This is a video of me, performing my original song "Daylight Wasted Time" at the 2012 Leonard Cohen Event in Madison, Wisconsin.
I'm going south for the winter
To sit out in the sun
And think about my home
And all the things I've left undone
The warm air and the breeze
Help me pretend I'm doing fine
Try not to look down at my watch
During Daylight Wasted Time
Because somewhere there are people
Who play the most important part
Of deciding when we'll sit and stand
And when the clock will stop and start
They print up the new calendars
But they won't get their hands on mine
I'm keeping it to myself
Now I'm on Daylight Wasted Time
I got lost on my way to work
When the traffic slowed me down
I pulled off the road to find a map
I didn't recognize the town
I thought I'd join the common man
I was parked by the bus line
But off peak service doesn't come this way
On Daylight Wasted Time
I tried to fall forward
Or should I have sprung back
I'm always so confused
Leaning this way, turning like that
I proclaim my love for you
In a voice that's blatantly sublime
My words don't make too much sense
On Daylight Wasted Time
I read that purity of spirit
Was for sale at a special price
They say that it's first come first serve
But let me give you some advice
The salesman's on commission
Won't post his profit on the sign
And every dime that he pulls in is gravy
On Daylight Wasted Time
I've grown tightly into my new skin
But no matter what I do
It doesn't seem to fit too well
It would look better wrapped on you
Maybe then I'd be more comfortable
Watching us in an odd design
Made of eyes and hands and hopes and fears
Hearts and songs and time
I respect those who see things differently
Especially when they think well of me
I'm not preaching to the converted
When I kneel where you can't see
And if I had to I'd do it all again
But I'll skip it if you don't mind
The alarm's got a pleasant quiet ring
When you're living on Daylight Wasted Time
The Story Behind The Song
I believe that it was January 2010 when we were finishing the recording for my album "Stumbling Towards Happiness" when I had this vision that the album needed one more song. It needed to be epic, I saw a big song with seven verses and soaring voices. But not only did I not have a song, I didn't even have a title, and recording was virtually done so it was not to be.
A few months later it was a Sunday morning and the beginning of Daylight Savings Time. I was feeling especially sour with myself and when the alarm went off I thought to myself "forget Daylight Savings Time, lately it feels like it's been Daylight Wasted Time".
A couple of hours later I was at church, choir rehearsal and just finished and I was listening to our pastor, Scott, talking to people about the mission trip to New Orleans that some folks were going to make. I immediately knew that Daylight Wasted Time was the seven-verse song I had been feeling; I went back in the choir room with a pen and paper and in a couple of minutes I had the first two verses sketched out, pretty much like you see them here. The rest of the song took me about a week I think.
Performing at the Madison Leonard Cohen Event was one of the great privileges and highlights of my performing career. I did mainly Leonard Cohen songs, and added two of my own, "Daylight Wasted Time" and "Church Street". Sharing my original songs with an audience of Leonard Cohen fans was among my most self-conscious and nerve wracking times of my life, so I worked that into my schtick that I said at the start of the performance. My favorite part of the video is hearing the laughter as I'm doing my routine.
I'm going south for the winter
To sit out in the sun
And think about my home
And all the things I've left undone
The warm air and the breeze
Help me pretend I'm doing fine
Try not to look down at my watch
During Daylight Wasted Time
Because somewhere there are people
Who play the most important part
Of deciding when we'll sit and stand
And when the clock will stop and start
They print up the new calendars
But they won't get their hands on mine
I'm keeping it to myself
Now I'm on Daylight Wasted Time
I got lost on my way to work
When the traffic slowed me down
I pulled off the road to find a map
I didn't recognize the town
I thought I'd join the common man
I was parked by the bus line
But off peak service doesn't come this way
On Daylight Wasted Time
I tried to fall forward
Or should I have sprung back
I'm always so confused
Leaning this way, turning like that
I proclaim my love for you
In a voice that's blatantly sublime
My words don't make too much sense
On Daylight Wasted Time
I read that purity of spirit
Was for sale at a special price
They say that it's first come first serve
But let me give you some advice
The salesman's on commission
Won't post his profit on the sign
And every dime that he pulls in is gravy
On Daylight Wasted Time
I've grown tightly into my new skin
But no matter what I do
It doesn't seem to fit too well
It would look better wrapped on you
Maybe then I'd be more comfortable
Watching us in an odd design
Made of eyes and hands and hopes and fears
Hearts and songs and time
I respect those who see things differently
Especially when they think well of me
I'm not preaching to the converted
When I kneel where you can't see
And if I had to I'd do it all again
But I'll skip it if you don't mind
The alarm's got a pleasant quiet ring
When you're living on Daylight Wasted Time
The Story Behind The Song
I believe that it was January 2010 when we were finishing the recording for my album "Stumbling Towards Happiness" when I had this vision that the album needed one more song. It needed to be epic, I saw a big song with seven verses and soaring voices. But not only did I not have a song, I didn't even have a title, and recording was virtually done so it was not to be.
A few months later it was a Sunday morning and the beginning of Daylight Savings Time. I was feeling especially sour with myself and when the alarm went off I thought to myself "forget Daylight Savings Time, lately it feels like it's been Daylight Wasted Time".
A couple of hours later I was at church, choir rehearsal and just finished and I was listening to our pastor, Scott, talking to people about the mission trip to New Orleans that some folks were going to make. I immediately knew that Daylight Wasted Time was the seven-verse song I had been feeling; I went back in the choir room with a pen and paper and in a couple of minutes I had the first two verses sketched out, pretty much like you see them here. The rest of the song took me about a week I think.
Performing at the Madison Leonard Cohen Event was one of the great privileges and highlights of my performing career. I did mainly Leonard Cohen songs, and added two of my own, "Daylight Wasted Time" and "Church Street". Sharing my original songs with an audience of Leonard Cohen fans was among my most self-conscious and nerve wracking times of my life, so I worked that into my schtick that I said at the start of the performance. My favorite part of the video is hearing the laughter as I'm doing my routine.