Untitled - David Hodges

The December Sessions is a product of many years of writing songs with friends & colleagues that (for whatever
reason) didn’t ever get released. After spending a month recording these songs, I was reminded again why I liked
each of them so much. Some of them were written with or for artists very different than my gender or the genre
that I lean to as an artist; so approaching these songs, while sometimes challenging, ended up being a very
exciting & rewarding process. Tell Her Something was written years ago as a band was falling apart & a
relationship was unresolved; Little Juliet was written as I rocked my daughter to sleep; First Day of My Life
was written in Destefano’s apartment on this ukelele he had just purchased; Never Thought to Look was
written about the Alchemist-like journey that we so often find ourselves on; A Song for Us was written
completely barefoot with a new friend; Turn Off the Light was written with an empty well at the
end of a long day; Returning to Sand was written with an old friend about growing up;
Reset was written as we were taking pictures for the album; Icarus was
written in the wake of the death of a dream. Every song is
a story—these just happen to be stories
that mean a lot to me.
This album wouldn’t exist first & foremost without the amazing writers that I wrote these
songs with & their generosity in letting me put this album out. I cannot thank you all enough.
In the studio, Steve Miller put his magic on just about every piece of this project—whether
it was playing or engineering or editing or mixing. Without him, this thing would never have
gotten finished or would sound like crap. Seriously, Steve, it would. Joey, my fellow dreamer,
continues to amaze me with how he can complete these projects with visuals that totally
capture the heart of the music. I always love working with you; you know this. Tamar, thank
you for lending your beautiful voice to this record—of all the songs we’ve written, it’s fitting
that this is the first one released. Here’s to many more to come. And finally to my wife &
kids—thank you for sharing me with this muse that always takes longer than expected &
in the end demands more than promised. Your grace is life-giving & not taken for granted.
produced by David Hodges at Sleepwalker Studios (Studio City, CA)
mixed & engineered by Steve Miller at Sleepwalker Studios
mastered by Dale Becker at Bernie Becker Mastering (Pasadena, CA)
artwork by Joey Phelps • photography by Kate Hodges
David Hodges: vocals, piano, acoustic guitar, keys, percussion
Steve Miller: bass, dobro, mandolin, banjo
Tamar Kaprelian: vocals on “Returning to Sand”
Joey, Lauren, & Lexi Phelps: additional percussion
Reset
(David Hodges)
Never Thought to Look
( Jeremy Bose, Trent Dabbs, David Hodges)
open house was on a sunday
it’s getting harder to pretend
people pushing through the door
wearing clothes they can’t afford
i always said
i’d never be like one of them
between the younger years of restless
and the settled here and now
all these questions that i ask
now that i am looking back i see that
what i had was what i found
so why did i wish for a better life
after everything that i tried
i couldn’t see it
but if i only understood
it’s the only place
i never thought to look
somehow i never even noticed
all the beauty in between
a simple word, a quiet house
a kiss before we fall asleep here
on the couch
all i have is all i need
between the younger years of restless
and the settled here and now
why did i doubt
Icarus
(David Hodges)
the scars of a dream
take me back to where you leave
where these waxen feathers
can’t hold me together
but somehow you stay clean
if asked when we began
if i knew how the world would spin
i would never discover
what life would uncover
until the story’s end
so take your time
take your lies
and hold them closely
the truth will find
it’s way tonight
though you never would believe it
tear me away from everything we’ve done
i guess that my wings have taken me too close
to your sun
twist every word to make them what you need
but if you must walk alone
don’t come running back to me
a star burning bright
and with the world i watched you shine
taking what was gathered
you distorted and shattered
turning beauty into lies
some may say
what’s gone today
returns tomorrow
but i believe
that we’ll never see
all that we were really made for
Returning to Sand
(David Hodges, Tamar Kaprelian)
fate driven deep under the waves
an empire of gold
returning to sand
falling asleep to the rhythm of days
watching the tide
pull back again
i’m not afraid to fall
i’ve lived without water
i’ve walked through the fire before
i’m not afraid of change
cause i’ve dined with kings
and i’ve watched it be taken away
First Day of My Life
(Sofi Bonde, Chris Destefano,
David Hodges)
leaving this town with wings and a prayer
these helpless streets
are too dead for dreaming
a past made of thorns is a cross i must bear
at the edge of defeat
miles from believing
i’m not gonna turn, run away
cause i did that yesterday
and i’m tired of wasting time
time is up, i always rush
but nothing happens right away
like a fool i’m chasing my
and time will mend what we’ve broken
my idea of perfection
but i’ve lost my direction
but i’m not giving up
the light after the storm
shows that hope was never gone
fate driven deep under the waves
an empire of gold
returning to sand
Turn Off the Light
(Keefus Greene, David Ryan Harris,
David Hodges, David Quiñones)
staring into space
on the verge of tears
you are on the other side of the room
we both feel out of place
but we’re gonna stay right here
i wish we could rewind
but we can’t go back in time
i’m just too tired to fight
can we let this go tonight
for now let’s let our two wrongs be all right
and just turn off the light
it started out so small
but somehow spun out of control
another mystery of misunderstood
i know we are both at fault
it doesn’t need to be retold
i wish we could erase
what we never meant to say
because today could change my life
maybe right now could be the time
i’m reaching out to grab the stars
and make them mine
today could the first day of my life
from up here from above
the world is round
and there’s nothing sticking out
no nothing’s in the way
but still i fall, lose it all
my imaginary doubt
always make sure that i pay
for my old indecision
but now i give myself permission
to let my heart sing out
i’m not gonna turn, run away
cause i did that yesterday
Tell Her Something
(David Hodges)
tell her she is all that’s beautiful
tell her everything’s my fault
tell her this is not what i had planned
but tell her i am moving on
tell her love will come around
someday
please tell her not to cry
i never meant for
love to leave her cold tonight
please tell her that i tried
to spare her all my lies
tell her something
we’re both together in these unpredictable
weather patterns
it’s not forever so let go of stories that
don’t matter
and if you’re hurting don’t try to hide
from me your welling eyes
tell her i am lost in misery
tell her i have lost my mind
tell her love is such a mystery
tell her tunnels end in light
i understand what silence does
it keeps a man from saying too much
i trust in something bigger than us
and what i say is true because
there’s only one way i see you
tell her love will come around someday
i cannot say all that my heart longs
to tell her
but nothing can change
that all of these words are not enough
tell her she is all that’s beautiful
tell her everything’s my fault
A Song for Us
(David Hodges, Jason Mraz)
hold on, little Juliet
hold on, little Juliet
hold on
i’ll come, little Juliet
i’ll run, little Juliet
hold on
——————————————————
Little Juliet
(David Hodges)
Reset — 12:06 Publishing (BMI),
EMI Blackwood Music (BMI)
hold on, little Juliet
hold on, little Juliet
hold on
i’ll come, little Juliet
i’ll come, little Juliet
hold on
Never Thought to Look —
Vandelay Publishing (ASCAP) /
Ready Set Publishing (BMI) /
12:06 Publishing (BMI), EMI
Blackwood Music (BMI)
brace yourself
a storm has just begun
face the music
see what you’re running from
i can’t imagine while you’re waking
from a dream, the darkness
is making you so scared
honey, i’ve been there
but i know it won’t be long
so baby, hold on
you’re not alone in this lonely, lonely,
lonely universe
your home sweet home is where your
heartbeat can be heard
and if you’re hurting don’t try to hide
from me your welling eyes
one day, little Juliet
one day, little Juliet
you’ll see
so be brave, little Juliet
just wait, little Juliet
you’ll see
cause only light can color the rain
only time can wash away the pain
no goodbye could ever tear this one into two
only love can come between i and you
i know you can’t understand
i know it’s hard to trust these hands
when you’re so scared
honey, i’ve been there
please believe it won’t be long
so baby, hold on
just like birds
uplifted by the wind
with these words
we breathe new life again
why you’d leave me here alone
without reason, without hope
but you say it won’t be long
you say David hold on
no i can hardly fathom
my heart can not imagine
Icarus — 12:06 Publishing (BMI), EMI
Blackwood Music (BMI)
Returning to Sand — 12:06 Publishing
(BMI), EMI Blackwood Music (BMI) /
Tag Bear Music (BMI)
Turn Off the Light — Mister Green
Music, EMI Blackwood Music (BMI) /
Peace Pourage Music, EMI Blackwood
Music (BMI) / 12:06 Publishing (BMI),
EMI Blackwood Music (BMI) / So Good
It’s Ridqulous Music, EMI Blackwood
Music (BMI)
First Day of My Life — Sugar Glider
Music Publishing (ASCAP), Atlantic
Recording Corporation (NS) &
Longstocking Music (NS) administered
by W.B.M. Music Corp. / April Music
(ASCAP), EMI Music Publishing
(ASCAP) / 12:06 Publishing (BMI),
EMI Blackwood Music (BMI)
Tell Her Something — 12:06 Publishing
(BMI), EMI Blackwood Music (BMI)
A Song for Us — 12:06 Publishing (BMI),
EMI Blackwood Music (BMI) / Goo
Eyed Music (ASCAP)
Little Juliet — 12:06 Publishing (BMI),
EMI Blackwood Music (BMI)
produced by david hodges • davidhodgesmusic.com
© 2012 all rights reserved.
unauthorized duplication is a violation of applicable laws.
managed by the collective, for contact:
lucas keller: keller@thecollective-la.com
323.370.1500