Original Song: Bondi

And so to the 44^th month in the song-a-month project, and I’ve just scraped in. Entering the last day of August all I had was an incomplete set of lyrics and a couple of chords I felt like using, but this morning it finally came together. With such limited time, I decided to simply record acoustic instruments – a bit of guitar, the double bass, and a little uke solo. The structure of the song is just as simple, but I’m not worried as just getting this one done is enough reward – I’ll try and do something a bit more creative in September. The subject matter came after I happened to be down at Bondi a few months ago and it made me think of the time (20 plus years ago!) when I used to live there and call it home. Lots has changed and I don’t go back often, but early in the morning it’s still a special place.

Bondi
© 2015 Chuck Smeeton

Asus4                      Am
I hadn’t been to Bondi
Asus4                    Am
In a ver-ry long time
Esus4                      E
But sitting here in the morning sun
Esus4                      E
Crisp dawn air, the view sublime

It made me think of the days
When I called this place my home
Early walks down Lamrock
The back streets that I roamed

(Chorus)
F
The waves roll in, the sun seeps through
Dm
A gust of solitude
F
This is the local’s time
E
This is a beach subdued

The outline of Ben Buckler
As the sun climbs off the sea
Skating on the boardwalk
The perfect place to be

The faces may have changed
The money has arrived
But true locals seem the same
For now they have survived

(Chorus)

(Solo)

But time can not stand still
New replacing old
The sand and sea may be the same
But the rest is uncontrolled

Monday mornings, the beach is yours
dawn’s first rays present the new
The council crew are cleaning up
The remnants of the weekend crew

(Chorus)

About the original songs
In January 2012 I commenced a goal of trying to write and record at least one song from scratch each month – sometimes it comes easily, sometimes it’s a real challenge, but I love the discipline it creates. I managed to complete the year, but it was so much fun that I’ve decided to keep it rolling for as long as I can.