DEFYING THE DISTANCES (desafiando las distancias)

BOB TELSON

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A LONG DISTANCE LOVE STORY (tracks 11-13 were written and recorded after the CD was released, and continue the story through the pandemic year of 2020, when our protagonists were stranded on different continents, and into 2021 and reuniting)

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1. BED OF ROSES

words and music + vocals and keyboards by Bob Telson; guitars: Jon Herington; percussion: Cyro Baptista; bass: Sergio Brandao

We made love yes we did
In a bed of roses
And all the pleasure we felt
Kept coming on and on

Well we made love yes we did
In a bed of roses
And all the things that we said
Are still in my head

Flower Power yes I feel it coming on
Flower Power in the middle of the afternoon
Flower Power bright colors take me there
By her side is where I belong

Flower Power horizontal samba dance
Flower Power in the morning when it’s time for romance
Flower Power bright colors take me there
By her side is where I belong

Imagine a purple cottage on a mountain lake in Bahia, Brazil
A pink hammock outside to relax in, listening to the birds sing
“Hey baby, let’s go for a swim. I love you, bless your spirit”
And when we get back our canopied bed is covered with flowers 
that grow everywhere, arranged in beautiful patterns of tropical colors

We made love yes we did
In a bed of roses

2. DESAFIANDO LAS DISTANCIAS (Defying the Distances)

words and music + vocals and keyboards by Bob Telson; guitar: Jon Herington

I know baby it’s hard for you
we seem to spend so much time far apart
we live our love in chapters
but there’s too much time in between

and you know baby it’s hard for me
I’d love to have you with me here today
it’s not just the love we make
it’s more than the kiss when we wake
it’s all the little moments between

DESAFIANDO LAS DISTANCIAS 
I miss your sweet loving
DESAFIANDO LAS DISTANCIAS
soon we’ll be kissing and hugging
DESAFIANDO LAS DISTANCIAS
desafiando, desafiando
DESAFIANDO LAS DISTANCIAS
baby hold on

I miss our sweet moments of playfulness
but I feel next to you girl in my heart
it’s not just the love we make
it’s more than the kiss when we wake
it’s all the little moments between

DESAFIANDO LAS DISTANCIAS…

3. YES TO ME

words and music, vocals, piano: Bob Telson; trombone: Dan Reagan

I didn’t know you’d be so funny
but i wanted you anyway
i didn’t know you’d look so pretty
till you looked at me that way

my friends say oh she’s so young
but i feel like a kid at play
sending fifty messages in an hour
for the second time today

that first day we spent together
in your bed listening to the rain
what a way to get acquainted
there was nothing to explain

but now that I know you better
from the words you write and say
the way that we are feeling
gets stronger every day

I offered you my arm 
You accepted naturally
And ever since that moment
I knew you'd say yes to me

yes, yes, say yes to me

4. COULDN'T HELP SAYING IT

words and music, vocals by Bob Telson; guitars: Marc Shulman; drums: Shawn Pelton; bass: Lincoln Schleifer

it’s been a long time since I looked into somebody’s eyes
and couldn’t help saying i love you (oh girl)
it’s been a long time since I looked into somebody’s eyes
and couldn’t help saying i love you (yes girl)

2 voices inside me
one says
you may feel that way right now
you’ve been next to her
(both out of breath
when the words came tumbling out)

2 voices inside me
one says
you may feel that way right now
you’ve been next to her
(made me feel so real
that I didn’t have a doubt)

another voice saying those are serious words
boy you better be sure
cause there’s no return 
once you said it
(Those 3 words are a declaration)

another voice saying those are serious words
boy you better be sure
cause there’s no return 
once you said it
Gonna say it again 
I’M GONNA LET MYSELF LOVE YOU
Gonna say it again 
I’M GONNA LET MYSELF LOVE YOU

5. DAYS OF WAITING

piano, vocals, words, and music by Bob Telson

the thought of going to sleep in your arms
is a powerful motivator
of all the things that i could do
this one I’d like to do sooner than later

the thought of going to sleep in your arms
it brings me happiness and makes me grateful
the thought of going to sleep in your arms
just 9 more days of waiting

DAYS OF WAITING
I will sleep with you all night
While the dark earth spins
with the living and with the dead
DAYS OF WAITING
With my arm around your waist
Neither night nor sleep 
can separate us*
*(bridge lyrics inspired by Pablo Neruda's "La Noche en La Isla")

6. SONG ABOUT BEGINNINGS

words and music by Bob Telson, keyboards and vocals: Bob Telson; guitars: Marc Shulman and Sam Butler; bass: Lincoln Schleifer; drums: Shawn Pelton

I've written too many songs about the death of love
About the struggle to hold on after it's gone
About the freedom and despair
When there’s nobody there
How to pick up the pieces and move on

But now I’m singing a different way
I met someone the other day
Every time we talk 
We have more silly things to say
I’m so glad she’s coming to see me soon

Here’s a song about beginnings
Not about losings and winnings
cause I’m feeling on top of my game 
I write a song every day
cause the girl moves me that way
and I like her voice when she’s talking sweet to me

So now I’m singing a different song
I found the arms where I belong
She says she’s crazy about me
We’re both feeling it so strong
I can’t wait till she’s here with me

It’s a song about beginnings
not losings nor winnings…

well everybody wants a love of their own
and everybody wants a heart to call home
But who can project what might happen next
I’m just glad to be beginning to get to know you

7. DESPELOTE

words, music, voice, piano: Bob Telson, guitars: Marcelo Dellamea, percussion: Cyro Baptista

Draw this picture: 
a lovely girl in a hot bath,
listening to Sinatra.
Here’s the story as she told it to me:

behind above and under
thinking of you
while bathing to Sinatra
remembering the things you do

gradually a feeling 
was growing so strong
instead of just relaxing
I helped it along

Despelote*
que quilombo
el agua en el piso
y se me perdió el mundo

next day while i was working
daydreaming of you
while listening to mozart
Imagining magic flutes

gradually a feeling 
was growing so strong
instead of concentrating
I helped it along

despelote
que quilombo
papeles en el piso 
y se me perdió el mundo

*(English translation: both "despelote" and "quilombo" are Argentine slang loosely meaning "fantastic disorder/pandemonium." Next: water (agua)/papers (papeles) on the floor and I blacked out (se me perdió el mundo, literally "I lost the world")

8. COME SPEND A WEEK WITH ME

piano, vocals, words and music by Bob Telson; drums: Shawn Pelton; bass: Lincoln Schleifer; guitar: Marc Shulman

Come spend a week with me
so we can get to know each other
Bring your winter clothes 
It’s gonna be so cold outside
Yes we can lie in bed 
and read each other poetry
protected from the edge of night
in each others’ arms

Let’s take the A train
all the stories that the faces tell
we’ll make up songs about them
as if we could know them well
but the story that I 
want to know the most about
is you and me cause when we’re making love 
you make me wanna shout

I was lost but now I'm found
Amazing Grace 
Is coming to town
Listen to me baby

come spend a week with me
so we can get to know each other
though you’re in Argentina
far from me on Christmas eve
Santa’s bringing me the best surprise
a boy could ask for
2 pillows for me when I get down on my knees
for Grace
Amazing Grace is coming to town

Come Spend a Week With Me
so we can get to know each other
let’s write our own story
Amazing Grace
She’s got a ticket to ride/ in just a few days
she’ll come to Brooklyn/ be by my side
Come Spend a Week With Me
I’m waiting impatiently
for you to be here with me
Amazing Grace
My world was black and white/ a long cold dark night
Now it's technicolor bright
Come Spend a Week With Me
you make me wanna shout
I wanna know all about
Amazing Grace
is coming to town

9. ASTRONAUTAS

keyboards, vocals, music by Bob Telson; lyrics by Grace Corso and Bob Telson; percussion: Roger Squitero

perdidos en algún punto (lost in some point)
entre la luna y el sol (between the moon and the sun)
van danzando nuestros cuerpos (our bodies go dancing) 
astronautas de amor (astronauts of love)

ya no existe mas el tiempo (time exists no more)
ni las luces, ni el dolor (nor lights, nor pain)
porque te tengo a mi lado (because I have you by my side)
porque estas conmigo (amor) (because you're with me, love)

Seremos locos cometas (We will be crazy comets)
en busca de su Big Bang (in search of our Big Bang) 
danzando entre las estrellas (dancing among the stars)
conquistando la eternidad (conquering eternity)

abrázame con el alma (embrace me with your soul)
siente mi cuerpo palpitar (feel my body palpitate)
exploremos otras galaxias (we'll explore other galaxies)
el infinito y mas allá (infinity and beyond)

Astronautas de amor… (Astronauts of Love...)

10. DIAS PARA VERTE

Bob Telson: piano, vocals, music, and original lyrics for "Days of Waiting" (Spanish adaptation by Grace Corso)

Pensar que dormiré, en tus brazos
me motiva intensamente
De todo lo que quiero compartir con vos,
estar en tus brazos es, lo que anhelo

Pensar que dormiré, en tus brazos
Me hace feliz y bendecido.
Pensar que dormiré, en tus brazos
Faltan solo dias para verte

Días Para Verte

Abrazados en la noche
Mientras gira el mundo
Y los otros duermen
(Días Para Verte)
Con mi mano en tu cintura
Ni la noche, ni el sueño
pueden separarnos*
*(la letra del puente adaptada de "La Noche en La Isla" de Pablo Neruda)

Produced, recorded, and mixed by Bob Telson; mastered by Jon Gordon; CD design by Alex Majewski; front photo by Grace Corso; back photo by Charles Dennis

11. YOU LEARN A LOT ABOUT SOMEBODY

piano, vocals, words and music: Bob Telson

You learn a lot about somebody when it’s over 
She says if you love me please don’t call me anymore 
A decision has been made, and the price that must be paid Is a silence like we’ve never heard before 

You learn a lot about somebody when you wake up 3 lovely years pass by just opening our eyes 
The chocolate and the roses, the rubbing of 2 noses, now the coldness since we said our last good bye 

I wonder if our story’s reached its end She texted fare thee well- again! 

I learn a lot about myself each time we break up 
I let my reason speak when I should trust my heart Though the words I speak are sensible 
They're largely indefensible 
Ghostly leftovers of wars lost from the start 

She threw my clothes out the window (4xs) 
I tried to let her know that I wanted her back with me Like Sophia Loren in an old Italian movie 
Maybe it didn’t happen but it felt like that to me 
but wait... 
There's a second part to this story 
How we changed the course of history 
Turning Dissonance to Harmony 
With our love 
(true love will find it’s way/ sometimes you have to wait) 

U learn a lot about somebody when u make up

 12.  DISAPPEAR

keyboards, accordion, vocals, words and music: Bob Telson; guitar: Marc Shulman

 Sometimes you disappear my love                                                                                                                                                                         Even when you're here my love                                                                                                                                                                           Maybe out of fear                                                                                                                                                                                                     You drift away, drift away from me                                                                                                                                                                         I’d like you to stay (but) 

Sometimes you disappear from view                                                                                                                                                                Even when I'm holding onto you                                                                                                                                                                            Just tell me what you need                                                                                                                                                                                    I'll do my best, do my best                                                                                                                                                                                      To be your understanding partner 

We were at our best when we were  playing                                                                                                                                                          Like 2 kids in love at 14                                                                                                                                                                                          Slow dancing and confessing secrets                                                                                                                                                                Holding hands as we ate our ice cream                                                                                                                                                                    But if I look back now                                                                                                                                                                                              No regrets we had a real good time                                                                                                                                                                          But there’s a shadow in my garden                                                                                                                                                                        Where a bright flower used to shine 

Don’t disappear from view                                                                                                                                                                                    Baby when I’m wanting only you                                                                                                                                                                            Just tell me what you need                                                                                                                                                                                      I'll do my best, do my best                                                                                                                                                                                    To be your understanding partner

13. MORE THAN I NEED

piano, vocals, words, and music by Bob Telson; back vocals: Mel Escudero

You give me more than I need/ more than I can measure 
You give me more than I need/ more laughter and pleasure 

We don’t owe a thing to anyone 
We can do exactly what we want 
So we start the day with a kiss 
And don’t get out of bed until 1 
Then the lunch we eat with delight 
Fills us with desire in broad daylight 
But who will choose the pastry of the day?                                                                                                                                                        These important questions fill our day 

You give me more than I need/ more than I can measure 
You give me more than I need/ more laughter and pleasure 

I don’t have to ask “what’s happening next?”                                                                                                                                                          I prefer to stay here in your arms 
Linger in this moment we’ve found 
Till it’s time to go paint the town                                                                                                                                                                            But by the time we finally hit the street                                                                                                                                                                It’s getting late to find someplace to eat                                                                                                                                                              Then it’s time to go back to bed 
Love you Santa baby’s all she said

 

 

"BANTU" live at the I.D. studio theater (Bronx,NY) 10/22/23