Original Song Lyrics, The Cat

 

Something I have intended to do for ages, is to transcribe my song writing notebooks on to the computer. Simply so that if the old books hand written books fall apart, I have a usable copy of the lyrics of some 250-300 songs and which I can properly archive.

Whilst an enforced period without the uke is in operation, I have actually gotten around to exercising my typing skills. Last night I came to the end of creating a first volume of my lyrics with 50 songs mostly dated from the seventies. I hope to be able to add chords to the lyrics but again all you need is time; close to a cue for a song but would that be a step too far.

Most of the songs have been almost forgotten, I had revived about a dozen for use with my ukulele, but although being able to sing the rest, I would need to work out some chords. Especially as they are for a different instrument to that which they were written on.

Although people often ask which comes first, the lyric of the melody, I have to say that with me it was usually both at once. So whilst I can sing them (almost?) Remembering how I played them is not possible.

So some of the songs are ones I still play, some I have forgotten, some have cheesy lyrics (as my son calls them), some are clever (well... ?). and some are just strange. Oh yes, and some were written in answer to the punk revolution so are impossible to categorise. But they all have some sort of memories for me, even if it was just singing them with relief when they were finished. Assuming of course that they were finished. I was still editing and changing the lyrics as I typed them into the laptop.

Here is one example of a "strange" lyric, I remember writing this one after watching a TV program with David Bowie talking about his songwriting. He used to collect newspaper head lines and then use them to create the lyrics of some of his (earlier?) songs. I tried this method but was always a bit suspicious of the results and maybe three or four survived my regular culls.

This one is called "THE CAT"

Let me tell you about that curious character called The Cat
He’s a man who’ll tell you that he knows where it’s happening & where it’s really at
But beware, take care he’s having you on and dragging you down
It’s your turn this time, if you don’t turn around and forget him

There’s a lot to be said, better get it straight; keep yourself on the ball
Though everyone’s going, an invitation to his pad leads to a fall
Look out girl, keep on rolling, take a bow show him a vanishing trick
A touch of magic is all it needs, are you good enough

Take a trip to the U.S. of A. leave the winter behind you
He won’t forgive or forget what you did he don’t like taking a fall
Steal the show, see and be seen, strike it lucky There’s a rough road ahead
And it’s safer the second time around When escaping to nowhere,

Original Song Lyric: My Love

Unfortunately, I never dated any of my early songs; I simply scribbled them out onto any handy scraps of paper - I was usually in a hurry to record them before they were forgotten. Once I was satisfied with the lyric, and that usually meant with the melody as they often came out of my head (?) together, I carefully copied them out into a hard-backed note book using a fountain pen (remember those?) and in my best writing. I reckon I could have been a doctor with that skill level.

The same  applied to the guitar accompaniments really, in fact the chord structure often suggested how the melody progressed. However, in this case I rarely bothered to make a note of the chords and any instrumental flourishes. I never developed longer instro pieces because it was all about the songs at the time. Surprising, you may think since my main inspiration was Hank Marvin and The Shadows. But both sides of my music were kept apart and never the twain did meet. But I digress ...

Over the years, I must have written hundreds of songs, a lot were never written into the notebooks because they were inferior for one reason or another or reminded me of another song which I may have heard on the radio or TV. I was scrupulous about that. But certainly not all survived to find favour by winning a place in my notebooks. I now have to rely on events, people and places to try and date the songs, that is why the dates I quote, when I do, are so loosely defined. Nowadays I write song much less frequently, and they are immediately typed into the computer where I keep a journal since they can be easily edited. I am also adding my older songs to this journal slowly but surely. Which is what sparked the idea for this whole project.

But for now, here is another of those very early songs, I have no memories of any sort about this song; why, when or where it came from. It is entitled, "My Love":-

MY LOVE

My Love, 

What have I done to hurt you, won't you tell me?

What have I done to make you turn against me?

oh my Love, Oh my Love

My Love, 

Did you really mean those things that you said to me?

Did you realise how those things cut right through me?

And hurt me, deep inside

(bridge)

Won't you give me another little chance?

Tell me where I went wrong.

I'm ready to take all of the blame,

If you tell me where I went wrong.

My Love,

What's it gonna take to get us back together?

There's really such a lot could hold us two together.

Oh my Love, stay my Love

Oh my Love, stay my Love ….

Hear the song on my blog, Guitar Bashin' or maybe on the musical story A Ukulele Journey. It may take a little while to post to both sites as it is now past my bedtime, well I am getting on a bit. Back with more on this project and more original lyrics soon,

Original Song - Only A Fool

It looks as if I will be including more of my song lyrics in the future, I guess that there is only a difference in perspective between my poetry and the lyrics and I am not really writing much "poetry" at the moment. Also I will be trying to find a home for the lyrics (which I will be typing up) from songs written by myself over the past 60 years. Yep that was no typo, I have been writing songs since I was 120 years old. Some times in my life have been more productive than others but I have been at it for over 60 years.

This song was written, as I say when I was about 12-14; I was never very good at keeping a record of dates for most of the time and I can only date the songs from other memories of my life. I remember writing this and about half a dozen more whilst keeping a rythm going with a home made drum kit. The kit consisted of cardboard boxes, biscuit tin lids (the round ones, sometimes with nails drilled thru them to give a lovely swishing sound) and a couple of drums from an old toy set. Those did have skins however. Anyway, the lyrics:-

Title: Only A Fool 

written by John Dyhouse (1958/9)

You treated me bad

And put me down.

Then played around with other guys,

Out on the town.

But I still Love you,

I'm only a fool.

Won’t you please come back to me?

Stop being so cruel.

(Bridge) How could you hurt anyone so?

I really don’t know.

I’ll ask again, comeback,

‘Cause I love you so

If you still love me

Don’t be so cruel

Because I still love you so,

I’m only a Fool.

... Only a fool,

... Only a fool.

Notice that last stanza, in the song it would be called a coda ( or an outro in modern
parlance) but would probably have no place in a poem - or would it? Also would a
poem have a bridge?

If you would like to hear this, sung with a ukulele baking, you will find it here on
my music pages.

Still Writing ...

Some time since my last post - again;I seem to be writing in fits and starts these days. And doing far more reading. Maybe I am getting old, or maybe I am just too busy. However, I suddenly had an urge to write again last night. An urge which was generated by the purchase of a new ukulele of all things. It is actually a Cordoba branded instrument and I absolutely love the sound. (Note : the link is to the actual uke which I purchased but there is no association between myself and the company concerned)

I had been playing some of my old songs and wondering why I had stopped writing songs. The answer is guessed was because I had started writing poetry. Not a very satisfying answer because I have not written any poetry for a while. I think it had something to do with being able to express myself as a writer much better with simple lyrics than with the poetry. I decided to put this to the test and sat down to write a song using the methods I would use to write poetry. If that makes sense?

With songs, I used to play a few chord riffs until a melody came into my head. I would use simple lyrics as a "place marker" for the finished article, however much of that simple lyric often remained.

I thought what if I wrote the lyric first, and in fact I managed to put something together and when I felt ready (the lyric was not complete) I picked up the uke and started to play and sing. At some point I felt that both aspects gelled and was quite happy with the whole and managed to record a first take using my PC's built in camera.

This showed a few inconsistencies but meant I would not have to try to remember the melody / timing and then find if I did not get back to it for a few days I would need to repeat the second part of the process, i.e. the melody.

Here is a copy of the lyric with a few chord names (tentative at this stage) added for my convenience. The chords are written as capitals in square brackets, e.g. [C], [G7], etc.

BIttersweet Memories

INTRO

[C][F][C][G*][G7*]

Verse1

-tacit-

My em[C]otions are all in a mess

Should be pulling myself [F]together, I guess

Let me tell you, I want to explain

You're the [G7]reason I'm in so much [C]pain

V2

I can't see a future that's clear

The options I have bring me nothing but fear

A fear that you're leaving me soon

the sky will fall with visions of doom [C*][CM7*][C7*]

BRIDGE

[F]Memories, bIttersweet [C]memories

You [F]fill my heart with images of [C]joy [C*][CM7*][C7*]

But you [F]cut the chains,

and you [C]loose the reins

And [F]cast me down just like some broken [C]toy

V3

I just never know what to expect

Whatever I do for you, is never correct

As close as you and I have been

Anytime at all you can erect that screen

Not quite poetry but maybe poetic? I will be posting a video on line when I have got a "clean and finished copy for anyone interested. I will edit the post when it is ready.

This weeks New Poem:Are You Afraid Of The Dark?

Here is my latest piece of writing, another poem. This time a sombre piece, written again to a creative writing prompt from a random pass on the web sites offering these. 

A strange one for me, I started without any idea of where the subject would take me as I often do when using a prompt. And in this case I actually started the poem (the first verse and a half) by using a poetry generator. I use the strategy to give me a first line or two but never take what is offered without some heavy editing.

The prompt I used was "Are You Afraid Of The Dark?" As an adult, I am not but what would make me feel this way? Perhaps a dream .... a nightmare? Or did something happen on a camping trip as a child? Maybe You could make your own mind up?

OK, here it is...

sourced from Pixabay (creative commons)

Are You Afraid Of The Dark?

Once upon a midnight sombre,

Through which came tapping, tapping, tapping.

In there stepped a haunting downbeat,

Still is rapping, still is rapping.

I felt compelled to scour the setting

I awoke with such a start.

Ah, distinctly I was strumming,

"Take thy woe from out my heart".

At that my soul knew fear.

The thunderclouds spoke of death.

Whilst in the earth I saw a grave,

My body failed to draw a breath.

I heard a maniacal, muted moaning;

A solemn, sepulchral shrieking.

I believed my time was over

As I heard my spirit weeping

I had never been so frightened,

Never dreaming of these shadows;

And the creatures I imagined

From long forgotten barrows.

But just before I drew my last breath

A light appeared in the eastern sky. 

The coming dawn rode to my rescue

The demons dissolved before my eye.

Years later grown into adulthood,

Still remembering that fright;

When asked why I am afraid of the dark,

I confess the happenings that night.

Thanks for reading, I have actually collected enough poems for a fourth poetry book ( well perhaps a pamphlet would be a better description) but it will be available on Amazon sometime soon if things go well.

A new Poem; Hear the waves

Phew, missed a few days, I thought my new writing phase had ground to a halt. However, it has been a very busy few weeks and needs must. No matter how much I want to write, I was just too tired. But tonight, I took a break and decided to check out a few ideas for a new offering. I found a photo which I liked and this gave me a little inspiration for a new poem. Hope you can empathise and enjoy it.

Hear the waves

Hear the crashing of the waves;

The wind blows hard, but doubt remains.

I'm lost, alone, forsaken. 

What happened, was something taken?

Something's changed, a minor shift ;

Something has changed, a mournful rift .

I find it hard to understand,

Overshadowed in this pleasant land.

But listen, who sings at the water's edge?

Could they but help, provide a bridge.

He is nought but a singer,

Creating stories that shimmer.

A fantasy narrated,

It speaks to me, awaited.

A reverie conceived,

A future, now brightly revealed

I no longer feel alone,

All along I should have known.

I no longer feel so lost,

I no longer count the cost

Hear the lapping of the waves;

The breeze blows soft, whispering my name.

Well there we are, another completed poem and I feel really happy. Still got the writing bug after all.

The Journal Jar, A Surprise Poem

A surprise because I was looking at one of Monna Ellithorpe's post on Writing prompts and she mentioned a Journal Jar. Never heard of this ; then surf over to see what it is all about.

Anyway, I had written a poem from one of the prompts offered and feeling at a loss for something to do, I though I might try another. But upoon reading the post I though, "Why not?" and proceeded to write a poem about writing a poem. Mmmm, I seem to have done that before now I think about it.

Well here it is:-

THE JOURNAL JAR

Each day I open up my journal jar,

When I find time to rest. 

I pick a slip from deep within,

To provide a little test.

Chose at random that's the key 

And write a poem upon request.

A poem based upon the prompt

Now in your hand, Just do your best.

That's all I ask, and nothing more,

Apply your writer's mind. Invest

In words, attest to deeds to come.

Or maybe even deeds repressed.

Just write, compose, transcribe your thoughts;

Don't leave them unexpressed.

Don't wait, it will work out in the end,

resulting in a poem, to leave you  most impressed.

Seems like there are days when words just flow, of course there are many days when it is almost impossible to start. Just take things as they come and make the most of the good days. Seems to be the best way to treat it, don't you think.

Thanks for the visit and hope you enjoyed the poem.