FAWM: "Bardic Doubt"

Bardic Doubt

2025 by @dr_griff

Liner Notes

A bard who's really insecure about his abilities spills his feelings to a friend.

Lyrics

Capo 3 Verse 1 G Too many times Em I feel the weight of the whole world Am7 On my shoulders G Dragging me down Too many nights I lie in bed awake and curled Around the pain, around the worry All around

Verse 2 I feel the pain Of all the people that I know And the ones I don’t The ones so far away I feel a need To fix the problems, make them go To another where and when Another way

CHORUS 1 C D But I’m not a miracle worker G Em Just a common man C D I’m not a magic wizard G Em Just doing all I can Am7 D I’m not a genius G Em I’m just a guy with a guitar Am7
I can’t sing away the problems D
They’re too far

Verse 3 I see the loss The harm, the pain, the greed Of the world Pulling me in What do I do? I feel the deep and aching need Why is it so hard to find A way to begin?

CHORUS 1

Verse 4 How do I heal The loss, the wounds, the tears Of my home Where do I start? How do I feel The agony and anguish Of humanity Harming my heart

CHORUS 2 You’re not a miracle worker Just a common man You’re not a magic wizard You’re doing all you can You may not be a genius But you’re a guy with a guitar You can give them all some solace D
That goes far G I promise, it goes far

Comments

@janeg 2025

We have never, in my lifetime, needed the solace of such music more than now. And our need may increase. Your gentle, caring style is perfect for our times.

@tawny249 2025

I want to reassure the guy with the guitar, and say you did some neat and DIFFERENT things with the rhythm and melody here. 😄 It's lyrically well constructed, and you sing it so earnestly. Keep this one and play it often.

@matthewsanford 2025

I like how you stretch the pieces that make up each line across a couple different chords in the verse, gives a better flow to it. Not sure if I ever told you this brother, I'd read Taran Wanderer a bunch young (part of The Black Cauldron series) and became a bit obsessed with Fleuder Flam. in that pre-teen learning guitar and starting by writing songs to play, I imagined calling the band (or solo act? I wasn't playing with anyone) "The Bard's Tale". This really highlights the importance of music and musicians, providing solace for the soul, bringing others into a place made for understanding with the lull and changes of the frequencies of sound, getting them all in tune with each other....and of course with a bit of sadness, cause that is always important to recognize!

@joe_addams 2025

Wow! I agree with the friend, its got power.

@infilktion 2025

I absolutely love the fingerpicking and chord progression you used. Before the lyrics even started, this song was soothing. Love the chorus shift at the end to being from the friend's perspective. A song every empathic bard should listen to and heed the friend's advice. Wonderfully done! - Natalie