Destiny
Released 2014
The variety of musical styles and performances on KJ’s new album are tied together by her singular personality and straight forward lyrics brimming with honesty.
A person often meets his destiny on the road he took to avoid it.
The album Destiny is simply my awakening. Moving away from outmoded ideas, I accepted that life and people are not particularly logical, in fact they are more often illogical. Once I truly accepted that in my heart, the songs wrote themselves. When I thought I was done, one more song emerged with a lyric that wound up summarizing everything else. That song is a Live Bonus track called One Day: Good for you and good for me, what happened next I really didn’t see.
Track List
(click song title to see lyrics)
Look like my brother
He look just like Francis in five years
Watching each other
Pick up the phone make the silence disappear
Do we really want the same things
Love me, love me love all of the time
Do we really want the same things
Tell the same old story one more time
In the middle of the perfect day my mind it starts to wander
And I find myself compelled to say that
We all come form here
That’s not my brother
No one knows me around here
Watching each other
Pick up the phone make the silence disappear
Do we really want the same things
Love me, love me love all of the time
Do we really want the same things
Tell the same old story one more time
In the middle of the perfect day my mind it starts to wander
And I find myself compelled to say that
We all come form here
Do you really hear do you really care do you really know what I mean when I say no
I tell you I don’t think so…
Destiny you just lead me along
Cross a bridge like a bridge in a sad sad song
Destiny don’t lie but I cry for the things I don’t see on my horizon
Destiny what you doing to me
When I feel alone and I think my days are numbered
And I ask myself, is this all I want
Are you calling me
Oh Destiny
I’m twisted up inside
You took me on a detour so long and hard make me want to run and hide
I don’t want you
In my business
I see jokers on the witness stand what is this
Like my father I’ll work harder to be stronger
Than the sorry self that I don’t understand
There’s a master plan
I’ll follow you all the way to China
All the way to China
Destiny take my hand
You’re running much too fast but I’ll keep up
And do the best I can
I live in a box of my own design
I and I alone would be hard pressed to tell you why
Twenty three years and counting, teaching on the front line
I got laid off this summer, my first time on the line
(What am I going to do)
I better pull myself together
Try to live my life more carefully
If by chance I survive the crash n crisis
Hope there is a better life for me
Wish I had someone, that I could blame
and play the blame game
One reckless instant might blow it all
(What am I going to do)
I better pull myself together
Try to live my life more carefully
If by chance I survive the crash n crisis
Hope there is a better life for me
Anelise closed her eyes
Took her hands off of the wheel, tried not to die
When the police finally arrived
They shook their heads and said it’s a wonder she survived
Ann Elise close your eyes
Take your hands of the wheel and try to fly
As your whole life goes flashing by
Spinout on the road and you realize
Well I
I better pull myself together
Try to live my life more carefully
If by chance I do survive the crash n crisis
Hope there’s a better life for me
Ann elise close your eyes
Take your hands off of the wheel and try to fly
When the police finally arrived
They shook their heads said it’s a wonder you survived
I want to live- I don’t want to die
How do you sleep with a hole in your heart
The rain coming in and the cries in the dark
I simply need to know
Do you love
How do you live with scars on your sould
The words and the deeds that you bring to the world
I simply need to know
Do you love
Look at the world
See the harm that you’ve done
I can begin to forgive
If you tell me that you love
Just love
Who takes the strikes in life
Wearing the superman tights
Learning the moon never rises
but falls
Some of the writing is nice
Some of the soul searching showed me the way
A way to follow you
When all the hot pursuit
Has only landed me in harms way
As you wave
The sunlight is blinding
And blind I wander through time
Never in question
Never in doubt
The words on my lips
I can’t quite get out
Your skies were so incredible
The romance of Grand Anse
I fell inside our history that day
As you wave
The sunlight is blinding
And blind I wander through time
Me and my ancestors are not well known
And so the story goes
As you wave
The sunlight is blinding
Girls in the alley were born to sail away
Me and my ancestors are not well known
And so the story goes
If I were to try to tell you the reasons why
I think you’re beautiful, beautiful.
Would you roll your eyes and walk away
And tell me not to say things like that.
So I must ask why,
Under a starry sky,
Don’t you feel beautiful, beautiful
Beautiful as this night, beautiful because
Ageless is beauty that whispers and follows the songs that the heart, like a madman, assembles sometimes
My, once in awhile, my darkness subsides and then I realize
That it is beautiful, beautiful to be by your side while Venus lights the velvet sky
It’s your time of year
So, darling take care, treasure your blue(s), and all that you’re meant to do
And you’ll feel beautiful, so beautiful,
(Modulation) Beautiful as this night, beautiful because
Ageless is beauty that whispers and follows the songs that the heart, like a madman, assembles
Beauty is ageless it’s you she resembles and leaves me believing that beautiful is all that you do.
I am sorry that sorry doesn’t mean much anymore
I am sorry that sorry doesn’t mean much anymore
I am sorry that sorry is what a woman needs to say
Feels like I say it forty times a day
And I am that sorry doesn’t mean much anymore
Woh is mother when the baby does her thing
Go on daddy when the music starts to swing
Ain’t no world for the faint of heart
Guess I knew this from the start
So I’m sorry the hard times seem to pull us apart
Down on the island there’s bar they call the Baz
Down On The Island they call what I do jazz
Sorry so sorry that I can’t pick a lane
Play my solo and forget my pain
And I’m sorry that sorry just won’t stop the rain
[Interlude . . . ]
Love comes tumbling down
And I think about you baby before my feet hit the ground
And there’s nothing I can say to make believe that I’m not blown away
Love comes tumbling down
And I miss the way you look when I’m leaving town
And I told myself before I just can’t stay
Something’s changed
I have changed
Rearranged and my world is not the same
I have changed
Rearranged
My world is not the same…
Love has turned me around
And it comes in stages lost and found
And I thought that I was done but now I see I’ve just begun –
I have changed
Rearranged
And with love
There’s only love to gain
Goodbye my sunny friend it’s just goodbye not the end
Children grow roosters crow I’ll be back again
I hope in the year you get to go to places dear
And I’ll return to see how it’s gone
So goodbye, goodbye my sunny friend
I live so many miles away from where we met
I dreamed in teal and green and to the ocean I went
So goodbye, goodbye my sunny friend
Goodbye…
Look like my brother
He look just like Francis in five years
Watching each other
Pick up the phone make the silence disappear
Do we really want the same things
Love me, love me love all of the time
Do we really want the same things
Tell the same old story one more time
In the middle of the perfect day my mind it starts to wander
And I find myself compelled to say that
We all come form here
That’s not my brother
No one knows me around here
Watching each other
Pick up the phone make the silence disappear
Do we really want the same things
Love me, love me love all of the time
Do we really want the same things
Tell the same old story one more time
In the middle of the perfect day my mind it starts to wander
And I find myself compelled to say that
We all come from here
Do you really hear do you really care do you really know what I mean when I say no
I tell you I don’t think so…
One day I told myself I would
Do everything I thought I should
Good for you and good for me
What happened next I really did not see
One day I bought myself a book
I told myself I ‘d learn to cook
Cook for you and cook for me
What happened next I really did not see.
Little witch come to my lips
Said I should make a go of it
One day I told myself I would
Do everything I thought I should
Good for you and good for me
What happened next I really did not see
One day the rumors were all true
and who’s ashamed to be with who (whom)
Good for you and good for me
What happened is we really don’t agree
Little witch come to my lips said I should make a go of it
One day the rumors were all true
Now who’s ashamed to be with who (whom)
Good for you and good for me
What happened next I really did not see
Little witch come to my lips
Said I must make a go of it
Album Notes
All songs written by KJ Denhert except Do You Love – Nicki Denner, Marissa Dodge.
I Don’t Think So
Written in St. Barthelemy during our annual stay. I saw a guy that looked like friend and guitarist Francis Jacob and another like my brother. I noticed everybody was looking at their phones. We’re all going through something and I thought perhaps we are all hiding behind our devices.
Destiny
About acceptance and intuition. I am following a calling and wind up following my intuition only to realize that’s all you can do.
Try to Fly
Inspired by the story of a friend who had a traumatic accident. I didn’t plan to write a song about it. This lyric came to mind in one complete piece – “Ann Elise, close your eyes, take your hands off of the wheel and try to fly.” I wanted real feelings with a very happy chorus, because it was a joyous relief that that our friend survived.
Do You Love
A song written by the brilliant pianist Nicki Denner, with lyrics by the talented Marissa Dodge. I used to sing it at a weekly trio gig with Nicki and bassist Jennifer Vincent. I love the song’s haunting melody. It’s about world leaders whose decisions impact the lives of so many innocent people. It was the first recorded session for this record.
So The Story Goes
About being reconnected with my family in Grenada. It’s a shame I didn’t get to live in the same country as my grandmother or her eight brothers and sisters who were all musicians. Grande Anse is the name of a beautiful white sand beach in Grenada. Simpson’s Alley was next to my Grandparents home in St. Georges.
Beautiful
Reprised from the Lucky 7 album with a chance for Nicki to stretch out at the end. There are so many people who are uncomfortable with a compliment, especially being called beautiful. This song was written for one such person, but is relevant to all of us struggling to accept our gifts.
Sorry
Talks about the normal day to day frustrations in my life. I heard morning anchor Mika Brezhinski refer to how often women say sorry and wrote a blues song riffing on the word and concept. I am sorry that sorry doesn’t mean that much anymore.
Interlude
Iimprovised at the session. I wanted to go somewhere new musically so I asked Mamadou to play me a riff. I sang the chorus of the Stones Satisfaction in the session but didn’t want to get delayed seeking the rights, so I used the lyrics from Destiny instead.
Love Comes Tumbling Down
An old-fashioned love song. I wanted to write something A.T.N could get into in an old-school, Stevie Wonder kind of way. I called in the background vocalists I knew could make it pop, (Angela Clemmons and Vaneese Thomas) and Aaron Heick really nails the retro feel with his sax.
Goodbye Sunny Friend
I have a good friend on St. Barth that I see once a year on tour. On our final day, I had last day blues and the rooster was crowing next door. I was expected for lunch at her house, but I was late because I was recording this simple riff on my laptop. I played it for the band in the St. Maarten airport and recorded it a few days later.
Bonus Tracks:
I Don’t Think So
A reprise longer version of the song that opens the record. It’s an edgier remix that I like. Ray and Koko rocked it.
One Day
About the best intentions leading to unexpected outcomes. It was recorded live at Martin Cohen’s Congahead studio in the summer of 2013, reuniting us with Koko Jones and John Caban. It has that raw first take recorded energy. The vocal pedal that I won in the John Lennon Songwriting contest gives it that sound.
Musician Credits
KJ Denhert (vocals, guitars, background vocals)
Etienne Stadwyjk (piano & keys )
Mamadou Ba (electric bass )
Aaron Heick (sax)
Ray Levier (drums)
Lionel Cordew (drums ) 2
Adam Klipple (piano & keys) 1,5,11,12
Koko Jones (percussion) 12
Jennifer Vincent (acoustic bass) 4,6
Nicki Denner (piano) 4,6
John Caban (elctric guitar) 12
Special Guests
Tomas Doncker (guitar and background vocals) 2,3
Hal Winer (electric guitar) 7,8
Caitlin Lynch (violin) 10
Production Credits:
Produced by KJ Denhert
Recording Credits:
Recorded & mixed by Hal Winer, Bicoastal Music Studios, Ossining NY.
www.bicoastalmusic.com
Try To Fly Additional programming and arrangement Etienne Stadwyjk
So the Story Goes Recorded by Ray Levier Mixed by Ben Wisch www.benwisch.com
Additional recording Bennet Paster Benny’s Wash and Dry
One Day recorded live and mixed by Javier Raez for Congahead Studios
Mastering:
Steve Vavagiakis Bang Zoom Productions
www.bangzoomonline.com
Photographer:
Stan Tomczak
My heartfelt thanks to the band, the fans, and friends that make my dreams come true.
