Posts Tagged ‘lyrics’

Test of Time

Posted: October 6, 2020 in Poetry
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How many ways can you stack the same eight letters
That was a rhetorical question not a mathematical one.
You can say some are a bit too sharp and others a little flat
But when you get to the end it comes down to this or that.

Some fall while others land, though more crash and burn.
I am curious maybe concerned but mostly do not care.
In the end the Test of Time offers the pretentious and the real
Which one is which is determined by how it makes you feel.

Do you want to get up and go for a ride
Or does it make your blood boil inside?
Are you ready to shout at the top of your lungs,
Or for a whispering of words that cannot be sung?

There is the occasion where you can just push it through
Things started working and soon it’s complete.
Thinking this unique creation is by far your greatest
Looking back now it’s no different than all the rest.

Do you want to get up and go for a ride
Or does it make your blood boil inside?
Are you ready to shout at the top of your lungs,
Or maybe a whispering of words that cannot be sung?

Do you want to get up and go for a ride
Or to shout at the top of your lungs?
Does it make your blood boil inside?
Listening to words that cannot be sung?

How many ways can you stack the same eight letters
That was a rhetorical question not a mathematical one.
You can say some are a bit too sharp and others a little flat
But when you get to the end it comes down to this or that.

“Not Now” put to music

Posted: June 6, 2020 in Midi Series, MUSIC, music technology, My Tunes
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Sonar Track Panel Wave and MIDI files that generate sounds from computer programs called plug-ins

I mentioned experimenting with an on-line jamming program. It became the clipboard for a few guitar sections I created while waiting for one thing or another to work. I titled each as verse, bridge, chorus, etc. I had to give it a project name to save the clipboard and I came up with “Not Now”.

I used those short pieces and assembled them into a song arrangement. Once the chords and arrangement were in place I naturally started thinking of lyrics (as I have a tendency to do). The file was named Not Now so I kept it as my Cakewalk (BandLab) project name. So it becomes the theme of the lyrics. In one hour they were written. Getting them to match the odd rhythms and sparse instrumentation became a challenge. It took me a few days to come up with the melody and then practice it enough to get the rough tracks down. To all just joining; I get things down to rough tracks and then write another song, poetry, lyric or instrumental. When I was young I hoped some band would do my songs correctly in a studio. I am not young now.

Here is a rough mix of “Not Now”. I used a Martin Acoustic/Electric guitar for the guitar track. Using my MIDI keyboard I pulled up a plug-in for drum sounds. I imported the original noodling guitar parts I did from the clipboard but they were not recorded to a metronome or drum pattern. I listened and figured out the tempo of the segments and set Cakewalk to match. That way I could listen to the short guitar segments as I created the basic drum parts and arranged all the segments in order. I pulled up a bass guitar sound and played the MIDI keyboard to generate the bass line.

Next, I Muted the original guitar tracks and recorded a new track to replace it. The song seemed to cry out for strings but that is usually just me. I like good sounding strings in various styles of music.

Lyrics were posted here: https://midimike.com/2020/06/01/not-now/

I use two monitors as there is a lot of information to keep ‘track’ of even for a small project.
This is the Piano Roll view. Each color represents different instruments. The lower group triggers drum sounds.

I gave a link to BandLab above. Full disclaimer this is not a commercial and I do not get paid for anything I do here. However….. if you are interested I used to pay hundreds of dollars every year or so to keep this great recording program updated. They now offer the program and all updates for FREE. No kidding.

I hope you enjoy “Not Now”. Each time I listen to it I like it more. Again, this is just me as each new song I write becomes my newest favorite.

If just for a little while.

“Not Now”

Posted: June 1, 2020 in My Tunes, Poetry, projects
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I have been working with a few friends to set up on-line jamming from separate locations. I will go into this a bit later for anyone interested. I did spend some time on-line with a program for live sessions. During my testing I had a bit of a wait time so I noodled around on my guitar. While waiting I used a record feature in the program and captured a few segments of my noodling that I liked. It required a name in order to save and in the mood I was in I called it Not Now.

As you know I am not good with names – of any kind – and my song titles usually show that weakness. So now that I had a name for the music pieces, I had to write lyrics sooner or later and was stuck with Not Now as the title!

I finished the basic music tracks in a couple days. Listening to the arrangement I got out my writing tools and came up with the following lyrics. I will smooth out the music and post sooner or later. Here is “Not Now”:

I really can’t wait
For you and this weekend.
Seems like forever
Since we had a minute alone.
No more than a boy
Paralyzed in an ice cream store.
Or that time I cried…..
Until we had to leave the zoo.

Not Now.
I’ve heard it all my life.
Not Now.
Don’t want to hear it again.
Not Now.
It can’t be now, it won’t be then
Not Now.

So many situations
I can’t come close to understand.
More and more people
Have nothing else to say to me.

Not Now.
I’ve heard it all my life.
Not Now.
Don’t want to hear it again.
Not Now.
It can’t be now, it won’t be then
Not Now.

Still
I don’t complain.
Everything I have
I can give away.
Hello
Tell me your name.
You make me smile
Hope I can do the same.
Ask
I do it all day.
It really doesn’t matter
Or what time of day. Still
I don’t complain.
Everything I have
I can give away.

No Amount of Luck

Posted: April 16, 2019 in Poetry
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                                                                      MSK 4-15-2019

Metaphors and analogies
 Comic plays and tragedies
 Miracle cures and man-made disease
 Sealed with handshakes and apologies.

 You couldn’t tell an ancient shaman 
 From a clown selling snake oil remedies
 Observing you see much in common
 Debating the pain as you burn or freeze.

     You chose the wrong path long before today
     Fame and fortune have gotten you this far
     Felt you deserved the status and glory somehow
     But no amount of luck is going to help you now.

     Family and friends give you all you ask
     Generations of wealth demand compliance
     Doors opened easily for a wink and a bow
     But no amount of luck is going to help you now.

 Miracle cures and man-made disease
 Debating the pain as you burn or freeze
 Sealed with handshakes and apologies
 From a clown selling snake oil remedies.

     You chose the wrong path long before today
     Fame and fortune have gotten you this far
     Felt you deserved the status and glory somehow
     But no amount of luck is going to help you now.

     Doors opened easily with a wink and a bow
     But no amount of luck is going to help you now.
     You took all that your power would allow
     But no amount of luck is going to help you now.

 Metaphors and analogies
 Comic plays and tragedies
 Miracle cures and man-made disease
 Sealed with handshakes and apologies.