GET TO KNOW THE SONGS A LITTLE BETTER!

Song Lyrics:

There aren’t any olives in this house, There aren’t any olives in this house, If I had some olives to give you’d be the first one I’d give ‘em to, But I don’t have any olives in this house! There aren’t any olives in this house today!​

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There aren’t any pickles in this house, There aren’t any pickles in this house, If I had some pickles to give you’d be the first one I’d give ‘em to, But I don’t have any pickles in this house! There aren’t any pickles in this house today!​

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There aren’t any Skittles in this house, There aren’t any Skittles in this house, If I had some Skittles to give you’d be the first one I’d give ‘em to, But I don’t have any Skittles in this house! There aren’t any Skittles in this house today!​

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There aren’t any olives in this house, There aren’t any pickles in this house, There aren’t any Skittles in this house, No there aren’t any olives, How ‘bout some pretzel sticks?

Additional Notes:

*Jonathan will frequently ask for different snacks he wants by repeating the word. He was asking for olives one day as we were doing a little music therapy and this tune was born!​

*This is actually the song that kickstarted the whole project when I was attempting to write an original song that would be useful and fun to utilize during autism therapy. That would later morph into a kind of concept record about our friendship.​

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*I have been working with Jonathan since 2017 and we have been best buds ever since!​

Song Lyrics:

This song’s about two best buds takin’ a walk outside, Singin’ tunes, shootin’ the breeze, and getting some exercise​

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Goin’ on up the road, Got no blues to shake, Picking up sticks and stones and throwing them in the lake​

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Takin’ a walk outside, nothin’ to break our stride, Just two best buds enjoyin’ the simple things in life, Just takin’ a walk outside​

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Rippin’ leaves in the autumn breeze, Feel the flow in the winter snow, Without a care in the spring air, Havin’ so much fun in the summer sun​

Additional Notes:

*One of our favorite things to do is to just take a walk outside to get a little fresh air and some exercise.​

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*I wanted this song to musically convey the simple joy of taking a walk outside with a best bud.​

*The changing of the seasons at the end of the song is meant to evoke the way this simple act of walking outside is a constant for us. Ripping leaves in the fall is also one of Jon Jon’s favorite things to do!

Song Lyrics: 

This here's a little tune about my favorite food in the whole wide world, It’s been a long time favorite of many boys and many girls, But when my tummy’s rumblin’ I don’t need no one to tease me, And when it comes to my pizza, I just want it nice and cheesy​

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Cheesy cheesy cheesy cheesy cheesy cheesy cheesy pizza, Woah oh oh, I’ll order mine to go, Cheesy cheesy cheesy cheesy cheesy cheesy cheesy pizza, Woah oh oh, Just thought that you should know!​

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Now I’m getting’ hungry, Somebody’s got to feed me! We can make it Door Dash, it just better be speedy, I really need some pizza and it better be cheesy, I made my order nice and clear so it should be pretty easy!​

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[Do you want the stuffed crust?] Can you even hear me? [Want some pepperoni?] Man, am I speaking clearly? [How ‘bout some peppers?] It ain’t hard to please me! When I get my pizza I just want it to be cheesy, You best believe me, Make it nice and cheesy!​

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Cheesy, meaty, eazy peazy, feed me greasy cheesy pizza, Woah oh oh, I’ll order mine to go, Cheesy, meaty, easy peazy, feed me greasy cheesy pizza, Woah oh oh, Just thought that you should know!​

 Additional Notes:

*When I first began brainstorming for song ideas in my head, I immediately knew “Cheesy Pizza” had to be a track on the album. While we do work on using our words and not repeating too often, “Cheesy Pizza” is one of the most common phrases to hear him say. ​

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*He loves his pizza (Who doesn't, am I right?) and he loves to say it over and over when he wants some! I knew I needed a song that had this phrase repeated over and over, and he instantly loved it upon hearing it for the first time.

Song Lyrics: 

Elbows are better than high fives, ‘cause elbows don’t spread germs, So you better touch elbows, They’re the new high fives, We all live and learn​

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Yeah I said elbows, Well they’re better than high fives ‘cause elbows don’t spread germs​

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Elbows, elbows, elbows don’t spread germs​

Additional Notes:

*Even before the Covid shutdown, we would very often substitute “Elbows” for high fives. It was very common to hear him say, “Elbows!” before we would tap elbows in place of a high five.​

*Writing this album in the Covid era, this concept really made sense to me to get across the importance to kids about not spreading germs. ​​

*I decided to arrange three musically unique versions of the song to randomly spring up throughout the record to emulate the way he would sporadically request “Elbows!” throughout our day!​

Song Lyrics:

Gerry and Gary Geese walking out in front of me, I can’t believe I see what I don’t know, Gerry and Gary Geese walking on the open beach, They were at the Millcreek Mall an hour ago​

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Gerry and Gary Geese sailing on the open seas, They were out amongst the trees down at Brown Farm, Gerry and Gary Geese must be following me, How can they keep the speed of my new car?​

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Gary honks at Gerry, and Gerry says, “Don’t you honk at me!” No you don’t! Oh!​

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Gerry and Gary Geese at the peninsula, They were just up the road with some white swan, Gerry and Gary Geese singin’ the Duck Tale theme, Honking along with me and my pal Jon​

Gerry and Gary Geese walking out in front of me, I can’t believe what I see, what I don’t know, Gerry and Gary Geese, I think I dropped my keys at the peninsula an hour ago​

Additional Notes:

 *In our daily travels it has always been typical for us to see a pair of geese walking by. A long time ago I named them “Gerry and Gary Geese” and we have always marveled at the fact that they are able to follow us from the mall all the way to the peninsula so quickly!​

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*It is very common for me to ask Jonathan, “Who do you see walking over there?” and for him to answer “Gerry and Gary Geese” laughing at the fact that we had just seen them at our previous location, with us both wondering, “How can they keep the speed of my new car?!”​

*I have imagined them as a kind of cantankerous duo of two best geese buds with Gerry complaining about Gary’s incessant honking at him!​

Song Lyrics:

He’s Pickin’ Jonny, Pickin’ Jonny Pickens and pickin’s all he knows (Knows, knows, knows, knows, Pickin’s all he knows!) When Pickin’ Jonny Pickens starts ‘a pickin’, he sure puts on a show (A show, show, show-de-o show, a show de-o show-do show!)​

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But pickin’ ain’t for noses, Spreadin’ germs won’t get you far, That pickin’ he opposes, He said, “Pickin’ ain’t for noses, Pickin’s best on a guitar, Pickin’ Jonny Pickens on the guitar!​

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They call him Pickin’ Jonny, Pickin’ Jonny Pickens, But he won’t pick his nose (He knows, knows, knows, knows, knows not to pick his nose!) He’s Pickin’ Jonny, Pickin’ Jonny Pickens, But he won’t pick his nose (Nose, nose, nose, nose, He won’t pick his nose!)​

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But pickin’ ain’t for noses, Spreadin’ germs won’t get you far, That pickin’ he opposes, He said, “Pickin’ ain’t for noses, Pickin’s best on a guitar, One more time, Pickin’ Jonny Pickens will play the star!​

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Pick it Jonny! The guitar that is…​

Additional Notes:

*Of course, good hygiene habits are something we try to work on. When I would notice Jon wanting to pick his nose in the car, I would put a country accent on and playfully say, “Is that Jonathan back there or is it Pickin’ Jonny Pickens?!” Then, I would tell him, “Pickin’ ain’t for noses, pickin’s for a guitar!”​

*This inspired me to create a country guitar picker named “Pickin’ Jonny Pickens” who was also very conscious of the dangers of spreading germs to write a country-inflected tune about!​

Song Lyrics: 

Different isn’t bad, Sometimes the best friends you’ll ever have, Well they call them different, they call them special, but they’re just your friends, If everyone was the same, well that world would be pretty lame, There’d be nothing to do that you weren’t used to, Yeah it would really be a shame​

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Everyone needs a friend, Yeah even you, Someone you can depend on to be silly with or a funny one, or even a little quirky too​

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The word disability, it never made much sense to me, The ones they call look like they’re havin’ a ball, They’re doin’ fine far as I can see, If you just open your eyes, you might be in for a nice surprise, You see, some of the coolest people you’ll meet, they have special needs​

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Everyone needs a friend, Yeah even you, Someone you can defend, If they’re pickin’ on them, you tell them, “Hey! Get outta here! What’s wrong with you?!”​

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Different isn’t bad, Sometimes the best friends you’ll ever have, Well they call them different, they call them special, but they’re just your friends​

Everyone needs a friend, Yeah you know it’s true, And if you reach out a helpin’ hand, You just may find the one you’ve been helping’s been helping you​

Additional Notes:

 *As this project continued to progress toward something more personal and meaningful, I knew I needed a song to really tie the record together.​

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*This song is more directed toward the random kid/person that encounters those with special needs encouraging them to give them the same respect and attention that they would their other peers.​

*I really felt that this was the underlying message that I was trying to convey with the concept album of Jonathan’s and my friendship; especially to other kids who may have been reticent to give those with special needs a chance.​

Song Lyrics:

We only say things once, but we can sing ‘em twice, We only say things once, but singing’s twice as nice, Just find a melody and sing it right in key, It’s only then you’re free to repeat​

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Use your words so you can be heard when you’ve got something to say, Say it once okay?​

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We only say things once, but we can sing ‘em twice or three or four more times if it’s a catchy rhyme, But please take my advice, if you’re speaking nicely, never say it twice, I’ll sing it one more time to​

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Use your words, it’s always preferred, you won’t sound absurd with nice, new people you meet, But if you’re gonna repeat, you can have a seat!​

Additional Notes:

 *One thing we always try to work on is curbing his repeating. “Use your words.” is a phrase used commonly with Jon to remind him to think first and speak his mind in sentences rather than just repeating a word or phrase.​

*When we are out for a walk someplace, if his repeating gets a little out of hand, I will commonly say, “If you’re gonna repeat…” to which he knows to finish, “Have a seat.” before taking a little break on a bench to remind him to use his words!​

Song Lyrics:

Girl ya ain’t ready, you ain’t ready for Freddy, He’s a funky frog, such a funky frog, The world ain’t ready, it ain’t ready for Freddy Funkmaster Frog (Funkmaster Frog!)​

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He’s headin’ on down to Lily’s pad, ‘gonna chase out her big ol’ toad, He said, “Toadie, you better get out of here!” So, Toadie got up and he hopped on down the road, Freddy said, “Lily, now that we got a little privacy and your frog man, he has arrived, I got the hippest hop this side of the pond, Now let me show you, I ain’t talkin’ jive​

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Hippin’ hoppin’ on down the pond, he took a left on the east side of the bog, Checkin’ in on a pretty amphibian by the name of Miss Polly Wog, And Freddy thought, golly, oh Miss Polly, was the cutest frog he’d ever seen, Hoppin’ by hand in hand with her could make a yellow frog turn green (“I know that’s right!”)​

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And now Freddy Funkmaster Frog, well it’s time, it’s his time to roll, Yeah Freddy, Freddy and Polly, and three little funky tadpoles!​

Additional Notes:

 *One of Jon Jon’s favorite places to go is an elementary school playground in town which has a cool looking statue of a frog with a backwards hat out in front of it.​

*I named him “Freddy Funkmaster Frog” years ago. We always stop to say hi to our funky frog-bud Freddy when we are there.​

*While in the process of writing the record, I remember asking Jon if Freddy should get his own song for the album, and he enthusiastically gave the green light so I imagined Freddy courting his frog-love Polly Wog and came up with this little musical love story!​

Song Lyrics:

Who's the man with the plan? Jonathan! Jonathan! 

Who's the man with the plan? Jonathan's got the plan man!

Who's the man with the plan?

Jonathan! Jonathan!

Who's the man with the plan?

Jonathan's got the plan man!

Additional Notes:

*This little tune is literally just something I will routinely sing to Jonathan after asking him what he'd like to do for the day so it only felt natural to include it on the album!

Song Lyrics:

 Gerry and Gary Geese, They’re right back in front of me, I thought we lost them several tracks ago, Gerry and Gary Geese, They’re heading off to sleep, It’s been a long day chasing us around​

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Gerry snores and Gary says, “Stop that! I’m trying to get some sleep!”​ Shhhhhhh...

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Gerry and Gary Geese are drifting off to dream ‘bout where they’ll follow us tomorrow morning, Shhhhhhh…​

Additional Notes:

 *Just as Gerry and Gary follow us throughout our day, I felt they should also be following us throughout the record so here they make another late appearance.​

*By now they are all tuckered out and ready to get some sleep as they dream of all the places they will follow Jon Jon and I tomorrow.​

*This time it’s Gary who’s annoyed with Gerry for his incessant snoring!​

Song Lyrics:

(Lennon/McCartney)

Two of us riding nowhere, spending someone’s  hard earned pay, You and me Sunday driving, not arriving on our way back home, We’re on our way home, we’re on our way home, we’re going home​

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Two of us sending postcards, writing letters on my wall, You and me smelling candles, lifting handles, on our way back home, We’re on our way home, we’re on our way home, we’re going home​

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You and I have memories longer than the road that stretches out ahead​

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Two of us wearing raincoats, standing so low in the sun, You and me chasing paper, getting nowhere, on our way back home, We’re on our way home, we’re on our way home, We’re going home​

Additional Notes:

 *I felt from the beginning of my process that I would like to end the record with a nice cover tune if I could find one that fit appropriately as a closing song.​

*I have certainly passed my deep love of The Beatles on to Jon throughout the years so we are both big fans. I gave it a lot of thought and this song seemed like the perfect way to wrap it up!​

*After all, that’s how each of our days comes to a close. Just two of us, two best buds, on our way home…​