Original Song: 8th Anniversary for Erika

So, here is how this happened.

Monday Night: I mention to my wife, Erika, that I'm thinking about playing some Call of Duty: United Offensive tomorrow night with the boys.  She asks, "Are we doing anything tomorrow?"  Instantly I get my sinking feeling in my gut.  What have I forgotten now?  Is tomorrow Valentine's day?  No, that doesn't make sense.... this is June.  Hrm.  So, I go ahead and hang myself by asking, "What's tomorrow?"   Yup.  You guessed it.  It was our 8th wedding anniversary.

Tuesday Afternoon: During an insanely busy day at work, I keep playing Ukulele between stabs of productivity at the keyboard.  It's time for the hail Mary pass.  It's time for an authentic anniversary love song for my baby doll.  But, more than that, it's time to deliver it on our actual wedding anniversary.  As you've seen in the past, I normally deliver these a day or so after the special event.  Come hell or high water, that was not happening this time!

So, here it is.  Four verses even!  Of course, there isn't a bridge yet, but I can work on that down the road.

If you are interested in the chords and words (Hay, maybe your life is exactly like mine so you can re-use the song for your wife?):

F# C#7 F# A# B C#

8 years ago, we got joined, in holy matrimony
then I took the band and left you while we toured around Estonia
In those two weeks I knew that I needed to be near ya
wherever you are I'll follow you and make your "there" our "here"-a

C# fiddly part

7 years ago, we told just about everyone who'd listen
that the world was too damn full for us to put any more kids in
well it turns out that we that last part wrong
you need at least 4 voices to sing our family's song (maybe just 4, eh?)

D#min B F#
C# D#min B C#7

We got engaged for all time
or at least the rest of our lives

And I'd be lying if I didn't admit
that I think I got the better deal by more than a little bit

6 years ago we got ourselves a towheaded something special
I thank my lucky stars that we weren't being careful
I can't imagine our empty lives without that tiny babe
Sure we'd get more sleep,  but we can do that in the grave

4 years ago, we decided to make our boy a brother
and even though they fuss and fight I know they love each other
who coulda guessed that ours hearts had holes inside
that our boys patched right up because they were exactly the right size

Chorus

 

Video: “I’m a mess” – the Valentine’s Day song

Now, before we get started, I have some defending to do.  Since February 2nd, at least one person in our house has been sick.  For myself, I was sick from like the 6th through the 13th.  So, as you can imagine, all of the Valentine's Day planning and shopping that I would normally do went right out the window.  Now, I know what you are thinking, "Hang on Ukulele Guy, you don't strike me as a real planning type.  How can we accept this excuse when you probably wouldn't have done any planning or shopping for Valentine's Day had you been healthy?"  And, my reply to that is "Shut up!"  Sheesh.

So, anyway, once again I'm left with only my once-quick-but-now-dulled-through-years-of-beer wits and my trusty Ukulele.  Thankfully, driving to my oldest son's Valentine's Day party at school I got stopped at a train crossing.  I swear the train must have been 200 freaking cars song.  For some reason I had the radio off so I just started singing "I'm a mess, but I'm your mess" and that got me started.  Unfortunately, it took me until February 15th to finish the song.  But, on the plus side, I actually wrote a bridge for once.  Anyway, here's the video for it.

Now, I'm not sure why you would want the lyrics and chords to this song. I mean, unless your kids are also named Simon and Gus and you also like all the same stuff that I do and you also drink beer and play Nethack till 4am? If those things are true then we need to hang out.

I'm a Mess - Ukulele Guy
Chords:
Ab - 5343
Cm - 0333
Db - 1114
Gdim - 0101
Bbm - 3111 (sometimes 6564)
Fm - 5543 (sometimes 1013)
Eb - 3331 (sometimes 3336)

Bbm  Gdim
Intro

Ab
I am lying on back lookin' up
Cm
not a star in the sky
Db
or a satellite
Gdim
and I wonder why
       Bbm 3111 6564
wonder why-y-y-y-y

Well I can 
Ab
waste time thinking bout stars
Cm
till the early morn
Db
yet year after year I somehow manage to forget
      Gdim
the day you were born

that perfect day that you were born

           Ab
Well I'm a mess
        Fm (5543)
But I'm YOUR mess
                Bbm (6564)
despite all the stupid things I do
    Eb 3331
I'm hopeless-ly
    Eb 3336
craz-y about you

Bb Gdim

Who do you pick
in a battle 'tween a wizard and jedi knight
it's important
that I answer this one right
well I may stay up all night

And when I 
don't get up in time to help with simon and gus
it was just because
the question was too tough
but I answered for the both of us
Chorus


Fm
And even if I said that I tried my best to
Ab
warn you
Fm
There is no way you could know
Ab
what you were getting into
Bb                Fm
I am geek on nerd compounded
Bb Fm
I am dorkiness expounded
Eb
But I'm yours
Bb         Gdim
I'm youuuuurss
and I'm a mess
Chorus