Punk Rock Songs – A Lyric

Written on January 30th, 2010. Filed under Scribtotum. Tagged with , , , .

It’s pretty rare that I write lyrics independent of having a melody in my head or actually writing / coming up with the music at the same time, but that’s what happened tonight, so I thought I’d share.

This started out as a vignette loosely based on my memory of a night at a new girlfriend’s house about twenty years ago or so… but while I was writing it, the piece started to ask to be a poem. Then, the poem asked to be lyrics.

So that’s how it ended up. I hope some music comes eventually. When it does, the structure of the lyric will no doubt change some. For now, here we go:

Punk Rock Songs

Thirty miles in my car
Up the drive and up the stairs
Your black eyes at the door
Pull me in with a smile

Inside it’s soft and warm
Candles and Christmas lights
Half a beer bottle salute
Your roommate’s already drunk
and I could stay here
forever.

I could stay in tonight
the rest of my life.
I could stay in tonight
the rest of my life.

You and me and her a while.
Punk rock songs on the stereo.
Teach me the words
teach me the words.
Sing along, sing along
harmony and alcohol.
Sing along, sing along
harmony and alcohol

and I could stay in tonight
the rest of my life.
Let me stay in tonight
the rest of my life.

We’re starting something you and me
fragile and bright
traced by guitars.
It glows with its own light
and everything is real and right.

Your roommate surrender smiles
and it’s just you and me.
Punk rock songs on the stereo.
Sing along, sing along.
Punk rock songs on the stereo.
Kiss along, kiss along.

Just let me stay in tonight
the rest of my life.
Let me stay in tonight
the rest of my life.

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The Bookcase Sessions 02 – The Worried Days

Written on January 30th, 2010. Filed under Scribtotum. Tagged with , , , .

Here’s the second in my periodic series of live acoustic demos recorded to determine which songs will be given the “album treatment” and appear on my next album, “Keyhole.” Yes, it’s only been a day or two since the first one went live, and it’ll probably be just a day or so until the next one… I recorded a few good takes in one session and I feel like throwing them out there. Why wait?

It’s your comments, favorites and ratings on YouTube that will help decided what songs make the cut, so please act accordingly with regard to “The Worried Days” and, if you haven’t already, give a listen to “Torn Apart,” the first of the Bookcase Sessions, too.

“The Worried Days” was written on April 11, 1989.

Again, this little crowdsourced vetting experiment depends on your participation, so please be so kind as to rate and comment on the video at YouTube, and if you really like it, add it to your favorites and share it around.

Thanks!

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The Bookcase Sessions 01 – Torn Apart

Written on January 27th, 2010. Filed under Scribtotum. Tagged with , , , .

I have several composition books full of over two hundred songs I’ve written over the last twenty five years. I’m going to dip into that catalog (with some new additions, no doubt) for my next album, which will be titled “Keyhole.” There will be twelve or fifteen tracks on the record. I need your help to figure out which songs those will be!

Periodically, I’ll do a quick and dirty live demo of a possible song, film it, and throw it on YouTube. Once there are twenty five or so of them up there, I’ll look at the number of views, the ratings, the number of favorites and the comments on each, and those factors will help me decide which ones will get a more polished treatment for inclusion on “Keyhole.”

Here’s the first one! The words for “Torn Apart” were written on July 1, 1987. The music came on April 30, 1988.

Please be so kinds as to rate and comment on the video at YouTube, and if you really like it, add it to your favorites and share it around.

Thanks!

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