths to compassion and find
the child in me sees where my knowledge is blind.

To be lost in love, yet in loving be found …
To bend in the storm while I’m standing my ground …
To offer my all while accepting the way …
To let go, release, as they cry ‘Seize the day!’

Still and still moving, still and still moving …
each moment entangled with infinity;
this time and this place filled with infinite space;
the hummus of earth sprouting divinity.

#18
_______

Copyright 2025 M. Ryan Taylor

Note: Inspired by a quote from T.S. Eliot, I really wanted to write on the paradoxes I’ve been forced to confront in crawling out of the pit of despair over the last two years. This one was difficult as a writing exercise; I used my eraser a lot, rewriting each stanza multiple times. I finished the last 4-lines last night (‘Let faith …’). Sometimes it surprises me how much time it takes when I get started on one of these sections … an hour disappeared before I knew it.

Photo: Suzi Kim via Unsplash

New Day from New Lyrics for a New Album

NEW DAY
I’m sorry if my writing’s messy,
I just got up on New Year’s morn;
My head is full of foggy notions,
Hazy hope of dreams reborn.

My hand is shaky, somehow separate,
Slow down, or you’ll just cross it out,
It’s time to flow into attention
on every letter I want to shout:

New year, new day, I’m walking out of grey;
See the colors shine: this moment is mine.
New walk, new way; my heart just wants to play
In your beauty divine, in your sun and your shine.
New day …

The words are sometimes stuck in honey;
Just pull them out and lick them clean.
We’ll line them down, pin up to dry,
then dress them bright in colors keen …

So, when the rows of royal, crimson,
Saffron mingle in a trance,
We can beat the drum and watch
The rhythm call them to the dance.

New year, new day, I’m dancing out of grey;
See the colors shine: this moment is mine.
New walk, new way; my heart just wants to play
In your beauty divine, in your sun and your shine.
New day …

Will you? Won’t you? Will you? Won’t you?
Come and join the dance.
Will you? Won’t you? Will you? Won’t you?
Come and join the dance.

New year, new day, I’m gliding out of grey;
See the colors shine: this moment is mine.
New walk, new way; my heart just wants to play
In your beauty divine, in your sun and your shine.
New day …

_______

Copyright 2025 M. Ryan Taylor

Note: The Alice in Wonderland reference just popped into my head when I was wrapping up the lyric and it seemed appropriate as a bridge between repeats of the chorus. See the “Lobster Quadrille” if you’re curious about that source.

January 1, 2025: At least 5 minutes a day working on original lyrics for songs; if I do more, that’s great, but 5 minutes is ‘the goal’ for 2025. Obviously, there’s a lot more in my life than that, with little hopes and projects that come and go and daily commitments and obligations, but this is an area I’ve been thinking about for some time, and I’d rather write lyrics than do a traditional journal (I feel so self-conscious when I journal, but lose myself more often in lyricising). So, this morning …

Photo: Joshua Earle via Unsplash

Hello Anxiety from New Lyrics for a New Album

Hello Anxiety,
I think we’ve chatted before,
When you reminded me of broken wings,
unfinished things, the silent sings I’d rather just ignore.

So sit down, rest your weary feet;
I know you’ve been pacing up and down my street.
Take the the time to settle in
and let me shut the door.

I’ll hold you …
Embrace you …
I’ll cradle all your fears, your hopes and all your tears.
I’ll wait here …
Right by you …
Breathe in and out together and watch the stormy weather.

Bless you, Anxiety, you are that part of me
always watching for the sky to fall.
My dear Anxiety, my restless busy bee,
let down your guard a bit and listen to the call:

We’re safe here, we have enough,
and God will guide us through the smooth and rough.
We’re safe here, we have enough,
and God will guide us through the smooth and rough.
_______

Copyright 2025 M. Ryan Taylor

Note: This was a 2-day lyric, worked through on January 2nd & 3rd. I will have to see how it sets to music before deciding where and if any of the text will repeat, though there are stanzas that suggest that they might be verses, pre-chorus, chorus and coda.

Photo: Mitch via Unsplash

Pit of Despair from New Lyrics for a New Album

Somewhere, there’s a Pit of Despair
with the cares of the world gathered round:
Grim-faced, while you’re being displaced,
all their whispers are pulling you down, down, down …

Cast down to the Pit of Despair,
give in to your care,
they’ve hidden the stair.
Whether you plead soft or shout,
you’ll find no way out
while the fog of your doubt
clouds the stifling air.

There’s nothing funny when you’re stuck down in that dark,
lower than an eighteen-foot giraffe,
But when you float on up with light, careless regard,
those hollow-hearted things might make you laugh.

Somewhere, there’s a Pit of Despair
where the cares of the world like to play.
I’ve found when I count them as clowns
they all quietly fade, fade away.

Float up my friend, from the Pit of Despair;
untethered you dare to fly through the air.
Freely you whisper or shout,
and singing it out, you find your new route
out of the Pit of Despair.
_______

Copyright 2025 M. Ryan Taylor

Note: For a musical setting, you might imagine something from They Might Be Giants … satirical and upbeat … because if you can’t laugh, or at least poke fun, at despair, you haven’t really gotten over it.

I started this lyric a few days ago, but then needed a break from it, as I hadn’t any ideas of where to go with the second half until this morning. The thought of a giraffe in the pit, as a way to measure how deep it was, helped me to turn the lyric in the direction I was hoping it would go (hopeful as opposed to resigned). Something that has been a hard shift in attitude for me, but absolutely necessary to my journey, has been to ‘care less’ about things. The spiritual concept of becoming unattached to ideas, stories about how things should be, or outcomes I have no control over … this was really a tough one for me. But, there’s big hope and trust available to us when we care less about little hopes.

Photo: Gary Meulemans via Unsplash

Dirigible from New Lyrics for a New Album

When thoughts loop through my brain,
as reckless as a runaway train,
crushing all my happiness and hope;
I leap off of the tracks,
remind myself to stick to the facts
by singing back a smiling little joke:

I’m thinking that I’m thinking that I’m thinking that I’m thinking
that I’m thinking that I’m thinking that I’m …

When dreams with nightmares blend
and swirling writhe without an end
I stumble through the fog, longing to see …
There is a thought, like rope,
to firmly hold, that helps me cope
and leads me back to bright reality:

I’m thinking that I’m dreaming that I’m thinking that I’m dreaming
that I’m thinking that I’m dreaming that I’m …

Thoughts are just thoughts.
Dreams are just dreams.
Break up these looping pathways;
Redirect these little streams.

When navigating here,
it’s hard to step around this fear.
Changing up perspective you will find
a pathway clear and free,
dirigible-like levity
to float above the minefield of the mind.

I’m thinking that I’m floating and I’m seeing that I’m thinking
far above, perceiving forest for the trees …
And when I come to ground
I’m thinking I will soon be found
praising the God who surely lifts us from our knees.

I’m thinking that I’m floating and I’m seeing that I’m thinking
far above, perceiving forest for the trees …
_______

Copyright 2025 M. Ryan Taylor

Note: You would think that writing about these techniques that have helped me so much with mental and spiritual health would be easy now that I’m in such a better space, but … honestly probing the things that caused me to need these meditations, prayers, and mindfulness practices, well … its tough, especially in the middle of the lyric when I examine all the darkness, before I get to the light, the solutions and the resolutions. I just hope someone else finds these thoughts helpful if they’re struggling. Its been a journey.