a song for KJ

KJ (Karl-Jürgen) has produced quite a few pieces of music, some of them I will set to words in the next time (do you say "set to words"? I know it's "set to music" when you create music based on poems or lyrics).

Anyway, his music basically are chord progressions, well, there are complete arrangements, but no vocal tracks. So for me as his lyricist there are no restrictions as to syllables counts or matching stressed notes. There are restrictions with respect to the length of lines or the rhythm, obviously, but such limitations are rather loose. It's supposed to be not too different from writing for Blues or Blues Rock as I'm used to.

For my first project I have chosen a piece that appeals to me more than the others. It sounds quite good, has tempo, Rock parts are altered with melodic ones. When I put down its structure - KJ supplied BIAB (band in a box) charts to assist defining it - I found that it looks rather weird:

A B A B A - A - A B A

A, respectively B just indicate the different parts (A stands for the Rock, B for the melodic part; the hyphens mark short instrumental interludes). I regard A as the chorus, and B as the verses, because A sounds more exciting. But now I've got the problem that there will be 6 (!) repetitions of the chorus, i.e. the same text six times. Therefore, I decided to write a different text for the A part that is included in the instrumental interludes, let's call it A', so now the structure looks like this:

A B A B A - A' - A B A

A' will still have the same melody (at least it has the same accompaniment) like the other A parts, but a different text.

I've already put down lyrics for the chorus and two verses. The subject was inspired by KJ's title "trau Dich" (that's German, meaning "take heart"):


I think I should screw up my courage
I guess that I should take a chance
I know I risk to feel ashamed
but then my gain could be romance

there's this girl here at the party
but I feel too shy
approaching her, ask for a dance
I know that I should try

I think ...

her beauty takes my breath away
I feel weak at the knees
how shall she take notice of me
someone help me please


That's how far I've got by now. I'm not happy with the second verse, its third line doesn't run smoothly, the forth has got rather clumsy - just there to provide a rhyme. One verse and part A' are pending.