Winter Skies

Michael Koppelman — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 04:14:18 +0000

I wrote the song Winter Skies for the North Dakota Centennial in 1989. I wrote it at Berklee College of Music and made a demo of it (that I still have) and later recorded a version with Tanya Walsh. Later still I arranged a choral version and it was performed many years later by the Grand Cities Children’s Choir in Grand Forks, North Dakota, which is the town I grew up in.

Here, then, is the original version, sung by Tanya Walsh:
Winter Skies

And here is the version performed by the Grand Cities Children’s Choir:
Winter Skies Choral Version

I hope copies of the sheet music that I will make feely available if anyone else would like to perform it.

Winter Skies
No sea to shining sea
Or purple mountain majesty
Grace North Dakotan plains

But spacious skies there are
Clean air and countless shining stars
And mile after mile of amber waves of grain

North Dakota harvest moon
Your autumn afternoons
Have put the shine in my eyes

North Dakota winter skies
It took ’til now to realize
That I love you and will ’til I die

Where simple people care
Words are true and fair is fair
and life and love are precious things

Through smiles that say hello
Through summer’s heat and winter’s snow
The voice of peace forever sings

North Dakota springtime rains
Can wash away all pain
Until sweetness overcomes the sour
North Dakota summer nights
You’ve put meaning in my life
In the weeds of the world
You’re a flower

North Dakota how I pray
That you will never change
You’re my heart
You’re my home

You’re my home

Written by Michael Koppelman
©1989 Tribe of Angels

Judgment Day

Michael Koppelman — Sat, 26 Nov 2005 15:47:48 +0000

Judgment Day

Words and Music by Michael Koppelman, Steve Mayone and Kurtis Koppelman

Judgment Day

In and among the heartless
I wonder about the clueless
Put me among the curious
And the spiritual slaves

With the will of the world behind us
War as a form of kindness
Death marches on relentless
For capital gains

Morning gave her warning
And the wind blow black with rain
And heaven sings a love song
Filled with pain

The ocean magic potion
Of a witches evil brew
Will open up
And swallow you

You said Jesus Christ on judgment day
Will come and set you free
But judgment day is here and where is he
Winter old and bitter and the ice is dull and grey
Heaven’s house is empty on judgment day

Listen to the meaning
And forget the words
Of all the ancient prophesies
And philosophies
The teaching is a raft and you don’t need it
When you make it to the other shore
Not anymore

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Winter Skies

Judgment Day