Author and guitarist David Todd has released Songs That Stay With You: From the 50's, 60's & 70's, a songbook of 70 well-loved songs arranged for guitar. The book is available now on Amazon.
The collection was assembled over the years as Todd's own working songbook. It holds the songs he actually reaches for when he picks up a guitar, whether he is playing alone, joining friends, or leading a group. The selection favors songs that most people know a verse or two of, and that are simple enough to carry a room.
The list runs from The Beatles, Creedence Clearwater Revival and the Everly Brothers to Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton and Elvis Presley, with pub and folk favorites such as "Dirty Old Town" and "Wild Rover" mixed in. Every song is written out with the chords placed above the lyrics, right where the player would strum or pick them. Where a capo makes a song easier to play, Todd notes the fret position and key at the top of the entry. A handful of songs also include playing notes for fingerpicking patterns, strumming styles and instrumental breaks.
"This book reads like it was built by someone who has led a lot of singalongs. Chords sit above the lyrics, capo positions and keys are noted at the top of each song, which makes it easy to open and start playing," one reader said.
The book is meant to be used rather than shelved. Todd designed it for solo players, small groups and anyone leading a singalong, including at venues such as nursing homes and care homes, where familiar songs tend to bring people together.
The publication matters beyond the hobbyist market. Songbooks that place chords directly over lyrics and flag capo positions reduce the preparation needed to start a song, which matters for volunteer musicians and activity coordinators who lead group singing with limited rehearsal time. Familiar material from the 1950s through the 1970s also gives care-home and community settings a shared repertoire that residents and families can join in on. For retailers and publishers, the release adds another title to the durable market for practical, use-oriented music books rather than reference volumes.
Todd's approach places the emphasis on usability, blending mainstream hits with folk standards that suit pub and gathering settings. The result is a collection positioned as a tool for performance and participation, and its success will likely be judged by how often it leaves the shelf.
