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"Not Bad" by Dave Gill (c) 2024

I practiced a bit
tried out for the team
got distracted by pom-poms
you know what I mean
I guess when it comes down to
winning and stuff
I want to be good
just not bad enough

Arrived late to work again
killed the alarm
another "last warning"
won't do me no harm
My boss is afraid
but he tries to act tough
I want to be good
just not bad enough

Say what you will
there's no changing me now
drenched in this whiskey and laughter
I fall into trouble
so don't ask me how
I plan to get out of this after

Some people tell me
I better pray
but I won't listen
to things that they say
I tried to do it
but it was too tough
I want to be good
just not bad enough


Peace,

Dave

Ok.. I caved.... I tried the AI thing .... It's all Bill Draper's fault!!


https://www.udio.com/songs/vK5gzEjbeoqpSF462pufrf

I heard my name
My ears perked up
not bad, not bad !
but not bad enough.


Hi Dave!
Meahhahaha....caught another in my AI trap...lol.

This lyric of yours is not bad (no pun). It has grown on me with each read. I'll listen to the AI little later....

Bill

Thanks, Bill !! I actually fumbled through this one, as "simple" as the interface appeared to be.
Ultimately, I settled on this version, although it is a far cry from what I had concocted in my head to be quite honest.
Similar as you, the more I played it, the more it grew on me.

Thanks for the kind words and feedback.

Peace,

Dave

Hi Dave,
When I first read the lyric, I wasn't sure of the hook, what it meant, or if it worked, etc. I re-read a while latter, and began to understand better the use of the term "not bad". So fast forward to the addition of udio music....and I wondered...will music clarify the hook etc. It does. and so the song takes on some commercial weight in a sense.

The music is cut time? 2/4 ?...beat-beat, beat-beat, beat-beat, etc.
This is in part because you choose 32 sec, and udio had to fit all the words. What emerges is the fact that some of the lines are rushed. So that is what one is faced with in the use of AI to fit music.

I'm curious ...do you play an instrument or create music yourself for your lyrics? I think the full circle use of AI for music, in part, means cycling around and doing the music oneself, or getting other musicians to do it, utilizing AI music as prompt.

Bill

Hey Bill,

You may not remember me. I've been on and off this board for almost 2 decades and quite honestly, I'm a "fair-weather musician". A "musical drifter" of sorts. I've tried to teach myself piano and guitar but never fully committed to it, so leaned heavily on others here to help bring my words to musical life. :-) One of my songs actually won JPF's local WNY chapter contest when John K. was a regular here. "Where We've Been" was one of my greatest amateur achievements. Things kind of fell to the wayside after that.

I've collabed with a few of the seasoned vets here (Tampa Stan, Glynda, MFBIII) but I can't recall if I've had the pleasure of working with you, sir (forgive my failing recollector). I truly appreciate your input and feedback. I hope to stick around a bit longer than normal this time around and keep the creative juices flowing.

Take care out there!

Peace,

Dave

Your message prompted me to search the archive. I locked on the period between 2002 and 2005 where the lyric boards expanded from 1 to 3 of them, there was so much activity. I fed on the spirit of that at the time and managed to scribble 3 or 4 lyrics myself. It was fun to go back and look at this bit of locked in history.

The difficult part of the whole thing though is the music. Lyric writing is 0 cost, and easy to do. Music is big cost, and much learning required. But back in those days , it seemed the regulars got on to this social discourse, and connection, through dropping lyrics, sometimes one and two a day, just to connect and feed off one anothers ideas. Cool stuff.

Bill

Though I may not necessarily agree with your take on how easy lyric writing is, I wholeheartedly agree with you on how cool it was when people worked together "back then" to create something completely new and awesome. Let's stoke that fire once more and get the old creative juices flowing!! Whaddaya say??

LET'S GO!!!


Peace,

Dave

No, I agree. Writing a GOOD lyric isn't easy. But I meant it's easy entry for any and all to write something....good or bad. Arguments abound to what is good or bad. I'm a little better these days at the discernment, only took me 20 years...and still takes some puzzling.

I've read three or four of yours now, and can appreciate the "extra" you are able to achieve !

These thoughts bring into focus (for me) some of the problems and arguments surrounding the use of A.I. in creating the music side (the expensive side) of song creation.

Consider these two scenarios:


1. a poorly written lyric + AI music......after much prompting , the writer finds good music. The song is elevated, the lyric is still weak but now gets a bypass. the writer is not motivated to fix the lyric + never learns music....gets bored quits.

2. a well written lyric + AI music. the danger hear is the lyric will be lost forever in a sea 10,000,000 other AI songs.

So I figure, you have some good lyrics, are experimenting with music forms, and now are looking for a real music person for collab....right on!

Bill

"....and now are looking for a real music person for collab....right on!" YES!!!!!!!!!

THANK YOU!!

That would be AWESOME!! (but I'll keep pluggin away at learning and stuff, just in case)

WOO HOO!!!

Peace,

Dave