Feel free to download and listen to the MP3 files I have posted here. You are welcome to play these songs (should you want to do so) in a live performance. You may not make a recording or sell a recording of these songs without express written permission.

History of Seven Chord Short

Seven Chords Short was a band that I founded in Starkville, MS in 1996. We practiced in Scarborough's warehouse and worked up a few sets. We played at local bars and eventually decided to create an EP. The title of the EP was "Gravity is Not a Fundamental Force," which was a topic of my thoughts at the time.

The idea behind the title is that gravity can be described as inertia if you construct space correctly. I studied a little differential topology at the time in an effort to describe the space required, but life happened and I lost track of this little project, so I have never really attempted it. However, I do think that it is possible to do, and I would love to hear your thoughts on it or see the description of the space if you do it.

Falling->Dum

The first song "Falling" was written quite some time before, circa 1992, while I was playing bass for another band. I liked the idea enough to pull forward into this project. The verses are more disjointed in this song mostly because it was under active development for such a long time. The point is to open the show and build into the next song, which is in a different meter. Actually the transition from 6/8 to 4/4 is done really well on this recording; I enjoyed rediscovering it. The second song is called "Dum Dum Dum" after to sax part. The general lyric theme of the two goes well together, painting an interesting picture of a failed relationship from the point of view of the rejected man. Relationships would probably have been a better title of the EP as all the songs are about relationships from one point of view or another.

A & Q

Another song about failed relationships, this time from the point of view of the man rejecting the woman. I guess what goes around comes around. Life's little ironies giving us chances to do under others as others have done unto us. Seems so different from the other point of view.

Choo-Choo

A few years earlier I went to friends wedding in Florida. On the plane ride down there was a grandfather with his grandson in his lap reading a children's book. It was one of those books with the cheap electronic buttons that make noises. One of the buttons was for a train and when it was pressed it would go choo-choo-chugga-chugga-chugga-chugga-chugga. The boy liked this button more than the others and would press it so that it made a regular rhythm. It sounded funky to me so when I got back to my guitar I imitated it, which became the basis for this song. The rest of it was just blues. There really was a blind man named Jim that I hung out with for a while. And he did seem to want something from me, although I couldn't figure out what it was. The reference to his blindness and the mud are actually more spiritual than physical. The mud is a reference to Christ restoring the sight of a blind man, and Jim didn't believe, which is what I meant by could not see. Actually, I think I like my wife's version of the chorus. In this recording I am saying, "You're not me and I'm not you." My wife thought I was saying "You've got me and I've got you." I think I like it better. Maybe if I ever sing it again I will just change it. I don't feel the need to be so overtly philosophical anymore.

What Went Wrong

Another song about relationships, this time a failed friendship instead of the romantic kind. These are the failures that I actually regret still. All the romantic failures are easy enough to write-off as soon as you are in a relationship that works, but no new friends can truly replace your old ones.

Mon Ami

This song is all about the sax. The sax player told us what chords to vamp on and he does the rest.