This song is about alienation. It’s about seeing the negative events of the world and choosing how to react. There is, for many, a strong temptation to pull away, to remove oneself from the events and any action. That’s becoming a ghost. I understand this feeling, but also think it’s not the best strategy in…

I wrote this song in mid December, but it’s not a particularly cold December this year. A couple years ago, during Covid, we met with our friends outdoors, sitting around a fire. That was a much colder winter than we have so far. And a lot of my imagery comes from those experiences. But it is also meaningful to…

This is a lament from a person who has been dumped and taken by surprise. They are revisiting a place and a time. I wanted kind of an 80s pop/rock song vibe to this, hence the classic synthesizer tone. Had fun with the guitar parts! If you would like to check out the lyrics: http://craigjhansen.com/done-with-me/…

I consider this a blues song although it’s not about pain, but optimism, or at least dealing with challenges. Also, it’s got more of a jazzy vibe than some electric blues. Nonetheless, it’s reflective and was really a fun vehicle for bluesy guitar. If you would like to check out the lyrics: http://craigjhansen.com/the-upside/ The song…

I wrote this song for the More-Tishans, a Stillwater, Minnesota band that was a big hit in the Twin Cities in the 1960s and even had a hit song on the radio. This band was inducted into the Mid-America Music Hall of Fame in 2008. I joined them as the lead guitarist for that event…

I recently read an article about the popularity of social media sites devoted to describing and interpreting dreams. I think dreams are pretty interesting, and I certainly have my share of wild ones. But I’m not sure there is much guidance in them, and, indirectly, that’s what this song is about. The choppy rhythm stands…

I really like some of the atmospheric music that has been going on since the 70s. I like to mix that kind of feel with guitar, as I have done in a number of songs, including this one and Friends/Parade. Anyway, I recently read a book set in the ruins of ancient London, set in…

Well, here is another song with an environmental theme. The lyrics are maybe a bit obscure. I could explain each line, something that might get a little tiresome. The song is a celebration of those who champion environmental issues. My own particular focus in this regard is pollinators. It’s hard for me to understand how…

This instrumental came to me when thinking about sunrise over a lake. The lake I had in mind was Two Island Lake, up in northern Minnesota. Our family camped there a lot. One morning, I captured a picture of a thunderstorm just as the sun poked over the horizon. The photo catches all the shades…

I spent part of my childhood in Peoria, Illinois, which was then a heavily industrialized town. I’ve read recently that whole neighborhoods there are abandoned, similar to Detroit, as populations decline following deindustrialization. While all those heavy manufacturing plants had their problems, I can’t help but feel some sorrow for those large tracts of abandoned…