2026 Competition Entry:
Still by David LaMotte
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Lyrics
Still a chill in the air, but winter is waning
And springtime is winning, I swear that it will
Will you come with me to greet the new morning
The new buds are forming, the sky’s turning blue
Blew by so much of my life looking down
Like a sad painted clown, but I’ll wipe that face off
Often I dream of this kind of adventure
And this is the clincher – I’m inviting you
Oo, don’t you want to come with me?
We’ll never have this day again
Hey, you keep talking ‘bout changes
This just might be where they begin
Intoxicating, I’ve been hibernating
But now I am waking, a silly old bear
Bare branches whisper while others play rhythm
The jazz trees will give’em side stick on a snare
Snared by a bramble the seeds take the gamble
To see where we ramble and drop them anew
A new sense of possible, the thing about seeds is
They trust in the breezes and go with them there
There’s no time to wait on tomorrow
’Til our lists are all tidy and done
We might wait until eighteen forevers
And then find that we missed all the fun
Fungus and lichen, I must say I’m liking
The green that we’re hiking through everywhere
Wearing these grins as the new day begins
We’re shedding our skins coming over the hill
Hilarious laughter, my worn spirit rises
The light in your eyes is a beauty to see
Scenery shifting, we’re not going to miss it
We’ll soak in this bliss, it’s not time to be still
Still a chill in the air, but winter is waning
And springtime is winning, I swear that it will
And springtime is winning, I swear that it will
Will you come with me to greet the new morning
The new buds are forming, the sky’s turning blue
Blew by so much of my life looking down
Like a sad painted clown, but I’ll wipe that face off
Often I dream of this kind of adventure
And this is the clincher – I’m inviting you
Oo, don’t you want to come with me?
We’ll never have this day again
Hey, you keep talking ‘bout changes
This just might be where they begin
Intoxicating, I’ve been hibernating
But now I am waking, a silly old bear
Bare branches whisper while others play rhythm
The jazz trees will give’em side stick on a snare
Snared by a bramble the seeds take the gamble
To see where we ramble and drop them anew
A new sense of possible, the thing about seeds is
They trust in the breezes and go with them there
There’s no time to wait on tomorrow
’Til our lists are all tidy and done
We might wait until eighteen forevers
And then find that we missed all the fun
Fungus and lichen, I must say I’m liking
The green that we’re hiking through everywhere
Wearing these grins as the new day begins
We’re shedding our skins coming over the hill
Hilarious laughter, my worn spirit rises
The light in your eyes is a beauty to see
Scenery shifting, we’re not going to miss it
We’ll soak in this bliss, it’s not time to be still
Still a chill in the air, but winter is waning
And springtime is winning, I swear that it will
Author
Bio
David has performed over 3500 concerts and released thirteen full-length CDs of primarily original music, touring in all of the fifty states and on five of the seven continents. The Boston Globe writes that his music “pushes the envelope with challenging lyrics and unusual tunings, but he also pays homage to folk tradition,” while BBC Radio Belfast lauds his “charm, stories, humour, insightful songs, sweet voice and dazzling guitar ability.” His most recent album, Still, features a number one song on Folk Radio, September Me. The album remained in the top forty for six months. A song he co-wrote was heavily featured in the 2024-2025 Broadway production of Our Town. He has been a featured performer at top tier music festivals including the Kerrville Folk Festival, Merlefest, the Auckland Folk Festival (NZ), LEAF, and the Australian National Folk Festival.
David was born in Norfolk, Virginia, grew up mostly in Sarasota, Florida, graduated high school in Roanoke, Virginia, then college in Harrisonburg, Virginia. He is the son, grandson, and brother of Presbyterian ministers, and the fourth of four kids. He has also lived for short times in Raleigh and Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Paris, France; rural Andhra Pradesh, India; and Brisbane, Australia, but has made his home for more than thirty years in Black Mountain, North Carolina, where he currently resides with his wife, son, an old dog, and four chickens.
David was born in Norfolk, Virginia, grew up mostly in Sarasota, Florida, graduated high school in Roanoke, Virginia, then college in Harrisonburg, Virginia. He is the son, grandson, and brother of Presbyterian ministers, and the fourth of four kids. He has also lived for short times in Raleigh and Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Paris, France; rural Andhra Pradesh, India; and Brisbane, Australia, but has made his home for more than thirty years in Black Mountain, North Carolina, where he currently resides with his wife, son, an old dog, and four chickens.
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