Heart Banter by David Gittlin

David Gittlin
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Featuring acoustic guitar and vocal covers performed the way my favorite artists play them.

  1. 3D AGO

    "Heaven Only Knows" With Digital Backup

    Here’s another song, written by Paul Kennerly and made famous by Emmylou Harris, called “Heaven Only Knows.” The song was released on Emmylou’s 1989 album, “Bluebird.” The song reached #16 on the Hot Country Music Chart. Since I’m a newcomer to the Country Music Scene, I’d never heard of Paul Kennerly before. He’s an Englishman who has written 30 published Country Music songs. (I guess there are stranger things that abound in our world). I don’t recall Kennerly’s name being mentioned in connection with any of the songs I’ve covered here. Be that as it may, he has written two powerful songs that Emmylou Harris has brought to my attention. I covered the other song, “Born to Run,” in my previous blog. “Heaven Only Knows,” as performed by Emmylou and her band, features a driving beat, compelling lyrics, and the recording artist’s beautiful, singular voice. Digital Backup by Joaquin Masch Here’s my cover. Chapters (00:00:08) - Why Loving You Should Make Me Cry

    3 min

  2. JAN 7

    "Long May You Run" With Instrumental Backup

    “Long May You Run” is written by Neil Young. The song came alive for me when I heard Emmylou Harris and her band perform it. Now in her seventies, Emmylou is still beautiful and sings like an angel, as attested to in the video I’ve included. After hearing Miss Harris’ version of the song, I began listening to many of her other reels on YouTube. She is a consummate, unique performer, not to mention beautiful. Emmylou’s music has remained consistently excellent throughout her forty-year career. Willie Nelson is quoted as saying, “There are two types of people in this world…those who love Emmylou and those who have not met her.” Harris has released more than twenty-five albums. She was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2008 and earned a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018. Here’s my cover.

    3 min

  3. 12/30/2025

    Inspired by Emmylou Harris: Heaven Only Knows

    Here’s another song, written by Paul Kennerly and made famous by Emmylou Harris, called “Heaven Only Knows.” The song was released on Emmylou’s 1989 album, “Bluebird.” The song reached #16 on the Hot Country Music Chart. Since I’m a newcomer to the Country Music Scene, I’d never heard of Paul Kennerly before. He’s an Englishman who has written 30 published Country Music songs. (I guess there are stranger things that abound in our world). I don’t recall Kennerly’s name being mentioned in connection with any of the songs I’ve covered here. Be that as it may, he has written two powerful songs that Emmylou Harris has brought to my attention. I covered the other song, “Born to Run,” in my previous blog. “Heaven Only Knows,” as performed by Emmylou and her band, features a driving beat, compelling lyrics, and the recording artist’s beautiful, singular voice. Here’s my cover. Chapters (00:00:08) - Heaven Only Knows Just Why Loving You Should Make Me Cry

    4 min

  4. 12/13/2025

    Another "Born to Run." Not the Bruce Springsteen song.

    While searching for a video of Bruce Springsteen playing his iconic hit “Born to Run,” I stumbled upon a video of Emmylou Harris singing “Born to Run.” Now, here’s the fascinating surprise: Emmylou is singing an entirely different song written by Paul Kennerly. And this song really rocks. Released in 1982 as the second single from Harris’ album Cimarron, “Born to Run” reached number 3 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. Emmylou Harris sings like an Angel. She is a Country Music Hall of Fame inductee. I put Emmylou into my Hall of Fame alongside other Angels by the names of Eva Cassidy, Nanci Griffith, Linda Ronstadt, and Kate Wolf. Here’s my cover of Paul Kennerly’s “Born to Run.” Chapters (00:00:11) - Well I Was Born To Run

    3 min

  5. 11/30/2025

    Acoustic Cover of Long May You Run

    “Long May You Run” is written by Neil Young. The song came alive for me when I heard Emmylou Harris and her band perform it. Now in her seventies, Emmylou is still beautiful and sings like an angel, as attested to in the video I’ve included. After hearing Miss Harris’ version of the song, I began listening to many of her other reels on YouTube. She is a consummate, unique performer, not to mention beautiful. Emmylou’s music has remained consistently excellent throughout her forty-year career. Willie Nelson is quoted as saying, "There are two types of people in this world...those who love Emmylou and those who have not met her." Harris has released more than twenty-five albums. She was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2008 and earned a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018. Here’s my cover. Chapters (00:00:07) - Long May You Run

    2 min

  6. 11/28/2025

    Beauty Can Be Found Everywhere: Even In A Mass Market Song

    The Beatles have produced a motherload of work in the thirteen* albums they released. Within their massive discography, there are bound to be songs that the band members liked or disliked in varying degrees. Lennon and McCartney wrote “It’s Only Love” in 1965. The song is about a complex relationship that is ultimately worth it because, after all, “It’s Only Love,” and that’s the way it often goes. I was surprised to learn that John Lennon thought the song was “pure rubbish,” meaning that it was only a filler song created to feed the hounds of commerce. Paul McCartney had a more optimistic view: “Sometimes we didn’t fight it if the lyric came out rather bland on some of those filler songs like ‘It's Only Love.’ If a lyric was really bad, we'd edit it, but we weren't that fussy about it because it’s only a rock ‘n’ roll song. I mean, this is not literature.” Most fans, like myself, can relate to the song, finding the lyrics acceptable and the melody beautiful. Here’s my cover.

    2 min

  7. 11/21/2025

    A Personal Take On Jackson Browne's "Enough of the Night"

    Jackson Browne has always been a brilliant lyricist, singer, guitarist, and songwriter. I have enjoyed playing many of his songs on this blog. All of them are my favorites, and “Enough of the Night” is no exception. Written when he was turning forty, Browne originally thought he was writing about someone else, until he realized that “Enough of the Night” was about himself. He had grown tired of a destructive lifestyle that mostly involved drugs (Cocaine). He decided the time had come for a change, and Browne writes about it poignantly in his lyrics. Listen closely, and you’ll see what I mean. “Enough of the Night” is also reminiscent of Jackson’s sister, but that’s another story entirely. Here’s my cover. Chapters (00:00:08) - Enough for the Night

    4 min

  8. 11/17/2025

    Life On The Road: Insights From "You Love The Thunder"

    The Jackson Browne song “You Love the Thunder” is about a musician and a lover who joins him on tour, a thread that underlies many of the songs on Browne’s album, Running on Empty. The album explores life on the road from performances, to backstage, hotel rooms, and relationships with band members and audiences. The lyrics of “You Love the Thunder” suggest that while Browne’s lover may not always enjoy the difficult aspects of a musician’s life on the road, they are irresistibly drawn to the excitement of the lifestyle and the passion that runs through it like a vein of valuable ore. The line, “To be a woman in love with a man in search of the flame,” exemplifies the central meaning of the song: the enduring, though sometimes challenging, love for someone driven by a passionate, and likely spiritual quest. Chapters (00:00:04) - You Love the Thunder and You Love the Rain

    3 min
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Featuring acoustic guitar and vocal covers performed the way my favorite artists play them.

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