"“You Only Come Down for Food”" : FAWM

“You Only Come Down for Food”

Liner Notes

Draft 2 of September 2026 Song Sprint

This is my FIRST song ever written on guitar (a requinto guitar my husband found in the trash). Requintos are tuned like a #guitarlele (#guitalele). Her name is Grendel's Mother. I only know a handful of chords so far, so I used four here. I regret using G, during which I am not supposed to strum the bottom string. ;)

I have 48 lyrical drafts left over from July's 5/9, and I hope to complete more of those in this Sprint. This is one -- written for the #unseasonal challenge. I was thinking #Thanksgiving but the lyrics could apply to any #dysfunctional #familyfeast.

Instrument: #requinto #guitar tuned ADGCEA #acousticonetake #Americanasati #midemfoke #guitar #girlwithguitar

Lyrics

A camera occasion A holiday feast Where relatives gather, for better or worse If nobody’s happy But everyone eats We’ve honored our family curse

The cushions are granite The bathrooms too few And nobody’s speaking your language Who is the alien here Is it you? Still, everyone understands sandwich

Full plates and mixed tastes on holidays Wishbones break but the wishes stay Nothing’s for sure…‘cept the menu’s planned and Sock feet or indoor shoes, now Which festive sweatshirt to choose?

You think of the seagulls above the sand Who only come down for food You only come down for food

The kitchen is busy They’re fighting like kites All waiting to dash when the winds change Get you a plate, here, and Stand in the queue For leftovers, things that remain

Sweet potato Hot potato Mac and cheese Aunt Someone’s casserole Thank yous and please Pass the time Pass the gravy Pass the collard greens !Freeze, fight, or fly? I will always choose pie

Full plates and mixed tastes on holidays Wishbones break but the wishes stay Nothing’s for sure…‘cept the menu’s planned and Sock feet or indoor shoes, now Which festive sweatshirt to choose?

You think of the seagulls above the sand Who only come down for food You only come down for food

Comments

@nancycunning 15h

Wow, Jenny - you took me on a journey. I started out focused on the nightmare and then came around to a feeling of the healing powers of showing up again and again. Even when it’s partly awful. All those descriptions of the actual food. Freeze Fight Fly I choose pie.

@newukenewyork 15h

I think I went on a not dissimilar journey writing it! Thanks so much for your comment. Let’s get together for pie!

@nancycunning 10h

Yes to pie and pierogies! I'm out of town for a couple weeks so September may get pushed to October.

@newukenewyork 9h

not a problem. Send me an email when you have free time!

@robinleaf 3d

I really love the comparison to seagulls... That's hilarious and brilliant. I can picture all of this chaos and it's so much fun. I love the bit about the sweatshirt too. And "Aunt Someone's Casserole." 🤣🤣🤣 I really enjoyed the melody that you've paired with all of this and it feels gentle but also a bit wry. Nice job playing this new instrument! Now I want one. 😅😅😅

@newukenewyork 2d

Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts! I appreciate it -- and may we all find instruments in the trash!

@ohljazz 3d

I think I heard an earlier version of this one. I love love that metaphor of the seagulls who only come down for food

@newukenewyork 3d

Thanks for commenting! In July it was lyrics-only, so you probably read it then. 😄

@wynia 5d

You're a natural at the guitar/guitarlele! I was at a music store a week ago and just learned of this instrument's existence there (though maybe you had mentioned this before...I only remember guitar from the trash). Anyways, it's cool in the space of a week to have this instrument surface to my consciousness. It's just about lunch and none of those dishes mentioned are anything I've brought to work to eat, which is a huge bummer cuz you've got me craving alll of it!

@newukenewyork 4d

Thanks! I really don't like the "don't play all six strings on every chord" nonsense that guitarists have to put up with. I might need to try an open tuning.

@val 5d

I love how clear and pure your high notes are. Just perfectly lovely. Good on you for picking up the guitarlele too. Sounds wonderful. You're doing great! Now I want a holiday meal...not necessarily the with the entire family. :P

@newukenewyork 4d

Thanks! I realize my hashtags could be deceiving. It's a requinto guitar, not guitarlele, it's just coincidence that they are tuned the same. :)

@jerrypettit 5d

I saw the Title and immediately thought it was going to be about monkeys or squirrels...

More guitar, methinks. Ukelele is okay--but your voice is so "professional" sounding, I think a guitar sound sounds a little more appropriate. Just my 2 cents worth. (Take everything I say with a grain of salt, since I'm just Mr. Monkeys and Squirrels...) ❤️

@newukenewyork 4d

Thanks for the comment (and for listening). I actually think the issue is that I sing a little better than I play -- ukuleles can sound perfectly professional in the right hands. :)

@alyxanderjames 5d

That requinto sounds great -- still very you with the uke range, but the extra little bit of bass is really nice! And I love how cheerful the music is on this under the tension of the lyrics. I chuckled at "Freeze, fight, or fly? / I will always choose pie." Nice work!

@newukenewyork 5d

Thank you! Not all families can be taken with one's tongue in cheek, as it were, but I decided to play this story that way.

@memeworrywort 5d

What a wonderfully resonant instrument! It goes well with your knack for writing good melodies. I like how you take something as cliché as a complaint and turn it into a feast of metaphors. Great job.

@newukenewyork 5d

Thank you, I really appreciate the kind comment. :)

@coolparadisoTEAM 6d

Had to listen to you on a guitar! be careful they can be catching! descriptions of family gatherings would be unbelievable if they were not mostly true! you,ve captured a lot of it here! I am sure i could see an old uncle snoring in the corner with pie on his shirt

@newukenewyork 5d

Thanks for listening! I think guitar is too hard for me but I'll work on it. I'm glad you connected to some visuals while listening. :)

@mikeskliar 6d

What a fun and relatable story about family, gatherings, underlying tensions, kitchen conversations, and I love the mentions of all the foods …

@newukenewyork 5d

Thanks very much! I think I made myself hungry. ;)

@kevinemmrich 6d

I am going to have to do some trash sorting soon if these are the kind of things you find. Vocals and playing are great and thanks for the video. Mucho fun to watch you do it all. You sure seem confident on that chord strumming! Wonderful singing.

@newukenewyork 5d

I don't think I've ever found anything this great in the trash, but I hope luck will be with you as you pass any refuse. ;) Thank you so much for the comment. I had to simplify my strum for the demo, as I got a little over-ambitious and kept missing chords.