"VEGAS & ME "

* Finding Inspiration in Every Turn *

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~ FRANK'S! FAV! ~ PLACE! ~ FOR GROWN-UPS! ~ THAT IS! ~

Sometimes a place resonates, brings you more than you have anticipated. Dear Friendships, Inspiration & More! A sense of HOME, BELONGING & SELF-WORTH.

For the past 10+ years Vegas has been that for me, being there when I could, often, & always in my heart.

As a Canadian, this may seem odd. So different from where I live north of Toronto in Ontario, Canada.

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IT ALL BEGAN… long before Pandemic-Woes, & touched MY HEART BIG. March 2013 to BE EXACT. Went TO VEGAS to see SHANIA TWAIN & CELINE DION perform in the SAME WEEK! Caesars Palace. No less! March it was. & March I did. Right up to the Wynn, and as I did, a small voice inside, no a BIG VOICE INSIDE ACTUALLY, hollered “FRANK, YOU’RE HOME!” So cool. And it hollered again & again throughout my stay. Over-&-Over-To-BE EXACT, which I’m being. No-Less. ALWAYS-MORE! Even volunteered for 2-weeks in summer-2015! at Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation’s summer CAMP CARTWHEEL! Just to give back a little to the State & town I love.

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But-but-but… in 2013… March-That-Was, I saw my shows. & felt at home. Went back a bunch since. Over 30-TIMES me thinnks.. OOOPS… THINKS! And seen much. & BEEN INSPIRED MUCH. Written stories & songs & poems there that went on to be published. Lived full. From my heart. Feeling at home. As they say. As I say. Now, my ‘HOME-AWAY!’ when I leave CANADA for much needed respite, rest, recoup, JOY-TIME, ME-TIME, RELAX-TIME & ALL THAT GOOD STUFF. And MORE INSPIRATION TOO! That always happens there. AND, I KEEP REGULAR HOURS PRETTY MUCH. 8:30 A.M.-IN-CANADA-TIME is 5:30 THERE! IN the morning. SO I get up… write, walk, when all is quiet. Think… do that… my thing till about 1:30… Then venture out. See friends. Have many there now. After all these years. IN-MY-HOME-AWAY! I Chill. Nice. And we all need that. To inspire ourselves. Be ourselves. Creatives. Writers. Of songs. Or poetry. Or whatever inspired us. We do. What WE DO!

And here is a song I wrote & did this rendition of when back in Canada, after a 2017 visit. Celebrating me & Vegas & my love for the place & my friends & the talent that JUST SHOWS UP! THERE!

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“BACK IN TOWN WHERE I BELONG ~ LAS VEGAS!” ~ YOU TUBE LINK:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYxKFETsM-s

THE LYRICS:

[Intro Bit:]

BACK IN TOWN WHERE I BELONG ~ THINK I’M GONNA WRITE ~ A NEW-NEW SONG ~ LA-AHS-VEGAS ~ “THAT’S HOW I SANG IT ANYWAY, BEFORE I LEFT CANADA I WAS SINGING IT LIKE THIS.”

[Verse 1:]

GOIN’ AWAY ~ TO MY TOWN ~ GOIN’ AWAY ~ UNDER GROUND ~ GOIN’ AWAY ~ WHERE I CAN SEE ~ GOIN’ AWAY ~ GOTTA BE ME “& I CAN BE ME IN…” ~ LA-AHS-VEGAS ~

[Verse 2:]

GONE TO TOWN ~ ALL NIGHT LONG ~TRYIN’ TA WRITE A ~ GOOD-GOOD SONG ~ SAW THEM COWS ~ ON THE GREEN “GOLF” ~ BRIGHTEST COWS ~ I EVER-EVER SEEN “IN” ~ LA-AHSVEGAS ~

[Verse 3:]

GONE TA TOWN ~ DRESSED TA THRILL ~ I’M GONNA FILL “SOME OF THA” ~ ENTERTAINMENT BILL ~ GONE TA TOWN “CARRYING A…” ~ DOLLAR BILL “ & A CREDIT CARD!” ~ I’M GONNA HAVE MY FUN! ~ TA THE FILL “UP LINE” ~ LA-AHS-VEGAS ~

[Bucket:]

SAW THEM COWS ~ ON THE GREEN ~ BRIGHTEST COWS ~ I EVER SEEN ~ LOOK-IT THEM COWS ~ DANCIN’ TALL ~ GRAZIN’ LEAVES ~ INTO FALL ~ WAITIN’ FOR ~ DAYS TO PASS ~ LETTIN’ THEIR HAIR GROW ~ PURPLE-PURPLE GRASS ~ “I THINK IT’S LEGAL NOW! NOT TO GROW YOUR HAIR – YOU KNOW – DO THE GRASS THING! – ANY COLOUR!” ~ ~ LA-AHS-VEGAS ~ “IT’S LEGAL-LEGAL IN CANADA NOW - NOT GOING TO VEGAS… IT’S LEGAL NOW”

[Outro:]

“GOIN’ AWAY TO MY TOWN” ~ “A PLACE I CAN BE” ~ “TRULY ME” ~ “I LOVE YOU” ~ “LAS VEGAS ” ~ “HEY”

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And December 18, 2019, I was graced with the request to do a song while dining with a friend at ICHABODS, Las Vegas. I did my song SOMEWHERE SWEET, because Vegas is sweet to me. Here it is:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7ij2-Q3VLQ

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AND WINTER 2021, I made this You-Tubey-Thing, dedicating this song to a fine Vegas Pal. Because… because she simply likes it. And that is good enuff-4-me! I hope U like this one. She does. “EVERY DAY ALL THE WAY ~ I LOVE YOU” ! ENJOY! ! !

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whDw-RcXArc

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AND ABOUT my short story called MY LAST STORY: HEMINGWAY'S CIGAR OR IT MUST HAVE BEEN IN THE WATER... written in Vegas and Part One published in Write Away Magazine, that one-time magazine for songwriters.

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A BIT ABOUT ME: Bin writing professionally since 1975. Sing, play… instruments. Write songs. Love my grandkids. Love nature. Hike. Think. Enjoy… this life thing we are on! Do yoga sometimes. Sometimes do karate… but my way, mostly, now. Read. Perform. Be creative... Smile. Smile Again!

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In October 2022, this article was published in the now retired magazine for songwriters WRITE AWAY MAGAZINE in the U.K.

* Finding Inspiration in Every Turn *

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FRANK WESTCOTT

"VEGAS & ME "