Slow Burn

Slow Burn (words and music by Lisa Torch)

                Verse 1

Doing a slow burn for your love

Some kind of connection with the heavens above
Can you hear me now - can you hear me crying?
Making up dreams, you’re not real enough
Playing them over and over
Baby can you see me now - can’t you see that I’m not lying?

                Pre Chorus

And I’ve never felt this way

When there are no more words I can say

                Chorus

And no matter where I turn
I feel your slow, slow burn

                Verse 2

Staring out windows in touch with your light
Wondering what you could be doing tonight
Am I a part of your world - are you dreaming of me?
A little bit of magic whenever we touch
A look in your eyes that says too much
You know I feel the same - But could you really love me?

                Repeat Pre-Chorus and Chorus

                Bridge

I walked along the water and I drank it from my hands
Wished I was alone with you on pale enchanted sand
Dreamed the fire in your eyes was burning just for me
I’m haunted by your every touch and I fall too easily

                Repeat Pre-Chorus and Chorus

New Song

 

(Tell My Heart to) Leave Me Alone

I don’t know how to exist in your world

Don’t fit as a friend, don’t fit as a love

Got a great big life, feel like I need you in it

Makes no sense, and it's not enough

Taking big chances, I feel restless

Can’t sleep, 'cause I think too much

Can't even believe that my heart would do this

Back and forth I'm such a hot mess

Wish there was some kind of magic

Just to tell my heart to leave me alone

Just to tell my heart to leave me alone

I tell the director in my head to stop playing these scenes

Focus on the weather or the traffic ‘cause I know what that means

Talk to my girlfriends to giggle and plan

Flirt with boys, just to keep from going home

Glad that you think I’m cute

Just when I think I'm good, there's a message on my phone

Can't even believe that my heart would do this

Round and round I'm such a hot mess

Maybe it’s some kind of tragic

Just to tell my heart to leave me alone

What do I even think I need from you? It’s so confusing

Every time we talk I wish I could be more amusing

Can't even believe that my heart would do this

Back and forth, I'm such a hot mess

Wish there was some kind of magic

That could to tell my heart to leave me alone.

 

 

 

New Lyrics - "Just Fine"

Woke up with these in my head. Funny:

JUST FINE

I'll be your ballerina, rockstar, MBA, let's play
Songwriter, finance girl, publicist, take a whirl
Receptionist, secretary, VP quite contrary
Anything you want to be - just come along with me

This is your life
This is your time
La la la la la la
Everything will be just fine

I'll be your Taurus, Virgo, Gemini
Which one is my alibi?
TImes Square, Red Square, Trafalgar Square
I'm there
Jesus, Buddha, L. Ron, which one makes you sing your song?
Anything you want to be - come enjoy the ride with me

This is your life
This is your time
La la la la la la
Everything will be just fine

BRIDGE
I don't want to see you giving up the fight
But I don't want to be you, 'cause being me is alright...

I've been broke and I've been rich
Sometimes in the same week stretch
Feel just like a billionaire
Even when the checks ain't there
I know I'm a princess, but I don't deserve less
And if you think I'm crazy, just repeat this after me:

This is your life
This is your time
La la la la la la
Everything will be just fine

Friday Night at the Atlanta Ballet...

Friday night's triple bill at Cobb Energy Centre was nothing less than spectacular. The Atlanta Ballet is rapidly becoming one of my all-time favorite ballet companies, and I have seen many in my day. Several dancers have emerged as favorites, but all are more than capable of dancing leading roles, and there is no "star system" in this company.

Sinfonietta Giocosa was a Balanchine-esque piece choreographed by Christopher Hampson. Vaguely reminiscent of my favorite ballet of all time, Concerto Barocco, the simple costumes, the stark set (an empty stage with a simple lighting change between movements) and bold, athletic choreography, created a contemporary classic visual treat. Standouts in the piece were the ever-effervescent Kristine Necessary, the magnificent Christian Clark; a delightful duet with resident blonde beauties Anne Tyler Harshbarger and Christine Winkler; a strong male cast featuring David Blumenfeld, Jacob Bush, Brian Wallenberg and John Welker; and a pas de trois featuring newcomer Alessa Rogers. Jonah Hooper continues to impress me after his amazing turn as Dracula. And, always outstanding were Tara Lee, Courtney Necessary, Taylor Gill, rounding out the female cast.

"The Firebird" is The John McFall-choreographed vehicle created for Christine Winkler and John Welker. The powerful Stravinsky score creates the perfect backdrop for this delicious abstract piece.

I understand that dancer-choreographer Darrell Grand Moultrie visited the company for just three weeks, on loan from his Broadway run in Billy Elliot. In that short time, he created "Boiling Point", my favorite piece of the evening. While every piece in this program was demanding on the dancers, this was even more so. Athletic, dynamic, powerful, acrobatic, and aggressive are all adjectives that describe the dancing in this piece. Christian Clark's backbend-to-the-floor motion, as fluid as water, was sheer brilliance. The teeny-tiny Peng-Yu Chen was like a bullet shot from a gun, and the gorgeous Kelly Tipton carries herself like ballet royalty, while executing rapidfire moves that dazzled the audience.

Go and see The Atlanta Ballet if you have the chance. I am very much looking forward to Don Quixote and Snow White, in May.

My Next Decade Punch List

As I approach a milestone birthday, thoughts turn to what I accomplished during the last decade, and what I hope to accomplish in the next. Herewith, my punch lists for both.

1999-2009: This was a decade of many ups and downs. The highs were exhilarating, and the lows were devastating. However, I must give proper respect to those events, happenings and accomplishments that marked this extraordinary decade.

:: While the financial highs in no way matched those of the previous decade, there were still some very rich times.

:: I learned to drive, got my license, and other than highways, I pretty much go anywhere, any time.

:: Despite all evidence to the contrary, I have kept my own company afloat for 10 years.

:: Despite all indications to the contrary, I stayed in the same apartment for 10 years.

:: I have kept my word to provide Alan the best care I can and to continually help him to try to get well.

:: I have conquered many fears and accomplished business challenges I never thought I could handle.

:: I have very little debt, and have brought back into control the little that I do have.

:: I have made great strides in patience, tolerance and positivity.


IN THE NEXT DECADE - 2009-2019 I plan to:

:: Achieve a higher spiritual state

:: Achieve my financial "comfort" zone

:: Achieve my happiness zone

:: Overcome fear of driving highways

:: Learn to windsurf, jet ski and possibly buy a small sailcraft.

:: Spend more time in Siesta Key.

:: Get and stay in my best shape ever.

I am sure these will be added to, modified and edited as time goes on, but its a starting point. Excelsior!

Lyrics

These lyrics just popped into my head while I was working out.


I don't need you here to be near you
Because my heart is in your hand
And I don't need the proof to believe you
Because you always take a stand
and I don't need a picture to remember
Because it's tattooed in my mind
And we don't need to ever be together
Because everything is one in the face of space and time

Random. The first line was something someone said to me recently, and it stuck. He was referring to the fact that although distance and even death separates people, as long as you hold their memory in your heart, they are with you. It's an old cliche, but I wanted to put a little metaphysical spin on it. Now the challenge will be to see if I can turn it into an entire song. Co-writers are welcome.

xo

Walking Your Talk

It has seriously dawned on me lately how few people actually DO walk their own talk. I guess that is our flaw as humans - our ideals are greater than our frail wills can handle.

I remember meeting "J", the (then) new wife of a colleague, back when I worked at a venture fund. She was perfect, tall, blonde and gorgeous - smart and well-educated, with a fabulous career leading nature adventure expeditions. She talked of holistic lifestyles and championed regular meditation, whole and raw organic foods, aromatherapy and massage. I admired her sense of adventure and fearlessness of all things outdoors and health-conscious. So, when I saw her dragging away on a cigarette behind the building, the image was clearly compromised. What else about this seemingly perfect individual wasn't what she talked herself up to be? We've all seen it...the "vegetarian" pigging out on the occasional cheeseburger, the "environmentalist" chucking a plastic bottle in with the regular trash...you know the drill.

There is probably no need to mention (but I will anyway) the countless religious "leaders" who have fallen from grace, the Catholic priests, the televangelists, the archbishops, and the tent revivalists. Yet, people are always willing to forgive and forget, and they eagerly welcome a new face with the same message.

Is it their conviction alone that inspires? I am not sure. It seems as if those with the most conviction also fall the farthest.

Still, I believe we need our convictions to keep us on a "path". We will all surely fall from the path and fall short of our own, and others' expectations. But I would rather live a principled, albeit highly imperfect life, than a life with no principle at all. I try to walk my talk, but I don't beat myself up too hard if I occasionally screw it up. Perhaps that makes me a hypocrite, but I prefer to think it just makes me human.