Tom's story: 2025

27 pieces on this page. Click a picture or "See the whole card" to open the card.

2025 — Tom was 46 and 47

27 pieces on this year: 15 from a range of years, shown here in the middle · 12 written by this year at the latest.

ABOUT 2025: FROM A RANGE OF YEARS, SHOWN HERE IN THE MIDDLE

1747The machine itself is the product

about 2025-2026 (age 46 to 48) PROVED

ESSAYS AND OTHER WRITINGS (NOT LYRICS)

Tom's four typed pages pitching a live songwriting venue and collabtunes.com, with one line boxed and arrowed by hand - the machine itself is the product.

See the whole card → 5 pictures

1746TOM JENSEN PITCH LETTER

about 2025-2026 (age 47)

ESSAYS AND OTHER WRITINGS (NOT LYRICS)

Tom's printed pitch letter introducing himself as a 47-year-old lyricist with 31 albums of material and his plan for a live interactive songwriting venue, kept with a handwritten lined sheet about what he wants to do with his lyrics and music.

the card says: written at age 47

See the whole card → 4 pictures

1642MASTER SONG TITLE INDEX

about 2024-2026 (age 45 to 48) BEST GUESS

SET LISTS, SONG LISTS, TITLE LISTS AND INDEXES

Tom's printed BARE MINIMUM TO START plan for his song and set list videos and website, with a handwritten added line about merchandise, together with printed pages of his numbered master song title index.

See the whole card → 11 pictures

1743WHAT'S ON COLLABTUNES?

about 2024-2026 (age 45 to 48) BEST GUESS

SET LISTS, SONG LISTS, TITLE LISTS AND INDEXES

Tom's printed Collabtunes song lists showing each song he wrote the words for and the musicians from around the world who set them to music, such as FRAMES, UNITY and LITTLE BIRD, with a grey WHAT'S ON COLLABTUNES? sheet.

See the whole card → 7 pictures

2009SET LIST TWENTY TWO INHERENT ABSENCE

about 2025 to early 2026 (age 46 or 47) LIKELY

POEMS IN THE 34 ALBUMS

Clipped printed pages of Tom's set list 22, INHERENT ABSENCE, with its 19 titles - Another Epic Poem, Stars and Strangers, Tony's Song, Kill the Seed, Groove Back II, Wallflower Poop, When You're Hammered - followed by the full lyrics, from the 34 Albums books.

the card says: about 2025 to early 2026 (age 46 or 47)

See the whole card → 3 pictures

2017SET LIST NINETEEN

about 2024-2026 (age 45 to 48) BEST GUESS

SET LISTS, SONG LISTS, TITLE LISTS AND INDEXES

A printed scroll, rolled with a rubber band, of Tom's SET LIST NINETEEN - Pretty Gold Bracelet, Still Walking the Earth, In the Shape of an Angel, Big Shoes, Forever, Open and Closed, Ten Feet Tall, Bird on a String - with a torn lined note reading 34 Scrolls.

See the whole card → 1 picture

2022Song list 7

about 2024-2026 (age 45 to 48) BEST GUESS

SET LISTS, SONG LISTS, TITLE LISTS AND INDEXES

A printed scroll, rolled with a rubber band, of Tom's song list 7 - Blessing in Disguise, Frames, Unity, Dust to Dust, Water Flesh and Bone, Train, Little Bird, Half Full, Trying Times, Used to Be, Matchmaker - each his lyrics set by a collaborator, with a torn lined note reading 34 Scrolls.

See the whole card → 1 picture

2025SET LIST THIRTEEN

about 2024-2026 (age 45 to 48) BEST GUESS

SET LISTS, SONG LISTS, TITLE LISTS AND INDEXES

A printed scroll, rolled with a rubber band, of Tom's SET LIST THIRTEEN - Can't Have That, Gettin' Juiced, Gate Keeper, Uncashable, Permanent Lies, Mickey D's, Poorest Chorus, Staking the Flag - with a torn lined note reading 34 Scrolls.

See the whole card → 1 picture

2030Song list 3

about 2024-2026 (age 45 to 48) BEST GUESS

SET LISTS, SONG LISTS, TITLE LISTS AND INDEXES

A printed scroll, rolled with a clear plastic, of Tom's song list 3 - Last Cup of Coffee, Looking for Love, Perfect Imperfections, As I Play, Clean Wipe to the Slate, Low Down, It Is Your Turn, Trending, Carry Me, Oasis, End of the Road, Right Between the Eyes - with a torn lined note reading 34 Scrolls.

See the whole card → 1 picture

1644547 TITLES

about 2025-2026 (age 47) BEST GUESS

SET LISTS, SONG LISTS, TITLE LISTS AND INDEXES

Tom's printed and paperclipped 547 TITLES list, the titles and numbers he used to build the 2026 edition of his lyric collection, from Network Decay and Six Year Slump onward.

the card says: about age 47 (the sheet says it is for making the 2026 edition)

See the whole card → 4 pictures

1647SONGS ONE THROUGH THIRTEEN NUMBERED

about 2025-2026 (age 47) BEST GUESS

LOOSE LYRICS, ONE-LINERS AND RHYME WORD BANKS

Tom's stack of working index sheets for the 2026 edition of his lyrics - hundreds of numbered song titles and one-line excerpts circled in colored marker, with loose full lyric pages and handwritten notes such as Potential! and This is Good!!!; connected to his book Shorter Lyrics (2013).

the card says: about age 47 (the sheets say they are for the 2026 edition; some lines first appeared in Shorter Lyrics, 2013)

See the whole card → 16 pictures

1796TOM NOTE ASSIGNING 1796 1799

about 2025-2026 (age 46 to 48) BEST GUESS

NOTES, PLANS AND BUSINESS PAPERS

A handwritten working note by Tom on a torn scrap of lined paper, written while he sorted his own archive of papers, kept with a blue-ink class-notes sheet on Melville's Bartleby and two typed lyric sheets, PASS A RASH and Play Your Hand.

See the whole card → 3 pictures

1631SONG LIST AND SET LIST LAYOUT

about 2024-2027 (age 46 to 48) - an estimate NOT PROVED

SET LISTS, SONG LISTS, TITLE LISTS AND INDEXES

Tom's working layout of his handwritten SONG LISTs 1 through 10 of selected stanzas on lined sheets, annotated in blue, red, purple and green, with typed album track lists for Albums 32 to 34 and his color key for sorting the songs.

the card says: written at about age 46 to 48 - an estimate

See the whole card → 40 pictures

2010ZIONATION SET LIST 23

about late 2025 to early 2026 (age 47) LIKELY

POEMS IN THE 34 ALBUMS

Clipped printed pages of Tom's set list 23, ZIONATION, with its song list and full lyrics - Kayfabe, Noble Place Hate, Sun, Moon and Truth, Strawman, Some Will Say - political verses on power, war and propaganda, from the 34 Albums books.

the card says: about late 2025 to early 2026 (age 47)

See the whole card → 4 pictures

WRITTEN BY 2025 AT THE LATEST

A book dated 2025 holds these words, so they were written by then. They may be much older.

254I don't know what to tell ya...

written by November 2025 at the latest (age 47) - it may be older PROVED

POEMS NOT YET RELEASED

Tom's handwritten, previously unpublished half lyric 'I don't know what to tell ya... / I used to be a pretty good fella', on a folded lined sheet ending in marker with 'Killed my Beagle / Deeply Superficial'.

the card says: written by age 47 at the latest

See the whole card → 1 picture

636When chaos comes calling

written by November 2025 at the latest (age 47) - it may be older PROVED

POEMS NOT YET RELEASED

Tom's handwritten short lyric WHEN CHAOS COMES CALLING, six lines in black ink at the top of an otherwise empty lined loose-leaf sheet, advising to answer cool, calm and collected, from his 34 albums.

the card says: written by age 47 at the latest

See the whole card → 1 picture

643I guess when you're living with your head in the clouds

written by November 2025 at the latest (age 47) - it may be older PROVED

POEMS NOT YET RELEASED

Tom's handwritten cursive lyric I GUESS WHEN YOU'RE LIVING WITH YOUR HEAD IN THE CLOUDS, at the top of a plain white sheet, a warning to be careful of silver linings, part of the song UNITED WE STAND (set list 13, track 9) in his 34 albums.

the card says: written by age 47 at the latest

See the whole card → 1 picture

842Here comes another ring ding ding-a-ling

written by November 2025 at the latest (age 47) - it may be older PROVED

POEMS NOT YET RELEASED

Tom's handwritten short lyric "Here comes another ring ding ding-a-ling," on a white lined index card; previously unpublished.

the card says: written by age 47 at the latest

See the whole card → 2 pictures

873Maybe one day I'll be the MAN that you wanna be with

written by November 2025 at the latest (age 47) - it may be older PROVED

POEMS NOT YET RELEASED

Tom's handwritten short poem "Maybe one day I'll be the MAN that you wanna be with," with "prison yard rush" written at the bottom, on a torn sheet of lined notebook paper; previously unpublished.

the card says: written by age 47 at the latest

See the whole card → 1 picture

875I'm not living day to day

written by November 2025 at the latest (age 47) - it may be older PROVED

POEMS NOT YET RELEASED

Tom's handwritten short poem "I'm not living day to day / More like hour to hour," with "morality / society" noted in the corner, on a torn sheet of lined notebook paper; a lyric from the 34 Albums.

the card says: written by age 47 at the latest

See the whole card → 1 picture

950So smoothly did they

written by November 2025 at the latest (age 47) - it may be older PROVED

POEMS NOT YET RELEASED

Tom's handwritten lines "So smoothly did they LAY ON THE flattery with a trowel," under a light pencil drawing of arcs on a white sheet, which became the song UNITED WE STAND (set list 13, track 9) in the 34 Albums.

the card says: written by age 47 at the latest

See the whole card → 2 pictures

1648The last time I was on a plane I wrote a song

written by November 2025 at the latest (age 47) - it may be older PROVED

POEMS NOT YET RELEASED

Tom's small plain-covered pocket notebook with an unfinished draft in dark ink beginning The last time I was on a plane I wrote a song, about time marching on and blaming himself, kept with an unused marbled composition notebook.

the card says: written by age 47 at the latest

See the whole card → 4 pictures

1738The first penguin

written by November 2025 at the latest (age 47) - it may be older PROVED

LOOSE LYRICS, ONE-LINERS AND RHYME WORD BANKS

Tom's handwritten lyric ideas on a sheet of lined notebook paper, numbered fragments such as Every time history repeats itself the price goes up and Agony and ecstasy with no plan B, with The first penguin written down the side.

the card says: written by age 47 at the latest

See the whole card → 1 picture

1726Anything that makes you more undesirable to others makes

written by November 2025 at the latest (age 47) - it may be older

LOOSE LYRICS, ONE-LINERS AND RHYME WORD BANKS

Tom's handwritten love line on a small plain white sheet with one torn corner - Anything that makes you more undesirable to others makes you more desirable to me - kept with lined sheets of highlighted phrase lists he gathered for lyrics.

the card says: written by age 47 at the latest

See the whole card → 5 pictures

925I need a new color

written by November 2025 at the latest (age 47) - it may be older BEST GUESS

POEMS NOT YET RELEASED

Tom's handwritten poem beginning "I need a new color," in black ink on a sheet of lined notebook paper; a short fragment, not in any published book.

the card says: written by age 47 at the latest

See the whole card → 2 pictures

1731ZIONATION

about late 2024 to early 2026 (age 46 or 47) BEST GUESS

POEMS IN THE 34 ALBUMS

Tom's handwritten 20-line track plan for ZIONATION on notebook paper, listing songs such as SUN MOON TRUTH and CATCH A STRAY, kept with printed lyric sheets and slips; in 34 Albums and The November 2024 Collection.

A sheet in the stack is marked 12.2025, so it was written by December 2025 at the latest. It may be much older.

the card says: about late 2024 to early 2026 (age 46 or 47)

See the whole card → 22 pictures

What the words mean: PROVED a date or a dated book proves it. BEST GUESS our best reading, not yet proved. TOM SAID Tom's own word. LIKELY strong clues, not yet proved. NOT PROVED an estimate from the pieces around it. NOT SURE the sources disagree. No word: the card gives none yet. "About 1996-2002" means somewhere in those years; the piece is shown once, in the middle year.