(Wake Up)

Today was the final day of the Jeff Franzel Songwriting Workshop. Advice: If you ever get to participate in this forum or even meet him, do it! He was incredibly helpful!

I finished my "October 17, 2012" song and performed it at the showcase today. This was a really nerve-wracking and exciting performance, because I took a different compositional approach to this song than really any other song I've ever done. Because I had to perform the song to receive feedback, I did a lot of improvising...more than I've ever been comfortable with. I had a beginning theme, a chorus theme, and the chord progression, but I just made up everything in between to keep the song going.
I'm really proud of the final result. SO PROUD in fact, that I'm going to record a demo with just piano/voice, and I will be playing the piano! Woh now!!!!

The finalized version will be a nice little pop track with some piano, lots of synth, and minimal drum machine. But I'll make both versions available...eventually. I'm still struggling over the title. I really don't like the title at all, but I can't think of anything else, so I'm putting the title in parentheses until I've made a decision.

Lyrics:

Baby, you don't have to run.

Just learn to take the fall.

Not good enough

Is better after all.

It's a matter of choice and heart.

Not trying to pull you down.

I can make a good start

If you let me stick around.

I'm not so sure you like me at all,

But I'll keep trying 'til you reject me.

I'm staying positive and

It makes me feel alive.

I know you look at other guys,

But I know that you still love me.

I need you to realize my truth.

Wake up and drink the poison.

I know it's not your fault.

You just don't notice me.

I can be difficult

Romantically.

But when I'm with you.

I am the man I should be.

It's shit like that

That makes you leave.

I'm not so sure you like me at all,

But I'll keep trying 'til you reject me.

I'm staying positive and

It makes me feel alive.

I know you look at other guys,

But I know that you still love me.

I need you to realize my truth.

Wake up and drink the poison.

(Instrumental)

I'm not so sure you like me at all,

But I'll keep trying 'til you reject me.

I'm staying positive and

It makes me feel alive.

I know you look at other guys,

But I know that you still love me.

I need you to realize my truth.

Wake up...

Wake up and drink my poison.

My Life is so Positive

So my music should reflect that, right? That's what I think. But every time I sit down to write a positive song, it turns into something sad. (Big insight to Luke Morin songwriting process. Remember this moment...) I'm never just happy. There's always some back-story, where something negative happened, and I'm getting over it. Songwriting is my personal therapy session. So in that sense, it makes sense that my music is a little upsetting. But I don't want to be THAT songwriter. The tortured soul. I like having a tortured soul, but I don't like this pigeon-hole.

So, tangent...

And now back.

I'm working on writing some positive music. I'm starting with love songs because love is the easiest positive emotion for me to express through music. But I'd like to branch out into truly positive and even spiritual ideas. I think it would be an amazing compositional breakthrough.

January 5, 2013

"It's not my fault! It's not my fault!"
Parading through the crowded roads.
"It's not my fault! It's not my fault!
Take it out on someone else."

When you wake up,
Do you blame the sun for disturbing your sleep?
Is the brightness too high for your safety?
How do you survive knowing your day is incomplete?
It's time to take it out on someone undeserving.

Wasted people, sing your anthem.
Finally, you get your song.

"It's not my fault! It's not my fault!"

Parading through the crowded roads.

"It's not my fault! It's not my fault!

Take it out on someone else."