Informative, Music Blog, Theme Prompt, Writing Prompts

Please Allow Me To Introduce……

Written for Song Lyric Sunday
“Recently Created Compositions”
This is my response to the challenge.

“Recently Created Compositions” is the theme this week at Jim Adams’ Song Lyric Sunday. Our challenge is to write about a song by an artist we recently discovered.

I first heard my featured group at a Christmas 2025 family gathering. Music was playing, as usual, and I was immediately drawn in by a new and different sound. I loved what I was hearing and had to find out more about the group. Since then, I have added their albums to my playlist and have become a big fan.

San Lyon
© Bandcamp

My featured group this week is San Lyon …. a Los Angeles based Swing Jazz Quartet. Together since 2019, their style of music is a mix of early 20th Century Parisian Gypsy Jazz and American Jazz standards from the 1920s to 40s, as well as original songs. The group has released multiple albums and is known for their romantic, dance-friendly sound. They have performed at various venues and events primarily in their home state of California, including the Jazz Bash by the Bay, Hot Jazz Jubilee, and Django Birthday Festival. The three original founding members combined the names of their hometowns …. San Antonio, Santiago, and Lyon …. and San Lyon was born!

San Lyon’s members are: Paige Herschell, born in San Antonio, Texas, a singer, actor and producer. She is the lead vocalist for San Lyon and also plays melodica, snare drum and kazoo. Jenna Colombet from Lyon, France contributes to vocals while playing the violin, stand-up bass, and snare drum. The brilliant lead guitarist is Dani Vargas from Santiago, Chile; his playing is gorgeous. He also adds his voice as backup singer. Katie Cavera is from Evanston, Illinois; she does vocals and plays stand-up bass, banjo, and guitar.

I’ve chosen two songs to share with you. Up first is a fun number called “You’ve Got Me Voodoo’d” …. San Lyon’s 2021 version of the 1940 jazz standard co-written by Louis Armstrong, Cornelius Lawrence, and Luis Russell. The original was released during the height of the “hepcat” culture and recorded by Armstrong shortly after similar slang-heavy hits by Cab Calloway. The San Lyon version is characterized by its acoustic, vintage, and upbeat, French-inspired swing sound.

“You’ve Got Me Voodoo’d” explores themes of irresistible attraction and love as a spell, where the singer feels completely bewitched and controlled by her lover’s charms, treating the infatuation  as a form of mystical or magical voodoo. Often interpreted through a comedic or whimsical lens, the song is characteristic of early jazz. The term “voodoo” acts as a metaphor for a deep, intoxicating, and somewhat overwhelming attraction. As a song within the New Orleans traditional jazz genre, it emphasizes, in a lighthearted manner, the idea of having one’s soul or attention completely captured by another person, highlighting a situation where love makes someone think, feel and act differently …. as if under a spell.

This is “You’ve Got Me Voodoo’d” by San Lyon

LYRICS

Just like some magic potion
You fill me with emotion
You can control my very soul
You’ve got me voodoo’d

You knew the Goddess Venus
Would start this love between us
She inspired me with desire
You’ve got me voodoo’d

You knew you had the power
and even picked the hour
When the full moon was up above

I was hypnotized
When I looked into your eyes
And my heart was filled with love

Just like the siren Cerce
You’ve got me at your mercy
Always, to have and hold
You’ve got me voodoo’d

From San Lyon “A”, released February 12, 2021
Lyrics  Music: Louis Armstrong, Cornelius Lawrence, Luis Russell

♫ 🎻 🎵 🪕 🎵 🎸 🎵

“Golden Hour” is a heartfelt, original song by San Lyon released in April 2021, featuring poetic lyrics centered on themes of loss and the transient beauty of a western sunset. The song compares the departure of a loved one to the setting sun, capturing a melancholy yet hopeful atmosphere. “Golden Hour” weaves a tapestry of longing and reflection on the nature of love, loss, and the impermanence of moments. The metaphor of sunlight serves as a central motif throughout the lyrics. The lyrics “teasing mistress” suggest that love, like daylight, can be elusive and transient, leading one to appreciate its brilliance more profoundly when faced with the prospect of its absence. Original music by San Lyon, together with lyrics by Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter Drew Cash, reflect hauntingly beautiful imagery and profound emotional insight and capture the complex interplay of love, loss, and the fleeting nature of existence.

This is “Golden Hour” by San Lyon

LYRICS

Why is the sunlight sweetest
Just before it’s gone?
….All gold and a warm and Mournful….
Maybe she’s a teasing mistress
Withholding herself till Dawn
….treating love like she’s immortal.

But she just can’t go on being
Something that she’s not
…. can’t light the way for always….
Just like the first flower given
Is always the first to rot
….dearest allies are the ones evade

And while I know that western sunset
Holds Hope for far more than a few
When she dips below the surface,
I fear she’s gone just like you.

It’s hard to keep a promise
You don’t know that you’ve made
… those that come and go in silence….

The harder we try to fall
The slower we are to sleep
…. while the warm gold fades to twilight.

And while I know that western sunset
Holds Hope for far more than a few
When she dips below the surface
I fear she’s gone just like you

Why is the sunlight sweetest
Just before it’s gone?
…. all gold and one and mournful….

Maybe she’s a teasing mistress
With holding herself till Dawn
…. treating love like she’s immortal.

And while I know that western sunset
Holds Hope for far more than a few
While she dips below the surface
I fear she’s gone just like you
She’s gone forever, just like you

From San Lyon “M”, released April 2, 2021
Lyrics by Drew Cash
Music by San Lyon

Big thanks to Jim Adams for hosting another great Song Lyric Sunday this week and every week. Be sure to follow the link and check out Jim’s site.

Thanks for stopping by and listening to some great music. I hope you enjoyed the theme for this week as well as the information and songs I featured.

That’s all she wrote, kids. See you on the flip side. 😎

NAR©2026

Everything on The Elephant’s Trunk was created by me, unless otherwise indicated. Thank you for your consideration. NAR©2017-present.

7 thoughts on “Please Allow Me To Introduce……”

  1. What a great find! This is one thing I really love about social media- we are being introduced to truly talented people instead of just those someone else decided were talented!

    Like

  2. what a great introduction Nance I love the modernised jazz swing style- it reminded me of the fab theme tune to the Jeeves and Wooster TV programme with Hugh Laurie and Steven Fry (which is great by the way) thanks so much♥️

    Like

  3. This is very interesting . I have never heard of these guys but wow Nancy they are very interesting and though not really something I would listen to for a whole evening. I enjoyed both tracks and will definitely look them up! …It’s strange there is something about it Jazz / swing of all types that sounds slightly off to my ear. That said thank you for the introduction. 💜💜🤗

    Like

Leave a reply to Clive Cancel reply