Soft songs. Open questions.
“Somewhere between grief and grace,
these songs found their voice.”
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"Gentry Dodd's music is a breath of fresh air. Honest, soulful, and deeply moving."
-Jake Hollander
"What an experience it was to go on a musical journey exploring the depths of this young man."
- Jenna Capps
"His lyrics cut straight to the heart. A true artist with a gift for storytelling."
- Silver Lined Recording
The journey
Now settled just east of the majestic Rockies in the vibrant city of Denver, Colorado, comes a captivating sound that beautifully blends cinematic landscapes with deeply emotionally raw storytelling. Discover the rich tapestry of Gentry Dodd's musical influences and delve into some of the profound experiences that have significantly helped define his unique sound.
"Greetings, I'm Gentry Dodd, an independent artist and songwriter now living in the heart of Denver, Colorado. My music is my way of connecting with the world, sharing stories, and exploring the depths of human emotion. This is where I can truly be myself, and create and reminisce. I am humbled and grateful that you are taking time to explore my music, my story, and my purpose."
Featured releases
Explore and experience some of Gentry Dodd's songs, crafted with intention and emotion. Each release is a chapter in an ongoing story, inviting you to listen closely and feel deeply.
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Composition Notebook
Gentry Dodd InColor
Lyrics & Songs · Working Drafts
open journal →
property of:
Gentry Dodd InColor
gentrydodd.com
Contents
· You Can Keep Your Coins
· His Wrinkles Are a Roadmap
· Smoke Signals
· No Magic Eraser
· Wildflower
· Burning on the Embers
· Baby I Got History
· She's Been Beaten
· Gotta Get Out of My Head
· Interstellar
· Hold On / Rerun
· Summertime Is Over
· Optimistic and Honestly
· Presentation of Thought
· This Skin It Has No Meaning
· Portraits and Places
· The Road to Anywhere
· So Cold
· My Ticket Flew Away
· I'm Tired of the Pictures
· Just So You Know
· It's Been a While
· Trying So Hard to Forget
· I Climbed Out of a Paper Bag
9/14
You Can Keep Your Coins
I haven't sold my soul or traded my time
Ain't a slave to a dollar ain't turning on a dime
Ain't workin all day for a minimum wage
I'll get rich in different ways
To my grave I'll take all the memories I've made
You can keep your coins
If you give me change
No need to settle if my home is the road
Cut up red carpets stitch some clothes
The wind is my silver and this sky is my gold ✓✓
Spirits travel no boundaries
Won't be weighed down by no jewelry
— chorus —
Empty pockets and a heart of gold ✓
Take me as I am love me til I'm old
cont. next page →
1
You Can Keep Your Coins (cont.)
Cherish the sounds of wind in the trees
Morning whispers from the birds and the bees
I'll grow a garden let the kids run free
Rolled up pants and dirty feet
— chorus / "savor today" —
Let go of the past if it don't serve you
And if you jump I'll be jumping too
— chorus / "turn the page" —
Not sure about heaven don't believe in hell
Not sure if I've been here before can't tell
I know I've loved and I know I've sinned
I know this moment won't come again
↑ different song entirely??
2
11/2
His Wrinkles Are a Roadmap
His wrinkles are a roadmap ✓✓
To the life that he once lived
Showing his accomplishments
All the things that he did
And now he's lying down
In a dream that never ends
I hope that he is happy
From now until the end
I'm sorry for the wrong things I did to you
I'm sorry that my words weren't always true
But I'll levernever say that I'm sorry
For saying that I love you
Eyes closed arms crossed
I know that he is happy
And the crying stops
← this is the one.
3
10/8
Smoke Signals
Smoke signals gave me away
Looks like it's my turn today
The more I love
The more you stray
I guess that's the way
That it is
Bonfire gave me away
The more I'm serious
The more you play
You're the star of the movie ✓✓
I'm working backstage ✓✓
You're up for a Grammy ✓
They forgot my name
The more I root your branches sway
The more I give you take away
too easy — fix
almost there
4
2/17
No Magic Eraser
There's no magic eraser
That will ever erase here
Like that stain on your shirt from last weekend ✓✓
The one that's staying
But she's my charm ✓
Yeah she's my charm
I ditched this whole dream for you
I'm standing but this plane isn't landing soon
I need you here
Let me be clear
I'm longing
—— work in progress ——
← YES. this image.
bridge section broken
5
3/4
Wildflower
You followed your dreams to leave this town
I built a home and settled down
With all the miles in between
All I knew and what you needed
I counted all the hours
Loving you like a wildflower ✓
It burns so bad to watch you go
But you knew you had to leave to grow
The sun comes up I water the ground
Hoping one day you will come back around
I counted all the hours
Loving you like a wildflower
—— needs a third section w/ more specific image ——
needs a bridge
6
8/29
Burning on the Embers
I've been burning dancing on the embers
Of a town that I burned down
Melted rubber from my boots ✓
Ashes of pictures of family roots ✓
So many lies hide so little truths
I struck the match
The serpent I followed on the dragon I flew
Chasing down eagles as the embers grew
I never once even thought about you
[ separated from graduation song — two different songs ]
stand-alone song ✓
7
1/11
Baby I Got History
Baby I got history that I can't seem to shake
Thoughts are on fire inside my brain
In my head lives a symphony playing harmony
To all the wrong I've said
In my frontal lobe there's a disconnect ✓
A selfish life leads to much regret
Forgive myself but never forget
You can call me a mental wreck
That's okay I'm not done healing yet
Retrace every line of the portrait of my past ✓
Study the depth to the shadows
Every particle entangled ✓
I'm learning to love myself again
push the portrait metaphor
8
4/3
She's Been Beaten
She's been beaten by the world
You can see it in her eyes
Thought how she ended at least a thousand times
Today is the day she finally will try
Last breath after a letter she kissed to say goodbye
Johnny lost his mommy when he was 13
First relapse after 10 years clean
Daddy in the other room not listening
Now Johnny took his own life
Because he felt nothing
—— chorus: not written yet ——
—— needs to rise to meet these verses ——
handle w/ care — this one matters
9
7/22
Gotta Get Out of My Head
I gotta get out of my head
And into yours
There's just something about you
That I've been longing for
Maybe it's the taste of your lips
Or the softness of your skin
Or the way your body curves has really got me giving in
And you didn't have to try
I gotta get out of my head
And just stay the course
Move only with good intention
Trust in the source
I gotta get out of my head
And rest assured
Life's construct is my invention
How could I ask for more
hook is strong — decide what the song is about
10
Fragments & Seeds
— scattered lines, keep everything —
Be brave and beautiful
But don't you dare get used to it
(50 years to go) ??
———
Morning brings what the evening takes ✓✓
[ build a whole song around this line ]
———
I miss my mom
I think about her all the time
I miss my dad
Surrendering isn't forgetting ✓✓
Memories give substance to dreaming ✓✓
———
I ain't no friend with the hourglass
I'm getting older running from my past
nothing is wasted — keep it all
11
5/16
Interstellar
Interstellar
Constellations
Story teller
A revelation
From the grey where love remained
In a far off destination
Light years away
They say a Big Bang gave us a vibration
And the road was paved and it led the way
To an earthly fabrication
We ate the apple
Evolved our foundation
Ego awoke surfing radio stations
May the words we pray and the seeds we lay
Sustain this godly plantation
May our threads not fray all promises be made
cosmic feeling — needs a grounding image
12
6/8
Hold On / Rerun
Hold on for a little while
I'll come on 2 with a clue for you
But for a little while can we sit here in silence
This is a rerun
The argument you put us in is a rerun
And it's driving me crazy
But it's a rerun
I'm breaking my barrier
For the city of
HatWhat is said and done
No more reruns
When this is over and the day is saved
But it's over
The wind don't blow and the sun don't shine
It's over
rerun concept = strong, lean into it
13
9/1
Summertime Is Over
Summertime is over and the nights are long
Complicated thoughts helped me write this song for you
Time and time again when you've let me down
I'm still standing at your front door
And I'm not leaving here now
Without you
But the thoughts in my head are driving you away
They say it's time to move on to another day
To heal this wound is more than the bees and the birds
I hope that your actions speak louder than your words
I know it may seem crazy and a little untrue
But I swear a million times I only wanna be with you
Take my hand and we can run away from here
I'll tell you how I love you so quietly in your ear
strong chorus
14
12/14
Optimistic and Honestly
Optimistic and honestly
You were right and I was wrong
But I mentally must stay strong ✓
I fuckmess it up and I complicate
Will you help me communicate
With my creations
In my head my thoughts belong
Tie it tight and stow it away
We'll set out for our getaway
Build brotherhood beautifully
Bringing bags filled with ecstasy for all nations
Massive meadows in a masterpiece
We set out so silent discreet
And made a miracle
first 3 lines = best in the song
15
8/7
Presentation of Thought
Presentation of thought and a bag of dreams
I carry on my shoulder such wonderful things
To make my world go round
And in my head it is perfection and a genius too
But I better break out
Can you help me break out
To send our worries away
To a world of wonders in the Milky Way
I found a loophole
Let's sail away
To the stars we are on our way
We can crack the locks and cut our way right through
To the fields of our freedom and free lifestyle
Won't you join me
16
4/22
This Skin It Has No Meaning
This skin it has no meaning
If I'm changing with the seasons
Even with a thousand reasons
I'll never understand
So I'll sail away for the season
Go find my place with reasons
I'll write a whole new meaning
To help me understand
I want to understand
——————————————————————
——————————————————————
——————————————————————
short + almost complete
needs a third verse
17
11/19
Portraits and Places
Portraits and places and atmospheres
Friends and foes and family
With the big waves now crashing
And the boulders now clashing
I'll start my story I was set to tell
Practice perfection and choose your willingness
Reach for the sky and don't be hopeless
Sure the moon is now shining
And our stars aligning
I'll start my story I was set to tell
—— unfinished ——
good rhythm — find a third verse
18
2/28
The Road to Anywhere
The road to anywhere has gone and passed
And now I'm going nowhere oh so fast
Life's love and lessons passed me by
Another day is over and my night has died
Your grace has tried to shine on me
To help me figure out what I need to be
But I pushed and shoved him through my days
But I'm ready to take it all in from here
To walk right down this winding road
Cause I'm not scared if you'll be by my side
To break right through the irony
If you take time to see inside of me
Now I've fallen on my knees and I'm trying to get up ✓
My stomach is sick and my body numb
And my voice won't let me shout
last 3 lines = strongest ✓
19
7/3
So Cold
I swear you never changed me
I know this makes you angry
Pedal to the metal while you're yelling at me
you're the one who saved mewhen I saved me ✓✓
Girl you're just so cold
Never doing what you're told
Now I'm getting old
And you're still so cold
Only came round for the fucking
Too bad I'm not your second hand
Come around only when you want something from me
Cause I want me ✓✓
— chorus —
"when I saved me" = earns the whole song
20
3/31
My Ticket Flew Away
Excuse me for just today
Concentrate on what I will say
If you chose not to our thought may linger
Use your judgement and choose wisely
So our story's like a puzzle
When all our pieces just won't fit
Nothing matters in the ending
But it's in our ending when it matters most
My ticket flew away
Its golden lust turned grey
Sing a song for today
Because my ticket flew away
Under our pier I found perfection
So I remembered and kept it for my redemption
It is in our anger we are made that way
"golden lust turned grey" ✓ keep
21
10/15
I'm Tired of the Pictures
I'm tired of the pictures in my head
Conclusions I've been through
Words I've said
The pictures that I have painted in my head
Are filled with grey skies and fields of red
So what can I do now to change my ways
To fill new blue skies and rid the grey
Add in a sun shining down on a city
Scraping the skyline
I'm painting the pictures of my life
Starting with the outline
I lost all focus and drew a blank
It took 10 years to recoup and rethink
I gathered my thoughts and held on tight
They cool my anger and they warm my nights
painting metaphor — push further
22
8/25
Just So You Know
Just so you know
I'm a mastermind
Creating chaos and killing dreams
Pen to paper
You lucked out this time
I'll write you later
With something greater to say
You're letting it all fall down
Day by day down to the ground
Just so you know
I know your kind
Giving me chaos and killing my dreams
Pen to paper
I lucked out this time
I won't write you later
With something greater to say
— chorus —
v1 flip of v2 = clever ✓
23
1/5
It's Been a While
It's been a while since it started now I'm on the run
What I've done is so bitter
Turn on a friend for fun
Now it's been a while since it started
I've left my old and I've started new
Different faces same situations ✓
But this time around I've got you
I'll find my way home
Where all is peaceful and known
If I'm bound to break I'll be there alone
To the land of future the land called home
—— unfinished ——
24
6/17
Trying So Hard to Forget
Trying so hard to forget
Situations I put you in
With failure as my forte on the front line
All I can see is ruins
Do we take this as a memory
One that we'll talk of now and then
Or do we keep repeating history
And do this all over again
I wouldn't have it any other way
Been running after you so long I got holes in my shoes ✓
With one step forward and two steps back
I can do the math I'm still going to lose
— chorus —
"holes in my shoes" = specific ✓
25
12/8
I Climbed Out of a Paper Bag
I climbed out of a paper bag
Full of cheap whiskey and a highball glass ✓
I parted ways with the good old days
Where the smoke in the night would take the hurt away
Physical withdrawals don't seem that bad
After losing the life I had
Heartache where you used to laugh
Wonderful mother that you loved but treated bad
Every pretty little girl deserves to grow up with a dad ✓✓
Missing all the memories though it hurts so bad
Call me all the time and I never call back
It's time to change my ways
Time to get back on track
the father line is devastating — protect it
26
More Seeds
— these want to be finished songs —
———
Thoughts turn to words
My words turn to actions
It's my frequency that controls the rate
And my focus needs direction
And my life a little balance
———
Four years down and no more to go
My friends are all happy in their robes
While I'm watching from the stands
On graduation day
[ graduation song — separate from Embers ]
———
Believe in more than you see
Breathe breathe for me
Cause my chest is getting heavier
I'm afraid to die
[ powerful in a spare way — wants to be finished ]
nothing is wasted
27
folk & americana · denver, co
gentrydodd.com
"soft songs. open questions."
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