blinder's Journal: Working On Lyrics

So, in bending to the enormous pressure to actually include vocal tracks in my music, I have started to work on some lyrics. Its just a start, and just for posterity, I am including them. Think you have what it takes to write? Then hack this up. If it works, I'll probably include them when we actually get around to recording them (I wrote these thinking of the acoustic song).

Look, its just not going to work
The harder your try
The worse this can be
So please, trust me
There's almost nothing you can do
Fight it?
I doubt it
Why don't you
Just give in
Just give in
Count to three and tear this thing away
Wash away this bloody mess
Hear that noise from across the room?
Its the sound of two hands clapping
Stinging
Burning
Wash it away
Nice try friend
Just put it down and walk away
Maybe, just maybe you would have learned something
I can only hope you are smart enough to understand
Find your own two feet -- know how to land?
No pain, no doubt -- this gound is only sand

I'll leave this up to your own interpretation, just know this isn't as deep as it may come across.

I've always wondered about that

[ryanr]

How one does lyrics/vocals. Well, lyrics I can kinda understand... but how do you pick a cadence for a line to go with the music? For example:

The worse this can be
So please, trust me

You don't seem to be going for rhyming, but here's a rhyming pair. But the number of syllables is off. The first line is 5, the second 4. So how do you decide to sing it so they match?

Second, how does one come up with a melody line to sing? I'm not a musician in any sense of the word. I own a guitar which I have on o

Re:I've always wondered about that

[blinder]

Everyone who writes a song has their own way of actually writing. The method I use is to actually listen to the full song and write as I listen. I write in sections.

I usually have lots of pieces of paper where I write each section, and then work on putting them together, often making edits, chopping out words, or adding syllables to match the beat.

That is probably the most important part, aside from the actual content, is making sure that the vocalist will be able to follow the music with the lyrics.

The

Re:

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Sounds good. go fer it.

[mekkab]

Dewd- go for it.

Check out thes elyrics: [jhu.edu]- complete freestyle, completely whipsered into the onboard mic (yeech), but completely necessary just to sit through listening to it...

Granted! my mp3 is just some fuckin' around, but you get the picture. Have no shame in front of us- we're /.! for crying out loud! and If after repeated listenings you think the lyrics are cringe-worthy, re-write, and re-cord! (I frequently wish Nelly Furtado did that... but i digress)

Re:Sounds good. go fer it.

[subgeek]

hey mekka, thanks for sharing. i liked it. i like the way your bass sounds. i like that and that it's more rhythmic than melodic. i tend to go for that sort of stuff. not that i have anything against melodic, it's just not how i myself tend to operate. it's sort of wierd then that i think chopin was a badass musically since he had such haunting melody. but then i tend to like anything really haunting, and that's not really how i operate. anyway, as usual, i'm going to give it another listen once i g

Re:Sounds good. go fer it.

[mekkab]

Glad ya like the bass- direct into the MR-8 with some gain/overdrive. I'm a lot more rythmic than melodic. This started out as click track/drum machine sync test. The MR8 has an onboard click track and a MIDI out for giving time codes. I like laying bass or guitar first, and then putting drums on top. The last thing I tried I coulda sworn my timing was okay, but when I brought in the drum machine afterwards everything kinda sounded off... I figured it was just my timing rusting. Then I discovered th

Re:Sounds good. go fer it.

[blinder]

Damn... I missed this. Sorry man. I just downloaded your MP3... holy shit! fuckin disturbing! I really liked it... back in my day we called that noise-core. You would have a great screaming voice I bet. Back way the fuck up away from the mic (about 7 or 8 feet) and scream that shit.

Great bass sound... run that through a distortion pedal? Love the drum sounds... sounds like they were sent through a bit of distortion as well.

I like how in the end everything just comes to a head... and the bass goes way wid

Re:Sounds good. go fer it.

[mekkab]

I like how in the end everything just comes to a head...

I think that sums up my whole take on putting together little ditties... If they are any good, they come to a head. Beyond that, that whole polish and practice thing doesn't concern me. IF not, erase that shit.

And all "treatments" are onboard MR8 stuff... LAYYYYY-ZEEE!

Here, make this fit

[GMontag]

the world is my expense
the cost of my desire
Jesus blessed me with its future
and i protect it with fire
so raise your fists and march around
just don't take what you need
i'll jail and bury those committed
and smother the rest in greed
crawl with me into tomorrow
or i'll drag you to your grave
i'm deep inside your children
they'll betray you in may name

hey, hey, sleep now in the fire
hey, hey, sleep now in the fire

the lie is my expense
the scope of my desire
the party blessed me with its future
and i protect it with f

as dark as it comes across though?

[zptdooda]

I don't have the sense of the verse/chorus/stanza breaks to change anything, although the rhyming gives some clues. It has a strong mood the way it is.

(cheap valueless hack: gound to ground)