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Fox News Reports Stunning Archeological Discovery.
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Page 1 of 2 1 2
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Down the page are Songs, Lyrics, and Essays:
The only place you can hear Gary E. Andrews is at Gary E. Andrews. Or at www.garyeandrews.com
(Site doesn't work with an iPhone.)

TABLE OF CONTENTS: (Page numbering only shows up when I'm logged in.)
All Songs are Lyric Only, unless an audio link is evident.
(Page order, when I'm logged in. When not logged in JPF displays it on two pages. Page 1 ends with "Of Love" Page 5 in Table of Contents.)
PAGE 1:
April 8, 2020: "Leave Me".
April 8, 2020: "Getaway".
April 8, 2020: Links to other Songs posted here on JPF, some that can be heard at garyeandrews.com.
April 15, 2020: "Love Lives (Inside A Bubble)".
April 25, 2020: "Quit Me (Say Goodbye)".
April 25, 2020: "Madeline", an old Song of mine.
May 9, 2020: "She Ain't No Angel (She's The Next Best Thing)"
May 9, 2020: The female Point-Of-View: "He Ain't No Angel".
May 14, 2020: Essay: What stimulates your creative juices? (Someone asked.)

PAGE 2:
May 19, 2020: Essay: Song Analysis, dissecting Songs you like, or don't like, to see if you can determine why you do or don't. It's an exercise to learn about it, not something you have to formally do the rest of your life. I think it helped me comprehend Songwriting Structure, lessons about the Human attention span, and the 'Hook Factor' in components of Songs.

May 24, 2020: "One Kind O' Blues". Based on a quote from Son House, it's a blues working through a typical I7, IV7, V7 progression. I tried various 1-4-5-7's, E7 - A7 - B7, G7 - C7 - D7, and each one has its nuances of how it works with the Lyric.

May 31, 2020: "Your Very Thin Line" which I just stumbled across while cleaning (LOL) I mean...moving s--t around. I wrote it in 2009. It crossed my mind a few days ago. I remembered the Singer-Character standing outside that door in the Chelsea Hotel. I couldn't remember it, long, poetic as much as Lyrical. Damned fool that I am I forgot to write down the chord progression I sang it to.

June 11, 2020: Essay: A Song Is A 'Communication'.
July 6, 2020: "In A Funny Way". It's a Song 'fabrication', a 'crafting' more than an inspiration. But I thought the first two Lines had 'merit' so I tried to write it.
July 11, 2020: "All The Way To Texas".
August 2, 2020: Essay: "Enough", "Not Enough", "Too Much."
August 14, 2020: "Shouldn't You Be Gone".
October 7, 2020: "I Can't Tell Any More".
Two Lyrics with the same title. I stumbled into a site called K. C. Turner Songwriting Club, which offered the title and a challenge to write a Lyric using it. I wrote one with a negative angle, and a couple days later wrote one with a more positive vibe. I didn't imagine a Melody, didn't play guitar to compose the Lyrics, just fabricated them.
November 3, 2020: "She Was Marked".

PAGE 3:
November 10, 2020: "The Crimson Slayer".
November 22, 2020: "You Went The Other Way".
November 26, 2020: On American Thanksgiving, "Give Thanks, Give Thanks".
December 8, 2020: "Seeds Of Doubt".
December 10, 2020: "Get The Honky Tonk Blues".
December 24, 2020: "Come Back Radio Man!" (Creative Commons issue.)
January 1, 2021: "The Crazy You".
and
December 31, 2020: "Somewhere".
January 5, 2021: "Some New Blues".
January 12, 2021: "Respect Yourself".
February 27, 2021: "Moon Over San Francisco".

PAGE 4:
March 16, 2021: "After The Taste Of Love".
April 17, 2021: "She's A Hanger On".
April 24, 2021: "Love Better Next Time".
May 20, 2021: "Julie Gets The Blues".
May 29, 2021: "Bad Influence (Only Seventeen)".
July 5, 2021: Essay: "Manufacturing Songs".

PAGE 5:
July 15, 2021: Essay: "Critical Listening".
July 25, 2021: "I've Fallen".
July 30, 2021: Boneyfiddle Final Friday, Portsmouth, Ohio. Live play. (Lost down the scroll!)
August 1, 2021: "I Never Knew That".
September 4, 2021: "When You Come Between (Me And The Moon)".
With Essay: "First Listener".
July 19, 2022: "Six A.M. In Nashville".
August 17, 2022: "Of Love"

PAGE 6:
Essay: Editing during the creative process, Regarding "Of Love" (Last Song on P5)
August 24, 2022: "Bad Juju Man".
September 8, 2022: "Never (Is A Long, Long Time)".
October 1, 2022: "A Hole (One Time)".
November 4, 2022: "Electric Shock".
January 5, 2023: "Get To Me".
December 13, 2023: "Come On, Baby!"
January 20, 2023: "The Stars In Sedona.
October 31, 2022: "You're Talking To".

PAGE 7:
March 4, 2023: "Domino Days".
March 11, 2023: "Gramma Was A Bitchin' Babe"
April 6, 2023: "Stranger To Yourself" (Re-write: "Stranger To Myself").
April 6, 2023: "Girls Get The Blues".
July 18, 2023: "Chance, On Losing You".
February 21, 2023: "Come And Touch Me"

Last edited by Gary E. Andrews; 02/01/24 07:06 PM.

There will always be another song to be written. Someone will write it. Why not you? www.garyeandrews.com
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Watching old video tapes of the old early 1900's blues men. Heard "Leave me" and thought it was a unique angle, as opposed to the usual, 'DON'T leave me' theme.

"Leave Me" Copyright April 2, 2020 by Gary E. Andrews
(Chorus)
Leave Me! You don't have to sta-a-ay!
Leave Me! Get out of my wa-a-ay!
Go on and Leave Me!
You never loved me, anyway!

(Verse I)
You spent all my money!
You wasted all my time!
You just think it's funny!
I think it's a crime!

Leave Me! You don't have to sta-a-ay!
Leave Me! Get out of my wa-a-ay!
Go on and Leave Me!
You never loved me, anyway!

(Verse II)
You ran off with my best friend!
You drove off with my car!
You've been gone thirty days!
Who knows where you are?

Leave Me! You don't have to sta-a-ay!
Leave Me! Get out of my wa-a-ay!
Go on and Leave Me!
You never loved me, anyway!

(Verse III)
They fount my car in Memphis,
jacked up on the street,
caught yo' pretty ass walkin',
in yo' stocking feet! Ha! Ha!

Leave Me! You don't have to sta-a-ay!
Leave Me! Get out of my wa-a-ay!
Go on and Leave Me!
You never loved me, anyway!

(Verse IV)
Who's that scratchin' at my door?
You kids get off my porch!
Ooo! It's you baby,
Lookin' hot enough to scorch!

(Coda)
Leave Me! Stop it! Stop it!
You don't have to sta-a-ay!
Leave Me! Quit! Quit ya fool!
Get out of my wa-a-ay!
Go on and Leave Me!
You never loved me, anyway!

(This is the kind of Song you could write a lot of Verses to and then pick the ones you think are best.)

Last edited by Gary E. Andrews; 10/17/22 02:07 PM.

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I remembered this one a while back and tried to play it but couldn't remember all the details of the storyline.

Forty years ago I hit on some interesting chords, got some interesting Lyrical images, and let the players take the stage.
I think the guy left the girl the same day the girl left the guy, without actually telling each other, and he found her on the road.
This one must run very long, Singer/Songwriter stuff. An Eagles vibe. It's a Refrain-Type Chorus, as opposed to a Stanza-Type, which necessitates a Bridge to break the Repetition with Change, to keep me interested. It has two Bridges. A Double-Bridge? lol One to get over and one to get back I guess. And it Repeats the Bridge. Strange Structure, but works for me.
No recording. But I thought you might enjoy the Lyric. I do.

"Getaway"
Out Of The Woodwork
Copyright 1979 by Gary E. Andrews
All Rights Reserved for the Globe

Chords:
D XXO232
F#7 242252
G 355433 barre
Em O22OOO
Em7 O22O3O
Gm7 XX3333 ? I think.
A XO222O
Bm XX4432
F# X44322

Verse I
The mornin' broke,
And the first rays of dawn,
Took the night away,
And painted the blue,
Such a mystical hue, Of red.
The D. J. spoke, On the radio,
And took me back a ways,
Before the dawn,
When a realization laid its hand,
Upon my head.
Today's the day,

Chorus Refrain
I just gotta' make, my Getaway.

Verse II
The night had been warm,
The wind blowin' in,
And across my face,
Carried the scent,
The familiar mint,
Of the desert rose.
I saw the sign,
Of the county line.
It was back a ways,
Before the night had changed, yeah,
Into a day,
When I just to make, My Getaway.

(Bridge)
She said, "It would be so easy to be lovers."
I told her it had been hard, To find a friend.
She said, "We could be so good, For each other."
Who'd have ever thought, Such a love could begin,
And then end, In a day when I'd just have to make my Getaway?

Verse III
The white lines went by.
The wind made a move,
In the distant pines,
Goin' up the slope,
A whisper of hope,
Crossed my mind.
A blue-jeaned girl,
From the desert world.
She was hitchin' a ride.
I picked her up and it started to rain, yeah!

(Bridge)
She told me a story, Sad, and full of pain,
About a man that she once loved,
But she could not speak his name.

He said, "It would be so easy to be lovers."
She told him it had been hard, To find a friend.
She said, "We could be so good, For each other."
Who'd have ever thought, Such a love could begin,
And then end, In a day when I'd just have to make my Getaway?

Verse IV
I told her my story.
She said, "I feel sorry for you."
She poured me a double,
And rolled up a couple from her bag.
She said, "Pull on over.
Turn off the motor.
I'll show you a thing or two, yeah!

She said, "It would be so easy to be lovers."
I told her it had been hard, To find a friend.
She said, "We could be so good, For each other."
Who'd have ever thought, Such a love could begin,
It'll never end, In a day when we'll just have to make our Getaway. In a day...

Last edited by Gary E. Andrews; 10/17/22 02:06 PM.

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Last edited by Gary E. Andrews; 04/08/20 06:23 PM.

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Fabricating a Lyric, as opposed to working with a guitar and finding a Lyric in inspired prosody with the music.

"Love Lives (Inside A Bubble)" Copyright April 14, 2020 by Gary E. Andrews.

(Verse I)
You're so close,
but I can't touch you!
So close,
so far away.
I know,
that I can't love you!
It's too soon,
to feel that way!

(Chorus)
Love Lives, beside the trouble!
It won't get in our way!
Love Lives, Inside A Bubble!
Time can't take love away!
Love Lives! Love Lives!

(Verse II)
The wind blows.
The bubble moves me!
Love flows!
Absence aches.
I know
that you can't love me.
Not until
the bubble breaks!

Love Lives, beside the trouble!
It won't get in our way!
Love Lives, Inside A Bubble!
Time can't take love away!
Love Lives! Love Lives!

(Bridge)
We'll wait while the world does its worst!
We'll wait until the bubble bursts!

Love Lives, beside the trouble!
It won't get in our way!
Love Lives, Inside A Bubble!
Time can't take love away!
(Coda)
Love Lives! Love Lives!

Last edited by Gary E. Andrews; 10/17/22 02:08 PM.

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"Quit Me! (Say Goodbye)" Copyright April 4, 2020 by Gary E. Andrews. Dm Am G G7 A7 #Blues.

(Verse I)
Is it that e-e-asy, for you to Quit Me?
I'd like to think, it would be harder.
The gift you gave me, you didn't get me.
You traded love, more like barter.

(Chorus)
: Is it that e-e-asy, for you to go?
Is it that e-e-asy, for you to fly?
If it's that e-e-asy, for you to Quit Me,
go on and Quit Me!
Do it quickly!
Say Goodbye.

(Verse II)
Was it that har-r-ard, for you to love me?
I'd like to think, I made it easy.
The bus came by. That's when you shoved me!
You make me feel, a little queasy! :

Is it that e-e-asy, for you to laugh?
Is it that e-e-asy, for you to cry?
If it's that e-e-asy, for you to Quit Me,
go on and Quit Me!
Do it quickly!
Say Goodbye.

(Instrumental Bridge)

(Repeat Verse I)
Is it that e-e-asy, for you to Quit Me?
I'd like to think, it would be harder.
The gift you gave me, you didn't get me.
You traded love, more like barter.
(Pre-Chorus 'lift')
: Is it that e-e-asy, for you to go?
Is it that e-e-asy, for you to fly?
If it's that e-e-asy, for you to Quit Me,
go on and Quit Me!
Do it quickly!
Say Goodbye.
(Coda)
If it's that e-e-asy, for you to Quit Me,
go on and Quit Me!
Do it quickly!
Say Goodbye.
Say Goodbye.
Say Goodbye.

Last edited by Gary E. Andrews; 10/17/22 02:08 PM.

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Madeline
Out Of The Woodwork II
Copyright 1978 by Gary E. Andrews
All Rights Reserved for the Globe

Chords:
Amaj7 ? X7765O
E O221OO
Bm XX4432

(Verse I)
Madeline, Won't ya' give us a smile?
Madeline, Won't ya' wait for a while,
And see what the postman brings?
He may bring you a diamond ring,
In a letter from a lover who aint' so far away.
O.K.

(V II)
Madeline, Won't ya' sing us a song?
Madeline, No it won't take long,
To see what the morrow brings.
It may bring you a song to sing,
In a meadow where the wind
in the green grass sings along.
Sing this song.

(Bridge)
Sing :Really! Really I'm trying.
Really! Really Lord I'm dying to know.
Is it something that I lack?
Is it gone and not comin' back?
Did it only come to leave its track on my soul?
Oh no-oo-wo-o-ah. La-da-duh-da-da-duh-da.

(V III)
Madeline, Have I said something wrong?
Madeline, Are the good times gone,
To see where the sadness is?
Did he take your love and make it his?
And did he slip away with a stolen kiss
At the crack of dawn?
Well stop me if I'm wrong.

(Coda)
Is it something that I said,
That came out wrong and hurt your head?
Did I take away your hope
And leave a great big hole?
Well sing for your soul.

Sing :Really! Really I'm trying.
Really! Really Lord I'm dying to know.
Is it something that I lack?
Is it gone and not comin' back?
Did it only come to leave its track on my soul?
Oh no-oo--o.
Is it something that I lack?
Is it gone and not comin' back?
Did it only come to leave its track on my soul?
Oh no-o. Oh no-o.

More Info...
"Madeline" Copyright 1978 by Gary E. Andrews
All Rights Reserved For The Globe

Different guitar treatment, inspired a different kind of lyric.

Last edited by Gary E. Andrews; 10/17/22 02:09 PM.

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"She Ain't No Angel (She's The Next Best Thing)"
(Alternative title: "She May Not Be An Angel")
Copyright May 9, 2020 by Gary E. Andrews.
Chords:
C/G 332O1O
C7 X323O1O
F X33211
G7 32OOO1

She's got an edge about her,
if you rub her the wrong way. (Alternative Line: If I rub her the wrong way)
You should never doubt her, (I don't ever doubt her)
when she says what she'll say.
Leave her when she's quiet! (I leave her...)
Give her time to think! (I give her...)
She Ain't No Angel, (She May Not Be An Angel)
but She's The Next Best Thing.

Wake her in the mornin', (I wake...)
with a gentle nudge.
Leave her if she mumbles. (I leave...)
She ain't gonna budge!
Go fix her a breakfast. (I go...)
Give her her first drink. (and something good/warm to drink)
She Ain't No Angel!
She's The Next Best Thing.

She gave you days of sunshine, (She gave me...)
long nights with the Moon.
She helped you write the best lines, (She helped me...)
in your favorite tunes. (In my...)
She says more with a smile,
and her funny wink.
She Ain't No Angel, (She May Not Be An Angel)
She Ain't No Angel,
She Ain't No Angel.
She's The Next Best Thing.

#CountryTwang #OldeCountry #LoveSong

Last edited by Gary E. Andrews; 10/17/22 02:09 PM.

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This was a post praising nurses, as the next best thing to an angel.
I'm tinkering with the Lyric this morning. Here's a rewrite from the female Point-Of-View.
And I wondered if the Singer-Character should be less philosophical, telling others what 'you' should and shouldn't do, and 'own' it, First-Person with 'I' and 'me'.
I'm just exploring some options to see if something is more effective in hooking listener interest.
The "May Not" alternative Line seems to work except at the Coda, where the 'He Ain't No Angel" seems to work for simplicity's sake.
I'm just exploring possibilities. I'm wondering if others do this sort of rewrite, Female POV, edits, tweaks.

"He May Not Be An Angel (He's The Next Best Thing)"
Copyright May 9, 2020 by Gary E. Andrews.
Chords:
C/G 332O1O
C7 X323O1O
F X33211
G7 32OOO1

He's got an edge about him,
if you rub him the wrong way. (If I...)
I don't ever doubt him,
when he says what he'll say.
I leave him when he's quiet!
I give him time to think!
He May Not Be An Angel,
but he's The Next Best Thing.

I wake him in the mornin',
with a gentle nudge.
I leave him if he mumbles.
He ain't gonna budge!
Go fix him a breakfast. (I go..)
Give him his first drink. (and somethin' good/warm to drink)
He May Not Be An Angel!
He's The Next Best Thing.

He gave me days of sunshine, (More immediate, happening now, "He gives me...")
long nights with the Moon.
He helped me write the best lines, (He 'helps')
in my favorite tunes.
He says more with a smile,
and his funny wink.
He May Not Be An Angel,
He May Not Be An Angel,
He May Not Be An Angel.
He's The Next Best Thing.

This is 'Fabrication Songwriting', finding Lines with deliberation, as opposed to stream-of-consciousness 'inspiration' of Lines that tumble out and I make judgments afterward. Much of my editing and rewrite takes place in real time, redoing Lines to find the right way to say what I've stumbled on, and the Melodic prosody, with guitar in hand. Now I'm stuck working through those chords, trying to do the 'fit', the 'marriage' of Lyric with Melody to fit the guitar work.

Last edited by Gary E. Andrews; 10/17/22 02:10 PM.

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Someone asked what stimulates my 'creative juices'.

Inspiration is probably a manifestation of boredom, seeking to find pleasure in the fantasy of Songwriting.
I'm mainly focused on Lyric-writing. My guitar playing simply accommodates the poet who sings his poetry instead of simply writing it or even reciting it. I enjoy my Lyrics. I think I get something satisfying done. Some rise to the point of being literary, literally well-constructed stories with their beginning, middle and end. Some simply have satisfying Rhythm and Rhyme, Lines that I feel build a coherent theme.
Satisfaction is in the mind of the seeker thereafter, of course.

I had the epiphany that you, as a Songwriter, are the first listener. You should be 'hooked' by the Hook Factor in what you hear, just as you hope any other 'consumer' will be. Your critical ear should be 'satisfied' with that Introductory Movement. Its Hook Factor 'hooked' your interest, serving that function, only going on long enough to do that, unless it is extraordinary. (People always cite, "Stairway To Heaven" and "Hotel California", with long Intros, and being long Songs.)I reply, "Yeah! Write a Song like that. You can go on as long as they do if you write a Song like that!"

Hey! That Introductory Movement is probably where my creative juices...I call it Creative Flow...start. I get a couple chords going on guitar, the Rhythm hooks me, the first listener, the infinite Melodic possibilities traversing between two or three chords come into play, and soon a Line of Lyric comes out of my mouth. 
The Line of Lyric hooks me. I want to know what the Singer-Character is on about. What he's said in the Verse I Line 1 had some nugget of Hook Factor, the word meaning, the implication of a story I might like to 'hear', to 'know', and...strategically, I think, a sense of the Singer-Character. It's not me. It's a fiction. But he could be interesting. I know me. He's not going to be nasty and have to call Janet Miss Jackson. He's not going to bore me with mundane details and take me nowhere. I've met 147 of him and they almost all took me somewhere I liked going, and got to be more consistently satisfying...there's that word again...as the years went by. 

The Singer-Character may not come fully realized. Sometimes I write a few Lines and don't have a full sense of him yet. It's his story but I don't know him well enough to tell it. He incubates. Rhyme often takes me a little deeper into his psyche. To get to that Rhyme I had to have a coherent Line of thought, of conversation. He can't just...doesn't just grab a Rhyme...Grab-A-Rhyme... "insane", "realize", "What can I say?", he said something in Verse I Line 2 that advanced the story...his story...made sense in the context of the idea in Line 1 that hooked my interest to start with.

"Put on a hat! Take off your coat! Babe, let's you and I rent a boat! I'll row us, to the Kentucky si-hi-a-hide!"
("Over The River Tonight, copyright 1979 by Gary E. Andrews.)

I'm hooked. He's talking to someone, thereby introducing a Love-Interest Character.
Suddenly it's interesting! Love makes the world go 'round! And suddenly, suddenly there's a world where there are a hat, a coat, a Babe, and a boat, going 'round!
I...the first listener...want to know more. I want to hear his story. And as the first listener, the Songwriter, it's up to me to find it, to tell it, to let the Singer-Character tell it, to get on his vibe, to get to know him so I can let him tell it.
I don't want to force it. I can force it. I can fabricate and Rhyme and make stuff up. But it's always better if I give him time to materialize, to let him incubate and become more fully formed as a Character, a reality I can imagine.
And, imagining, I can 'suspend disbelief'.
Someone said it that way. You begin to believe in the story in the Song, the story in the book, the story in the movie, suspending the disbelief that it is real, and believing in it as real. The dinosaurs aren't hoaky. They're real. Or realistic. The love isn't fake. These people really mean what they're saying. (Demi Moore and Rob Lowe in "About Last Night".)

That's where the creative juices begin to flow, where I attune to the Creative Flow, in that suspension of disbelief, because that's what I'm looking for when that first Line comes out of my mouth. I'm looking for a story I...the first listener...want to hear. I've learned to look for it. I've been here before. I heard good stories here before and I expect to hear another good one. 

Last edited by Gary E. Andrews; 05/19/20 10:36 PM.

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Studying Songs you like, and Songs you don't like, can help you develop your sense of 'right' and 'wrong' in your own Songwriting.
I suggest picking a Song and doing some analysis. This is just an exercise. You could complete it in a sitting or two or three.
If you like what you learn with one Song, pick another one. You may learn as much or more from a Song you don't like as one you do like.
I'm rattling off some things to analyze here. I may refine it over time. You may not have to be so formal, so in depth. Be as meticulous or as casual as you like. But be analytical enough to see if you can determine what it is they did right to make you like the Song, or wrong to make you not like it.

I suggest analysis of 'Timing':
How long is the Introductory Movement?
How long is the Verse (or Chorus if the Song opens with the Chorus)?
How long does it take to get the Chorus (or Verse, whatever Stanza comes second)?
How long is that second Stanza?
By the end of that second Stanza is THE Hook, the title, clearly obvious?
How many times have they sung that title Line?
What is the overall length of the Song?

I suggest analysis of Lyrical content:
Does the Lyrical content of the first and second Stanzas make sense?
Are the Lines coherent thoughts?
Are the Lines delivered in conversational style?
Are the Lines communicated, 'sent' clearly enunciated so you can 'receive' them, ideally on first listening?
Does THE Hook/title seem to sum up what all the rest of the Lyric seems to be getting at?
Can you spot any Lines that simply seem to Rhyme, without adding much to the storyline?
Are there any 'tangled' Lines, twisted syntax in a way not natural to the way you would say them, perhaps designed to land on a Rhyme-Word?
Mostly analysis can be confined to how you 'hear' the delivery. If looking at a written Lyric do you see any spelling errors, misconstrued words, which might interrupt the flow of 'consumption' as a reader stops to re-read those errors to see what the Lyricist meant to say instead of what they did say?
Does their Rhyme-Scheme seem consistent, Verse to Verse, Rhyming the same Lines in each Verse, Lines one and two, three and four, or one and three, two and four?
Is there Internal Rhyme?
Is there Nursery-Rhyme style, where two Lines might Rhyme and a third Line be left Un-Rhymed, then two more Lines Rhymed, and the Un-Rhymed third Line picked up with Rhyme in Line six?
Are there Hard-Rhymes, Imperfect- or Soft-Rhymes?
Is there no Rhyme?
Did the Lyric 'move' you in some way, emotionally, intellectually?

I suggest analyzing Structure, the components of the composition:
Can you clearly hear where each Stanza begins and ends?
Can you lay out the Structure, Verse I, Chorus, Verse II, Chorus, Verse III, Chorus, Coda?
Or Verse, Chorus, Verse, Chorus, Bridge, Chorus, Coda?
Did they have a Verse III, or resort to a an Instrumental Bridge, or Lyrical Bridge, and go to a final giving of the Chorus?
Any Structure that works, works.

I suggest analysis of Arrangement, the musical accompaniment to the vocal:
Do instruments fill some or all the gaps between Lyrical Lines?
Do instruments 'step on' the vocalizations, obscuring the word delivery, playing while the singer is singing?
Is the vocal buried in the mix, the music overwhelming the 'featured' vocal?
Do the Lyrical ideas and musical style seem to match, sad ideas with melancholy music, happy ideas with upbeat music?
Is the vocalist's voice unique in some way, raspy, urgent sounding, emotional, angry, humorous?

This 'analytical' practice isn't the way we usually listen to music, as fans. It is a 'study' exercise, to educate yourself to make your own judgment calls, as the First Listener to your own Songs. What the Songs you study do right, or wrong, in your opinion, can help you do things right in your own Songs, and avoid doing things wrong.


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"One Kind 'O Blues" Copyright May 19, 2020 by Gary E. Andrews.
G7 320001
C7 032310
D7 xx0212

(Verse I)

They ain't but One Kind O' Blues, and baby I got 'em!
They ain't but One Kind O' Blues, and baby I got 'em!'

I cain't get over you! Ain't nothin' I can do! I got 'em!
They ain't but One Kind O' Blues, and baby I got 'em!

(Verse II)

Ain't but one thing to do, and that's to get out!
Ain't but one thing to do, and that's to get out!
This is a one-way road, runnin' high down to low!
I gotta get out!
They ain't but One Kind O' Blues, and baby I got 'em!

(Bridge)

I'm out on the street, lookin' down at my feet! I'm walkin'!
Ain't no one here but me, so there ain't no need, for talkin'!
They ain't but One Kind O' Blues, One Kind O' Blues, and baby I got 'em!

(Verse III)

It's a terrible pain, Ooo! Oh! Baby I'm hurtin'!
It's a terrible pain! Ooo! Oh! Baby I'm hurtin'!
Ain't nothin' but rain clouds! No need to look out! I close the curtain!
They ain't but One Kind O' Blues, One Kind O' Blues, and baby I got 'em!
(Coda)
They ain't but One Kind O' Blues, One Kind O' Blues, and baby I got 'em!
They ain't but One Kind O' Blues, One Kind O' Blues, and baby I got 'em!


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"Your Very Thin Line" Copyright 2009 by Gary E. Andrews, All Rights Reserved.

(Verse I)
I stare at your door in the Chelsea Hotel.
It's seen more than its share.
I study the floor, as I ring your doorbell,
wondering who else has been there.
I'm aware your business, is now none of mine.
I'm a visitor to another place and time.
Will I cross your threshold, or hang in your hall,
with writing on the wall, no evidence at all?
I wonder! I ponder! I try to divine,
what is on your mind.
Where to be...Where to be,
as I wait by Your Very Thin Line.

(Verse II)
You open on up. You usher me on in.
You give me a half-hearted hug.
I stand hat in hand, for your papers to sign,
admire my old Persian rug.
I'm a wayfaring stranger, in your stranger land,
trying to get back to, the home I left again.
You've got what I came for. Now I'm back out your door,
in the streets of New York. I'm no longer sore.
I wonder! I ponder! I try to divine,
the nature of my crime,
as I sign on Your Very Thin Line.

(Bridge)
There's a thin line between, what you say and what you mean,
and what you say you meant, "Last time!".
The disdain in your eyes, wipes away your smile,
leaves your mouth a Very Thin Line.

(Verse III)
Later that night at the Hollywood Bar, I'm waiting for a young friend of mine,
I hear your laugh, look and there you are,
having a hell of a time.
I slip out the back door, up the alley to the street,
just in time to intercept my friend.
I kiss her puzzled face. She says, "What a place to meet!"
I wonder! I ponder! I try to divine,
what pleasures we find,
on our side of Your Very Thin Line.
Our side of Your Very Thin Line.

(It's ragged. Rhyme goes all to hell. I may tinker, tailor, 'craft' my inspiration; or, I may leave well enough alone.)
(I tinkered. Still having trouble letting 'Where to be...Where to be...' go now that I've envisioned the video where he's at the door to ring the bell, then across the hall, away from the door, back to the wall, then a third shot in the middle of the hall. I thought to put 'What to do...What to do' in VII. Now thinking Rubato, that irregularity can work. It's a Singer-Songwriter style, which enables more Poetic License. Besides, by Repeating the pattern in VII it might call for a third Repeat in VIII, and that seems excessive. Ah well, such is tinkering.)


"Your Very Thin Line" Copyright 2009 by Gary E. Andrews, All Rights Reserved.

(Verse I)
I stare at your door in the Chelsea Hotel.
It's seen more than its share.
I study the floor, as I ring your doorbell,
wondering who else has walked there.
I'm aware your business, is now none of mine.
I'm a visitor to another place and time.
Will I cross your threshold, or hang here in your hall,
writing on the wall, no evidence at all?
I wonder! I ponder! I try to divine,
as I wait by Your Very Thin Line.

(Verse II)
You open on up. You usher me on in.
You give me a half-hearted hug.
I stand hat in hand, for your papers to sign,
admire my old Persian rug.
I'm a wayfaring stranger, in your stranger land,
trying to get back to, the home I left again.
You get what I came for. Now I'm back out your door,
in the streets of New York. I'm no longer sore.
I wonder! I ponder! I try to divine,
as I sign on Your Very Thin Line.

(Bridge)
There's a thin line between, what you say and what you mean,
and what you say you meant, "Last time!".
The disdain in your eyes, quite belies your smile,
leaves your mouth a Very Thin Line.

(Verse III)
Later that night at the Hollywood Bar,
I'm waiting for a young friend of mine,
I hear your laugh, look and there you are,
having a hell of a time.
I slip out the back door, up the alley to the street,
just in time to intercept my friend.
I kiss her puzzled face. She says, "What a place to meet!
I guess there's been a change of plans!"
I wonder! I ponder! I try to divine,
on our side of Your Very Thin Line.
Our side of Your Very Thin Line.

(Whittling down to get a more singable Song, with a shorter timespan.)

"Your Very Thin Line" Copyright 2009 by Gary E. Andrews, All Rights Reserved.

(Verse I)
I stare at your door in the Chelsea Hotel.
It's seen more than its share.
I study the floor, as I ring your doorbell,
wondering who else has walked there.
I'm aware your business, is now none of mine.
I'm a visitor to another place and time.
I wonder! I ponder! I try to divine,
as I wait by Your Very Thin Line.

(Verse II)
You open on up. You usher me on in.
You give me a half-hearted hug.
I stand hat in hand, for your papers to sign,
admire my old Persian rug.
I'm a wayfaring stranger, in your stranger land,
trying to get back to, the home I left again.
I wonder! I ponder! I try to divine,
as I sign on Your Very Thin Line.

(Bridge)
There's a thin line between, what you say and what you mean,
and what you say you meant, "Last time!".
The disdain in your eyes, quite belies your smile,
leaves your mouth a Very Thin Line.

(Verse III)
Later that night at the Hollywood Bar,
I'm waiting for a young friend of mine,
I hear your laugh, look and there you are,
having a hell of a time.
I slip out the back door, up the alley to the street,
just in time to intercept my friend.
I kiss her puzzled face. She says, "What a place to meet!"
I say, "There's been a change of plans!"
I wonder! I ponder! I try to divine,
on our side of Your Very Thin Line.
Our side of Your Very Thin Line.

Last edited by Gary E. Andrews; 10/17/22 02:11 PM.

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A Song Is A 'Communication'.
Even an instrumental composition attempts to 'communicate' the 'feel' or 'emotion' implied in the music.
A Lyric is comprised of words with meanings, so the Singer 'sends' those words.
To fully qualify as a 'communication' the words have to be 'received'.

That Latin prefix, 'com', means 'with', implying the 'sender' and the 'receiver'. We communicate 'with' one another.

If the words are 'sent' but not 'received' the 'sender' didn't 'communicate with' the intended 'receiver'.

The Lyric has to be intelligible, not too obscure, although obscurity can work to some degree. Obscurity in poetry differs in that the reader can re-read. A Lyric has to communicate the first time, as heard.

The Lyric has to be enunciated, so the word meaning is not sacrificed to the Note execution.
A voice has to take on the characteristics you would find in an instrument executing Notes but retaining the characteristics of a Human voice 'communicating' word meanings.

If the Singer fails to 'send' to effectively communicate a single word the 'receiver' may assume what the word is by the context, and by the Rhyme if it is a Rhyme-Word. If not, missing that word, or a couple words, may keep the Line from communicating.
Failure of a Line to communicate may keep the Stanza (Verse or Chorus, e.g.) from communicating.
Soon the whole Song may fail to communicate because of the 'values' of those missed words.

Listeners can focus their attention, study a little harder, 'listen up', pay attention, replay, but ideally, you want to 'send' so they have no option but to 'receive', and receive the first time they hear it.
Your product has Hook Factor, something that hooked you, The First Listener, and should hook other listeners, and keep them hooked as you 'communicate' your Lyric. If you lose them at any point, especially early in the Song, you may not get them back.

I suspect Bob Dylan's enunciation, a subject of like/dislike discussion for many years, is a product of his listening to the playback and realizing some words weren't being received, and so he re-cut the recordings and sent those words more deliberately.

It may be difficult for a singer to evaluate the 'sending' qualities. They KNOW the words.

I suspect sometimes it is a matter of a singer sustaining a note until it 'slides' into the next note, something an instrument might do, and even spoken might have that effect. But each word must be given its space, and not 'sounded' in a manner too different from how it would be spoken.

Note Dolly Parton's classic, "I Will Always Love You". That title Line is sung pretty much the same way as it would be spoken. The word "I" gets a multi-note delivery, and "you" is sustained a bit. But basically, the Line is 'sent' as it would be spoken, and is easily 'received' the first time you hear it. It communicates.

Strother Martin, a character actor, in the movie "Cool Hand Luke", delivers a 'catch-phrase',
"What we have here is a failure to communicate."
Don't have a failure to communicate.


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The first Line came to me, then the second, and it sounded like the Singer-Character and Love-Interest Character had something to explain, to each other, so I tried to let them.
I don't 'like' the Song, but I thought it was worth 'fabricating', or 'crafting' it to see if I could tell their story, or let them tell it. C/G F G7 G Am

"In A Funny Way" Copyright June 24, 2020 by Gary E. Andrews.

(Verse I)
I've been hiding Long Beach.
You've been hiding L. A.
You've been out of my reach.
I've been out of your way.
You woke me up today,
just to say,
"I love you,"
(Chorus Refrain)
In A Funny Way.

(Verse II)
I was dancing with Long Beach.
I saw you kissing L. A.
You know when you both cheat,
there's not much more to say.
You called me up today,
just to say,
"I love you," In A Funny Way.

(Bridge)
In A Funny Way,
things are working out.
At the end of the day,
isn't that what it's all about?
In a tragic comedy,
somebody has to say,
"I love you", In A Funny Way.

(Verse III)
I've been living with Long Beach.
You've been loving L. A.
Life has lessons to teach.
Love has prices to pay.
When my phone rang today,
I heard you say,
"I still love you," In A Funny Way.
"I still love you," In A Funny Way.
"I still love you," In A Funny Way.

Last edited by Gary E. Andrews; 10/17/22 02:12 PM.

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"All The Way To Texas" Copyright April 30, 2020 by Gary E. Andrews. All Rights Reserved.
F D7 G7 C7 A7 D

I came All The Way To Texas, (Chorus Refrain)
to help you find your way back home.
I thought we were so in love,
I wondered what went wrong.
Now I know, you won't go,
back to Oh-hi-o-o-oh!
I came All The Way To Texas,
to find out what I should have known.

I spent way too much money,
I was savin' up to buy a guitar,
thinkin' I could play it and make some more,
to fix up this old car.
Now it's plain, Texas Jane's
been ridin' in the ro-de-o-o!
I came All The Way To Texas,
to learn what I already know!

(Bridge)
You're not the girl you used to be!
You used to be my world!
Now you're a flirty floozy!
A Texas party girl!

I came All The Way To Texas.
I drove all night alone.
(You know how I hate that!)
You could have told me all of this,
yesterday on the phone!
Now I see, I might be,
better off a-lo-o-one.
I came All The Way To Texas,
to find out what I should have known!

(Coda)
I came All The Way To Texas,
to learn,
what I al---ready know!

Last edited by Gary E. Andrews; 10/17/22 02:12 PM.

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@mediaresearch advises that:
The average length of a Song in 2020 is 3 minutes and 42 seconds, down from 4 minutes and 22 seconds.
Introductory Movements have decreased from 13.1 seconds to 7.4 seconds.
Hip Hop accounts for 6 of the top ten on Billboard.
The average number of Songwriters per Song is four.
"The times they are a'changin'."

"Enough", "Not Enough", "Too Much".

An Introductory Movement only needs to be long enough to serve that function. Its function is to 'hook' listener interest long enough for the main body of the Composition to begin, a Verse or Chorus, if it is a vocalized Lyric, or just the 'new' sounds of whatever you give them next. A short Introductory Movement leaves more time for everything that follows. I call that 'hook' element 'Hook Factor'. All parts of the Composition have, or should have, Hook Factor.
This principle of a short Intro is part of the 'rule' "Don't bore us! Get to the Chorus!"
Whatever follows the Intro, the Chorus, if your Compositions opens with the Chorus, or Verse I, if that's the next component, should have Hook Factor. That first Line of Lyric, or that first instrumental sound, individual Notes in a Melody, or other 'sounds', should capitalize on the Hook Factor of the Intro, and sustain Hook Factor, keeping them interested. How long can you do that? If you keep the Composition moving, instrumentally or with the Lyrical Storyline, you can keep them all the way through the 3 minute 42 second time span. The Human attention span can be longer than that if you have a longer Composition, but for 'pop', meaning 'popular' music, in any genre, staying short can be a virtue. Start, entertain, and end.
A Composition must have 'Enough' Repetition and 'Enough' Change.
Enough Repetition supplies Structure the listener can relate to. They recognize the Verse Movement, the Change to the Chorus, a more emotional intensity, usually a higher pitch, and then the Repetition of the Melody they 'learned' in hearing Verse I when you employ it again in Verse II. I contend that even in instrumental or Rap/Hip Hop or Jazz genres that adherence to Repetitional/Change Structure can be more successful at hooking and sustaining Hook Factor than a Composition that does not employ those elements.
The 'Enough' concept is the Songwriter's judgment call. How much Introductory Movement is 'Enough'? How much is 'Too Much'? How much is 'Not Enough'? With experience a Songwriter should begin to sense the timing of components, sensing when Enough Intro has been given and it is 'time' to begin the main body of the work. You should sense when Enough Verse has been exposed to set the scene and it is 'time' for the Chorus. Try your Songs with the Chorus to start and see if that works, in your judgment call. Examine the Verse Lyric and see if there's 'Enough' exposition, or 'Too Much', or 'Not Enough'. Remember, "Don't bore us! Get to the Chorus!"
How much Repetition is Enough? How much Change is Enough? Too much? Not Enough? A Song that is continually Changing lacks Structure. A Song that is continually Repeating gets monotonous; mono-tone-ous. Either can allow the listener to become 'unhooked'. They drift off to other thoughts, stop paying attention, and only realize it when the Song ends and they realize they haven't been listening, and may not be interested in listening again.
Terrestrial radio play used to earn Royalties, making money for the Songwriter(s) and Publisher. The reason they played music was not to promote the art; it was to keep listeners 'hooked' until they could play the commercial ads that pay the bills. Short Songs left more time for commercial ads. Songs used to be two minutes long. It is surprising to listen to those Songs now and realize they do not seem 'short'. They get done everything a Song needs to get done, in their two minutes and a few seconds. They are 'Enough'.
Who is 'buying' music now, and how? How are 'consumers' 'consuming'? Where is the market for your product? If you can supply their desires and demands you can sell in that marketplace.


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I got a Lyric and settled at about 1:45 as a complete Song. I thought about the four Notes I chose for the first Line and how any number of other musicians might choose an infinite variety of Notes. The Prosody was a study too, how the words/Notes 'hit' on the beat, between beats, making it work the way I want it to work. Every Song is a learning experience.

"Shouldn't You Be Gone" Copyright August 14, 2020 by Gary E. Andrews. All Rights Reserved.

G 32OOO3
Em O22000
C/G 332O1O

(Verse I)

I sold my soul,
to a love-ly devil!
She let me come in out of the cold.
She let me play the rebel.
I had a fee-ling,
somethin' was wrong.
A little voice inside my head said,
(Chorus Refrain)
"Hey! Shouldn't You Be Gone?"

(Verse II)
Don't sell your soul,
to a love-ly devil!
She'll ask, "Are you out of control,
or are you on the level?"
If you get a fee-ling,
something is wrong,
a little voice inside your head says,
"Hey! Shouldn't You Be Gone?"

(Coda)
I sold my soul,
to a love-ly devil.
She let me come in out of the cold.
She let me play the rebel.

I had a fee-ling.
I had a fee-ling.
I had a fee-ling.
Shouldn't You Be Gone?


August 23, 2020: I've been singing the Lyric like this lately.
"Shouldn't You Be Gone" Copyright August 14, 2020 by Gary E. Andrews. All Rights Reserved.

G 32OOO3
Em O22000
C/G 332O1O

(Verse I)

I sold my soul,
to a love-ly devil!
She let me come in out of the cold.
She let me play the rebel.
I had a fee-ling,
somethin' was wrong.
A little voice inside my head said,
(Chorus Refrain)
"Hey! Shouldn't You Be Gone?"

(Verse II)
I sold my soul,
to a love-ly devil!
She said, "Are you out of control,
or are you on the level?"
I had a fee-ling,
something was wrong,
a little voice inside my head said,
"Hey! Shouldn't You Be Gone?"

(Coda)
I sold my soul,
to a love-ly devil.
She let me come in out of the cold.
She let me play the rebel.

I had a fee-ling.
I had a fee-ling.
I had a fee-ling.
Shouldn't You Be Gone?

Last edited by Gary E. Andrews; 10/17/22 02:13 PM.

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"I Can't Tell Any More", the first Lyric in response to a K. C. Turner Songwriting Club website I stumbled into. The site offered that title and challenged its members to write a Lyric for it. I'm not a member but I did conceive a Lyric. It had a negative angle. A couple days later I wrote another one with a positive angle. It was just an exercise in trying to tell a coherent story.
This one employs a Refrain-Type Chorus, a single Line ending each Verse. It employs a Bridge to break the Repetition, enabling a Third Verse to complete the Storyline, and a Coda to end.

"I Can't Tell Any More", Copyright March 25, 2020, by Gary E. Andrews.
(Verse I)
Everything I do is wrong, to hear you tell it.
The rose you gave me once is dead. I cain't smell it!
I keep tryin' to please you. I don't know what for.
Do you still love me? I Can't Tell Any More.

(Verse II)
Every time I hear that song we used to dance to,
It reminds me of the things that now I can't do.
I let you win the fights. I'm tired of keeping score.
Do I still love you? I Can't Tell Any More.

(Bridge)
I can't tell right from wrong.
I fight temptation.
Was it ever love,
of just infatuation?

(Verse III)
Well tonight you're in the mood. You snuggle to me.
I'd like to tell you that I'm not. You'd see through me.
So we go through the motions. You leave me wanting more.
Is this still love? I Can't Tell Any More.

(Coda)
Do you still love me? I Can't Tell Any More.
Do I still love you? I Can't Tell Any More.
Is this still love? I Can't Tell Any More.


And here's the other Lyric. It employs the same Refrain-Type Chorus, Bridge, a Third Verse and Coda.
Many Songs don't find a Third Verse and employ a Bridge to break the Repetition of Verse/Chorus, Verse/Chorus, and enable a final giving of a Stanza-Type Chorus to end. It's important not to go too long.

"I Can't Tell Any More" Copyright March 27, 2020 by Gary E. Andrews.
(Verse I)
I can tell you 'bout her eyes, When she gets that 'come on' look.
I can tell you how she lies, 'bout what goes wrong when she cooks.
I can tell you 'bout the stories, she reads about in books,
But when we close that bedroom door, I Can't Tell Any More.

(Verse II)
I can show you 'round her garden, where she had me dig it up.
I can tell you 'bout the bargain, she got me on this truck.
I can tell you how I'm grateful, but it never is enough.
When we close that bedroom door, I Can't Tell Any More.

(Bridge)
It's private! It's personal! It's just for her and me.
It's something that we do, for only us to see.
It's a pact we don't ignore. I Can't Tell Any More.

(Verse III)
Let me tell you 'bout our vows, we read on our wedding day.
Let me tell you 'bout her house, where I stay out o' her way.
I won't tell you about her kiss, or the games she likes to play.
When we close that bedroom door, I Can't Tell Any More.
(Coda)
When we close that bedroom door, I Can't Tell Any More.
I Can't Tell Any More.

Last edited by Gary E. Andrews; 10/17/22 02:14 PM.

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"She Was Marked"
Out Of The Woodwork
Copyright 1980 by Gary E. Andrews
All Right Reserved for the Globe
Chords:
D XXO232
Gadd5 32OO33
A XO222O
G 32OOO3
A7 XO2O2O
Em O22OOO
C/G bass 332O1O

(Chorus)
She Was Marked,
Marked by her kindness,
Stark, naked, blindness,
True faith,
Faith that this time,
It was for real.

(Verse I)
On a lark,
I asked her for the time, Miss.
She parked,
And planted a wet,
Kiss on me,
I knew this time,
It was for real.

(Bridge)
So I laid aside all my preconceived notions.
I played everything by ear.
Ah, but too much time passed.
I knew I couldn't last,
So I called her up, said,
"Come over here."
As I started to talk,
She started to walk.
I knew she'd know just what I'd mean.
I started to kiss her.
She started to whisper,
Then, We broke clean.
As she walked out the door,
I knew I'd never see her no more,
That's, Just the way it's been.

She Was Marked,
Marked by her kindness,
Stark, naked, blindness,
True faith,
Faith that this time,
It was for real.

You can't hear this one on my website, but there are some others there.
www.garyeandrews.com

Last edited by Gary E. Andrews; 10/17/22 02:15 PM.

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"The Crimson Slayer" (No audio link.)
Out Of The Woodwork II
Copyright 1973 by Gary E. Andrews
All Rights Reserved for the Globe
Chords:
Am
C/G
D
G
(Verse I: Movement I)
I'm gonna' be a back door singer.
You can be my back door strings 'a.
I'm gonna' be a concert artist,
Doin' that back door thing 'a.
I'm gonna' be a star of sorts,
With ladies screamin' at my vocal cords,
Living in New York penthouse forts,
Driving all kinds of brand new Fords.

(Verse I: Movement II)
In the evening,
I'll get kinda' lonely and say,
"Let a lovely in."
She'll come wide-eyed and halfway homely.
I'll say, "Honey, where've you been?"
She'll say, "Oh Andy, gimme' some candy!
Sing your latest song for me!
I'll play a couple, Since I'm so supple.
In the morning I'll have V. D.
Oh, In the morning I'll have V. D.

(Chorus)
Oh, I don't wanna' be a rock 'n roll star.
I don't wanna' be no king.
I'm just a man who plays guitar,
Not a god with a magical thing.
I don't wanna' be a rock 'n roll star.
I don't wanna be no king.
I'm just a man who plays guitar.
I wanna' keep it, A simple thing. Alright.

(Verse II: Movement I)
I'm gonna' be a back door player.
You can be my back door queen.
I'm gonna' be the Crimson Slayer,
Doin' that graveyard scene.
I'm gonna' be a star of sorts,
With the people listenin'
To my soft reports,
Livin' in the back of a '49 Ford,
Painted with the sign of the Crimson Sword.

(Verse II: Movement II)
In the evening,
I'll get kinda' lonely,
And wonder where it will end.
You'll come wide-eyed and say, "It's only
A space in time my friend."
You'll say, "Oh Andy, Gimme' some candy.
Sit up and talk to me."
You'll smile your dimples and I'm so simple,
I'll be sleepin' while you're leavin' me.
Yeah, I'll be sleepin' while you're leavin' me.

(Repeat Chorus)
Oh, I don't wanna' be a rock 'n roll star.
I don't wanna' be no king.
I'm just a man who plays guitar,
Not a god with a magical thing.
I don't wanna' be a rock 'n roll star.
I don't wanna be no king.
I'm just a man who plays guitar.
I wanna' keep it, A simple thing. Alright.

Last edited by Gary E. Andrews; 10/17/22 02:15 PM.

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You Went The Other Way
Out Of The Woodwork IV
Copyright 1994 by Gary E. Andrews
All Rights Reserved for the Globe

Chords:
G 32OOO3
C/G bass 332O1O
D XXO232

I saw your hat,
On the street,
Today,
And I wondered,
Would you go for me
Or go the other way?

I heard your voice,
In the street,
Today,
And I wondered,
Would you talk of work,
Or would you talk of play?

I waited at the bus stop,
For you to catch up to me,
But You Went The Other Way.

I saw your picture,
In the paper,
Today,
And I wondered,
What the caption
Beneath it might say.

I saw your fingers,
Throw the ring
away,
And I wondered,
What your momma
would say.

'Cause she's one for a,
Platitude.
She,
Likes to keep a good,
Attitude.
She,
leaves a lot of,
Latitude for play.
She's good with a,
Quick cliche'.
Her
Smilin' face is a sweet bouquet.
I
wonder if she knows,
You Went The Other Way.

I bought a pistol,
At the pawn shop today.
I wonder if I'll use it,
Or just put the damned thing away.
If I'm going to be lonely,
I'll be lonely
alone.
And I wonder,
Will I have to pay?

It's not just a matter,
Of melting hearts of stone,
And I wonder,
Can I rock and roll it,
Can I rock and roll it away?
I waited at the bus stop,
For you to catch up with me,
But You Went The Other Way.

I saw your sister,
On the street,
Today,
And I wondered,
Would she go for me,
Or go the other way?
She called me 'Mister,'
And asked me to play,
And I wondered,
What her mother would say.

'Cause she's one for a,
Platitude. She
Likes to keep a good
Attitude. She
Leaves a lot of
Latitude for play.
She's good in her
cliques and cliches. Her
smilin' face is a
Sweet bouquet. I
wonder if she knows,
You Went The Other Way.

I bought a pistol,
At the pawn shop today.
I wonder if I'll use it,
I threw the damned thing away.
If I'm going to be lonely,
I'll be lonely alone,
And I wonder,
Will I have to pay?

It's not just a matter,
Of melting hearts of stone,
And I wonder,
Can I rock and roll it,
Can I rock and roll it away?
I waited at the bus stop,
For you to catch up with me,
But You Went The Other Way.

Last edited by Gary E. Andrews; 10/17/22 02:16 PM.

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"Give Thanks, Give Thanks"
Out Of The Woodwork V
Copyright September 27, 2005 by Gary E. Andrews
All Rights Reserved for the Globe
Chords:
G 32OOO3
C/G bass 332O1O
D XXO232

(Verse I)
There are workers in the fields.
They bring the harvest in,
Send it out all over the land.
Look in your potato bin.
Do you see the hands of those
Who made it all begin?
(Chorus Refrain)
When you Give Thanks, Give Thanks for them.

(V II)
They work a long, hard day,
The sun upon their backs.
Overnight the rain,
Washes out their tracks.
They try to get some rest
So they can do it all over again.
When you Give Thanks, Give Thanks for them.

(Bridge)
For every bite you take,
Someone had to make,
The ground receive the seed,
And hope for the seed to take.
Until they leave this Earthly world
They'll make the earth serve them.
When you Give Thanks, Give Thanks for them.
When you Give Thanks, Give Thanks for them.
When you Give Thanks, Give Thanks for them.

(V III)
My folks all were farmers.
They farmed Kentucky hills.
Came out here from Prestonsburg,
Seeking fairer fields,
Left behind the coal mines,
And dust that sickened them.
When I Give Thanks, I Give Thanks for them.

(Bridge)
For every breath I take,
I've got Grandpa to thank,
For comin' up out o' the mines,
And movin' on down the line.
Until he left this Earthly world
He made the earth serve him.
When I Give Thanks, I Give Thanks for him.
(Coda)
When you Give Thanks, Give Thanks for them.
When you Give Thanks, Give Thanks for them.

Last edited by Gary E. Andrews; 10/17/22 02:17 PM.

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"Seeds Of Doubt"
Out Of The Woodwork V
Copyright September 11, 2002 by Gary E. Andrews
All Rights Reserved for the Globe
Chords:
D/A bass ? XOO232
G 32OOO3
A XO222O
Bm XX4432

The girl who just walked in,
And the girl who just walked out,
Used to be the best of friends,
'Til 'this' came about.
Now they stand on opposite
Corners of the room.
Me, I'm stuck in the middle,
Knowing that I'm doomed
Since the Devil sowed the Seeds Of Doubt.

The brunette with the brown eyes,
The blonde with the blue,
Used to sit and fantasize
On things they'd like to do.
They used to take my arms
and walk me down the avenue.
Now they'd like to pull them off
And beat me black and blue,
Since the Devil sowed the Seeds Of Doubt.

I saw the Devil comin',
With a bottle in her hand.
I could tell by the way she smiled
She had some evil planned.
She elbowed me in the ribs.
Her liquor got me talkin'.
She said, "I know all about ya' kid.
You wanna' do much more than walkin'.
Her liquor loosened up my tongue.
I's near to passing out.
That's how the Devil sows the Seeds Of Doubt.

The lies that I told her,
The truth that she left out,
Conspired to make a story,
Which she then spread about.
It got back to the ladies.
They came and called me out.
One accused. The other excused me.
Both began to shout,
How the Devil sows the Seeds Of Doubt.

I saw the Devil comin',
That bottle in her hand.
I could tell by the way she grinned
She was out to get me again.
She winked at me,
Implied that we
Were partners in her plan.
Fool me once, shame on me.
You won't fool me again.
I designed to bite my tongue.
I tried to stare her down
But the Devil sows the Seeds Of Doubt.

Well, the girls just walked in,
And now we're walkin' out,
Strollin' down the avenue,
With things to laugh about.
The Devil's always waitin'.
She'd like to get me down.
She finds it so frustratin',
Me warning you about,
How the Devil sows the Seeds Of Doubt.

So watch out.
The Devil sows the Seeds Of Doubt.
The Devil sows the Seeds Of Doubt.

More Info...
"Seeds Of Doubt" Copyright September 11, 2002 by Gary E. Andrews
All Rights Reserved For The Globe
Listening to Bob Dylan's "Thin, Wild, Mercury Music" while doing dishes, I got the first Lines, "The girl who just walked in, And the girl who just walked out, Used to be the best of friends 'til 'this' came about."
Characters were in motion in a physical setting, some event, a conflict, ('this') that divided them as friends had "come about," and now the story had to be told. The dishes could wait. They'd been waitin'.
And of course, I had to stick myself right "in the middle," and deal with the devil, just like always.
I like the constancy of the bottle, alcohol being one of the most corrupting drugs on planet Earth, making people feel like the devil is real, because it brings out evil character aspects we would associate with such a mythical being. I personally don't believe in the devil, preferring to believe in the Great Spirit, call it what you will. I sing it with the Devil as female, just to tweak the ladies and let 'em vent a little steam. I rewrote it for the female singer's point of view, restoring the devil to his rightful maleness.

Last edited by Gary E. Andrews; 10/17/22 02:18 PM.

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"Get The Honky Tonk Blues" Copyright November 27, 2020 by Gary E. Andrews. All Rights Reserved.
Chords.
G 32OOO3
C/Gbass 332O1O
D XXO232

(Verse I)
Who gets the honky tonk blues?
Folks in honky tonks do.
They lay out late at night.
They get into fights!
They do
(Chorus Refrain)
Get The Honky Tonk Blues.

(Verse II)
Who gets the honky tonk blues?
Folks in honky tonks do.
They feel it ain't goin' right.
Their dreams are out of sight.
They do
Get The Honky Tonk Blues.

(Bridge)
They wake up in the mornin',
with the same pain they had last night.
It echoes like a warning:
Don't do the same thing tonight!

(Verse III)
Who gets the honky tonk blues?
Folks in honky tonks do.
They lay out late at night.
They get into fights!
They do
Get The Honky Tonk Blues.
(Coda)
Get The Honky Tonk Blues.
Get The Honky Tonk Blues.

(I think it takes about one minute fifteen seconds to play. I wonder if short Songs like that could find a place on terrestrial radio. Back when the world was young Songs often came in at two minutes or a little less or more
I sang ad lib, "Who gets the honky tonk blues?" and asking that question was inspired to see where the Lyric/Melody might go. Rather than the usual "I've got the..." blues Line, the question seemed to have a different appeal, different approach.)

Last edited by Gary E. Andrews; 10/17/22 02:18 PM.

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"Come Back Radio Man" (Creative Commons issue, by Gary E. Andrews, December 24, 2020. Lyric only. No audio link.)

"Come Back Radio Man!"

Back when the world was young,
we had magic radio.
Every song that was sung,
wasn't great. We loved it though.
The Beach Boys took us to the beach.
James Brown stirred our Soul.
The Beatles gave us the beat!
Chuck Berry's Rock and Roll!
DJ's had lessons to teach.
Decorating life was their goal!

(CHORUS)
Come Back Radio Man!
Come back and show us how!
Come Back Radio Man!
We need you and we need you now!
Come Back Radio Man!

Back when the world was new,
we had magic radio!
B. B. taught us the Blues.
Wolfman Jack made a show.
Motown swung the pendulum.
The East Coast came to play.
Then the British Invasion,
taught us a whole new way.
DJ's put us in reach,
of a dream of a brand new day!

Come Back Radio Man!
Come back and show us how!
Come Back Radio Man!
We need you and we need you now!
Come Back Radio Man!
(Brief Instrumental Bridge) (Jam longer in live play)
(Repeat Chorus)
(Coda)
Come Back Radio Man!
Come Back Radio Man!
Come Back Radio Man!


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"The Crazy You" copyright January 1, 2021 by Gary E. Andrews. All Rights Reserved.
C/G: 332O1O
F: X33211
G: X55433

Don't be a crazy baby! I need ya' sane!
Don' be the crazy lady! Don't jump off the train!
Jump off your horse and ride, Like ya' used to do!
Show me your ounce of pride! Don't show me, The Cra-zy You!

Don't talk about politics! Religion too!
Don't take me out in the sticks! Think, "Right here will do!"
Stand here off to the side! Let the crazy through!
Show me your peace of mind! Don't show me, The Cra-zy You!

Don't be the one in the street, everybody's pointing to,
because of what's on your feet!
Where the hell'd you get those shoes?
Don't show me, The Cra-zy You.
Don't show me, The Cra-zy You.
Don't show me, The Cra-zy You.

"Somewhere" copyright December 31, 2020 by Gary E. Andrews. All Rights Reserved.
C/G: 332O1O
Cmaj7: 332OOO
Fmaj7: X3321O
Am: XO221O
F: X33211
G: 32OOO3
G7: 32OOO1

Somewhere, someone is calling,
but there's no--body there.
Somewhere, a star is falling,
but no--body cares.

Somehow, something that's missing,
finds, its way there.
Somehow, something I'm wishing,
knows, I don't dare.

Somewhere, someone who's calling,
has begun, to get scared.
Somewhere, someone who's stalling,
finds courage to spare!

Somewhere, someone is calling.
Somewhere. Somewhere. Somewhere. Somewhere.

Last edited by Gary E. Andrews; 10/17/22 04:12 AM.

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"Some New Blues", Copyright January 5, 2021 by Gary E. Andrews.

I got Some New Blues now baby, Since I found out about you!
I got Some New Blues now baby, Since I found out about you!
I need to see more of ya! I don't know what to do!

I've lost my old Blues now baby! Me and my old Blues are through!
I've lost my old Blues now baby! Me and my old Blues are through!
I'm a woman who needs to love ya! I'm walkin' high in my shoes!

(BRIDGE)
Don't bring that other woman. She can't love ya like I do!
I got my guitar in my hands! I'm playin' just for you!
Me and my old Blues are over! Now I've got Some New Blues!

"I got Some New Blues now baby, Since I found out about you!
I got Some New Blues now baby, Since I found out about you!
I need to see more of ya! I don't know what to do!

Last edited by Gary E. Andrews; 10/17/22 02:19 PM.

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"Respect Yourself".
Out Of The Woodwork V
Copyright January 19, 2001 by Gary E. Andrews
All Rights Reserved for the Globe

Chords:
G 32OOO3
Am XO221O
C/G bass 332O1O

(A Recitation.)
Respect Yourself.
What else have you got to do,
but Respect Yourself?
I mean, after all, it's you.

Respect Yourself.
Respect your heart.
Respect your head.
Respect your health.

Respect Yourself.
Respect your elders.
Respect your helpers,
as you wander through this world.

Respect Yourself.
Love everybody.
Respect your love,
especially your girl.

(Sung)
I am not a perfect man.
I am not meant to be.
I am just who I am,
and you are just you.
You're not me.

Respect Yourself.
Respect the time it takes.
Take your time.
Soon you'll learn to respect that too.

Respect Yourself.
What else have you got to do,
but Respect Yourself?
I mean, after all, it's you.
Respect Yourself.
Respect Yourself.

Last edited by Gary E. Andrews; 10/17/22 02:19 PM.

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"Moon Over San Francisco"
Copyright February 27, 2021 by Gary E. Andrews.

It's been too long.
It's never too late,
for the sing-ing of our song.
It's been too much,
wanting your touch.
I know it ca--n't be wrong.

When I get back, if I get back,
when I come in, off the road,
girl you know I'll, wanna see you,
and the Moon-- Over San Francisco.
You and the Moon, Over San Francisco.

In the moonlight,
late at midnight,
when the Moon has, gone solo,
you wait for me,
you watch for me,
from there by, your window.

When I get back, if I get back,
when I come in, off the road,
girl you know I'll, wanna see you,
and the Moon-- Over San Francisco.
You and the Moon, Over San Francisco.

It's been too long.
It's never too late,
for the sing-ing of our song.
It's been too much,
wanting your touch.
I know it ca--n't be wrong.

When I get back, if I get back,
when I come in, off the road,
girl you know I'll, wanna see you,
and the Moon-- Over San Francisco.
You and the Moon, Over San Francisco.
You and the Moon, Over San Francisco.

Last edited by Gary E. Andrews; 10/17/22 02:20 PM.

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"After The Taste Of Love" Copyright March 16, 2021.
By Gary E. Andrews. All Rights Reserved For The Globe.
E7 O2213O
A7 XO2O2O XO2O23
B7 O212O2

Nobody warned me, about your kiss.
Nobody told me, how much I would miss,
the look in your eye, the feel of your lips,
After The Taste Of Love!
My buddy told me you could set me on fire.
Nobody warned me love could be a liar.
Nobody knows the depths of desire,
After The Taste Of Love!

Taste! I want a taste of your love!
Taste! I want a taste of your love!
Taste! I want a taste of your love!
More of the same's all I can think of,
After The Taste Of Love!

I know you tol' me not to get this started.
You said we could both end up broken-hearted!
I felt the pain in the moment we parted,
After The Taste Of Love!
We got entangled in your twenty questions!
I fell like a fool who never learns his lesson.
Kicked out of school, I came back messin',
After The Taste Of Love!

Taste! I want a taste of your love!
Taste! I want a taste of your love!
Taste! I want a taste of your love!
More of the same's all I can think of,
After The Taste Of Love!

I kissed the Gypsy twice before I paid her!
She said, "You come on like a pirate raider!
I said, "Baby can't we talk about this later,
After The Taste Of Love?
After The Taste Of Love!
After The Taste Of Love!

I had a dream.
I'm walking into a long room, carrying my guitar in a case..
A drummer is set up in the back, beyond a circle of couches and armchairs.
A guitar player is laid back on one of the couches, on the left, guitar in hand. He seems lethargic.
The drummer is sayin', "Well play somethin'!"
I sit down, my back to the drummer, take out my guitar, start playin' E7 and A7, singing, "Taste! I want a taste of love! Taste! I want a taste of love!"
I woke up, and played the Chorus and wrote the rest to go with it.

EDITING:
"After The Taste Of Love" Copyright March 16, 2021.
By Gary E. Andrews. All Rights Reserved For The Globe.

Nobody warned me, about your kiss.
Nobody told me, how much I would miss,
the look in your eye, the feel of your lips,
After The Taste Of Love!
The Gypsy told me, you could set me on fire.
I didn't believe her! I called her a liar!
How could I know, the depths of desire,
After The Taste Of Love?

Taste! I want a taste of your love!
Taste! I want a taste of your love!
Taste! I want a taste of your love!
More of the same's all I can think of,
After The Taste Of Love!

I know you tol' me, not to get this started.
You said we could both, end up broken-hearted!
I felt the pain, in the moment we parted,
After The Taste Of Love!
We got entangled, in your twenty questions!
I fell like a fool, who never learns his lesson.
Kicked out of school, I came back messin',
After The Taste Of Love!

Taste! I want a taste of your love!
Taste! I want a taste of your love!
Taste! I want a taste of your love!
More of the same's all I can think of,
After The Taste Of Love!

I kissed the Gypsy, twice before I paid her!
She said, "You come on, like a pirate raider!
I said, "Baby, can't we talk about this later,
After The Taste Of Love?
After The Taste Of Love!
After The Taste Of Love!

And a Re-Write, to simplify. March 19, 2021.
A Re-Write, to simplify.

"After The Taste Of Love" Copyright March 16, 2021.
By Gary E. Andrews. All Rights Reserved For The Globe.
E7 O2213O
A7 XO2O2O XO2O23
B7 O212O2

Nobody warned me, about your kiss.
Nobody told me, how much I would miss,
the look in your eye, the feel of your lips,
After The Taste Of Love!
The Gypsy told me, you could set me on fire!
I wouldn't believe her! I called her a liar!
How could I know the depths of desire,
After The Taste Of Love?

Taste! A taste of love!
Taste! I want a taste of your love!
Taste! A taste of love!
More of the same is all, I can think of,
After The Taste Of Love!

The Gypsy told me not to get this started.
She said we could both end up broken-hearted!
I felt a pain, in the moment we parted,
After The Taste Of Love!

Taste! A taste of love!
Taste! I want a taste of your love!
Taste! A taste of love!
More of the same is all, I can think of,
After The Taste Of Love!

I kissed the Gypsy, twice before I paid her!
She said, "You come on like a pirate raider!"
I said, "Baby, can't we talk about this later,
After The Taste Of Love?
After The Taste Of Love!
After The Taste Of Love!


Another re-write, to make it all about the Gypsy.

"After The Taste Of Love" Copyright March 16, 2021.
By Gary E. Andrews. All Rights Reserved For The Globe.
E7 O2213O
A7 XO2O2O XO2O23
B7 O212O2

Nobody warned me, 'bout the Gypsy kiss.
Nobody told me, how much I would miss,
the look in her eye, the feel of her lips,
After The Taste Of Love!
The Gypsy told me, she could set me on fire!
I wouldn't believe her! I called her a liar!
How could I know the depths of desire,
After The Taste Of Love?

Taste! A taste of love!
Taste! I want a taste of your love!
Taste! A taste of love!
More of the same is all, I can think of,
After The Taste Of Love!

The Gypsy told me not to get this started.
She said we could both end up broken-hearted!
I felt a pain, in the moment we parted,
After The Taste Of Love!

Taste! A taste of love!
Taste! I want a taste of your love!
Taste! A taste of love!
More of the same is all, I can think of,
After The Taste Of Love!

I kissed the Gypsy, twice before I paid her!
She said, "You come on like a pirate raider!"
I said, "Baby, can't we talk about this later,
After The Taste Of Love?
After The Taste Of Love!
After The Taste Of Love!

Another edit. I simply got confused while singing the last Verse about who did what, and switched it to give the Gypsy Character the 'aggressor' role.
And I liked it. It's as if the Singer-Character has worn down her resistance and now she desires him as he does her.

"After The Taste Of Love" Copyright March 16, 2021.
By Gary E. Andrews. All Rights Reserved For The Globe.
E7 O2213O
A7 XO2O2O XO2O23 XO2223
B7 O212O2
E O221OO
(Verse I)
Nobody warned me, 'bout the Gypsy's kiss.
Nobody told me, how much I would miss,
the look in her eye, the feel of her lips,
(Chorus Refrain)
After The Taste Of Love!
(Verse II)
The Gypsy told me, she could set me on fire!
I wouldn't believe her! I called her a liar!
How could I know the depths of desire,
After The Taste Of Love?
(Bridge)
Taste! A taste of love!
Taste! I want a taste of your love!
Taste! The taste of love!
More of the same is all, I can think of,
After The Taste Of Love!
(Verse III)
The Gypsy told me, not to get this started.
She said we could both end up broken-hearted!
I felt a pain, in the moment we parted,
After The Taste Of Love!

Taste! A taste of love!
Taste! I want a taste of your love!
Taste! A taste of love!
More of the same is all, I can think of,
After The Taste Of Love!
(Coda)
The Gypsy kissed me, twice before I paid her!
I said, "You come on like a pirate raider!"
She said, "Uh, Baby, can't we talk about this later,
After The Taste Of Love?"
After The Taste Of Love!
After The Taste Of Love!

Last edited by Gary E. Andrews; 06/14/21 02:18 AM.

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"She's A Hanger On" Copyright April 12, 2021 by Gary E. Andrews.

E7 O2213O
A7 XO2221
B7 O212O2

She's A Hanger On.
I let her hang around.
She's as good as gone.
I know she's never let me down.
She's a Hanger On.
I like having her around.

She's a white gold girl.
She got silver everywhere.
She's a righteous girl.
It's not as good when she's not there.
She's A Hanger On.
She's a little worse for wear.

She's that kind of girl,
like you hear about in songs,
from a different world.
Somehow tonight she got it wrong.
She's A Hanger On.
She's right where she belongs.

She's A Hanger On.
I let her hang around.
She's as good as gone.
I know she's never let me down.
She's a Hanger On.
I like having her around.

She's A Hanger On.
I let her hang around.

(You can't hear this one, but you can hear others at www.garyeandrews.com )
Site doesn't work with an iPhone.

Last edited by Gary E. Andrews; 10/17/22 02:20 PM.

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"Love Better Next Time"
Out Of The Woodwork IV
Copyright 1997 by Gary E. Andrews
All Rights Reserved for the Globe
Chords:
C/G bass 332O1O
F X33211
G7 32OOO1
Am XO221O

You've never had a heartbreak before.
That's why this one hurts so bad.
But you're gonna' get through this,
And you're gonna' be so glad,
That you can love so deeply.
That's why it hurts this time.
That you can love so deeply,
Means you're gonna' Love Better Next Time.

You never had your heart broken before.
Yeah, But broken hearts do mend.
It's just gonna' take some time,
You'll see in the end,
That you can love so deeply,
Even though you're hurtin' inside.
That you can love so deeply,
Means you're gonna Love Better Next Time.

If you were so shallow,
That it meant nothing, To touch, To kiss,
You could walk away from this laughing,
But then you, Might miss
That you can love somebody,
And that love can be so fine.
That you can love somebody,
Means you're gonna Love Better Next Time.

You never had a heartache before,
Felt pain so sublime.
You're gonna' get over this,
You're gonna' be just fine.
You're gonna' love somebody,
Even though you got hurt this time.
That you can love so deeply,
Means you're gonna Love Better Next Time.
That you can love so deeply,
Means you're gonna Love Better Next Time.
That you can love so deeply,
Means you're gonna Love Better Next Time.

Last edited by Gary E. Andrews; 10/17/22 02:21 PM.

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"Julie Gets The Blues" Copyright May 20, 2021
by Gary E. Andrews. All Rights Reserved.

(Verse I)
Julie wakes up any morning
with trouble on her mind.
Her dreams are no relief.
She worries through the night.
She wakes up and she gets up.
She pulls on her shoes.
Julie Gets The Blues.

(Verse II)
Julie gets out on the road.
Gotta be there by nine.
At the County Courthouse,
they're makin' up their minds.
He's her man. They got their man.
They said so on the news.
Julie Gets The Blues.

(Instrumental Bridge)

(Verse III)
Her Momma tried to warn her
off that silly stupid boy!
"He'll only break your heart!"
To Julie it was just noise.
The heart wants what the heart wants.
You play to win or lose.
Julie Gets The Blues.

(Lyrical Bridge)
Somewhere in Ohio,
Julie moved away!
She took her young man with her,
to love another day!
(Coda)
Julie Gets The Blues.
Julie Gets The Blues.

Last edited by Gary E. Andrews; 10/17/22 02:21 PM.

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Just listening to "Cajun Lady". Think we found the second coming of Dylan, who turns 80 this coming Monday. This song does remind me of Dylan in his early days.

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Dylan's forte is 'reporting back' to THE Hook, the title.
I noticed recently that "Tangled Up In Blue" isn't a very clear title, a clearly meaningful summation of what the Song's storyline is about. Yet, by simply 'reporting back' to it at the end of long, poetic Verses, it works to tie the whole together, perhaps Melodically overcoming its Lyrical obscurity.
It is a 'Refrain-Type' Chorus, a single Line of Lyric/Melody, as opposed to a Stanza-Type comprised of several Lines with THE Hook among them.
"Cajun Lady" 'reports back' to THE Hook in a similar manner, a Stanza-Type Chorus, ending with THE Hook, the strategic last Line position, left ringing in the ear as the Chorus ends. It's all about her, so she gets the emphasis.


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"Bad Influence (Only Seventeen)" Copyright May 28, 2021 by Gary E. Andrews. All Rights Reserved.
E
A7
B7
(No audio link.)

(Verse I)
I sent her to the Preacher.
The Preacher couldn't reach 'er.
The Preacher sent her back to me.
I tried to teach 'er.
Underneath the bleachers,
she started teachin' me.

(Chorus)
She's a Bad Influence on me!
She comes to me when she's lonely!
Somebody said, "She's Only Seventeen!"

(Verse II)
She lives in a trailer.
She cusses like a sailor.
She likes to whisper things obscene.
She tells me, "You're too gloomy!"
She says she wouldn't do me,
if I wasn't so damned mean!

(Chorus II)
I'm a Bad Influence on 'er'.
She asks why I never phone 'er,
says she wants to be a loner, just like me!

(Bridge)
Honey, we can't do this!
I'm trying' to work through this!
Aren't you too young to be doin' this with me?

(Verse III)
She scatters out my money.
She likes to talk funny,
when she's tryin' to get a laugh out of me.
Calls me 'Guitar Picker'.
Wants to taste my liquor.
What if she's Only Seventeen?

(Fading Coda)
I sent her to the Preacher.
The Preacher couldn't reach 'er.
The Preacher sent her back to me.
I tried to teach 'er.
Underneath the bleachers,
she started teachin' me.

Last edited by Gary E. Andrews; 10/17/22 02:21 PM.

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"Manufacturing Songs".
The 'revolution' in the music market has varied permutations in the various genres. The 'changes' in pop are a little different than those in country, or jazz, or every other genre. Something they may have in common is 'manufacturing' music to put out to the public. Less inspired than 'generated', the music generally falls short of aesthetic qualities people are looking for, but adequate in what they'll settle for.
We used to think those bands with a million-selling album must be getting rich. But record companies back then were taking all the album sales, telling 'artists' to go tour and make their money in concert tickets.
Some learned to 'merchandise' too, selling hats, t-shirts, sew-on patches, stickers, bumper stickers, pictures; whatever their fans would buy. A bassist told me he made more merchandising than he did playing with the band.
There was a story the record labels, no longer able to sell hard-copy devices, came back to the artists, asking for a cut of their ticket sales, merchandising.
The range of creativity was greater, combined with personal appeal of personnel, and bands could make a living.
There was a story artists, or their management, would ask a Song-Writer for permission to change some words, or one word, as a way of cutting the artist in as a Song-Writer, with a share of the Song-Writing Royalties. Colonel Parker was infamous in getting that agreement on every Song Elvis Pressley sang, or he wouldn't let him sing it.
Publishers who might have negotiated a hefty 'share' of Publishing Royalties began to ask for 100%. If the Song was a hit and they wanted another one, and the Song-Writer had the gumption to negotiate, they might get them down to a lower but still hefty percentage, retaining a share of Publishing Royalties for themselves, the 'creative' entity without whom there was no product.
A hit Song, getting millions of plays on terrestrial radio, could earn a Song-Writer and Publisher substantial Royalties.
People in the industry, at the can't-sell-them record labels, Publishers, artist Management, began to focus on Songs they owned, that their artists wrote, that they themselves Published, to keep the money coming to them and not a third-party Song-Writer and Publisher.
It didn't work very well. Not every 'artist' is a 'creative artist'. They look good in a cowboy hat or a low-cut dress, and have one hit, maybe that they wrote or found, and, as soon as that hit hit, they started needing another one.
They found they couldn't find or manufacture Songs that 'hit'. The public might buy them on some scale, because it was the latest thing from the artist, but not enough people wanted to 'own' the Song in any form to listen to again and again.
Then the technology made it possible to 'own' a Song without paying for it.
But, 'manufacturing' became a modus operandi that worked often enough to keep the shrunken industry operating.
Problem was, the manufactured Songs started to all sound alike, in 'popular' (pop) music, and especially in country, a 'laundry-list' of 'things country', farming, trucks.
Sweet tea was everywhere. Whisky/whiskey brand names. Skoal rings too for a while, in blue jeans. Tailgates and tank tops.
It was boring as hell to anyone with a literary sense of a Song, like the old Songs that told stories in coherent fashion, not just 'painted a picture' or 'put props on stage'.
You could spot the Songs that every Line was either just a Rhyme, or led weakly up to THE Hook, the title Line, that probably should have been the first Line of the Song and told the story suggested in that Line, finding THE Hook, whatever it may be, as the story unfolded. I even heard a batch of Songs in which three or more had a segment toward the end where each note was the same in pitch and duration, obviously without any idea of what to do Melodically, literally 'beep-beep-beeping' their way through it to get to the Chorus again to end. It may have been an attempt at a Bridge. After hearing it in the first one I noticed. The second one got my attention. The third one was obvious to me as a 'manufactured' product that should not be out to my ears yet, unfinished, weakening the rest of the Song.
Manufacturing works, in dollars and cents, adequate to keep some companies alive. Many Leadership Decision-Makers in labels, Publishing companies, other, simply could not conceive of a way to stay alive at that level of income and went out of business. Someone said there were only five 'Labels' left, at one time, where there had been dozens, if not hundreds. 'Personal', artist-owned Labels are common now.
Co-writing, with band members, friends, strangers, became a routine modus operandi; manufacturing.
But the 'manufacturing' creativity generally falls short, limited in originality, anything 'new', any new way of telling the story.
Songs have been written for thousands of years and we still have not exhausted the possibilities. But it isn't easy to 'manufacture' a Song that truly offers something new.
Again, people will 'buy' it, on some scale, enough to keep the 'business' going for those in it, but on a smaller scale than was the norm before.
The world's really waiting, dollars in pocket, for something new. The 'manufacturers' are on the lookout for something new, if it falls out of the sky at their feet, but they're limited in their own creativity and not searchers any more, searching the clubs, searching the net even. There's too much, too much time in bad bars listening to amateur writers/performers who turn out to only have one or two Songs, or 200 Songs that aren't 'hit' material. Too much time listening to mediocre product on the internet. 'Management' finds it 'unmanageable'.
But they have to 'sign' something, or they're out of business, so they do.
They find 'artists' who can't create good art, can't manage their money, can't hold their liquor, are dumb enough to drink liquor, use dope, get fat, get in fights, go to jail...everything but entertain and 'sell' music.
It's easy to settle into those ruts of 'manufacturing', and stay there. But every so often, something breaks out, originates, creates, innovates. And can change the modus operandi. The possibilities of another Great Flowering of musical creativity are there. It's happened at times before. It can happen again.

Last edited by Gary E. Andrews; 07/05/21 01:40 PM.

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Last edited by Gary E. Andrews; 07/11/21 10:21 PM.

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Essay: "Critical Listening".

When I write the first Line is of strategic importance. It's the Line that suggests a story I want to hear more about.

"On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair, warm smell of colitas, rising up through the air."
That's an incomplete sentence, but The Eagles had this southwest, desert 'persona' going with their other Songs, and "Hotel" fit right in. I was hooked, and wanted to hear the rest of the story.

"There's a lady who's sure, all that glitters is (pure?), and she's buying a Stairway To Heaven."
Complete sentence. And the poetry of it, Rhythm and Rhyme, and the idea of someone buying a stairway to heaven, hooked my interest.

I hear too many recordings where the Lyric is not audible, buried in the mix, enunciated poorly, and the first Line doesn't get through my ear in a recognizable form. If I get a word or two they're ineffectual in 'Hook Factor'. For want of the words the Line fails. For want of the Line the Stanza fails. For want of the Stanza the Song fails. The Chorus can't make sense of the Verse, if I can understand the Chorus at all, because I didn't 'get' the Verse.

Folks try to crowd words into a space in time, smearing them over the beat, the Rhythm, and don't 'hit' the beat with Rhyme. It doesn't work. Failing to 'Hook' my interest I drift off to other thoughts, stop paying attention, and notice when the Song ends that I don't know anything about the Song that just played in my ears, or very little. THE Hook, the title Line, might be 'memorable', and retained, but the overall appeal isn't there. I'm generally not interested in hearing the Song again, and certainly not willing to put my money in the jukebox, or to buy a hard copy to own and listen to, or download to enable listening any time I 'want'. I don't 'want'.

"Hotel California", July 14, 2021, was still a pleasure to listen to. Listen to the Lyric, and observe the guitar work, the percussion. This is a hell of a composition. When people cite the length of these two particular Songs as justification for the length of their own compositions, I say, "Yeah! Write a Song like that and you can probably get it played." Just a long Song that goes on without good poetry, or a good storyline, isn't likely to work. The Leadership Decision-Makers in radio and other industry offices, Gatekeepers, aren't likely to be Hooked and think it can make them money. If it doesn't Hook them they will probably doubt it will Hook an audience.

As a Song-Writer YOU are the first listener. You should be Hooked the same way you hope others will be.
But we're often Hooked by the feel of the 'emoting' as we sing a Lyric, entertaining for us, but without our critical evaluation of whether the Lyric and Melody have 'Hook Factor' for other listeners. Again, that first Line; does it suggest a story I want to hear more of? Or is it bland, obscure, uninteresting in Lyrical content, Rhythmic appeal, and supported with continuity of Lyrical coherence, Rhyme, and arrangement (instrumental accompaniment)? If I can't understand the words, I'm drifting away to think about the girl with the twinkle in her...whatever she's got twinkling. I'll notice when the Song ends, but they lost me, either from the get-go, or somewhere along the way. I came 'Un-Hooked'.

I don't have to know what the writer intended in a Lyric. If I can conceive something it works. "Hotel California" comes across as some nightmare, like an arrival in a 'hell' of his own making. The Singer-Character becomes obvious, a pronoun, 'I', appearing in Lines, so we get a sense of this First-Person story-teller, telling what's happening, somewhat in real time, as it happens. Very engaging of the imagination.

Yeah. Write a Song like that.

The Song, the Lyrical story, sung, communicated, can give you a Structure upon which you can build the Melody to which it is sung, and the instrumentation, the Production to support it, any way you want. Tempo, key, nuances, fills, percussion, harmony vocals, can all work from that basic Structure of the Lyric.

Even an instrumental composition can benefit from Structure. Lyrical Verses are Musical Movements. They begin, move through, 'passage', and end. They Repeat, Repetition supplying Structure. A listener can relate to Structure, or be lost without it, listening to a meandering composition that doesn't Repeat.

They Change, change supplying renewal of 'Hook-Factor', a refreshing of listener interest, avoiding monotony of 'Too Much' Repetition. It's an elusive concept of 'Enough', versus 'Not Enough' and 'Too Much'. Change is accomplished by the Chorus, or Chorus Refrain, or by a Bridge. If you analyze Songs you think 'do it right' you'll probably be able to perceive Structure, Repetition, Change, and the timing of them. Had they Repeated, perhaps a third time, without Change after the second Repeat, you might have drifted off to other thoughts, and only noticed when the Song ended that you weren't 'listening', weren't entertained. It was just background noise. If, after a second Repeat, they Changed, with a Chorus or Bridge, renewing your interest, you might have been attentive when they found a third Lyrical Verse, third Repeat of a Musical Movement, and welcomed hearing it again, because you 'learned' it and liked it the first two times. You can also analyze Songs you think 'don't do it right'. Why don't you like that Song?

The things you learn analyzing Songs you don't like and do like should manifest in your own compositions, being aware of 'Enough' Repetition, or 'Not Enough', or 'Enough' Change, or 'Not Enough', or 'Too Much'. Not Enough Repetition, no Structure to relate to, Too Much Change. Too Much Repetition, monotonous, lets me come Un-Hooked.

Enough coherence of ideas to tell an interesting Lyrical story, or Not Enough, or Too Much. You decide. The 'Enough' concept can apply to volume, percussion, every element of the sound, every element of the composition.

If you're not a critical listener of your own Songs you're probably not a critical listener of other peoples' either. Tastes vary. A person's reasons for liking or disliking a piece of music may have criteria far different from your own. They 'buy' some new music and want to share it with you. They 'like' it. You don't. It was worth their money to them. Your money stays in your pocket. Your own compositions and recordings have the same potential to earn money, for all the reasons people buy music. Or, they may not please 'Enough' people to get shared and promoted and sell.

Keep exploring. The possibilities are endless. Despite thousands of years of Song-Writing we have not exhausted the possibilities. Someone will write a new Song and masses of people will agree that it is a good Song. It might become a classic. If you're studious, and an explorer, you could be that Song-Writer.


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Just writing and Rhyming, trying for a coherent theme. No guitar. Only the natural Rhythm of the words to imply Melody.

"I've Fallen" Copyright July 25, 2021 by Gary E. Andrews.

In a city like this it was bound to happen,
you falling for me.
How could a guy resist a woman laughing,
with such joy de vivre?
I don't want this night to end.
I don't want to let you go.
We may never be the same again.
I want you to know,

(Chorus)
I've Fallen!
It's a done deal!
I've Fallen.
I know this is real!
I've Fallen!
I hope you don't mind.
I've Fallen and can't help what I feel.

(Verse II)
On a night like this it was more than likely,
this would come to be.
Where else could a couple of people so rightly,
make love completely?
I want to stay 'til the sunrise.
I want to spend the night with you.
We may never have this chance again.
I want you to know,

I've Fallen!
It's a done deal!
I've Fallen.
I know this is real!
I've Fallen!
I hope you don't mind.
I've Fallen and can't help what I feel.

(Bridge)
Love is a mystery!
I didn't have this planned!
Love has done this to me!
I want to do it again!

I've Fallen!
It's a done deal!
I've Fallen.
I know this is real!
I've Fallen!
I hope you don't mind.
I've Fallen and can't help what I feel.

Last edited by Gary E. Andrews; 10/17/22 02:22 PM.

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https://www.facebook.com/boneyfiddleproject/ Ah well; the link is full of stuff. I may still be there, somewhere way down the scroll.

Three acts dropped out at the last minute for a variety of reasons, a more important opportunity in Los Angeles, health, and probably a woman.
So anyway, they asked me if I could play a few tunes. I'm the guy in the green shirt and white hat, playing acoustic guitar.
Someone captured this, flaws and all, so bear with me. Here are some Songs I wrote and tried to play on someone else's guitar, with someone else's pick, and with microphones and amplification, foreign territory for me, an acoustic Song-Writer who does most of his playing these days lying flat on my back in bed. LOL
Perfection is overrated.

Last edited by Gary E. Andrews; 10/17/22 04:23 AM.

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Disclaimer: Any resemblance to persons in situations, living or dead, is simply coincidental because fictions are based on possible realities.
Poetic license enables me to title this even though the phrase is only used once in the Song.
"I Never Knew That"
Copyright August 1, 2021 by Gary E. Andrews.
G 32OOO3
C/G 332O1O
D XXO232
(Verse I)
I knew you, were sweet on him.
I caught you kissin', his brother Jim.
(Chorus Refrain)
I know now, what I never knew then.

(Verse II)
I knew who, was kissin' who.
I knew then, but I couldn't tell you.
I know now, what I never knew then.

(Bridge)
Who's gettin' skinny? Who's gettin' fat?
I knew this, but I Never Knew That.
I know now, what I never knew then.

(Verse III)
Jim got drafted. He never came home.
Joe never married. He lived alone.
I know now, what I never knew then.

(Verse IV)
In a working lifetime, I wore many hats.
I still live here, in the old Brick Flats.
I know now, what I never knew then.

Who's got skinny? Who got fat?
I knew this, but I Never Knew That.
I know now, what I never knew then.

(Second Bridge)
I told you secrets! Keep 'em under your hat!
You knew this! You never knew that!
You know now, what you never knew then.
(Coda)
You know now, what you never knew then.

Last edited by Gary E. Andrews; 08/03/21 07:54 PM.

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Short Lines, sustained notes. A strange, esoteric Melody.
I write whatever kind of Song comes to me, if I feel the bits I begin with have merit.
I often see long Lines of Lyric, and the singer sustaining long Notes at the end. The sustain often obscures the word meaning, enunciating it in an unnatural way, obscuring that all-important Rhyme-Word meaning.
I'm having to study this one to learn the Prosody. Just what beat in the bar do I begin on to land on the right beats following it? How long should I sustain Notes, and which ones; Notes in the middle of the Line? At the end? I think this is what keeps Song-Writing an unparalleled entertainment for me.

F X33211
Am XO221O
G 32OOO3

"When You Come Between (Me And The Moon)"
Copyright September 4, 2021 by Gary E. Andrews.
All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

(Verse I)
When You Come Between,
Me And The Moon,
your sil-hou-ette,
darkens the room.
I never felt this way!
I don't know what to say!
I've never been in love before.

(Verse II)
When you whis-per near,
I hear the tune,
play in my ear.
I smell your perfume!
How have we come this far?
I don't know where we are!
I've never been in love before.

(Bridge)
How has our his-to-ry,
become a mys-te-ry?
You never did this to me before.

(Verse III)
When You Come Between,
Me And The Moon,
your sil-hou-ette,
darkens the room.
Have I become bewitched?
Have poison cups been switched?
I've never been in love before.

How has our his-to-ry,
become a mys-te-ry?
You never did this to me before.

(Coda)
When You Come Between,
Me And The Moon,

As the Song-Writer YOU are the first listener. The first bits should 'hook' your interest. The 'Hook Factor' in the Introductory Movement serves that function, getting your attention at least long enough to get to the first Musical Movement of a Verse. Or it may get you to a Chorus. Some Songs open with a Chorus, to good effect.
In this one the Lyric hooked me, the first listener. In Verse I Line 1 I create a 'you' Character. I don't know who she is yet. She may be a Love-Interest Character. The Singer-Character, the 'me' Character, is in that first Line too.
"When you come between, me and the moon, your silhouette, darkens the room."
I've created two Characters, and set them in a 'reality' where there is a Moon for her to be silhouetted by, in the doorway of a room. The doorway isn't specified, just implied. She could be silhouetted by a window. The listener's imagination will perhaps decide.
The Singer-Character then expresses a bit of bewilderment at what he's experiencing.
"I never felt this way. I don't know what to say. I've never been in love before."
The Melody ends on a mysterious Note, not a downward resolving Note, but a lingering, higher pitch, as if this 'being in love' is perhaps a bit scary for him.
Simply playing on those patterns of Melody, Repeating Verse I Melody for Verse II, with more non-specificity in the Lyric, I went on to compose the rest of the Song. The Bridge was originally the second component of Verse II, but I found other Lines and moved things around in a quick edit during the writing. I've only re-written Verse II;
(Verse II)
When you whis-per near,
I hear the tune,
play in my ear.
to read,
(Verse II)
When you whis-per near,
I hear the tune.
It plays in my ear.
Playing it today, the next day after having written it fairly quickly, I'm a little forgetful of the Melody, the chord progression to accommodate it. I'm entertained enough to keep it, perhaps to study it more.

Last edited by Gary E. Andrews; 10/17/22 02:23 PM.

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Welcome back everyone!


Brian Austin Whitney
Founder
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jpfolkspro@gmail.com
Skype: Brian Austin Whitney
Facebook: www.facebook.com/justplainfolks

"Don't sit around and wait for success to come to you... it doesn't know the way." -Brian Austin Whitney

"It's easier to be the bigger man when you actually are..." -Brian Austin Whitney

"Sometimes all you have to do to inspire humans to greatness is to give them a reason and opportunity to do something great." -Brian Austin Whitney
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Thank you Brian! So glad to 'see' you again!


There will always be another song to be written. Someone will write it. Why not you? www.garyeandrews.com
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"Six A.M. In Nashville". Copyright July 19, 2022 by Gary E. Andrews.

(Verse I)
(Chorus Refrain; opening Line.)
"It's six a.m. in Nashville!
We haven't been to bed.
The darkness is all fading.
The morning's turning red.
I hope I haven't kept you up!
For some reason I feel fine.
I just can't quit loving you.
I love you all the time.

(Verse II)
It's six a.m. in Nashville.
I just crawled into bed.
I went home at two-thirty.
She called me up and said,
"I hope I didn't wake you up.
It's just that I can't sleep.
I just can't quit loving you.
Do you still love me?"

(Bridge)
Well I do and I don't!
It's too early for me to tell.
I do and I don't.
I'm at the wishing well!
I'm tossing in my flipping coin!
In a moment now you'll know.
It's six a.m. in Nashville.
I'm back on the road!

(Verse III)
It's six a.m. in Nashville.
I'm knocking on your door.
The daylight on your face is
everything I'm looking for.
Come on! Let's go and get some sleep!
We can talk if you're inclined.
I just can't quit loving you!
I love you all the time!

(Bridge/Coda, fading)
Well I do and I don't!
It's too early for me to tell.
I do and I don't.
I'm at the wishing well!
I'm tossing in my flipping coin!
In a moment now you'll know.
It's six a.m. in Nashville.
I'm back on the road!

Last edited by Gary E. Andrews; 07/20/22 07:24 AM.

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"Of Love" Copyright August 11, 2022 by Gary E. Andrews

Verse I
You come in with the wind! You close the door behind you!
You're trying to find a place, where the world won't find you!
You want to forget! I want to remind you, Of Love!

Verse II
The snow begins to fall! It keeps falling all winter!
You've been looking for the exit, every since you entered!
You try to step aside! I make you the center, Of Love!

Bridge
You've come unwound. You're trying to rewind it!
Your Mother taught you, 'Love is where you find it!'
It used to bother you! Now you don't mind it, at all!

Instrumental Bridge

Verse III
You come out in the sun, unafraid of burning!
Suddenly it's fun, to feel the world is turning!
You don't know it all! You like what you're learning, Of Love!

You've come unwound. You're trying to rewind it!
Your Mother taught you, 'Love is where you find it!'
It used to bother you! Now you don't mind it, at all!

You've come unwound. You're trying to rewind it!
Your Mother taught you, 'Love is where you find it!'
It used to bother you! Now you don't mind it, at all!

Last edited by Gary E. Andrews; 08/19/22 02:26 AM.

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What an easy rhythm... I hear Bing Crosby singing this in my head smile

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