my Rube Goldberg heart by michael hermiston '25 ©️ (original)

i'm uninspired to write new tunes these days, so i'll take elisa's great suggestion and repost this tune from a decade ago ...i've added add some images from pexels and of my son playing from years ago
lyrics:
Gm Cm
some hearts . . . are like rivers that flow
Gm
they carry love to the deep eternal sea
F
and some hearts are like diesel locomotives
Cm D7
roaring through the nights their lonely whistle
Eb7 D7 Gm
blowing passionately
Gm Cm
some hearts like the dunes of sand
Gm
shaped by the winds of their desire
and some hearts like a
F
dry stick of kindling
Cm D7 Eb7 D7 Gm
burst into flame and then charred to ash by the fire
but my heart's a rube goldberg machine
your smile knocks me sprawling to the floor
my head then hits the bottle of wine we just drank
which rolls right past my passion out the door
i dash then to retrieve that noisy metaphor
as it clinks and crashes down the stairs
the rose and the vase i knocked over on your lap
thorns and pain and blood
my heart leaves a big mess everywhere
Gm Cm
some hearts are like a window pane,
Gm
beautiful, fragile and so clear
F
and some hearts sing like cello strings
Cm D7 Gm
their dance is of passion, joy and tears
Gm Cm
and some hearts yearn to leap from a cliff
Gm
arms and hope spread so wide
F
and some hearts are like a crumpled paper bag
D7 Eb7 D7 Gm
feel so tossed away when love has died

[@allayneevans4987]

❤enjoyed this song the lyrics are great and the accompanying videos just perfect

[@beeetleboy518]

Love this song Michael an absolutely fabulous piece of work , thanks for delving back into the past and sharing this with us 👍👍🎸😎🎸BB (👍)

[@DEDE-os7qs]

Really good song dear Michael

[@Bystander929]

I’m sure the muse will return Michael, pleased you listened to Elisa, excellent composition and playing.

[@a-laise]

Beautiful singing!!

[@jeffreyhartmannmusic]

Fine original Michael !!, Thanks friend…jeff

[@desmond-sun]

Wonderful Repost and Additions. You Truly Have A Great Talent For Tune, Words and Videography.

[@DB07OUR]

Love this thanks for sharing 👌

[@MikaelHc1]

Absolutely awesome song, love it. what makes the heart go bum, some things more than others thats for sure:)Thanks.

[@eatonjohnrobert]

I remember this one Michael. I thought the idea was brilliant. I remembered the video as well.

[@roberthaigh3206]

A cool song and video! Very nicely constructed and performed! 😎👍

[@pianothingsmusic]

That’s a gorgeous song!!! So so beautiful 🥰🥰🥰

[@michaelhermiston]

thanks, always had fun performing this one...i'd get a few laughs🚴🏽🕊️🪺🌈🌺🌻💜

[@leif1075]

​@@michaelhermistonCan you PLEASE please share how you came up with tbis MELODY and the LYRICS especiallyand the chords? I'd lpve to know. I'm starting out and strugglw with writer's block. Thanks for sharing and hope to hear from you.

[@michaelhermiston]

@@leif1075 always write about what you know... i spent years making Rube Goldberg machines with my son, combining that with a love song..and the melody is pretty basic...comes from noodling on the guitar...good luck!!

[@caramoonlynn]

So clever. Good treadmill music.

Magnificent song Michael! Well worth reposting! 👍👍👍Great description of hearts!

[@michaelhermiston]

thanks🎶🎵🦋🌹🕊️🪺☀️

My pleasure!

[@doorwaysintomusic]

What an amazing song! Your music just blows me away. Your lyrics!!!! They are so clever, touching, and unexpected. Loved the video too -- the footage of your son is priceless

[@michaelhermiston]

you're very kind, thank you ❤️🎶🎵🕊️🪺🦋🌺🚴🏽☀️😊

[@OldSlydjook]

Wonderful, beautiful .. a pure delight .. we have to thank Elisa .. Your video work alone is top class, Michael !

[@michaelhermiston]

with my musical abilities compromised by the stroke, i am interested in putting more effort into the video side and with the availability of high quality video clip in pexels and pixabay it's great to have fun while the avoiding Ai crutch!! thanks Ralf 🦋🌹🩷🕊️🪺☀️

[@JohnGSchuur]

Some hearts ….. Nice analogy… shaped by the winds of desire ….lovely poetry … I like the troubadour feel of it all … the shift from minor to major chords with the chorus … clever .. artfull video ♥️

[@michaelhermiston]

thanks John, i always liked performing this one, it usually got a lot of laughs ...all the best🦋🦩🙏🏾🎶💙☀️

[@garyschafer-thepickinpilot9010]

I am so glad that you reposted this, Michael. Otherwise, I would never have seen it, which would have been a shame. Terrific, my friend 👏👏🎸🎸💖💖

[@michaelhermiston]

thanks Gary, these old songs become part of the woodwork, you almost forget you wrote 'em 🎶🎵🦜🕊️🦅🦩🌺🌹🌻☀️

[@garyschafer-thepickinpilot9010]

So true....I write 'em, record 'em, and forget 'em 😀😀

[@salmonfishandships]

mm love this song of you from 10 y ears ago ! lets hope we can still play in ten years !

[@michaelhermiston]

for sure!!!!! that'd be a good idea for a song, "i'll play until i sleep forever" thanks Phil🌹🎵🎶🪺☀️🌺💜

[@alphadni]

Beautiful song and video ❣ Rosa

[@michaelhermiston]

thanks Rosa 🙏🏾🥂🩷🦩🕊️🪺🧢🌺☀️

[@elisalouise2678]

What a marvelousssssss, brilliant metaphorical song about love !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You could have mentioned that you are the one who built this crazzzzy machine for your son by turning the house upside down !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)) You are both an exxxxxtraordinary songwrite/musician and an exxxxxtraordinary father, Michael !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 💗⚙💗 ⚙💗⚙💗 ⚙

[@michaelhermiston]

i remember those times fondly, he got pretty good at building those Rube Goldberg machines by the end...he is still a very messy boy when it comes to the house!! thanks for encouraging me to repost, it was fun finding those video clips!!!!🌻🌹☀️🌱🌺🦜🚴🏽💜😊

[@underrateddude368]

Excellent song, Michael. Your song arsenal is so huge. Why not reposting older songs that maybe folks haven't heard thus far? Elisa's suggestion was perfect. Peace & light~Heino

[@michaelhermiston]

thanks so much...i find tunes i have completely forgot about 🤣🎶🎵🕊️☮️

[@BadassBrutusGuitar]

Beautiful original song Michael.... Great idea indeed to repost this song!!! Bert

[@michaelhermiston]

glad you enjoyed Bert...wanna borrow my hairbrush? 🤣🎵🎶🪺🦋💜

[@BadassBrutusGuitar]

@@michaelhermiston hahaha, I haven't used combs or hairbrushes for years.... I just shake it back and forth with my hands and then it should fit well :)

[@CursiMusic]

beautiful, Michael, really enjoyed

[@michaelhermiston]

thanks Al, as always...hope you are doing well in these crazy times!!🕊☮🌻🦜🦢🌺🦋🌞

[@rhopen]

🎶Ron

[@DavidSilk1956]

Wonderful mate! I don’t care if it’s one you’ve featured before, it’s always a genuine pleasure to listen to you and your work. I often visit your channel to re listen to songs you’ve featured and which I’ve commented on before. Uninspired nowadays or not, please try to keep your music flowing. We’d all miss it if you ever stopped completely. Luv n Stuff, your English buddy, Dave

[@michaelhermiston]

thanks for the encouragement Dave ... you too!!!🎶🎵🚴🏽🦋🛶🪕🌅🕊☮

[@GordonRoss83]

Really good song. I’m glad you decided to share it again. Reminds me of early Tom Waits. Hoping inspiration strikes again soon! Dry spells can be frustrating. At least for me anyways.

[@michaelhermiston]

thanks Gordon, ya, it usually went over well when i played it..some folks got the humour, and metaphors.. and thanks for that piece on Jandek, i'm halfway through it...inspiration certainly inspires analysis ...reminded me of my early poetry writing, and journey into painting and giving up of structure...with music i never could dispense with structure, except with chord structure: a few of my tunes abandoned tradition...what the ear naturally "wants" thanks for sending it🙏🏾🥂🩷🕊️🦜🦩🚴🏽☮️

[@GordonRoss83]

@ you are welcome. I am glad you are enjoying so far. I find his attitude towards his art very liberating. Structure for me too has always easier to give up in other creative endeavors. Songwriting not as much. I have dabbled in serialism. Which I guess is just throwing out rules for other rules. I’ve noticed some of your tunes go to really cool non diatonic places. Do you still paint? I would love to be able to one day play music similar to the way someone like Gertrude Stein wrote. Especially like Tender Buttons. I guess that would be considered cubism?

[@GordonRoss83]

@ again. I am glad you are enjoying so far and hope it helps in some way. If nothing else, it is very entertaining. I have several of his albums. Ordered through Corwood. So if you are interested in acquiring his stuff I do have my personal recommendations.

[@michaelhermiston]

@@GordonRoss83 re. painting, my experience with painting was short and sweet..a painting friend came to stay at my cabin on the Bay of Fundy for a summer, she was a really inspired artist, and prolific...i got turned on to painting, in oils : landscapes, figures, still lifes... i painted for a couple of years on pieces of driftwood/plywood and nailed them up on trees along the path to the cabin.. then i got into abstract painting...and totally lost interest!! gradually the paintings either got faded or were taken by folks...i heard from one friend that he woke up after a drunken party at some house to see a painting above the fireplace!!

[@GordonRoss83]

@ that sounds like a really special way to get into painting. That’s interesting how you lost interest after getting into a more abstract style. Im assuming you were as good at painting as you are at writing songs. Otherwise that one would have ended up in the fireplace instead of above it!

[@berniarmstrong]

"my head then hits the bottle of wine we just drank which rolls right past my passion out the door" I laughed out loud at that couplet. This is a fun song... Like you, most of my songs are more serious, but I too write the odd positive one just for fun. I had never heard of Rube Goldberg, but I guess form the images that he is the American answer to Heath Robinson from the UK. Check out the videos of his stuff on KZbin.

[@michaelhermiston]

thanks Berni, i should add to comment about my urge to write either protest tunes or love song these days... i'll add comedic tunes ... crazy times when one idiot and the insane manifestations of his inner wounds can wreck a whole society...or even the world!!! hope you're well 🩷🌹🌺🕊🪺☮

[@folkenbluzer]

I love this one Michael! Rube Goldberg is a brilliant metaphor for coercing love. Did you build that contraption your son is playing with in this video? I regret not doing that with my daughters. Cartoons are what brought me that man's creations.

[@michaelhermiston]

thanks so much....yes i built the first few, he built the later ones... he's out driving with his girlfriend these days...time sure flies by!!!🦜🕊️☮️🙏🏾🌺🧢💙🍷☀️

[@manriq47]

Well, the word that comes to mind is BRILLIANT! So many hearts… sure makes life interesting. Terrific arrangement, inspired video. Does Ethan have memories of that RG machine you built? The vid is definitely a keepsake. Might have to break out the blue prints of Mr. G’s machine for the grands. ~ Mark

[@michaelhermiston]

thanks... start collecting stuff for Max and Sophie's visits...Rube Goldberg machines were a blasts!! i think Ethan remembers but he's a teenager now, so he can't admit it was fun!!

[@figulus1]

Stands up well Maestro!

[@michaelhermiston]

thanks Colin, had fun making the video.....so much available!!! when are you gonna record a new tune? hope you and family are well 🦋🌺🥂☀🎶🎵💜

[@figulus1]

@@michaelhermiston All good here , will write again eventually! Awra best.

[@GordonRoss83]

Perhaps you will find this inspiring. I often go back to this doc when I’m feeling in a rut. Jandek is certainly not for everyone. Even if you can’t stand his music. It’s hard to not appreciate his vision and dedication. kzbin.info/www/bejne/aqTFdaqajcaGacUsi=RjyqxOXNJQexzFqY