track 1: A Stroll with You

I wrote the song in February of 2007 on the first true day of sun of that year. That same day I had bought The Shins' sophomore album "Chutes Too Narrow". I had been listening to The Shins a lot and they were influencing my writing and music a lot. This song was written for my girlfriend Caroline. But as sappy as that sounds, when I decided to write a song for her, I vowed not to make it an aimless, sappy song. This is a song I wrote that steered itself in the direction of her naturally, so everything fell into place.

Lyrics to A Stroll with You:

It’s beautiful now the sun is shining
The darkness can be so confining
Give me your hand while the sky is blue
Let me take a stroll with you

The clouds have made a daisy chain
Now I won’t be the same again
I won’t ask more than what I do
Let me take a stroll with you

The sun will be hot, the sky will be blue
If you’re all I’ve got, I’m only thinking of you
Don’t stay inside, there’s better things you can do
Give me your hand, let me take a stroll with you
With you

Brighter than the sun for a while
I need sunglasses just to see your smile
Give me your hand and we’ll pull this through
Let me take a stroll with you

It’s beautiful now the sunlight shows
It feels so good to let things go
Give me your hand while the sky is blue
Let me take a stroll with you

The sun will be hot, the sky will be blue
If you’re all I’ve got, I’m only thinking of you
Don’t stay inside, there’s better things you can do
Give me your hand, let me take a stroll with you
With you

© February 2007

Track 2: Alone with A Rose

This song is about being let down; plain and simple. About getting your hopes up and having them crash down, broken promises, and in result having to spend the rest of the day sulking. The latter of which I did a lot of in July of 2007; long story. Anyways, it's crazy (for me) that the song ended up with a happy chord progression, because more or less, it's our saddest song. Originally the song was meant for piano with no guitar (say what?!) but eventually the idea got scrapped after I realised I could do really crunchy 60's style guitar, which I'm a sucker for.

Lyrics to Alone with A Rose:

It was a perfect day
Till you threw our plans out the door
I woke up with a smile
And the thought that I’d see you once more
I thought I had told you I need you
And that I love to see you smile

I had a rose in my hand
That I had picked just for you
It was your favourite colour
And the best from where they grew
Then it turns out you can’t make it
I’m alone with a rose in my hand

But and I should be with you
There’s so much we could do
I’m alone with a rose in my hand

It was a perfect day
Till you through our plans out the door
I woke up with a smile
And the thought that I’d see you once more
I thought I had told you I need you
And that I love to see you smile

© July 2007

Track 3: See the Day

In October of 2006 (this was the first song I wrote for the album), I entered a poetry contest for some website because I was trying to get tickets to see the Shins. I didn't think much of the poem, but two weeks later I get a letter saying that I won the contest, and that my poem was going to be featured in a poetry book that's published throughout the country. My first reaction was "holy shit", haha. Anyways, since people liked the poem, I thought "what the hell" and so I tried putting it to music, and sure enough, I got something.
Recording didn't ensuit for months to follow, a demo version was recorded for our EP in April of 2007. And finally the album version was recorded in April of 2008. The song features a wah wah solo in the break that I'm extremely proud of. And at the end of the song, it features a finger picking riff I wrote originally for another song.

Lyrics to See the Day:

Go away
Go away
There’s lots of things
To see today

Feel the breeze
Feel the breeze
There’s so many things
To get me on my knees

Fly on higher
Fly on higher
Light cannot breach
The highest flyer

Fly on higher
Fly on higher
Light cannot breach
The highest flyer

Go away
Go away
I need to get up
And see the day

© October 2006

Track 4: All the Pretty Things

In March of 2008, I was again inspired by the beginnings of sunshine. The song's title is homage to the band The Pretty Things, as the song never mentions it. The words are about looking up, it's been a long, cold, lonely winter, and here comes the sun, so to say. The song was originally called "The Sun Comes Up". In recording, I used a 12 string guitar to lead the way and it provides (in my opinion) really catchy licks.

Lyrics to All the Pretty Things:

Spent my days, wasted time
Paid my dues, but now you’re mine
Feelin’ good, feelin’ fine
Correct me if I’m wrong
But everything feels right

I’ve made it through my ups and downs
I’ve seen the world, seen their clowns
I’ve been lost, I’ve been found
Don’t tell me if I’m wrong
‘Cause everything feels right

And the people smile at me as I walk ‘round
And the flowers are in bloom all around me
I can see it for myself
It’s a beautiful day

The clouds are pink, the rain has stopped
I stop to think, I’ve got a lot
I feel so good, I feel on top
Don’t tell me if I’m wrong
‘Cause everything feels right

Love is in bloom all around me
Guys and girls just look so happy
I can see it for myself
It’s a beautiful day

The people smile at me as I’m going ‘round
People are laughing, it’s a happy sound
Wearing flowers in their hair
Not a worry or a care
I can see it for myself
It’s a beautiful day

© March 2008

Track 5: Strawberry Love

The last song to be written, and the second to last song to be recorded, this piece of Sunshine Pop came in May of 2008. Exploring the feelings of love, sunshine, and happiness, "Strawberry Love" is a song I'm proud to have written. There's a whole as far as a story, it just came to me one afternoon and I wrote the music immedietly afterwards. The song is 2:44 and it came together in about that ammount of time.Lyrics to Strawberry Love:

Easy like another morning, yeah
I can see the sun’s rays on your hair
I wonder mildly as I look away
I got a strawberry love, and I’m okay

I got a strawberry love, and I’m okay

Sit back and hear the birds chirping away
Not one of their songs goes to waste
You can see them go on wing
I got a strawberry girl, I got everything

I got a strawberry girl, I got everything

Listen to your morning world
Listen to your morning world

Listen to your morning world
Watching my love for you uncurl
Whispering things in your ear
I got a strawberry girl, I got no fear

I got a strawberry girl, I got no fear

© May 2008

Track 6: Summer in Sherwood

Ahh Summer in Sherwood, probably our most ambitious recording effort. It features string arrangements (thanks to my Farfisa organ), vocal arrangements (in the vein of The Zombies), and tales of summer life in the neighborhood of Sherwood, Vancouver. Summer in Sherwood (the neighborhood) is truly a beautiful thing and in July of 2007 I set out to capture that magic in a song, and hopefully I did. Telling the tale of going to Gaiser Park, sleeping in, hanging out with friends, it's all in there. It's my favourite song to play live because it's got new life since Jared starting playing drums with us. Along with Blossom Girl, it seems to be people's favourite song.

Lyrics to Summer in Sherwood:

With the green lining trees of the forests
I’d love to be in between where they flourish
Take a walk through Gaiser Park
See the world and where they are

With the breeze in your hair, it’s a thrill
I could just lose myself in it, and I will
You’ve got everything you need
It only takes eyes to see

That it’s summer in Sherwood
And I wonder why it feels so good

With the breeze in your hair, it’s a thrill
I could just lose myself in it, and I will
Sleeping in till 12 o’ clock
Once you start, you just can’t stop

‘Cause it’s summer in Sherwood
Makes me wonder why it feels so good

© July 2007

Track 7: Blossom Girl

Blossom Girl was a real adventure. Conor originally had the first verse, and that's all we had. We planned on it being a darker sounding song and we had a finger picking thing going. After further frustration we scrapped the idea in general. Then, Griffin wrote another verse for a different song, and was dabbling with the chord progression that eventually became Blossom Girl. Then Griffin added stuff and voila; it became Blossom Girl. We get the name for the entire album from a line in the song "Blue skies came to town today/All the blossoms hooray". It's became the flagship for The Soft Sunflower, being the crowd favourite at gigs, and along with Summer in Sherwood, is our most popular song. This song was featured on the Daydream Generation compilation Volume 4.

Lyrics to Blossom Girl:

Blossom Girl

Blue skies came to town today
All the blossoms hoorayed
All that was left a skew was you
Was you

I remember every word you say
And what has taken place
And all of it seems to stay with me
With me

In the spring when there’s so much to see
I hope that you can still see me

In the forests and the gardens
Where we played our game
Every flower that blooms
Remembers your name

In the spring when there’s so much to see
I hope that you can still see me

Blue skies came to town today
All the blossoms hoorayed
For the mistress in grey

© May 2007 Griffin Taylor and Conor Underwood

Track 8: Heart of Gold

On Sunday, June 3rd (it's scary I remember these things), I came home from Caroline's house and wrote this song. It was a real opening up for me as it was the first song dealing directly with love. I recorded it in July of 2007, and the recording features a rotary-drenched piano which I'm especially proud of.

Lyrics to Heart of Gold:

In the sky of nights dark and cold
I can see your heart of gold
Hidden in the stars and constellations

The universe so clear and bright
It’s all in front of my eyes
In the canvas that is the constellations

In the forest of trees brown and bold
I can see your heart of gold
Hidden in the pathways and the leaves

Maybe you’ll open your heart up
Maybe I can fill it with love
Give you what a heart of gold may need

© June 2007

Track 9: The Hardest Part

In some of the gloomy days of the July 2007, I got a capo for my guitar and experimented with all that comes with that. Along with the gloomy weather came melancholy lyrics. And thus "The Hardest Part" was born. About getting over mopey feelings, and "putting yourself through hell".
Lyrics to The Hardest Part:

It’s Sunday morning and the…
Sky is quite overcast
If I gave this more than a thought
This feeling would not last…

More than a frowning moment
I’d spend inside myself
But I won’t invest more of my time
Putting me through my own hell

But I try to feel good
I try to make the best of it
But you should know
You should know I’m not an optimist

I found the hardest part and
It’s feeling this alone
Giant locks all around me
This feeling won’t let go

So let go of the things I can’t control
As far as I can tell
But I won’t invest more of my time
Putting me through my own hell

But I try to feel good
I try to make the best of it
But you should know
You should know I’m not an optimist

But I try to feel good
I try to make the best of it
But you should know
You should know I’m not an optimist

© July 2007

Track 10: Heroin

In May of 2007, fellow Soft Sunflower bandmate Conor Underwood and I were doing very lo-fi recordings for fun. We were parodying the fact that bands sing about drugs very vividly. So we did White Lightning (parodying LSD), Mary Jane (that's obvious) and Heroin (that's even more obvious). From there, I realised that the idea behind the song Heroin wasn't that bad, so I sat down and wrote it and it's turned out to be one of our strongest songs lyrically and musically (the song showcases 4 extended solos by me). It was the second song recorded for the album. And to dispell any rumours, NO I don't do heroin, NO I don't support heroin use, and NO (believe it or not) the song is not about heroin, its just my rambling about people that sing about the drug I.E. the Velvet Underground.

Lyrics to Heroin:

When I get that spark
That spark in my vain
You know it drives me
Drives me insane

There’s something there
I don’t know what it is
But you know I like
I like what it does

Thoughts don’t go through
Through my head
I just don’t remember
The things that you said

I don’t know where to start
Or where to begin
I just got this spark
From this heroin

When I get that spark
That spark in my vain
You know it drives me
Drives me insane

I don’t know where to start
Or where to begin
I just got this spark
From this heroin

© May 2007 Griffin Taylor

Track 11: Every Hour

This song was a valiant effort on my part. I had the verses and choruses since March 2007 but I could not (for the life of me) write a bridge. I tried all sorts of chord progressions, all different sizes, I thought I was doomed. But finally, I pulled through and wrote one. This song tells the story of lost summer love, about when you have so much to say to someone, but can't. In the second verse, it starts with saying "it's been two weeks since I've seen you", but when the third verse comes around, it's "been a year since I've seen you". Pleading her to never forget "all the days and every hour of that summer, in the sun".
It's nothing that's ever happened to me, but it is definitely something I've seen go on. And as you can tell, this song has a real deeper meaning and is more heartfelt. And I managed to get in a Syd Barrett reference in there...ha! See if you can find it. Enjoy

Lyrics to Every Hour:

I didn’t get to tell you
That you made my day
In my hands I felt you
Until you walked away

From the place that we spent
Every hour of our summer

It’s been two weeks since I’ve seen you
And that’s the hardest part
There’s nothing in between you
I’m full of dust and guitars

That I played for you
Every song that I knew

Counting the days until I see you
It seems so long you’ve been away
I hope you can take me back to the places we’ve been
It’d be so sad to see you go astray

It’s been a year since I’ve seen you
And that’s the hardest part
I only wish I could meet you
Back at Gaiser park

‘Cause it’s the place where we spent
Every hour of that summer

Don’t forget all the days
And every hour of that summer

© March 2007

Track 12: A Thousand Eyes

This song has an interesting story behind it. The verses are from a poem used in series of books that I read for years entitled The Series of Unfortunate Events. The middle 8 is of my own writing in response to what is going on in the final book of that series. I began putting it all together in November of 2006 (wow!) and didn't come up with any decent music for it until early 2007. It's the last song on the album, and the last to be recorded (May 2008). In the recording, there are snippets of all the other songs on the album fading in and out to really finish up the album. Anyways, enjoy.

Lyrics to "A Thousand Eyes":

The night has a thousand eyes
The day only one
But the light of a bright world
Dies with the dying sun

The mind has a thousand eyes
And the heart has only one
Yet the light of a whole life
Dies when love is done

Standing on the isle
Your sadness makes you smile
A notion you’ve felt for years
Has slowly gone out of style
From your time
And in your head
A slight subconscious feeling
That you’ve always known
Through all of your dealing

The mind has a thousand eyes
And the heart has only one
Yet the light of a whole life
Dies when love is done

© Griffin Taylor November 2006

Musical (Ad)ventures

For those who know a bit about me, you may know that I am involved heavily in music. I have my own solo project in the works, as well as an album with band The Soft Sunflower well on the way.
www.myspace.com/softsunflower for more information on The Soft Sunflower
The album is titled "All the Blossoms Hooray for the Mistress in Grey". I write most of the songs and perform along with 4 other great musicians.

Another band I work with is called The Shivas. They recently toured the west coast in support of their album "Where Have You Gone to?". I play guitar, bass and sing for them every now and then.

http://www.theshivas.com/ and www.myspace.com/theshivas for more information

The solo project I'm working on is simply Griffin Taylor and the album is titled "Layter, Maybe". I don't have really any links for that yet but I am working on a myspace page and this blog will be a source for the lyrics and other thoughts like that.