Day 11 - The Adventure

Took another flex day yesterday because I wan't feeling too great. They're disappearing quickly.... The challenge this time was fairly simple; write a song about an adventure. And, following my trend of giving songs obvious names, I present to you - The Adventure! There's not a lot to it, admittedly, but I'm fairly happy with it. Hope you enjoy :) Lyrics below, video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEulHEYHn-4


The Adventure

V1: / vi / vi V /
Every adventure
Starts with one step
Don’t know where it leads
Don’t know what it may bring

V2:
Every journey
Has its twists and its turns
Don’t know where they will be
Or what we will learn
Cause it’s an adventure

C: / I // II // I // II // vi / vi V / vi / vi V / x2
A breath of mystery
A daring test of bravery
The thrill of discovery
That’s what makes an adventure
To step out into the unknown
Face dangers you cannot fathom
See places you’ve never seen
That’s what makes an adventure

V3:
Every trail
Will have its dangers
Have its monsters
And its treasures
Cause its an adventure

C

V4:
Every story
Has its end
But its also the beginning
Of yet another
Adventure

Day 10 - The First Time

And we've reached Day Ten! Today is an old songwriting classic: the love song. For this one, I'm going to say the opposite of yesterday - watch the video first! If you haven't seen the video yet, go and do that. Otherwise it'll spoil it. Spoil what? Well, let's just say I took a couple of liberties with it again. Lyrics below, video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXiHmeytOWI

The First Time

V1: / I // IV V / vi / IV / I / II / V /
I’ve heard so much about you
I just can’t wait to finally see
If you’re as good as people say
Will you be the one for me?
I’ve seen some great photos so far
And the videos you put up online
But will it be different in person -
Would you cross a line?

PC: / IV / V / vi / V /
I’ve got such high hopes and dreams
I hope you’ll be as great as you seem

C: / IV / V / I / vi / {/ IV / V / I / II /} x2 / I / vi / IV V / I /
When I see you for the first time
When I see what you are like
Will you be the best
Or only be alright?
Will it be the greatest day of my life
Or be lost in all the hype?
It’s so hard to be sure
About the new Star Wars

V2:
You’ve got six movies to live up to
Or for some, only three
And two more movies yet to come
There’s some pretty big hopes you see
You’ve got a new droid and saber
New heroes and villains too
New duels, new Sith and Jedi
There’s going to be so much to view

PC + C + I + C

Day 9 - Simple Pleasures (Peace)

Day Nine - and this one, I really like. I mean, a couple of the others have been fairly good, but this one I really like. The challenge today was the opposite of yesterday - so sad melody/music, happy lyrics. Read the lyrics below before you watch the video, because these are joyful lyrics - but the music makes it seem a lot more sad, and contemplative. I pretty much did the chord pattern, and wrote this song as I played. Like it when that happens. Lyrics below, video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmGZLfgISvE

Simple Pleasures (Peace)

V1: / vi iii / IV / x4

I watch the flowers

They bend and sway in the breeze

The soaring towers

Blown about by the wind through the trees

V2:

I watch the sunrise

The light filtering through the clouds

A sudden surprise

Jostling the crowds

C: / ii / IV / x2

The simple pleasures

They bring me life

V3:

I watch the waves break

Out on the beach, they’re rolling in

I feel the earth shake

Comes from the pound and the spin

C x2

I: / vi / IV / I / V iii / x4 / IV //

V4:

I watch the stars shine

Their beauty so clear from afar

I wish they were mine

Just so I’d know this (peace)

Day 8 - Smileyface

Now on Day Eight! Today's challenge was to do a happy melody but sad lyrics - and tomorrow is the opposite. I knew that one would end up being silly, and the other serious, and I was hoping that I didn't intrude too much on the territory of my song What I Say/What I Play (which you can hear here). Because that uses a similar idea. So this one ended up being the silly one - bordering on creepy, if you watch the video. It plays on an idea that actually came from a stand-up routine that my friend did at school once for a talent night, talking about how people end texts or messages with a :) that may not necessarily be happy, but it's fine, because :) So that's what the song is about.
Lyrics below, video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_QbPgwVOrA

Smileyface

V1: / IV / I / V // x4
I stubbed my toe the other day 😃
Hurt my back so I can’t play 😃
Found out I didn’t get paid 😃
Got fined by the RTA 😃

C: / IV / I / V / I / IV / I / V // IV / I / V / I / IV / V / I //
We’re all doing fine
It’s all going swell
Just as long as you end with a 😃
You could be dying on the street
You could be going through hell
But it’s all OK if you end with a 😃

V2:
Susie got eaten by a shark 😃
Great-Aunt Nellie just died 😃
Met a serial killer in the park 😃
Found out my partner lied 😃

C

B: / IV / I / V / I / x2
😃 😃 😃 😃
😃 😃 😃 😃

C
Yes, it’s all OK if you end with a 😃
You can say anything like, just end with a 😃

Day 7 - The Unlikely Duet

Day Seven! I did do this yesterday, but forgot to post up the lyrics. I've also just put together the video, though I did do it yesterday - but the challenge was to do a duet! So I had to put a couple of them side-by-side. Had a bit of fun with it - doing two different voices and personalities singing together a bit. Lyrics below, video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7jyMJnJBKU

The Unlikely Duet

/ I / IV / I / V / x2
I like to sing with a strong, loud voice
I like to sing just like this
I can sing with a soft, sweet noise
To you, this prob'ly sounds like piss

When I sing all of the people come round
While I just push them away
Come one, come all, to this lovely sound
See you some other day

/ IV / I / x3 / V //
I sing grandly
I sing alright
I sing…standly
That word’s not right!
Says the man who just rhymed
‘Alright’ with ‘right'
At least you don’t talk my ear off all night

Well, if you’re so fantastic, then you have a go.
All right then.

/ I / V / x2 / IV / I / V //
Words are an art form, don’t throw them about
Or one day they’ll come round, knock you on your snout
Is that so? Yes it is, it’s not just for show
Words, they can make you feel high or feel low

/ IV / I / x3 / V //
Feel high or feel low?
Yeah, give it a go!
Don’t want to be slow
We’ll to and we’ll fro
You know that we will be better together
We’ll craft a piece that will last through the weather

Done? Yep.

/ IV / I / V / I /
Oom-bup-bup oom-bup-bup etc.

Day 6 - Just Me

Day Six! I was out all day yesterday, so took one of my flex days out from this. I am currently uploading Day Five's video, but Day Six's may be a little while in coming - because the challenge today is a cappella! And, me being me, I did a lot of layers. Which means lots of videos in the one video. Which is rather tricky to do. So that will take some time! But until then, lyrics below :) Well, more or less. This is the main lyric. I made other bits up on the fly. You'll see.

Just Me

It’s just me singing this song
But won’t be just me for very long
Cause when I sing this song
Everyone sings along
And now I won’t get it wrong

It’s no fun if it’s just me
But with company you see
I have fun yeah it’s true
Not just me but you too
‘Me' is better if it’s ‘we'

Now it’s time to have some fun
Come on, join in everyone
When we’re together
You know it’s so much better

We’ll keep going 'til we’re done

Day 5 - Label Me This

Fifth Day! The challenge today was this: "Day 5: Write a song that involves nicknames". I wasn't sure exactly where the song would go when I started it, but it's ended up being in a similar vein to quite an old one of mine called 'Break Out', which is actually on my first online EP I did way back when. This one is more building on an idea of mine that when we label people, put them into groups, give them names - it's really a way of making them seem less human. Of dehumanising them, forgetting that they're people. Because they're just a label. They're just 'them' now. It's a lot harder to do that when you're face-to-face with someone. The title is a play on the phrase 'riddle me this'. Also, the songs seem to be a bit samey music-wise - I don't know if that's because they're mostly all on guitar (and there's only so much I can do on guitar), or because I'm doing them in a short amount of time, or just because everything gets samey after a while.

Unfortunately, I can't do the video at the moment. People are sleeping at home right now, don't want to wake them up. Think I might have the same problem tomorrow as well, except worse (got a party I'm going to straight after work) so I may be uploading three on Saturday. When I do the video, I will link it here.

Until then, lyrics below!

Label Me This

V1: / E / G / C / A / x4

You haven't seen me before

But you think you know my name

You try to stick it on me, doesn’t work

That’s what you call me all the same

I may not like it but too bad

You do

Ad nauseam you’ll bring it up

Won’t you?

C: / E / G / D / A / x4

Label me this, label me that

Cause you don’t understand me

You call me this, you call me that

Cause you can’t comprehend me

The more groups, the more labels, the more names

The less human I will seem

Just one amongst so many others

That have the same label as me

V2:

Well you aren’t aware

Of what you’re even doing

Or maybe you just don’t care

Tired of all the fro-ing and to-ing

This just isn’t the way to play

You know

But you can’t get that into your head

And so

C + I + C x1.5

Day 4 - My Secrets

Day Four! Challenge this time was this: "Day 4: Write a song about secrets". Original name again. Had a bit of fun with it though! Each verse has a bit of a story to it, similar in style to my song Once Upon A Time. Ukelele this time :) It also happens to be one of my rare three-minute songs! Lyrics below, video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtgQbB58xRs

My Secrets

V1: / I / vi / V / IV /
Well, I had this pair of socks I didn't like
Flushed them down the toilet, thought that was goodbye
But it plugged up the drain, the plumber had to come round
My secret came out like stinky socks from the ground

Tag:
I don't want to be a secret-keeper
They just dig me deeper and deeper

V2:
Another time I didn't like my brother cheating at a game
Hid it in my bookcase so he couldn't play it again
But that meant then that neither could I
I'd dug myself into a hole with my secret

C:
I don't want to be a secret-keeper
They just dig me deeper and deeper
I don't want to be plagued by my fear
Hoping you'll never find out my secrets

V3:
I wrote a letter that one day I'd give
But until then that letter I hid
Hid it so well, I forgot all about it
Til my Mum brought it in - there goes my secret

C

B: / vi / IV / I / V /
Secrets always hurt us more than they help us
They keep us living in fear
That they might be discovered - set yourself free
You can share your secrets here

C x2

Day 3 - Keychange

Third day! Challenge this time was this: "Day 3: Write a song with a key change". I then proceeded to write that into the lyric as well, and ended up calling the song Keychange (think Seachange, but not). It didn't start off that great, but I ended up liking it at the end. I also believe it's my first song with an oh-oh bit! Haha. For bonus points, see if you can find the clever thing I tried to do - to moderate success - with the verse lyric. Lyrics below, video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qYVQIByTWM


Keychange

I: / I / IV / vi / V / x4
O-oh o-oh oh
O-oh o-oh oh

V1: / IV / ii / vi / V / x4
The clouds are grey
Scale it back a touch
Stone even, so much
They’re fading away
Time is coming round
About now, listen to
A friend, you
Are making no sound

C: / I / IV / vi / V / x4
If you don’t say a word
How am I supposed to hear
What you’re trying to tell me
O-oh o-oh oh
The air is left unstirred
Please come near
What are you trying to tell me
O-oh o-oh oh

I (fourth up)

V2:
I need a change of key
Ring a friend or twenty
One more should be plenty
Much too much for me
Time is coming round
About now, listen to
A friend, you
Are making no sound

C + I + C1 + C2 + I

Day 2 - Your Freak

Second day of the challenge! Hopefully the video will upload before midnight. They always take a while. My computer seems to record video in a way that YouTube doesn't like. Either that or I just have terrible upload speed. Quite possible. Anyway.

The challenge this time was this: "Day 2: Write a song in something besides common time". So I did 5/4, because why the heck not. Found out that it's both hard to play and hard to write in, but I've done it anyway! This one again on guitar - I'm probably going to be doing a lot of them on there, because other people are usually at home which means recording on the piano tricky. Lyrics below. Video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AapCBAw7bg

Your Freak

V1: / ii / V / x4
Yes it's true
It's your due
Though I'm blue
This is you

V2:
This is real
Can't conceal
You reveal
How I feel

PC: / VI / I / VI / I //
I won't break or
Make my escape

C: [/ IV / V / x3 / ii I / ii I /] x2 / ii I / ii I /
I can't breathe
When you're with me
And yet I feel
So free
I can't speak
I feel weak
Guess I'm just
Your freak

V3:
Nevertheless
I'll give my best
I feel blessed
Not just a guess

C + I(V) + PC + C x2