Rhythm Cafe MKE
VOL 49 - Orlando Peña - All I Can Do
Season 2025 Episode 20 | 5m 24sVideo has Closed Captions
"All I Can Do" is a reflective, emotionally rich love song born out of solitude and spontaneity.
"All I Can Do" is a reflective, emotionally rich love song born out of solitude and creative spontaneity. Written during a moment of isolation on a remote farm in Illinois, the song imagines a heartfelt conversation between two lifelong partners in their later years, reminiscing on the winding paths that led them to each other.
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Rhythm Cafe MKE is a local public television program presented by MILWAUKEE PBS
Rhythm Cafe MKE
VOL 49 - Orlando Peña - All I Can Do
Season 2025 Episode 20 | 5m 24sVideo has Closed Captions
"All I Can Do" is a reflective, emotionally rich love song born out of solitude and creative spontaneity. Written during a moment of isolation on a remote farm in Illinois, the song imagines a heartfelt conversation between two lifelong partners in their later years, reminiscing on the winding paths that led them to each other.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship♪ Sun shines ♪ (mellow guitar music) - We cut the bridge on this because it's like five minutes on its own of jam band stuff.
- Oh, I got you.
Okay.
- So we're trying to figure out where to bring it back around.
Hello, everybody.
My name is Orlando Peña.
This is my buddy, Jake Stanzer.
We're gonna be playing a song for you called "All I Can Do."
(mellow rhythmic guitar music) (mellow rhythmic guitar music continues) (mellow rhythmic guitar music continues) ♪ Unkempt ♪ ♪ A breakfast of two cigarettes ♪ ♪ And no thought of tomorrow ♪ ♪ You're reckless ♪ ♪ A slave to the spirits ♪ ♪ I was damn near feral ♪ ♪ I was running wild, yeah ♪ ♪ And it was all I could do ♪ ♪ Ooh yes ♪ ♪ With no one to answer to, yes ♪ ♪ And so thin, yes ♪ (mellow rhythmic guitar music) (mellow rhythmic guitar music continues) ♪ Now the spirit holds ♪ ♪ And she aches to her bones ♪ ♪ To harbor life ♪ (mellow rhythmic guitar music) ♪ So it rose from the floors ♪ ♪ The bed I made the night before ♪ ♪ And I thought she might be right ♪ ♪ Yeah, so it was all I could do ♪ ♪ Ooh yes ♪ ♪ To go and find myself a muse ♪ ♪ Oh ♪ ♪ And so ♪ (mellow rhythmic guitar music) ♪ I tell you, little lady ♪ (mellow rhythmic guitar music) (mellow rhythmic guitar music continues) ♪ My head was in a bottle, oh yeah ♪ ♪ Oh I was praying to my glass ♪ ♪ And there through the window, oh yeah ♪ ♪ Were eyes that met at last ♪ ♪ Years have passed ♪ ♪ Oh, I got fat and the kids are off to college soon ♪ ♪ And my love ♪ ♪ You found me out ♪ ♪ And gave me a purpose through ♪ ♪ Now it's all I can do ♪ ♪ Ooh yes ♪ ♪ To grow old ♪ ♪ Yeah, with you ♪ (gentle guitar music fades) - "All I Can Do" is a weird one.
This song came about in like half an hour.
This almost never happens, but I had started a band down while I was in Illinois.
This is an older tune of ours and we would just challenge ourselves to like kind of songwriting tasks.
So like, pulling a word out of a hat and writing a song about it or just giving yourself a timeframe.
And "All I Can Do" was again, I think maybe after a little while, I was just feeling a little alone on this secluded farm where I chose to go for that reason.
So this is another love song that I just made up off the top of my head, just sort of envisioning what your life would be like if you were maybe like an older person sitting on your porch with your significant other and you're just sort of looking back on your lives and talking about how you guys, I guess, sort of saved each other and where you were before that and how far you've come.
(no audio)


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Rhythm Cafe MKE is a local public television program presented by MILWAUKEE PBS
