Liner Notes

Keep on Dreamin'

This album represents my journey over the course of several years-- from Dallas to Nashville to Orlando and back to Waco.

 

I hope you are encouraged and lifted by these songs-- all straight from my heart.

Nancy Parrish: Keep On Dreamin

 

 Keep On Dreamin'

     “Find yourself a lucky star and keep on dreamin'...
one step at a time, little by little it’ll shine.”

 

     My family has always supported me in my music career.  This song was written for mom.   I entered it in the Mesquite Folk Festival and made the cut to the live performance round.  I brought my friend Wayne Hosford  to play piano,  and I was to play my guitar.  We got up to perform at Poor David’s Pub and the judges said if we both played, that we were a group--and we couldn’t compete.  So, he sat down and I played it on the guitar. I won 2nd place!  (I still like his piano version.)

 

If It Ain’t Love

     “If it ain’t love, don’t waste the feeling, if it ain’t love, leave it behind,
if it ain’t right, there’s gotta be a reason. Some folks have
just one thing on their mind. Honey if it ain’t love, leave it behind.”

 

I was living in Nashville and had played the Blue Bird Cafe at ‘open mic night’.  After that, they asked me back several times.  I needed an uptempo song.  I missed home, and I kept thinking about my dad and this song poured out.

 

Grand Old Man

      “Slow down, hold on, and you’ll find what you’ve been dreaming of...love”

 

I went to a party celebrating my Granddad’s ninety-sixth birthday.  He kept calling it his ‘going away party.’  Family and friends were everywhere-- celebrating on his front porch in McDonough, Georgia.  We partied into the evening -- fireflies were everywhere as we took turns on the swing.

 

Granddaddy had not married until he was in his late 30’s.  I asked him about it.   He said it was worth waiting for.  Then he said, “Slow down and you’ll find what you are looking for.”  I wrote this song on the way home and recorded it in my home studio with friends Leslie Brooks (vocals, guitar)  and Maureen May (vocals, fiddle).

 

Granddaddy  passed away a few years ago, forever to be known by our family as “The Grand Old Man.”  He was indeed.

 

I Never Knew 

     “I always believed in fairy tales and in wishing’ on a lucky star...

I always believed in magic carpet rides  even tho I never got very far...

Now, I believe in you -- you make my dreams come true.

You are my love, you are my knight in shining armor.

Until you, I never knew.”

 

I had written the verses and melody and tag line of a chorus, but couldn’t figure out how to play it on my guitar.  Enter my friend Randy Brown.  He sat down at the piano and helped me put the pieces together.  Together, we created a  chorus to something that had ‘magic man’ in it-- but I rewrote it later because I wanted a more grown-up, adult chorus.

 

* Dallas Does It

"Across the dusty prairie between the shining seas,

a little corner of Texas still belongs to me...

All the friendly faces from all the different places come together in big D--

and that's why Dallas does it, Dallas always does it for me."

 

This song is the first of two songs which I entered into the KLUV Dallas Songwriting Contest in the mid-80’s.  I wrote this one and then, my friends at Luv Studios brought in some great musicians,  and we recorded it.  Votes were cast by listeners, so, the fact that I came in second place-- only to be beat out by a PR firm,  who may or may not have had assistance of paid call center operators, was a huge blessing indeed!

 

The Golden Sun 

     “Step out of the shadows and have a little fun

and celebrate your life out in the golden sun.”

 

I was working at MGM Studios in Florida.  A friend had a script she was working on and wanted me to write a title song.  I had never written Calypso before.  This is it.   I had fun writing this one.

Texas Lullaby

     “Let me sing a Texas lullaby, lay me down beneath a Texas sky.

 Let me sing a Texas lullaby, cause
Texas is the only place where I can truly find the space

to spread my wings and really feel alive.”

 

When I moved to Nashville from Dallas, it was lonely for a while.  Every time I met anyone from Texas, I hugged them. Seriously!  This was my musical  hug for Texas.

 

* All I’ve Ever Needed 

     “All I’ve ever needed was you…all I’ve ever needed was you.”

 

Living in Dallas, working in theatre,  and watching a few ‘soaps’  during the day,   I got hooked on General Hospital.  There was a singer in the cast who wasn't really getting to sing much, but she had a great voice.  She was in love with somebody, but they just couldn’t ‘get it together’.  I wrote this for her character, based on her story line.  Then, I never sent it.  Since it’s a duet, when I played it for a local studio, Glen, the engineer, agreed to sing it with me.   I was thrilled.  (I’d so much rather sing WITH somebody than all by myself!

 

Low Down Soap Opera Blues

     “Who is the father of the baby, why’d the good guy shoot the gun,

which one’s a lady,
how come the bad guys have the fun?”

 

After already confessing to watching ‘soaps’, this song should come as no surprise.  This was fun to perform!  Except--I can’t play mouth trumpet and sing at the same time.

 

Sweet Lady 

     “Sweet Lady of the Harbor, shine your torch so we can see,

spread that light throughout the land,
just as long as you can stand,

break our chains and keep us free.”

 

I wrote this for the 100th Anniversary of the Statue of Liberty.  I sang it for a big market in Dallas and later for the 4th of July Celebration,  “Freedom Frolic,” in Waco.  Accompanied by my niece, saying the Pledge of Allegiance, it is a tribute to freedom and to America.

 

Love Song 

     “I wish my life could be a love song, maybe then I wouldn’t have to sing the blues.
 If my life were just a simple love song, with you beside me, we couldn’t loose.”

 

     Inspired by the Coca Cola song?  Just sayin'.

 

* Sweet City Song 

“I guess I’ve been traveling too long.  I’m beginning to hear that sweet city song...

Dallas is callin' me back home, to the brightest lights

and sweetest smiles I've ever known...”

 

This is the second of my Dallas Song Contest entries-- I actually like this one better.  It was recorded at a friend’s studio in south Dallas. He was a fabulous rock and roll drummer-- branching out into recording.  I think he did a great job. I recorded this version off the radio-- and at the end, you’ll hear the radio announcer.

 

As Long As You Believe

 “As long as there is laughter, as long as there is love.

As long as Santa’s spirit shines in you. 
As long as joy means giving in everything you do,

as long as you believe it’s true.”

 

I wrote this last song as Christmas present for  my mom and my sister.     We grew up asking about Santa, and mom’s answer, always, was: “As long as you believe its true.”  It still is.  The  present for me was that I was able to record my niece, Brook, at age seven, singing the second verse. Until I write an entire album of Christmas songs, I’d like to share it now.

 

 

With the exception of the (*) songs, all recordings were done in my home studio/closet using my Yamaha DX7, guitar, upright piano, drum machine and bass.

 

 

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