FAWM: "I Haven't Yet"

I Haven't Yet

Liner Notes

FAWM 2026 / Song 4 Instrument: koa baritone ukulele tuned low DGBE

Skirmish (1-hr challenge) prompt: Forgive yourself in the second person, as the other person.

Writing #lyricsonly for this skirmish because it's after bedtime here, so I can't record a demo. Might set it to music one of these weeks...

UPDATE: adding a demo 2/3. Melody may open a little too similarly to another song I’ve written, but here’s the draft in progress.

#ukulele #singersongwriter #personwithukulele #girlwithukulele #acousticonetake #fuc #uke #acoustic #midemfoke #baritoneukulele #baritoneuke

Lyrics

The sunroom where I had a bed but Didn't sleep, I slept with you And it was bright that day, you couldn't hide Maybe light made it harder when I cried.

That day, that afternoon That I forgive you for, We never speak of but I don't forget I mean, I haven't yet.

The bottom shelf, between tall books, you Hadn't even hidden it Nor would I look for trouble, not back then I only wanted paper and a pen

That day, that afternoon That I forgive you for, We never speak of but I don't forget I mean, I haven't yet.

BRIDGE And all the things you said, you wrote, you felt They cut me dead, they sent my mind to hell I didn't know you'd kissed him or How you had wanted something more So tell me why you wrote it down So tell me that you didn't want it found

The cinematic drama of you Ripping pages from the rings Running to the bathtub, lighting matches so they'd burn I lived there, too, I had nowhere to turn.

That day, that afternoon That I forgive you for, We never speak of but I don't forget I mean, I haven't yet.

Comments

@kristi 4d

Interesting to hear this having just listened to Jeff's version. The emotions come through especially in those chords in key spots. Very effectively conveyed.

@newukenewyork 3d

Thanks very much -- and for listening to both! :)

@damschen 4d

Just listened to Jeff’s take and now yours. Love the minor major play on forgiveness here. And oh my gosh what a gem from a skirmish! It’s a keeper!

@newukenewyork 3d

Thanks for checking out both! I love Jeff's take, and also how different they are!

@jeff9 4d

Your voice is absolutely captivating. This is such an imaginative and original sounding composition to have written on a uke, and the vocal melody is exquisite. I've already expressed my deep admiration of the lyrics previously. I'm glad I didn't listen before trying a musical version of it myself or I would've been too intimidated to proceed. That said, I did post one, for what it's worth.

@rbachman 5d

I tend not to read liner notes before I listen to a song, so imagine my surprise when I discovered this was not written to an ex-lover, but from an ex-lover. What a twist. Very interesting melodic choices and pacing on this one. Looking forward to hearing more of your tunes this year.

LOVE this line: The cinematic drama of you Ripping pages from the rings

@newukenewyork 4d

Maybe an interesting detail: not an EX lover. ;) Thanks for the comment and for listening!

@rockstarsmd 5d

You're doing a very Joni Mitchell thing with this melody... and I like it!

@newukenewyork 4d

Guilty as charged, though it helps that I actually don’t know her catalog well, so I don’t think I stole any melody.

Thanks!

@cathreu 5d

That breath at the end, like "There, I said it."

Really enjoyed the evolving chord progression (and building vocal expression), especially the turnarounds taking an almost dark turn. Fits the lyrics perfectly!

@newukenewyork 4d

I saw it on playback and left it in — it was wild to embody the other person, addressing me. Thanks for your thoughts!

@newukenewyork 5d

Responding to commenters on formerly lyrics-only "I Haven't Yet," I added a draft melody if anyone is interested, though I've already changed the first line melody a bit since posting it. ;)

Feel no pressure to check it out or to comment. Just wanted to mention it's been updated. Thanks for encouraging me to continue!

@csecooney @jeff9 but maybe don't listen til you make your own @jongoldie @andygetch @zinnithequeen @jwhanberry @s7even @carolga @cathreu @dkord

@csecooney 5d

I love how this seems in conversation with both "Graph Paper" and "The Mountain, Me, and You." The imagery of needing paper and pen, needing to write, record, needing to sing it all out, this human experience. Did you go into FAWM thinking about anthological nature of your album, with undercurrents and themes? If so, I love the name "Graph Paper" for an album. I'D BUY IT!

@newukenewyork 5d

So interesting to put it together like that. I have not approached FAWM with an album lens any of the four years I've done it -- I always feel like the songs are at once too similar and yet not cohesive. ;) But I appreciate the encouragement to keep thinking about how songs might go together!

@jeff9 5d

Wow, I'm so impressed with this and it's sort of haunting me. I keep coming back to it--such a vivid recounting of an emotional experience, and for a skirmish, no less.

I hesitate to ask this, Jenny, because I sense that it's a pretty personal one for you and that you're plenty capable of putting it to music yourself (and will, hopefully), but would you be willing to let me do a version of it? Might be interesting for someone to take the actual perspective of the protagonist doing the (tentatively, at least) forgiving, even though you are just inhabiting that character in this one. Perfectly understandable if you'd rather keep it only for yourself though.

@newukenewyork 5d

Hi, Jeff! Thanks for the kind words about your reading of these lyrics. You’re right, I probably will set this one to music but if you don’t mind there being two versions, I’d be happy to hear your interpretation as well!

@jongoldie 5d

Very personal and evocative. Lovely words conveying an honest mood. Love the pensiveness of the catch phrase "I mean, I haven't yet" Cheers

@newukenewyork 5d

Thank you so much for the thoughtful comment. I find it encouraging me to finish writing this one.

@andygetch 5d

This brings tears to my eyes. [UPDATE 2/3 post-recording: Love the choice of baritone uke in alt-for-uke-actually-guitar tuning to support the mood. Oooh that bridge cuts deep.]

@newukenewyork 5d

I’m honored. I bet it will have that effect on me, too, when I sit down to figure out the melody.

@zinnithequeen 5d

This is one of those songs you understand the second time you read / hear it. It also brings back memories of writing things you never meant for someone else to see... and they see it, and it hurts them, and you have to apologize but can't really take the words back. Incredible storytelling!

@newukenewyork 5d

Thank you so much! I’m glad that idea does manage to come through.

@zinnithequeen 5d

of course! thanks for writing, because I definitely feel less alone. I definitely wrote some things I thought were funny that ended up hurting the feelings of the people who read it. I definitely learned my lesson: words can hurt. now I use them to help / heal, instead. this must be a cannon event.

@jwhanberry 6d

Great storytelling. This is heavy drama. Will require serious forgiving if possible. I wonder what the music will be like.

@newukenewyork 5d

Thank you. I wonder, too!

@dkord 6d

I love the unfolding story of something hidden that was found and the drama surrounding the forgiveness. The recurring line “we never speak of but I don’t forget”- very powerful and poetic. Well done!

@newukenewyork 5d

Thanks very much. I appreciate you taking the time!

@cathreu 6d

Oh my... I love this narrative of keeping a painful secret from oneself. As I understand it this is an poetic retelling of denial? Really beautiful, tough to read.

@newukenewyork 6d

Well, I wrote it from the other person's angle, but I like your read on it, too, as if it were someone talking to themself (which in a meta way it is, since I wrote both parts). Like having a conversation in a dream...

@carolga 6d

I mean, I haven't yet .... is so evocative, the essence of the challenge to forgive, so well caught in these few words. Perfect.

@newukenewyork 6d

Thank you very much. I'm glad it resonates -- it was a bit hard to write! <3

@s7even 6d

I was hoping that this prompt would spark some very real lyrics and you didn’t disappoint. I love vulnerability. Great work. I wish I could write as quickly as you!

@newukenewyork 6d

Many thanks for the prompt! My first skirmish of FAWM 2026, and I decided to just...go there. :)

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I Haven't Yet

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