Songs

Dedicated to Dianda, Medocovich and Bryden

Dan Zen has written about seventy songs. This exhibit shows some of them during his main song writing times written down on paper. Once the Internet came along in the mid nineties, Zen switched artistic direction to work primarily in the Interactive Media world.

Song List (1993) ▲ A daisy-wheel computer print out of Dan Zen songs as of 1993 at the end of the Chessmen era. This is pre-Gnostics. Interesting to note that the computer data for this list is gone but the paper remains. Zen recorded these songs twice (in the acoustics of the bathroom) just to remember the chords, melody and words - but he has been unable to locate the videos among his thousands of recordings. Perhaps one day, he will come across them. The rating scale is perhaps a little tainted towards then recent songs. Zen figures that he has about 70 songs and that matches how many hats he has.

Daisy Chain (1994) ▲ One of Zen's last songs of the period - it is not on the list above - had quite a nice chord structure. A few more songs since this period are listed below. DAISY CHAIN

Waterfall Am D / Am C G D, F C G D / Am E G D
Brown Study As / Fs C Em, Cs G Bfm / Cs Gfms Gf Gfms Em / Em A As
No War E Ds / E D A G Fm C, E D A G F C / C Cs Bf / Bf F C, Dm Bfs Am C G Bfm C
Touchy (three chord wonder)
Song for Madeline Gm D
Elliot Anton C Ds A E / C G D
Gorgolon C G Gfm Cm Cfm C G Gf F E / Am C G D, F C Am
Supernova A C G, A C G, A C G - D / A C G - D C A, D C E / E

Music Exhibit (2015) ▲ The Songs Exhibit is more about the song writing and lyrics - to hear the songs, some of them can be found in the Dan Zen Expo MUSIC EXHIBIT

Chessmen Songs (1987-1989) ▲ Dan Zen's garage punk era featured a lot of angst and primordial lyrics. One day, Zen will put together a site on The Chessmen - for now, there is CHESSMEN POST

First Song (2011) ▲ The first song Dan Zen wrote (1984) includes an unusual first line: "A Roman pillar you stand, like a finger of God's hand." Zen is an Atheist but applies poetic license here.

How Is It? (1990) ▲ This song with its gentle chord progression, was sung with several sets of lyrics - one being, "Roses cannot compare to the beauty of my love" for Zen' s wife, RoseAnne. In the end, the environmental message was the one recorded here - it is a song about concerns of progress:

How is it that I can look within and fly
With wings of wax and feathers
Arms and tail are bound in leather
I can't come down now, can man?
Is this the sun at my hand?

How is it that I can look within and swim
Through currents of a day
Memories of which for one does fade
I can't stay a float, can man?
Is this the shore, where is the sand?

How is it that I can look within and run
Through gardens of glass and metal
Where mankind has replaced the petal
I can't slow down now, can man?
Our poison cup spills on the land.

Is this the shore where is the sand?
Is this the sun at my hand?

Love Songs (1986, 1990, 1991) ▲ A few of the songs for RoseAnne. "15 Years Ago" was another which featured a combination of Zen looking forward to forever with RoseAnne and worry about the environment causing RoseAnne to pout. Silk Scarf was written on a Long Point, Canada campout on the beautiful beaches - and Candle Burning, about romantic nights on Grant Avenue.

Song Topics ▲ Zen wrote about many things. Here is an excerpt about his cat, Dandelion dreaming about a her purrs being like roars in a jungle. He wrote a number of continuations of prior poetic figures - such as Solomon Grundy. He continued the story of Jude from Hey Jude and wrote about Eleanor Rigby getting older:

Two days ago, I was alone
Eleanor Rigby's Sidekick
Now I think I've found a home
Eleanor Rigby's Sidekick

I'll be with you and:
	I'll help you eat your rice
	I'll help you drink your wine

Eleanor Rigby with your paperback book,
I'll take a look

They said you were lonely, Eleanor Rigby,
They said you were homely, Eleanor Rigby,
They haven't got the story... quite right

I'll be with you and:
	I'll help you comb your hair
	I'll help you down the stair

Eleanor Rigby with your Mona Lisa smile,
Stay for a while

They said you were lonely, Eleanor Rigby,
They said you were homely, Eleanor Rigby,
They haven't got the story... quite right

Two days ago, I was alone
Elaenor Rigby's Sidekick
Now I think I've found a home
Eleanor Rigby's Sidekick

Psychedelic Period (1989-1995) ▲ Zen's favourite period of song writing was post Chessmen album and pre-Gnostics. Here, he wrote a dozen or more songs in a psychedelic style. The songs were longer and featured unusual chord progressions. Floating down the river had every chord but two. Zen will one day create recordings of these. Above are samples of the lyrics from this period. Another was Fritz Wolfgang about the Peter Sellers character in What's New Pussycat:

Floating colors in my mind,
Swinging pendulum I find,

Fritz Wolfgang Sigismund Fassbender

Spinning spirals, watch the white gloves
Electric rays, I droop my eyelids
Droning voices in my ear,
say sway medallion 'till

I will be you
I will be you!

Hear my voice take on your thought,
See my face take on your look
Put on deep red velvet suit
A white fur coat with wooden hook

Fritz Wolfgang Sigismund Fassbender
Fritz Wolfgang Sigismund Fassbender

I will be you
I will be you!

Floating colors in my mind,
Swinging pendulum I find,

Fritz Wolfgang Sigismund Fassbender
[Choral ending]

Space Rock Period (1995-1997) ▲ Zen was in the band, Thee Gnostics. He mainly improvised music and lyrics. But he did write a couple songs like SuperNova and Gorgolon. The poetry of Gorgolon inspired and was the basis for his underwater spot the artificial intelligence game from 1996 - one of the first Dan Zen interactive features:

On the planet of Gorgolon,
Fire Ivy climbs upon
The silver spires and the domes

Further signals from Origin 5,
A red chrome saucer flies
Through the tunels beneath the sea

Gorgolon

February 9 Dan Zen Expo Exhibit

Songs

Dedicated to Dianda, Medocovich and Bryden