Around 1970, in addition to writing a few original songs, I tried putting short poems I liked to music, and this is the only one I still like and remember. Tolkien is one of my favorite writers, and this poem spoke to me back then, and does so even more now. I recorded it in September 2025 mixing several tracks for guitar, mountain dulcimer, vocal, and sound effects. I’ve heard several other songs adapting these words, my arrangement is simple, and I think effective. I Sit Beside the Fire.

No © on this one, the words are © the Tolkien Estate. And that wraps up this musical journey through 55 audio tracks, all listed on the My Music page of my blog. Thanks for listening.

Life with Ellen was busy and happy, so I didn’t write any songs for a long time, but in 2002 she went for an extended visit with her mother about an hour and a half away to help with some health issues. I’m not sure how long she was gone, at least a few weeks. At the time I was working on gathering old songs and recording a few new ones for a CD to give to family and friends, and I wrote this song to a standard blues progression, tongue in cheek, but based on real feelings of missing her. How Long?

It was recorded soon after I wrote it, and it’s all me except the digital drum track: vocal, guitars and harmonica. This is the song I played in June 2025 at an open mic at the Old Songs Festival. Almost done with these, last one next week.

How Long? is © Todd Klein, all rights reserved.

From 1982 to 1987 I didn’t write any new songs, though I sometimes played the old ones and probably felt sorry for myself while doing it, but in November 1986 I met Ellen, and everything changed. Then I was too busy to write songs, and I was happy, so I had nothing to whine about either. I only wrote three songs about Ellen, the first was “Going to See Her,” begun before we met, but finished after. This is the second from 1987, but not recorded until about 2006. It’s all me except the digital drum track. The penny whistle worked out better than I expected, and the percussion was a plastic box with ridges that I ran a stick over. Looking for Ellen.

The photo above is Ellen either getting out of or into her Datson B-210 in the parking lot of my apartment, from May 1987, right around the time I wrote this song. I miss her, but we had great times together for many years, and this picture and song are happy memories.

Looking for Ellen is © Todd Klein, all rights reserved.

We’re nearing the end of this musical journey, but here’s one more song about being lonely and waiting for the right person to come along. The photo above is me in my Victorian Halloween costume from 1980, inspired by the film “Somewhere in Time.” I think the song shows I was getting resigned to my fate, but that would change a few years later. Waiting.

The song was written in 1981 but not recorded until about 2006 when I had the Boss BR-8 recorder/mixer and Audacity to work with multiple channels. Everything here is me: acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass, and vocal.

Waiting is © Todd Klein, all rights reserved.

Kathy and I had recorded some music, but that had run its course, and then she contacted me with an idea. She’d found an ad for an original song contest in a magazine, and asked if I could write another duet for us to record and send in. I worked on it, and we both liked what came forth. It’s kind of a similar theme to “Bus Stop” by the Holllies, but I don’t think I realized that at the time. You And I Together.

We recorded the song around February 1981, I put it on a cassette, and sent it to the contest address, and that was the last we heard of it. Not what they were looking for, I guess. Oh well, I like it.

You And I Together is © Todd Klein, all rights reserved.