I once told Lori I was going to write a novel; she laughed and said, "You have to read more than two books in you life first." Well my 1000 LP, 500 CDS and 8 days of iTunes music would give me background to re-energize my songwriting.
As retirement nears, officially April 29th, I KNOW I'm going to find more time to listen to music and write. My routine of writing each morning on a word will start back up and likely the creative juices will be flowing again, and I can see myself revisiting this site as partner in writing to the world.
I stop by at times and marvel that there are views daily to something I published over a decade ago; but good writing and good music does not have an expiration date.
Dave's Basement Tracks that originally started as a radio show is evolving to a streamable show of Bandcamp embedded links and YouTube videos, and celebrates music. Each post will have a theme or make a good hour radio show; yet of course you are in control as you read and click on the links that interest you. If you are a writer of songs, you likely also study them like I do. Finding connections will be a big part; as demonstrated in a recent challenge to find songs with River, Murder, and Trains in the song. Read it over, maybe take that on as a writing challenge. Let me know you might be featured on the next one.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
I revisited a song that I wrote a while back based on a little inspiration from Hope Waits. She had posted a picture of herself in blue sepiatones, and was recently lamenting loneliness in the city of Hollywood. A few other tidbits may have a tie into reality, but the song flows as a fictional story. This lady I don't know if I want to meet, but Hope Waits... anytime with her incredible gutsy vocals with a style of Billie Holiday but mixed heavily with Bonnie Raitt.
Funny thing happens when you revisit a song after three years, you re-write a line or two, change a few chords, and maybe make it better. Song writing isn't a science, and it isn't a contest; it's a passion to tell a short story in 3-4 minutes. Why stick your head in a book for days... here you go... here's atleast a chapeter with pictures no less of the beautiful Hope Waits The songwriting tidbits follow later...
She fixated on a venomous moment Surrounded by a harried world. Just sits alone with her personal torment. A bottle of Jack numbs the senses Maybe she’ll go dress up with pearls tonight Hit the bars and take some chances.
The lady in blue has a life to choose. The lady in blue stuck in Hollywood. The lady in blue turns to look away The lady in blue will find a way.
Her tall and slender frame turns heads She’s learned to ignore them easily But with this she’s added a hard edge. An armor of cold disdain for true love She can crush those who come weakly Leaving her left with the just the stuff.
The lady in blue has a life to choose. The lady in blue stuck in Hollywood. The lady in blue turns to look away The lady in blue will find a way.
A trickle of hope is never really gone She was raised with grace and joy But left it behind to write her song The lady bumps into life in the dark Will she choose to notice or be coy? And in the end she’s just make a choice.
Verse one recounts Sabrina Kufner's whiskey inspired video I watched about that time, and Hope's studio pictures with beautiful pearls.
Chorus tries to pick up on her lament, did she choose right to move to LA for her beautiful New Orleans home... just to make her mark. Well if she didn't, the producer of Norah Jones first record wouldn't have found her, and I would have never had heard her... choices.
Oh the second verse is my imagination. Remember I am a shy guy who aspired to every beautiful girl in high school... thus I have scar tissue around my heart, what a joy it beats so strongly.
The third verse is why I'm writing the blog... Hope has a large family and while I know a few from other blogs, she definitely has a sister name Joy and Grace... Ha... so that's my inside joke but it does fit the story line either way. She did notice me and someday we'll have a good laugh and hug when she travels to meet the future in-laws in Michigan.... can't wait.
Tonight during the rainstorm I had a chance to pick up the acoustic guitar and find the chords that belonged to the lead below... I like it, and while you think I should like them all... that's not the case.
Ok I had to clean it up, and it goes pretty fast so I added a partial verse for to stretch the ending and then go back to the chorus. I did get rid of TEXT... just didn't like singing it.. it was weird to me and years from now. Wait to hear will still be in the vocabulary, who knows about texting. I hope it's gone next year. Queer was added and Nerd stayed... HA... slang that I think will stick. no video this time... sorry.
It is Finished
Every night I wait to hear And I cling to every word Replies that leave me feelin’ queer Just feeling like a nerd
Then there is a glimpse of hope A new life again after death Only to find a new tight rope We have drawn our last breath
It is finished, we are through I beg forgiveness to the Lord For you know not what you do In the guise of loving true
Today I found my Damascus path And my eyes were suddenly clear Words you said too gift wrapped I see there were just cavalier
Today I see I was on your strings Trained to stay somewhere near So say goodbye to your plaything You’ve lost a treasure dear
It is finished, we are through I beg forgiveness to the Lord For you know not what you do In the guise of loving true
It is finished and time to rise Take a hold again of my life Our love was nothing to despise But it was severed by your lies.
Yes I've heard this but have done it rarely. Yes I've written Angel in Disguise on the piano and Gypsy Soul was started on the mandolin. Tonight I felt tired of writing happy songs and I had this overwhelming passion to create a song inspired by Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah.
Ok, so true to his tweaking of King David's Bathsheba story, I thought about the road to Damascus and thought why not find a moment when true love was found NOT to be true. Wow... then I had the words "It is finished" run through my head. Kim will read this so I do tread on blasphemy, but she knows I'm a true believer. Who knows that God isn't inspiring me to use the words to open up the Bible to new ears. I digress but these things do flow through your mind.
So know I had a parts of the puzzle, I was determined it would not sound like another song I've written. So I plugged in Dustin's electric guitar, turned the patch to "METAL STACK", and then words and melody collided. I started with It is Finished... knew it was the chorus immediately. Remember the Chorus has to be the best part of the song, though if the rest is weak it'll be forgotten quickly. Then down my Damascus, but unlike Paul my revelation was that I was blinded by love.
What I love about it so far is that it can swing either voice, but I'm not crazy that I took the plunge to use Text. Such a modern phrase. I might stick with some and offend others. Now for the treat... I recorded the rift so that I can go back to work tomorrow without trying to remember it. It promises to be a busy week so I might now re-visit this for a while. Now I'll remember it later. The video starts with the chorus's melody line.
Finally yes some might find tangents in Dustin's current love life, but truly if it's in there so are many other pieces and parts from other love lives that I've ran into over the last 52 years.
It is Finished
Every night I wait for a text And I cling to every word Replies that leave me so perplex Just feeling like a nerd
Then there is a glimpse of hope A new life again after death Only to find a new tight rope We have drawn our last breath
It is finished, we are through I beg forgiveness to the Lord For you know not what you do In the guise of loving true
Today I found my Damascus path And my eyes were suddenly clear Words you said too gift wrapped I see there were just chevalier
Today I see I was on your strings Trained to stay somewhere near So say goodbye to your plaything You’ve lost a treasure dear
It is finished, we are through I beg forgiveness to the Lord For you know not what you do In the guise of loving true
ok lose any thought you ever have of being gifted... if you have a talented it might have been seeded in you by a higher being, so get over it. Today I was sent a beautiful poem written by a friend of the band, Justin Bodin. It needed work to make it a lyric, but it didn't need alot, and it didn't need to force a ryhme where his words were fine.
Roll with the punches and give it a shot... boy I was happy things flowed quickly. Love must have been in the lines. I'll take credit for the melody, but any word tweaks I did... were really to enhance Justin's words. Enjoy Angels...
Chorus When the Angels come out In the moonlight they sing To the Heaven’s above And they praise the Lord
When the Angels get together Around the stars They dance on the moon All night long
When you opened the kingdom of heaven to me For everyone to see You gave us a new life and happiness For others to see you.
Chorus
When we walk hand in hand with Angels on earth All people created by God We sing with the power of heavens above For others to see you.
So this year I turn 52 on May 2nd... or 5/2/10. So does that make it a golden oldie birthday?
It's also at stage in life that if I add 20 more years and then die, it will be the same age that my dad died. Since Dustin is also turning 20 this year, it was pretty much a cosmic of play of numbers that brought this next lyric together. Frankly, I can't see myself putting a melody to this. Any songwriter out there, here's an opportunity to for cowriting.
There is a line from a song that I wish I wrote, "I'm too old to die young" at this moment I don't remember who to give credit to for the line. I wove it into the last verse. My take is that if I'm too old to die young, that I'm currently at a stage that It's a shame that he died early. Well isn't that precious.
And all you people out there, don't worry I've got my faith right, I got a smile on my face, and I've lived a good life.... and don't even try to tell me that Five, Fifteen and Fifty would work in the song too ... HA.... 102 now wouldn't that be something.
Back at sixteen Life was a fog of friends and hormones Everything obscene Looking back I was such a moron.
At twenty one I knew that I was a young stud Never outdone Just a pauper with royal blood
I pray Two, Ten or Twenty Lord? No wait, Don’t tell me what’s in store. Just push Me in some direction And hope I make the right selection.
Then at thirty A couple more years of being dinks Life was pretty Though time moved at the speed of blinks
No fear forty It was all the Legos money could buy That and tree forts I even learned what it was to tythe.
I pray Two, Ten or Twenty Lord? No wait, Don’t tell me what’s in store. Just push Me in some direction And hope I make the right selection.
Fifty two and I’m too old to die young they say. So what’s the plan? To put a smile on my face everyday.
And with God’s grace Make a home where love resides ‘Cuz just in case They end up saying, it’s a shame he died
Let's be honest... I'm not going to tell you how to write a gang song but let's dig deep into the ballad format of the folk tradition. We all knew Bonnie and Clyde were going to get it, and so this thinking slips in occassionally when I get a chance to write. This song came to me while playing the chord progression from "All along the Watchtower" Yes the guitar players will hear the same chords in the "Across" verses; but pacing is such never really to be stolen but more borrowed... hey just ask Bob... he's done the same thing.
Now back to the story and progression. Across the river was the first words that came to me, and I'll always recommend the same discipline that goes into novel... write a story that makes sense with all the writing gadgets they use in 300 pages, but you have just a mere few verses. Foreshadowing is always fun. Finding local landmarks to solidify reality gives the song texture. Tying lyrics together with themes or patterns make the song writing interesting... if it's better who knows but it's definitely gotcha if you read them later after you love them.
Now the inspiration... just my imagination of what it must have been like 100 years ago on the St James River... with guys who don't have any morals, but locals who do.
Across the river to the house of ill repute Marked the ghostly traveled evil trade route. They were legends they were men Their blood would flow from that gambling den.
When the midnight fell across Pace isle Curses melted this frail woman child. Laughter and smoke filled the air so vile Rot in hell you damn pedophile.
Across the river came boat sleek and dark Filled with men from the local city Clark. Dressed in black and dressed to kill In just moments, their wishes were filled.
As the door opened and they walked in The was no shattering this crowd’s din Their way was clear to the backdoor And seconds to settling the score.
Across the river the shots cried out The law handed to this pathetic lout The dark angels showed no mercy around The blood flowed on this evil ground.
When the midnight passed across Pace isle Solemn embraced this frail woman child Silence and smoke fill the air so vile. Rot in hell those damn pedophiles.
