Demo: "Colors of the Rainbow"

Here's a quick and sloppy demo of the song called "Colors of the Rainbow"

Lyrics: "Colors of the Rainbow"

New song. I've been working on this one on and off for a few weeks. It is designed to be a sappy hippie folk song, like the kind you hear on NPR all of the time.

Colors of the Rainbow

Well, the golden sun is traveling through the blue sky
Shinin' golden yellow beams down on my face
And the green trees growin' way up on the hillside
Well, it seems like everything is in its place

Open up your eyes and see the colors of the rainbow
Open up your mind and know the beauty standing there
Open up your heart and feel the way you feel
See the colors of the rainbow everywhere

How the purple mountain's majesty surrounding
And the golden wheat field waving back at me
Well, you wonder so many people find it
Just look around and tell me what you see

Open up your eyes and see the colors of the rainbow
Open up your mind and know the beauty standing there
Open up your heart and feel the way you feel
See the colors of the rainbow everywhere

There is color in the faces of the children
There is color in the eyes of you and me
Well, you say that everything is either black or white
But shades of gray are all you ever see

Open up your eyes and see the colors of the rainbow
Open up your mind and know the beauty standing there
Open up your heart and feel the way you feel
See the colors of the rainbow everywhere

Video: "Leave Her Alone"

I did a video demo of the song lyrics found in the previous blog.  It's that song about Britney Spears called "Leave Her Alone".  As you can see, I sang it with just an acoustic guitar into my MacBook's iSight camera, using the built-in pin-hole microphone.  I envision this thing with more of a full band, indie-pop punk-ish vibe to it.  I'm looking forward to a right and proper recording of this song in the not-too-distant future.

Lyrics: "Leave Her Alone"

Here's my tribute to Britney Spears. I'm not sure where this came from. I'm just getting awful tired of hearing about her and reading about here. I don't feel sorry for her...she made her own bed. I guess I always feel sorry for the kids of people like this. Let's move on. LEt's leave her alone.

Leave Her Alone

Just leave her alone
She never hurt anyone
Well, maybe she did
But even so, just leave her alone

She only wants what's best for the kids
And she never meant half the crazy-ass things that she did
Surely she should know what's right for them
And nothing you can say right now is gonna bring 'em back again

Just leave her alone
She never hurt anyone
Well, maybe she did
But even so, just leave her alone

She's really tried to get her life on track
It ain't hard to tell that she loves those boys and she wants 'em back
Does she really deserve that sideways glance?
Why can't you open up your minds and just give her a chance?

Just leave her alone
She never hurt anyone
Well, maybe she did
But even so, just leave her alone

She really seems sincere this time
Maybe she means what she says and this time she ain't lyin'
Why is it so hard to believe?

Lyrics: "How Long Can This Go On?"

Another song lyric. This is just a bunch of nonsense! It really doesn't mean anything. It was all written in about 15 minutes. Just a stream of consciousness kind of thing. I have a melody sort of worked up for it, and a sort of pop-punk arrangement in mind. I'm anxious to see what becomes of this.

How long can this go on?

I thought about it for a long, long time
But I never could decide
If I was better off without you here
Without you standin' by my side

I asked my doctor for some good advice
Said it would kill me in the end
I wrote a letter to editor, babe
She didn't wanna be my friend

But oh, how long can this go on?
But oh, how long can this go on?

I bought a TV at the discount store
Went home and hung it on my wall
I went lookin' for the edge of the world
Now it's another shopping mall

I found a quarter and I gave it away
I broke stick of gum in half
I asked my banker for a a couple of days
Aw, man you should have seen him laugh

But oh, how long can this go on?
But oh, how long can this go on?

I called my baby on the telephone
I told her all about my day
She only told me not to call her no more
She never liked me anyway

I thought about it for a long, long time
But I never could decide
If I was better off without you here
Without you standin' by my side

But oh, how long can this go on?
But oh, how long can this go on?

Reflection

After five days, things seem to be going pretty well. This sudden burst of creativity feels great. Four songs written, two demoed, it all good. It feels especially good, and so not forced. I'm putting no restrictions of any kind on what I'm doing. I've always tried to make my songs fit a certain style. I've always tried to write in a certain way, or I've tried to be cute and clever. I have always been trying to impress people. I've always been writing for someone else. This time I'm doing it for me.

There's a very good chance that no one else will ever hear these songs (or read this blog, for that matter.) That's very freeing. The two demos that I've already posted are horrible. The mix is rough, there's no effects, and the singing is atrocious. But I don't care. They are signs of progress toward the ultimate end result.

Lyrics: "Anxiety"

Anxiety

Well, the first time that it hits you, you never saw it come
Then you'll spend the rest of your whole life lookin'
Tryin' to figure out where it's from
Well, it'll surely shake your confidence
It'll bring you to your knees
Oh - oh anxiety

Well, I tell myself it ain't real, I just try to believe
But no matter how far I try to run
It's there tuggin' at my sleeve
I might try to put it out of my mind
And maybe I'll be free
Oh - oh anxiety

And if you've never been there
It's never held your hand
And if you've never felt it
You'll never understand

Well, it can make a person crazy, it can make a grown man cry
And you know that you should just push it out of your head
But you're too afraid to try
It's got you firmly in its grasp
And it just won't let you be
Oh - oh anxiety

Demo: "Nothing Ever Changes"

I just finished doing a demo of "Nothing Ever Changes".  The drums are created with the Roland SPD-6.  I'm getting pretty good at laying down some decent rhythm tracks!  It also has a scratch acoustic guitar track and a very scratchy vocal. I apologize for the warbles and the squeaks!(Just trying to keep my place.)  I also laid down a bass line that really seems to work.

Nothing Ever Changes

(See lyrics here)

Demo: "The Devil Inside"

Here's the first demo of the first song. It's just drums (MIDI) and acoustic guitar and an early morning crackly vocal track.

(see lyrics here)

Lyrics: "I Used to Wanna Live Here"

Just a quick bunch of lyrics I threw together to accompany a little riff I came up with. It's a travelin' song about leaving the place that you are in favor of somewhere else. It's just a metaphor me, leaving behind some of the demons that haunt me.

I Used to Wanna Live Here

I'm sittin' in the driver's seat
The road is rumblin' at my feet
White knuckles on the wheel
Press the pedal clear to the floor
Yeah, I used to wanna live here
I ain't ever goin' back no more

The wind is blowin' through my hair
You'd think I didn't have a care
Up ahead is Minnesota
The Mississippi River too
Well, I used to wanna live here
But now it just reminds me of you

And there's a high bridge comin'
I don't think it's gonna slow me down
And if the lights don't get me
I just might make it to the next town

North Dakota's in my sight
I just wanna make it there by night
But my tank is gettin' empty
And the wicked winter winds are blowin'
Well, I used to wanna live here,
But now I think I'll just keep goin'

Lyrics: "Nothing Ever Changes"

Another new song for the CD. Definitely a work in progress. As of this first draft, I'm not at all happy with the last verse.

*Edit (2/09/08): Last verse has been changed, along with the rhyming scheme. I have a melody in mind for this now. Almost ready for demo.

Nothing Ever Changes

The talking heads are screaming at me
Blasting out from my TV set
They all want me on their side
But I ain't made my mind up yet
They're all so quick to promise everything
And just as quick they forget your name
Nothing ever changes
Everything stays the same

I'm trying to build a fortune here
On Earth before I die
I built a life on hopes and dreams
That a million bucks can't buy
You move ahead just to be pushed back
The whole idea seems so lame
Nothing ever changes
Everything stays the same

They say the more things change
The more they stay the same
I say the more things stay the same
The more they never change

All the journeymen at the station
They've already checked their bags
They're all takin' off and flyin' high
Work like dogs for the tails that wag
They want the credit and the glory
But no one ever takes the blame
Nothing ever changes
Everything stays the same

Lyrics: "The Devil Inside"

The lyrics to the first song have been written.

The Devil Inside

On the outside, you'd never even know
But on the inside, burns a fire from below
It's a mystery, it's a master of disguise
It's Hell right here on Earth
When you got the Devil inside

On the outside, everything looks OK
But on the inside, it just tears your soul away
It's a promise, it's a truth that you must hide
It's Hell right here on Earth
When you got the Devil inside

And there's no amount of prayin'
And there's no books you can read
And even your friend the bottle
Could never get you what you need
'Cos it's a bad debt
And they'll never let it slide
It's Hell right here on Earth
When you got the Devil inside

Gear

My new CD will be recorded using the following gear:

• Mac Mini running GarageBand
• Alesis i|0 14 Audio Interface
• Shure SM 57 & 58
• MCA Cheapo condenser Mic
• Martin Acoustic Guitar
• G&L Electric Guitar
• Roland SPD-6 Percussion Pad
• Other stuff I find laying around

I'll post pictures of my home studio as soon as I have them.

I'm trying to keep everything very bare bones. I've decided that this CD isn't being made to show off my songs or to sell them or to get people to record them. It's merely being done to do it. I'm doing it for myself. I'm not trying to prove anything to anybody. This could be fun.

Genesis

I've decided to start recording a brand new CD. I've decided that I will only use songs that have been written from this day forward. No going back to the archives. No digging up old songs and dusting them off. No using the three of four songs I've written that are actually good.

So...I need to get busy writing new songs and recording them. This blog will serve as a documentary of my progress. I'll post snippets, ideas, rough drafts, false starts, and all kinds of other stuff. Eventually, I look to have the entire CD up for grabs here.