Category Archives: Demo

Goodbye Old Friend (2009) – Demo

By Posted in Demo, Goodbye Old Friend, Song, Supersmall, Tired Leave a comment



I wrote this over three years ago and I never got a chance to record it. It became part of my set list and I performed it a bunch of times on various shows around the city. It done okay, nobody loved it, nobody hated it. Last Saturday night I recorded a quick demo of it. My voice is off and I could do a better job overall but I’m trying not to be perfectionist about everything. My main goal is to start writing or recording the stuff I’ve been carrying around in my head for years, half written songs or worse still, completed ones. 


I’m finding it a little harder to balance the day job and doing what I love. I feel that someday I will seize up and grind to a stop like the Q Train at Ditmars. Last Saturday night I drank too much wine trying to find the energy to sit at a computer for a few hours recording numerous tracks only to end up using four of them. I’m glad I got it down though. I’ve regretted in the past losing that melody or chord sequence because I never recorded the tune. I sing into my iPhone like a lunatic whenever it takes me and write in an assortment of notebooks scattered around the apartment for fear of losing ‘the next new thing’. 


I’m tired and you can hear it in the song, at least I can. The song is about a friend who didn’t pursue what he loved and took what I presumed was the easy route. I don’t think I would write this song now to be honest, not after a night like last Saturday.


Good Bye Old Friend – C. Dempsey 2009
Goodbye old friend and ghosts of good times past,
You faded through the years and disappeared at last,
Now you’re a stranger I know every thing about,
Looking for a reason and finding shadows of the past.

Everything is changing,
Everything but you,
When darkness falls inside my heart I go walking back to you.

Na Na Na Na Na

You’re better as a memory, less now as a friend,
I look to where you used to be, these phantom pains won’t end,
Then you go and lose yourself to a safer side of life,
Like a pleasant dream that leaves you in the darkest part of night.

Everything is changing,
Everything but you,
When darkness falls inside my heart I go walking back to you.

Na Na Na Na Na

What we had, was a house of cards,
We built in bars all around this town,
Mother’s ruin, long afternoons,
Hearts confessed, times I won’t forget, no I wont forget at all.

Na Na Na Na Na 


Goodbye Old Friend (2009) – Demo

By Posted in Blog, Demo, E.P., Good Bye Old Friend, New Song Leave a comment

I wrote this a while back and it always stuck in my head as a song that I might be able to use someday. It’s about a specific person I know from home but that’s all I’ll say. I’d like to put it forward as a possible song for the E.P. although I do not think it is strong enough just yet. This is yet another song I wrote when I was discovering American country/folk music.

I spent most of tonight recording layer after layer to build up a song that was pretty basic to begin with. In the end I realized that all I needed was four tracks. Voice, guitar, bass and a little lead. Simple is best.

Good Bye Old Friend – C. Dempsey 2009

Goodbye old friend and ghosts of good times past,
You faded through the years and disappeared at last,
Now you’re a stranger I know every thing about,
Looking for a reason and finding shadows of the past.

Everything is changing,
Everything but you,
When darkness falls inside my heart I go walking back to you.

Na Na Na Na Na

You’re better as a memory, less now as a friend,
I look to where you used to be, these phantom pains won’t end,
Then you go and lose yourself to a safer side of life,
Like a pleasant dream that leaves you in the darkest part of night.

Everything is changing,
Everything but you,
When darkness falls inside my heart I go walking back to you.

Na Na Na Na Na

What we had was a house of cards,
That we built in bars all around this town,
Mother’s ruin, long afternoons,
Hearts confessed, times I won’t forget, no I won’t forget at all.

Na Na Na Na Na

Ward’s Island – Demo

By Posted in Bike, Demo, Music, Songs, Songwriting, Ward's Island 4 Comments

Ward’s Island by C. Dempsey 2009

A few years back I would take my bike on the weekend and cycle to specific areas around New York most people would know little about. I’d take pictures, then write instrumental music a few days later based on my experiences. I done it purely for fun and as a creative experiment. Some songs were good, others were simply weird. This song is my favorite because I find it creepy and eerie every time I play it. Ward’s Island can be this and more even in bright sunshine. For more information on Ward’s Island click on the link below:

Enjoy the music and pictures.



   

Empty Streets – Demo

By Posted in Demo, Empty Streets, Music, Songs, Songwriting Leave a comment
Empty Streets – C. Dempsey 2011

Empty streets we wait,
Crawling up the stairs,
Bottle in my hand,
You know my name,
I can walk home,
Eyes closed and alone.

I can taste the air,
A pebbledash estate,
This is not my home,
Like when I was young,
Ocean barley gold,
Unless,
I’m wrong,
And now,
They flood and fill,
This millionaire’s row.

Rip me like a sheet,
Rake me of large stone,
Hang me out to dry,
Bury me six feet,
I know who’s in control,
unless,
I’m wrong,
And now,
They flood and fill,
This millionaire’s row,
Unless, they flood and fill,
Unless, they flood and fill,
Unless, they flood and fill,
This millionaires row.


Blue Sky (The End) – Demo

By Posted in Blue Sky (The End), Demo, Music, Songwriting Leave a comment

Blue Sky (The End) – C.Dempsey 2010


I can’t wait ‘till it’s over
All blue skies and green fields baby
I’d push it off for a cool breeze
I’ll take my chances on my own.

Here’s where it ends
Just make it quick ‘coz I can’t stand blood nor pain.

If this is a blue sky
Drink to stop thinking
Thinking it’s time to stop
If I could change you
Take you and break you and make into something you’re not.

Here’s where it ends
Just make it quick ‘coz I can’t stand blood nor pain.

Here’s where it ends
Here’s where it ends
Here’s where it ends
Just make it quick ‘coz I can’t stand blood nor pain.


Wherever We Are – Demo

By Posted in Demo, Music, Songs, Songwriting, Wherever We Are 2 Comments

Wherever We Are – C. Dempsey 2011

A cool cold embrace
Stars strangled high
A cobblestone road
Can drive you wild
Shaking your bones
‘Till your warm inside
The sharp taste of home
From a whiskey sigh.

Love is a high, love is a low
Blind to misfortune and wide as is long  
Sometimes a stray dog that follows you home,
From here, or wherever we are.

Break like the morning
Melt like the sun
an overhead sleeper
lights our world below
Words are a stranger
in your disco head
harbored from danger
In your granite bed.

Love is a high, love is a low
Blind to misfortune and wide as is long  
Sometimes a stray dog that follows you home,
From here, or wherever we are.

Love is a high, love is a low
Blind to misfortune and wide as is long
Sometimes a stray dog that follows you home…
Love is a high, love is a low
Blind to misfortune and wide as is long
Sometimes a stray dog that follows you home,
from here, or wherever we are


This Other World – Demo

By Posted in Demo, Music, Songs, Songwriting, This Other World 2 Comments
This Other World

Close your eyes, toss a coin, let it dance until it falls
Place the cards upon a table, let them sing it to us all
Fame and fortune’s counting raindrops when you don’t have no shoes on
Stranger days I have had just sleeping with the TV on

Here lays the ghost of what could have been
So, I’ll carve you out of this other world
I’ll carve you out of this other world

All the roads that bleed you empty under stars that always burn
Twist and turn these worn out tires making sure you can’t return
Spinning wheels past the barnstars that lead you to the end
Hoping luck can somehow find you in the words of a friend.      

Here lays the ghost of what could have been
So, I’ll carve you out of this other world
I’ll carve you out of this other world
I’ll carve you out of this other world