Heart Banter by David Gittlin

Dec 03 2024 82 ep. 4 mins 1

Heart Banter by David Gittlin Podcast artwork

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

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Cover of American Tune--A Remarkable Song

Dec 03 2024 4 mins

Born to Jewish Hungarian parents in Brooklyn in 1941, Paul Simon grew up to be one of the foremost musicians of our time. He is best known for his albums with childhood friend Art Garfunkle, but I believe Simon’s solo work is where he really shines. “American Tune” is a fine example. With its melody, guitar picking, lyrics, and overall artistry, the song comes together as a m

Guitar And Vocal Cover Of "If You Could Read My Mind"

Oct 30 2024 4 mins

I’m watching an interesting film titled “If You Could Read My Mind.” The Canadian documentary is about the life and career of Gordon Lightfoot. Lightfoot arrived in downtown Toronto as a young man after growing up in Oridella, a small rural Canadian town. Since there were no clubs to play in at the time, Gordon landed a job in a bank to earn a living. Lightfoot was about to e

Cover of Nancy Griffith's "Once In A Very Blue Moon"

Oct 24 2024 3 mins

Nanci Griffith introduced her third album with its title song, "Once in a Very Blue Moon," on the Austin City Limits TV show in 1984. She sang to a live audience with her typical, bold, and beautiful voice, which continues to endear this singer/songwriter to millions of people around the world after her passing. This poignant song could easily sound sad, but not the way Nanci per

Cover of The Incredible String Band Song: "Painting Box"

Oct 14 2024 3 mins

The Incredible String Band burst onto the folk music scene in 1966 with the release of their first album, aptly named “The Incredible String Band.” As an avid lover and consumer of folk, I had never heard anything like their songs. The band started out as a trio composed of Clive Palmer, Robin Williamson, and Mike Heron. Williamson and Heron composed most of ISB’s music. Palm

Acoustic Guitar Cover of Bob Seeger's "Against The Wind"

Sep 08 2024 3 mins

“Against the Wind” is regarded as one of Bob Seeger’s best songs. The lyrics are replete with the songwriter’s reflections on his youth, past relationships, and music career. The metaphor of running against the wind came from Seeger’s high school days, where he ran on the track team. Seeger created his eleventh album, “Against the Wind,” intending to record hit songs.

Acoustic Guitar Cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Lookin' Out My Back Door."

Aug 31 2024 2 mins

John Fogerty wrote this song, in part, for his son, Josh. Josh was three years old at the time, and John could barely wait for his son to hear him sing the song on the radio, especially the part that goes: "Doot doot doo lookin' out my back door." The song's chorus references a passing parade. Fogerty says the lyric is inspired by a Dr. Seuss book he read as a child, "To Think I Sa

A Beautiful Ode to Life: Silent Sunlight

Aug 19 2024 2 mins

Cat Stevens ( Yusuf Islam) has never publicly said what this song is about, so we are left to offer our own interpretations. When I read the lyrics, I get a picture of a farmer of indiscriminate age waking up at the crack of dawn and looking out through a window at his fields. At the very instant when the sun rises, there is barely sound. Our farmer reflects back on his youth and h

Acoustic Guitar & Vocal Cover of "Danny's Song" by Loggins & Messina

Aug 13 2024 3 mins

Most of the lyrics in "Danny's Song" were inspired by a letter Kenny Loggins' brother, Dan, wrote to him in 1968 after Dan's son, Colin, was born. In the letter, Dan said he planned to marry the boy's mom, Sheila, and they planned to move to Berkley, California, even though they had no money. Kenny Loggins wrote the song in 1970 and released it as a single. It went nowhere. Later t

The Beatles: We Can Work It Out

Aug 01 2024 1 mins

Back in the days when recording artists released singles, "We Can Work It Out" made its debut in 1965. The Beatle's manager, Brian Epstein, felt that the other song on the record, "Day Tripper," was more commercial and so, should be the lead song. Typically, the lead song of a single is recorded on the top side (A side) and the other song (B side) goes beneath it. Since both songs

A Story In Song

Jul 15 2024 6 mins

Cat Stevens’ song “The Boy With A Moon And Star On His Head” is a poetic and mystical tale that expresses themes of love, destiny, and the unknown and unexpected. The song’s lyrics are replete with metaphors and symbolism, for example, the “holy magnolia” and “naked earth,” which elicit a sense of purity and connection to the universe. Cat Stevens, known for his in