Lyrics in Progress

... that's the chord progression I am experimenting with at the moment. The creation of a few of my songs began with a riff or a chord progression like "Rows in a row", for example, or "Jumpy".

I've put "Siddartha" on hold for a few days because I've forgotten my notes in the office. And I might write a bridge for Bernd O's song, although he has still not given me any clue as to its length, i.e. the number of lines, the number of syllables per line, not to mention the intonation.

Ron Nelson from a songwriter board gave a few good hints. Now, just a few seconds ago, I listened to Bernd's rough demo yet again and tweaked the text a little more. So now I think that this will be it, exept that a bridge is still missing:

Verse I:

you say you'll never
give in
you will stand your ground

fun and joy for
everyone
forever will abound

life is a feast to
celebrate
the mystery
of humanity

Chorus:

keep on dancing
keep romancing
(and) let your dreams fly high

keep on beaming
keep on gleaming
like the stars in the sky

keep on swinging
keep on singing
be a star, don't be shy
don't be shy


Verse II:

you say you've learned to
ignore
what the moaners say

and you'll get on with
looking
at things your own way

life is a feast to
celebrate
the mystery
of humanity

Hooray! I actually deleted an entry from my scrap book. The title "against the odds" had rested there for quite a considerable time, now I've actually used it. Bernd O. had asked me to write a title "I see the sun", but somehow after listening to his music out came something quite different. He may like it or not. This is it:

against the odds
we'd hit it off
quite instantly

though reservations
on her part
arose eventually

some minor lapse
impeding her
from appreciating me

we'll work it out
she'll have to see
against the odds

I see the light behind her eyes
and I know the truth behind my lies
I do accept what she defies
'cause I admit what she denies
I'll hold her
I'll hold her tight
I'll never leave her
again

against the odds
we'll find a way
get it together

and I'll stay true
in good times or
come bad weather

all her doubts
will dissipate
'cause we are - birds of a feather

she'll see we are
a perfect match
against the odds

I see the light behind her eyes

...

(title and chorus by Martin Goetz; I just changed the chorus into present tense). As to Martin, the meter of the verses fit, so I added another verse in the same meter and the pre-chorus.

I came up with the two lines "eventually he'll leave the town" and "before routine would wear him down" rather instantly, next I put down "to pay for pub grub and a pint" and "his working hours use to end". I wanted to say that the tramp would end playing music as soon as he had got enough money to pay for his daily needs. Consulting RhymeZone yet again I found "depend" and "spend". There were no perfect rhymes for "pint", but I found "behind", "mind", "find", "blind" etcetera as viable half-rhymes. See below how I dealt with it:

his stuff stowed in a shopping cart
his main asset an old guitar
that's everything he'll ever need
his staple diet some drinks at night
his reading lamp a dim street light
it isn't very much, indeed

it takes good will _ to call art
the few folk tunes he sings by heart
that suffice as his stage program
his guitar's always out of tune
no later than the clock shows noon
he doesn't really give a damn
 
he leads the life that he chose
or that at least comes very close
so it's alright

he is the king of the rolling stones
a man without a home
he lives a life so free and peaceful
but he will die all alone

a cardboard box to collect small change
banknotes somehow would look strange
although he wouldn't mind at all
condescendence, sniggers, sneers
good advice, though insincere -
he takes it with a pinch of salt

his working hours use to depend
on how much money he's got to spend
to pay for pub grub and a pint
eventually he'll leave the town
before routine would wear him down
and soon will vanish from our mind

he leads the life that he chose
or that at least comes very close
so it's alright

he is the king of the rolling stones
a man without a home
he lives a life so free and peaceful
but he will die all alone

Martin has provided quite a few guidelines. The song he has in mind is to be about a tramp who plays guitar for a living, drinks, has no home, but actually lives the life he wants. The verses are supposed to have two paragraphs with six lines each and eight syllables per line. Their rhyming pattern shall be AABCCB. Then there is supposed to be a prechorus comprising three lines and a rhyming scheme of AAB. Martin already has a chorus he suggests:

he was the king of the rolling stones ("king of the rolling stones" being the title Martin has in mind)
a man without a home
he lived a life so free and peaceful
but he died all alone

During my lunch break I've put down a few lines:

his stuff stowed in a shopping cart
his main asset an old guitar
- [no idea yet] -
his staple diet some drinks at night
his reading lamp a dim street light
- [no idea yet] -

Well, 8 syllables per line is all very well, but all lines that I am suggesting require an upbeat note, i.e. the first stresses lie on the second syllables. So, maybe there should actually be 9 syllables then? I've got to ask. Actually, it need not be too difficult to add syllables. At first I had put down "belongings" instead of "stuff" anyway - but then, this could mean a few too many syllables. The second line could alternatively read "his main asset is an old guitar", the fourth "his staple diet are some drinks at night", for example.

I have collected a few more lines:

* a few folk songs he knows (or: sings) by heart

... which rhymes with "art", "part", "tart", maybe:

* it takes good will to call it art
* a cardboard box to collect some (or: small/loose) change

The rhyming dictionary suggests: "derange", "range", "strange" - so how about:

* banknotes somehow would look strange

Putting it together I get:

it takes good will to call art
the few folk tunes he sings by heart
that suffice as his stage program
a cardboard box to collect small change
banknotes somehow would look strange
- [no idea yet] -

The first line needs a rest between "will" and "to", that should work - if it's okay with the upbeat, that is:
it takes good will - to call art
As for the word "collect" two short notes would have to replace one normal length note.

This is what I have by now. The lunch break is over, I should get back to work.