Bob Lopez Music

The CD Title
The title of this CD has a double meaning in that it not only comes from the title song but also describes all of the different shades and hues that make up a person's life. This CD has songs that speak of loves found and loves lost, the joys of parenthood, and the pleasure derived from just sitting around picking your guitar.

To hear any of the songs below, click on the Words & Music link below its description. Enjoy!

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THE COLORS OF A MAN
At some time in our lives we reach a point where we have achieved most of the goals we established when we were younger. When that occurs, it becomes important to find a way to re-define ourselves and create new goals and challenges in other areas, or risk being consumed by boredom and stagnation. The recording of this CD, in many ways, has been part of that process for me.
Words & Music

NATALIE
This song was written two weeks after the birth of my first child. As I held my daughter in my arms and looked down at this amazing creation of life, I found myself singing these words to her, promising to love and protect her, knowing we would be linked together by a bond that would last forever.
Words & Music

THAT MORNING IN SEPTEMBER
Where were you on the morning of September 11, 2001? I was in my office in Manhattan when news of the tragedy began to spread like a viral infection throughout the hospital. I will never forget trying to make my way home across bridges clogged with hundreds of stranded people on foot, their faces reflecting confusion, numbness, and disbelief that something like this could happen to our city. The sense of human loss was palpable, as if the air were saturated with the souls of the innocent rising toward a kinder world. Almost three thousand voices were suddenly silenced, their future songs, poems, and prayers forever lost. This song was written to try and express some of the emotions we all felt on that day and continue to feel in the aftermath of this life-changing event.
Words & Music

FOREVER AND TODAY
The words of the first verse of this song came from a poem I wrote to my wife several months before we were married. It speaks of the knowing promise into which two people enter when they vow to spend a life with each other, looking forward to sharing the next few minutes together as well as the multitude of human events that lie further ahead.
Words & Music

PICKING MUSIC
As a teenager, I would lock myself in my room and spend hours sitting on my bed playing my guitar, as I struggled through the confusion and isolation of high school and a broken home. During those times, my guitar was my only true friend, someone who gave without question, providing only comfort and peace. I wanted this song to sound like a group of friends sitting around on a porch, singing songs and playing their guitars, as I often did with my friends Dave, Hank, and John.
Words & Music

ROSEMARIE
Much of my music is influenced by the country-rock popularized by the Eagles in the 1970's. This song reflects that influence more than any of the others in this collection. At the time this song was written, I did not know anyone named Rosemarie, nor was it inspired by anyone in my life.
Words & Music

THE COLORS OF A MAN
FIDDLE VARIATIONS BY STEVE SCHILLER - After recording three separate fiddle takes to be used for " The Colors of a Man ", we re-played them simultaneously to decide which to use in the song. The result was this surprisingly beautiful and haunting piece of music.
Words & Music

WALKING HOME ALONE
Having grown up in Southern California, I found moving east to Boston to go to medical school was a culture shock, but not as much as my move from Boston to New York. I was struck by many of the negative aspects of the city, such as the pervasive poverty, the homelessness, and the graffiti-laden, burned-out buildings. This song reflects my earlier impressions of city life, but over time I grew to like, and eventually love, New York City, and since September 11, I now consider myself to be a New Yorker.
Words & Music

THE LOVE SONG
As with most of my songs, I usually write the music first and then play it over and over until I get a feeling for what I want to say with the words. ( The exception in this collection is " That Morning in September ", which began as a poem .) As soon as I came up with the music for " The Love Song ", I knew what the theme of the song would be.
Words & Music

OCTOBER SONG
This song was written on a gray, overcast autumn day as the fallen leaves were swirling and the wind chimes were babbling outside my window. It begins with a quiet, almost classical feeling, develops a rock flavor as the bass and drums become more intense, then takes on a gritty, hard edge as the electric guitar takes over. I wanted this song to represent the changing of the seasons, from the cool breezes of October, through the cold rains of November and December, and into the bitter winds of winter.
Words & Music

THAT MORNING IN SEPTEMBER - UNPLUGGED
The guitar and vocal in this version were from the original take, onto which were to be layered drums, bass, piano, and background vocals. After recording it, I decided that it was a little too slow, so we re-recorded it as the version on track 3. However, after going back and listening to this take again, I decided I liked the quiet, almost prayerful feeling of this version, which fits well with the theme of the song. The harmonica was added later.
Words & Music

TRAIL OF ANTS
I decided to include this poem on this CD, even though it technically isn't a song. It speaks of the ongoing question in all our minds regarding faith in a higher power and whether the events that happen in our lives are random or part of a " grand design ". This poem reflects my personal philosophy that we have a choice to either believe or not believe, but choosing to believe makes life more bearable since " having life without a soul would take from us too great a toll ".
Words & Music