Cathi Walkup: Songs for the New De

SONGS FOR THE NEW DEPRESSION
Forget your troubles come on get happy with Cathi Walkup

"Unemployment was at an all time high, banks were failing left and right and people were losing their homes - and that was just last year" observes Cathi as she begins the musical journey of "SONGS FOR THE NEW DEPRESSION" Using songs from the past Great Depression and from the current not so Great Depression, with large dollops of humor, swing and bop, she manages to take a rather depressing subject and stand it on it's ear.

Her "smoked cheddar alto" can take the knots right out of your neck, or she can rip through a vocalese number and energize an entire room. Being an accomplished lyricist herself she highly values the written word and delivers the story from her heart, giving a fresh and rhythmic interpretation to lyrics you may have heard a thousand times.

"Ms. Walkup casts an enchanting spell..." Donna Kimura - Jazzreview.com

"She stays low and spins the lyric with dizzy rhythms" - Jazz Improv Magazine

I am very pleased to be included in Scott Yanow's new book (just got my advance copy yesterday) and to find myself listed in the front section titled "The 521 Great Jazz Singers" (page 220). I'm in some heady company here. If you like singers you're going to want to get a copy of this book, which I believe will be available through Amazon.com

SOME OF CATHI'S ORIGINALS & LYRICS


CLOUDS (NUAGES)

CLOUDS ARE DRIFTING ABOVE
IN SKIES OF BLUE
THERE’S AN ACHE IN MY HEART
I THINK IT’S YOU

YOU WERE ONCE A PART OF ME
BUT HAVE MOVED ACROSS THE SEA
AND OUR LOVE HAS CHANGED ITS SHAPE AGAIN
AS CLOUDS OFTEN DO

I STILL HOLD YOU IN MY HEART,
BUT NOT THE SAME
LOVE KEEPS CHANGING EVERY DAY
YET YOU REMAIN

I HAVE LOVED YOU AT THE FIRST
I WILL LOVE YOU AT THE LAST
AND OUR LOVE WILL HAVE TO BE
WHAT IT
CAN
BE
CATHI WALKUP FROM THE ALBUM “QUINT-ESSENTIAL”


HANG UP AND DRIVE

PEOPLE THAT YA KNOW, RUSHIN’ TO AND FRO
ALWAYS STRATEGIZIN’, NEVER REALIZIN’
WHEN TO TAKE IT SLOW

REACHIN’ FOR THE TOP, YOU CAN NEVER STOP
ALWAYS MULTITASKIN’ , SOMEHOW NEVER ASKIN’
WHAT IT IS YOU’VE GOT

I CAN SEE YOU, FLYIN’ DOWN THE HIGHWAY
YOU’RE THE ONE WHO’S TALKIN’ ON THE PHONE
AS YOU’RE SWERVIN’ , DO YOU SEE THAT CAR BESIDE YOU?
THAT MIGHT BE ME
BEGGIN’ PLEASE HANG UP THE PHONE

HANG UP AND DRIVE, HANG UP AND DRIVE
IT’S ALL RIGHT TO RISK YOUR LIFE
BUT I’D PREFER
THAT YOU DON’T RISK MINE
STAYIN’ ALIVE, STAYIN’ ALIVE
HAS ALAWYS BEEN A GOAL OF MINE
I’M BEGGIN’ YA NOW
HANG UP AND DRIVE

YOUNGEST CEO, ALWAYS ON THE GO
HIGHLY PRESSURIZIN’ NEVER REALIZIN’
YOU MUST PAY THE TOLL
WITH YOUR LAPTOP FAX, NEVER CAN RELAX
ALL THE COMPETITION REALLY GOT YOU MISSIN’
WHERE IT’S REALLY AT
I CAN SEE YOU, ON THE CITY STREETS
ANOTHER ONE WHO’S, TALKIN’ ON THE PHONE
WON’T YOU TRY TO , TRY TO SEE IT MY WAY
JUST HANG UP NOW, AND LEAVE THAT PHONE ALONE
HANG UP AND DRIVE, HANG UP AND DRIVE
IT’S ALL RIGHT TO RISK YOUR LIFE
BUT I’D PREFER
THAT YOU DON’T RISK MINE

STAYIN’ ALIVE, STAYIN’ ALIVE
HAS ALAWYS BEEN A GOAL OF MINE
I’M BEGGIN’ YA NOW
HANG UP AND DRIVE
CATHI WALKUP FROM THE ALBUM TO BE RELEASED 2002

LITTLE SUZIE’S HUMMING

DAYS IN PARKS, AND BEING PUSHED IN CARTS
AND SUSIE HUMS, HUMS, HUMS,
CONTENTEDLY
HUMS, HUMS, HUMS,
SHE’S PLAYIN’ ON SWINGS AND THINGS
AND RIDING ON THE MERRY-GO-ROUND
AND LIFE IS SO MUCH FUN THAT
LITTLE SUZIE HUMS, NOW

PLAYGROUND SLIDES AND OTHER KIDS HER SIZE
AND SUZIE HUMS A SONG
SHE’S MAKING UP
JUST TO HEAR
IT GO UP AND DOWN
SHE DOESN’T KNOW THE WORDS
BUT DEEP IN HER HEART
SHE KNOWS THE FEELING’S THERE AND
HUMS IT IT IN THE AIR, NOW

PIGTAILS AND TIGHTS
AND SLEEP OVER NIGHTS
AND WHISPERING SECRETS TO MAKE SOMEBODY GRIN
AND THEY LET YOU WIN THE GAME SOMETIMES

ONE TRUE FRIEND, WHO WILL KEEP YOUR SECRETS IN
AND NEVER TELL, NO, NO
BUT SHE’LL TELL YOU HERS, AND YOU WON’T TELL THEM
A FRIENDSHIP FAST THAT GOING TO LAST YOU ALL OF YOUR LIFE
A PATH HAS JUST BEGUN
AND LITTLE SUSIE HUMS, NOW
CATHI WALKUP FROM THE ALBUM “LIVING IN A DAYDREAM”


LIVING IN A DAYDREAM

LIVING IN A DAYDREAM,
NOTHING’S EVER QUITE WHAT IT SEEMS
WHEN YOU’RE LIVING IN A DAYDREAM,
BUILDING CASTLES IN THE AIR

SAFE WITHIN YOUR DAYDREAM,
IN A CLIMATE MADE FOR LOVE
EVERYTHING GOES YOUR WAY
AND IT FITS YOU LIKE A GLOVE

LIVING IN A DAYDREAM,
SO YOU HAVEN’T GOT AN INKLING
WHEN REALITY COMES LURKING,
YOU PRETEND IT ISN’T THERE

BUT WHEN YOUR EYES ARE OPEN,
HERE YOU ARE STILL HEARTBROKEN
DAY DREAMS JUST SEEM TO MELT AWAY

DAY DREAMS MAY BE SO LOVELY,
BUT IN THE END YOU WILL SEE
LIFE IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT DAY TO DAY
CATHI WALKUP FROM THE ALBUM “LIVING IN A DAYDREAM”


MORE THAN POOR CLAY

I TRY TO BE
ALL I CAN BE
I TRY TO RISE UP ABOVE
ALL LIFE’S PETTY PROBLEMS
BUT SOMETIMES I JUST FEEL
AS THOUGH i’M REALLY ONLY MADE OF POOR CLAY

SO THEN,
I START TO FLOAT,
BEGIN TO SOAR
I’M COPPIN’ AN ATTITUDE
THAT’S STRICTLY ON THE PLUS SIDE

IT HELPS ME UNDERSTAND
THAT I CAN BE MORE THAN POOR CLAY

SOMETIMES JUST SAYING
THAT YOU ARE BETTER
MAKES YOU FEEL BETTER
THEN YOU GET BETTER

ONWARD AND UPWARD
THAT IS A MOTTO
THAT CAN BE
SO
TRUE
AND MIRACULOUS

WHEN I CAN LOOK
WAY UP ABOVE
& SEE THAT THE CLOUDS ARE NOT
SO VERY HIGH TO WISH FOR
I RISE ABOVE MYSELF
AND KNOW THAT I’M MORE THAN POOR CLAY
CATHI WALKUP FROM THE ALBUM “LIVING IN A DAYDREAM”


I WANNA GO TO TAHITI

I WANNA GO TO TAHITI
AND PLAY ALL DAY IN THE TROPIC SUN
I WANNA GO WITH MY SWEETIE
JUST AS SOON AS I GET ME ONE
I WANNA GO AND DRINK MAI TAIS
SERVED TO ME ON A SILVER TRAY
I WANNA GO TO TAHITI
BUT I CAN’T SEEM TO GET AWAY

‘CAUSE YA GOTTA GO TO WORK
AND SPEND ALL’A YOUR TIME
MAKING OTHER PEOPLE DOLLARS
WHILE THEY PAY YOU A DIME
AND YA GOTTA COOK AND CLEAN
AND DO THE LAUNDRY TOO
THERE’S ABOUT A MILLION THINGS
THAT YA
GOTTA DO

I WANNA GO TO TAHITI
AND PLAY ALL DAY IN THE TROPIC SUN
I WANNA GO WITH MY SWEETIE
‘SPECIALLY NOW THAT I GOT ME ONE
I WANNA GO AND DRINK MAI TAIS
SERVED TO ME ON A SILVER TRAY
I WANNA GO TO TAHITI
BUT I CAN’T SEEM TO GET AWAY
CATHI WALKUP FROM THE ALBUM “NIGHT OWL”


I CAN’T LOOK AT YOU

I CAN’T LOOK AT YOU
FOR MY EYES WOULD SURELY GIVE MY HEART
AWAY

IF I LOOKED AT YOU
I WOULD SAY THE WORDS I KNOW I CANNOT SAY

IT SCARES ME SO
FOR YOU TO KNOW
ALL THE SECRETS I’VE GUARDED SO LONG

YET I KNOW
IF I LET GO
YOU WOULD KNOW ALL THE WORDS TO MY SONG

I CAN’T LOOK AT YOU
BUT I THINK THAT IF I DID YOU’D UNDERSTAND

IF I LOOKED AT YOU
WOULD YOU KNOW ENOUGH TO SIMPLY TAKE MY HAND?

IT WOULD BE GRAND
IF YOU
COULD SEE
ME TOO
_CATHI WALKUP - FROM THE ALBUM “NIGHT OWL” _