FAWM #7: Save A Tree

I have written all 14 songs, but now I have to record them and somehow present them here. Some are more challenging to do this with than others. Here is a co-write with my three and a half year old daughter.

FAWM #6: Hammurabi

FAWM #5 Henry the VIII of England

Henry the eighth was a Renaissance man
He brandished a chicken leg in his hand
He had 6 wives-why? “Because I can!”
Said Henry the 8th of England

You might think that’s enough to know
(Having six wives is unusual)
But I’m here to say “Not so!
There’s more to learn at Nields School.”

Henry fell in love with Ann Bolyn
Because her beauty was unsurpassed
So he tried to fire his first wife Catherine
The Catholic church said Not so fast

Said Henry to the Pope, Dear vecegerent
I have no use for your command
I declare myself (without your consent)
Defender of the Faith of the new Church of England
Or Inventor of the Church of England

You might think that’s enough to know
(Inventing a religion is unusual)
But I’m here to say “Not so!
There’s more to learn at Nields School.”

So Catherine he divorced though before he did
She gave birth to Mary, his first little kid
And Ann was mother to Elizabeth
Which should have been enough to prevent her death

But Henry really wanted a son
To make his surname last forevermore
He said to Ann Bolyn, You’re done!
And married poor jane Seymour

You might think that’s enough to know
(Beheading your wife is unusual)
But I’m here to say “Not so!
There’s more to learn at Nields School.”

Jane gave birth to weak little Edward
But then she died.
This got to Henry and his heart so hard
So he cried.

Then he married Anne from Germany
HE referred to her as the Flanders Mare
He married young Kathryn who was just nineteen
But for his old self she did not care.

She was beheaded like Ann Bolyn
Henry picked another Katherine
This time his wife outlived him
And married his brother-in-law.
Nerissa Nields Feb. 9, 2010

FAWM #4: I Just Want to Spend the Day with You

Wrote this on the plane coming home from Florida after we spent a lovely couple of days there with my parents. This song is supposed to be from the POV of grandparents. I recorded the video in the dressing room of the Me& Thee Coffeehouse in Marblehead MA. Guitar is c/o Seth Glier. I'd done the thing I've joked I'd do since giving birth to my first child: I remembered the breast pump and forgot the guitar.
Each verse is supposed to begin with "Bow Bow Bow" which is Jay's favorite part of the song, but I forgot to do that in the video.


Bow bow bow We go to the beach
Where the tide is red
Sandwiches to eat
We eat sand instead
I don’t care at all
Red tide can’t make me blue
I just want to spend the day with you

We go to the zoo
On a rainy day
See a kinkajoo
The tiger is hiding away
I don’t care at all
If the monkeys are hiding too
I just want to spend the day with you.

It’s not like everyday we get together
Talking on the phone or getting a letter
Is really great, but holding you is better
So who cares about a little thing like the weather?

We go to the park
Ride the Merry go round
Storm clouds make it dark
Too soon we’re homeward bound
I don’t care at all
No matter what we do
I just want to spend the day with you.


We go to the museum
To see the lilies by Monet
But no one’s there to see ‘em
We came on a quiet Monday
I don’t care at all
It the TV is all we view
I just want to spend the day with you.

Nerissa Nields
Feb. 17, 2010

FAWM #3: Monday Moonday

Monday Moonday let's hope it's a sunny day
Everything begins on Monday

Tuesday Mars Day, red hot in the stars day
Maybe I will play with Lars today

Wednesday is the day we talk no matter what the weather
Thursday is HooteNanny when we sing together

Friday, a busy day, move so fast I'm dizzy day
Saturday the biggies go out for date night

And Sunday is when
We see all our friends
Stand on our heads
And put our plans to bed
And start all over again.

FAWM #2: Crazy Rider

This is "Ride a Cock Horse" meets the B-52s. The trick is to hold the child's feet as you bounce him/her so as to approximate a bucking bronco-type ride.

Feb Album Writing Month First Song

I wrote this on Feb. 1 as the kids and I walked home from pre-school. Elle's contribution was to have one of the fingers represent the element of Milk. I'd just learned that morning in my yoga training that each of the five elements corresponds to one of the fingers. Also, the first four chakras correspond to the fingers and the last three to the thumb.

Full Catastrophe Rehearsal

This is from our January 12 session with Zak Trojano. We are showing him how "Full Catastrophe" goes.