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,