Cradle by Tom Schafer

Playing all the songs with only myself gave me more control to better bring these songs to life.

I relied on influences ranging from the lyrical imagery of Dylan and Springsteen, to the instrumentals of Santana and the shuffles and rhythms of SRV. There are so many others that have been part of my musical roots so many. I broke down a little description of each tune, all I can say is give a listen, and I hope you like it. It took seven years to write this labor of love, love every minute of it.

Explanation of each Song from the CD CRADLE

The title track CRADLE was last the last song I wrote and it explores the lines of doing yourself in or not. I guess a constant struggle that many if not all of us go through in some shape or form.

SWEET LULLABYE is a love song that cannot give into love totally. The singer so badly wants to give to the one he or she loves but knows there are thorns but also sweet rewards “ to lay in your bed for eternity”.

KROSS BY THE ROAD is about the loss of a child, and how one deals with it. I got this idea to write this tune because everyday I would see more and more crosses and dedications by the road, so I wondered how do you get through the minutes, hours, days knowing that child is not around. I only hope I did this particularly subject with justice.

BLOOD TO BLOOD is a letter to my son Matthew to tell him that things are good but hard. That nobody is better or worse and we are all in the same boat. The same journey we all share the same laughs and tears. His blood is mine, my blood is his, and if will always flow through your veins, always.

SWEET DREAMS FOR BRIGITTE is written for my daughter Brigitte. I like to think that this song is one long dream that my daughter is having. There are different parts of this dream, the slow melodic part, which is a deep sleep part, is filled with tension and them release. Them the following section slowly starts to pick up to give rise to a rhythmic dance. Finally the end arrives with a slow sweet melody.

AIN’T THAT A SHAME is faith in one’s self, that gut feeling that there’s no denying that it exist, something strong and no matter what has been written or not written you cannot deny. Faith is a spirit within. Life and death are not yours but in between this points and belongs to you.

SWEET LADY. I wrote this for my wife because I realize I love her more than I let on, and I wanted her to know that before anything happens, good or bad.

TREAT ME SO BAD was the first tune I recorded. This tune I was letting go of lots of years of emotions that had to be cleaned, flushed it out.

ASHES FALL FROM THE SKY was written for 9/11. For the living and the dead. To remember to forget, to look forward, but now always check over your shoulder. I guess to never forgot.

KNIFE HANGS ON THE FENCE sometimes we all have a hand in creating the goods on this earth, but we all have a hand in building monsters that we forget about. We become blind to the truth, the real truth. Something we can’t face.

THIS LITTLE PRAY FOR GIGI is written for a lady, my mother to let her know I know what she went through. To give her this little pray every time I play this song.

Thanks again for your time.

Tom Schafer

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