When I was in grade two, I was in a Christmas concert. Just before the concert, I was practicing on stage, with my parents and brother in the audience waiting behind the curtains. My teacher came to me and said, “Mouth the words, Pamela.”
I don't sing.
I love listening to singers where I can hear the words, and the words can touch places through sound that words alone can't do.
Meeting Songwriting Duo Jill and Kate
Jill Pickering and Kate Rapier were singing “Behind These Hazel Eyes” at a Chinese restaurant in Los Angeles when Kelly Clarkson walked in. They ended up singing as backup singers for her for six years until they stepped out from the back of the stage to the front of the stage, singing their own songs.
Together they became Jill and Kate, a songwriting and harmonizing duo from Nashville, Tennessee. A few weeks ago, they sang at the Tribe Conference in Franklin, Tennessee. I met them when they were setting up their table to sell their music before the event.
The lyrics Jill and Kate write talk about pain, healing, joy, and sorrow. They sing with voices my grade two teacher would have liked.
I love their sound and their original lyrics.
I was so curious to know how they wrote their songs—how they do what they do, how they create their music.
Singers are writers. Writers who sing their words.
I want to introduce Jill and Kate to you and to share their writing process. It might be helpful to you if you write songs or would like to write songs.
Jill and Kate Talk Songwriting
Jill and Kate are getting ready to leave on tour in a few days. They were gracious and agreed to answer questions in the midst of packing up their guitars and getting ready to go on the road.
On Getting Started With Songwriting
How did you meet?
We met at a tiny music school on Martha's Vineyard. We were each going to college (Jill was attending Gordon College in Massachusetts and Kate was attending Biola University in California) and decided to go to a study “abroad” semester to learn more about the music industry. We say “abroad” because Martha's Vineyard is not technically abroad, but we like the way it sounds and you have to take a ferry to get there! Haha.
So anyway, we were roommates at this music school and became fast friends. We decided to work together just a few weeks into the semester.
When did you start writing songs? (When you were little did you want to grow up and be a singer and songwriter?)
Jill has been writing songs since she was 11 years old and learned to play guitar. Kate started writing when she was 19 or 20.
We have both been singing since we could talk and both dreamed of doing music someday, but didn't necessarily know how that would look.
On How to Write a Song
Will you please explain how you approach writing a song? Does the music come first or the words?
We've been writing songs together for 13 years and very few have been written exactly the same way.
Most of the time the words will come first. One of us will have a line or a title idea and we will bring it to the other one. Jill will grab the guitar and start playing until we find a melody or chord progression that works with the lyric.
But sometimes we will have a musical idea and try to write lyrics to that. It all just depends on the day. There are so many ways to write a song . . . which is partly what keeps it interesting.
On Song Structure
In a story, there is a beginning, a middle and an end. Your songs sound like stories, with conflict and resolution. How do you structure your songs? I found this structure on the internet: verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, chorus, ending.
That is the most common structure for the songs we write. It's sort of the natural flow of a “pop” song.
We like to always bring some sort of resolution if we can. We believe there is hope in everything . . . that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel, even in the darkest of places. So, resolution is definitely something we try to tie in to our songs.
Every once in a while it's fun to break the typical mold and write a different structured song too. We have a song called “From Somewhere In The Bottle” that is basically just 3 different verse sections and no chorus.
On Their Songwriting Process
Will you please pick one of your songs from Heart of Stone and tell us how you wrote it? What were you thinking?
One of our most popular songs on Heart Of Stone is “My Love.”
When we wrote it, we were both going through some hard times. Being a duo, we can generally balance each other out pretty well . . . if one of us is down, the other is up. But at this particular time, we were both feeling pretty down . . . both of us fighting a bit of depression.
We wrote this song from the perspective of what we thought God would say to us during this time. It was a way to get out of our own heads . . . silence the voices inside that were just destroying us, and trying to listen from another perspective.
Whatever that unconditional love is in everyone's life that propels them forward . . . that is the voice that is speaking in this song. Kate had the idea of the first line: “I won't ever change my mind, I won't ever change my mind about you” and from there the song came quickly.
My Love
I won’t ever change my mind
I won’t ever change my mind about you
I’ve been crazy bout you yeah
I’ve been crazy bout you since I found youSo you can fall right to pieces on the floor tonight
You can break down if you need to cry
But I won’t ever change my mind
I won’t ever change my mind about youSo come on take a walk with me
Take my hand
You can scream into the darkness and tell me your plans
You can cry all night til you understand my loveCause I’ll be here in the morning when the sun is bright
And when you see it there shining
You will come to find
That it’s always gonna be here til the end of time
My loveI am never gonna leave
I am never gonna leave you stranded
Life is never gonna go
It will never go like you planned itSo you can wear yourself down trying to figure me out
You can love me later if you hate me now
But I am never gonna leave
I am never gonna leave you stranded
Advice for Songwriters
What advice can you give to someone who wants to write songs? Or what do you wish you had known when you first started out?
The best advice that we ever got when we were starting out with songwriting was to not be afraid to write a lot of really crappy songs before you get a good one.
We probably write 20 or 30 songs and get one good one out of the group. It's just the reality of writing.
You have to do a lot of it to get to something good.
So, don't be afraid. Write, write, write. When you get a good song, awesome.
Don't be surprised if you write a bunch of crappy ones after that. It's all a part of honing your craft . . . and don't be too hard on yourself.
On Next Steps
What is next?
We are busy writing new music right now and working with some different writers in Nashville which has been really fun!
We have shows this fall in Chicago, New York, Wisconsin, and Philadelphia which we are excited about. We'll also be in Los Angeles writing this fall.
Another thing we are really excited about is a trip to South Africa and Zimbabwe to visit the kids at Houses Of Hope Africa (Kate's dad's non-profit which cares for orphans in southern Africa). There's a lot going on right now and we are excited about all of it!
Humanizing Stars
When someone is singing on a stage, singing the songs they wrote, and making original music, sometimes I forget they are real people, real people with hearts and dreams.
Jill and Kate are real people, real people who write and then sing their words. Singing in harmony, their voices blending together like butter and oil when you grill a chicken.
You can follow Jill and Kate on their blog or check out their latest tour. Their next tour starts September 28 at the Schubas Tavern in Chicago, Illinois. I have tickets to see them when they are near me.
Have you ever tried to write a song? Please let me know in the comments.
PRACTICE
Write a song using the structure verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, chorus, ending.
Write as long as you need to. Usually, we suggest you write for fifteen minutes, but please don't limit yourself with this exercise.
Take your time to hum a tune and write down your lyrics. As Jill and Kate said, there are many different ways to approach writing a song.
Please post your song in the comments section, and please read someone else's comments as you write your own. I love this community and how kind everyone is.
xo
Pamela
I have always wanted to write songs, never really had until I went to college. I woke up humming a tune and immediately had to write it down. It was actually a poem I wanted to put to music which I had none ( music) so I just sung it in my dorm room as I heard it in my dream. When I went thru the things in my school file later it went in the waste basket accidentally. ( like the other poems I wrote when I was a young whipper snapper in high school)
May try and write another one they are fun to do,
Hello Debra,
So nice to hear from you. I wonder what songs you would write now? Have you been humming any tunes lately?
Sorry you accidently threw away your song. Maybe you could write it again from memory?
xo
Pamela
I have tried, this was once in a lifetime type thing and I cant go to a hypnotist. It started out “I walk along the Jordon river “…. and after that its blank. It was one of those poems or tunes you wake up from a sound sleep find a piece of paper and pen and write before it fades from memory.
This is absolutely beautiful, and that song’s lyrics are so incredibly powerful. I loved this, partly because I am also a songwriter. I’ve been writing since I was eleven, and have over a hundred written to date. I can’t play an instrument (confession!), but God speaks to me through lyrics. I hope to someday partner with an artist (if it’s His will).
Since today’s practice is a song, I’m sharing a song that I wrote awhile back, and actually the only one I had recorded. (and it took me about 15 minutes to write, so I think it counts!)
Love your story, Jill & Kate. You’re definitely following God’s call, and you’re an inspiration! 🙂
Million Scars
Verse1
I’m standing in this empty air,
Wondering if You’re still there,
Or if You can even bear,
To look my way,
I know if sins were piled high,
That mine would surely touch the sky,
And I wouldn’t be surprised,
If You turned away,
But that’s when I hear You say,
Chorus
That not even a million scars,
Can keep You from a broken heart,
And not even a million stars,
Can shine brighter than You are,
And not even a million miles,
Can stand between You and Your child,
Nothing in Heaven or Earth can separate,
And nothing will ever keep Your love away,
Not even a million scars.
Verse 2
I see the faces in my mind,
Of all those I’ve just passed by,
I see the pain that’s in their eyes,
From scars that look just like mine,
So now I pray You’ll hold them close,
And that I can make Your presence known,
For anyone who is alone is never too far,
(Repeat chorus)
Verse 3
A million scars, A million souls,
You’ll never leave them on their own,
A million scars, A million souls,
The greatest story ever told,
And every sin that’s piled high,
Every scar on everyone,
Every single scar was covered up by one.
(Repeat chorus)
Hi Reagan Colbert,
Thank you for sharing your lyrics, they show a strong image of healing. If you were going to learn how to play an instrument what would you want to learn?
You said you can’t play an instrument, would you like to learn?
All my best,
xo
Pamela
Hi Pamela,
Thank you 🙂 I’m glad you enjoyed the lyrics! I have a guitar and can attempt to play it very badly. I am hoping to someday master it. 🙂
Hi Reagan,
Cool, you have a guitar. How fun that you attempt to play. Now this is where I encourage you to play more, and master it. Have you read, “The War of Art,” by Steven Pressfield? He talks about resistance, what keeps us from following our dreams.
I believe in you. If you want to play guitar better, you can. Someday can be today.
Thank you for trusting me/us with your dreams.
xo
Pamela
Hi Pamela,
I have never read that, but it sounds interesting! My songs have kind of been put on the back burner as I have pursued fiction writing. (I’ve published a couple books). It’s been awhile, but I just might pick it up again. I do believe we can do anything we set our minds to. I saw that proven when I set out to write a book.
Thank you so much for the encouragement! 🙂
Well done, Reagan. Beautiful thought put together in your lyric.
Thanks for sharing.
Thank you, Lilian!
This is the kind of Christian song I like, one that speaks of forgiveness and the boundless grace and mercy of God. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you, Bruce. It comes directly from my own experience with His indescribable forgiveness. 🙂
What a terrific blog, Pamela! And what a great challenge for any writer. This was a wonderful treat and I’m looking to see if a poem would work. Thanks!
Hi Ruth,
Thank you for your kind encouragement.
Hope you are having a great day. It is raining in Pennsylvania today, but the sun is shining in my heart.
xo
Pamela
Spontaneously, while in conversation, I do remember being told that I would break out into freestyle rap lyrics. Never did write them down, or otherwise record them.
When I talk, I do talk a lot; and sometimes it manifests itself in the weirdest ways.
Not for nothing, but my mother had told me she would not support my wanting to study music (idly I’d thought I would go to college, expressly to study the composition of new age music); so I never had (even though I had played at least one musical instrument when I’d been a child).
Similar had been true for my sister, as well. She continued with creating all sorts of artwork and poetry, etc. in the occasional hours she was not working or caretaking.
After having lived several years, I can tell you this…follow your passion. Life’s too short to be miserable. So work on those songs, go to school and learn music if it’s what beats in your heart. Again, follow your passion! I spent too many wasted years trying to be “sensible” and failed miserably. A few years ago, I started freelance writing and have never regretted it. It might be slow in coming, but it’s building. Your true happiness will only come when you are doing what you felt you were meant to do.
My 12 minute answer
In rap — (accompanying beats/music TBD):
No, I don’t need a life coach
Spend hours just trying to kill a roach
No, I was not born in the ‘hood
And didn’t have a mother come after me with a hot iron
And not make any trouble …
Yes, I was raised only to be good
One day you wake up and you’re old
And realize you’ve lived your life entirely on one Coast
You’ve not been around too much
Caught in your own clear bubble
Hyper-educated, super-granulated, sweet from the inside out
Not to be mistaken
For the sizzling bacon
Slow roasting for years … deeply tender
No, we don’t need our bling
And not the country house
No log cabin the woods
I’ve got right now a mouse
Into a fantasy
Of life, of love, of business
And of peeps pursuing glee
(And finally
Much overdue
I’ll be takin’ care of me)
Oh wow,
Thank you for writing a song. Love the beat. Wild, strong images. Love, love, love.
xo
Pamela
Hi Tina,
I agree with Melissa C, who encouraged you to follow your heart and your passion.
My cat always wanted to be a writer, but his mother wanted him to have a more stable job as a professional mouse hunter. After a new death experience, he realized he needed to follow his dream and he quit his mouse hunting business and started to write. He wrote for The Write Practice, before his untimely death from a respiratory illness last year.
https://thewritepractice.com/author/pooh/
Thank you for sharing how you use to break out in song. I wish you all my best Tina.
xo
Pamela
Yay, a songwriting post! I’ve written lyrics for years, and occasionally I collaborate with my friend who plays guitar to turn them into songs. This one is a favorite of mine. Reviews are always appreciated!
Well I’m not saying I’m in love
I’m just saying she’s the only one I’m thinking of
I’m not saying that I want her to be mine
I’m just saying that I wish that she would stay the night
All the colors of her voice
They make me think of music
And I wish that I could sing to her
But I’m not sure how to do it
I don’t think I could say the words
Don’t think I’d say them right
But if I really had to
I guess here’s how I’d try
Sometimes I want to kiss you
But I want to hold you more
I really want to sleep with you
And just sleep
How ‘bout we get married
And then you’ll never be lonely
I’d do my best to give you anything you need
Cause when you’re with me
Is the only time I know
Peace
Well I’m not saying that I’m shy
I’m just saying when I’m with her my mind’s finally quiet
I’m not saying that I don’t have my friends
I’m just saying that with her I don’t have to pretend
All the colors in her eyes
Make me think of open fields
I wish that we could run away
And build a home from marigolds
I don’t think I should tell her that
Don’t think I’d say it right
But if I really had to
I guess here’s how I’d try
Sometimes I want to kiss you
But I want to hold you more
I really want to sleep with you
And just sleep
How ‘bout we get married
And then you’ll never be lonely
I’d do my best to get you anything you need
Cause when you’re with me
Is the only time I know
Peace
Well I’m not saying that this makes sense
I’m just saying when she’s next to me
Is the only time I rest
Well I don’t need to kiss you
I just want to hold you close
Wanna spend my whole life singing
You to sleep
How ‘bout we get married
And spend our lives in bed
Cause you’re already
Like something from a dream
And when you’re with me
Is the only time I know
Peace
Oh my goodness this is so cute!! It’s very well written and innocent, which is something I feel is severely lacking in a lot of today’s music. Has this one been turned into a song, and if so, where can we listen to it?
It hasn’t, unfortunately, but thank you for the vote of confidence!
I love your lyric; it’s simple and direct.
Thanks for sharing.
Hi EndlessExposition,
Your song is very tender and vulnerable. The repetition of how you describe her is very visual – colors of her voice – colors of her eyes-
It sort of sounds like a ballad. I hear it as country and western. What type of sound do you get when you hear your lyrics?
This is a strong repeating line too – Cause when you’re with me
Is the only time I know
Peace
Like the listener needs to hear the main theme several times to really remember what your main point is.
Thank you for sharing your writing.
xo
Pamela
I’m glad you liked it! While I do dabble in country music, I’ve always thought of this song as indie acoustic – definitely a ballad though.
Hey Endless Exposition.
Well, that shows my prairie upbringing and my lack of variety in the music I know. I “only” know country and western. Johnny Cash is my favorite.
Have a great day!
xo
Pamela
Do you know the Australian TV show Jack Irish? The theme song is a really cool take on God’s Gonna Cut You Down. Have a great day yourself!
I’m actually working on several songs for a friend, but since I’m a such a beginner at songwriting, it is always good to read about other people’s experiences. My problem is that I tend to use words that are too “literary” for most songs. But I’m working on that. 🙂
Too literary? Nonsense. I think perhaps you mean the words you choose are too literary for pop songs.
Yes, I agree. The person I write for said the words were hard to sing. So, I’m learning to use simpler words for lyrics.
… longing for the return the days of Alanis Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill too … (sigh) … I’d been young enough then …
But besides: thoughtful, layered, meaning-rich lyrics had been much more appreciated …
Helped greatly she had her pick of music producers to make her heartfelt and groundbreaking lyrics shine …
I feel the same way. Not just Alanis’ music, but several others from Norah Jones and more…the lyrics were just better then. I may or may not ever become a lyricist. I know I can make money writing novels and articles as I’ve already begun to make some money doing that. I just struck out this way for a friend, but I don’t like to “dumb it down” for current pop songs.
Miss the dying days of melodic rap …
And, like I wrote before, new age music had been a youthful fantasy of mine … so… not like an ACTUAL rap fan.
But retaining a sense of rhythm, nonetheless ..
I can visualize scenes in my WIP of those last days’ music providing the soundtrack to … whatever happens
Artists, writers, musicians, poets, creative minds – we have so much to learn from one another. Thanks for this very interesting interview.
Hey Jonathan,
Nice to hear from you. You are very welcome.
xo
Pamela
I’m a writer, not a singer. But I’m writing a science fiction tale where the protagonist, Selena M, is a singer/songwriter. (She teams up with an alien who’s also a singer.) I started putting snippets of her lyrics in the story, then whole song lyrics. I have lyrics for over a dozen songs of hers.
If I have lyrics, I need music. So I found a composer who wrote music, produced it, and found a vocalist–a blues singer who became the voice of Selena.
Now I have 5 songs. I, who can’t carry a tune. I sat in the studio while these three music professionals were turning my scratched lyrics into real music. What a rush! I love doing this.
I want to do more. I have a dozen more songs written.
Now, what do I do with songs written for a sci fi story?
Where do these lyrics come from? I get inspired by something said in the story, and I blurt them out in one rush–often late at night. Rough at first, then it takes a while to smooth out the rhymes and cadence.
Sometimes the song comes first, then I write a scene in the story to incorporate the song.
I see others are putting lyrics in here, so I’m adding one of my songs. Since this ties into the story, there are a couple of lines that need context.
Let Me Lead You Astray
We all want to fly to the stars
not just stay here sittin’ on our arse
There’s a blue green world
near a small yellow star
not too far away. Can we get that far?
You serious scientists, let me lead you astray
Get up! Get out there! Fly into the void.
Or should we just sit here whiling away
waiting to get whacked by some asteroid?
There are worlds out there with weird alien races
Will we find connection in their eyes, in their faces?
Starships, you tell us, just can’t be done
If you heed the news, you heard I had one!
I’m the ditzy chick
with the star-jumping ship
They told you it was gone
Fell into the Atlantic pond
But what if they got it wrong?
What if they got it wrong? I say
Would you go, would you go
to where your glass can barely see?
Then turn around and wave
to your stay-at-home company?
Send a postcard back from Kepler 8
to loved ones back at home
“The weather here, it ain’t so great
I can’t wait to get home.”
I can’t wait to get home, you say
But you can’t come back, till you’ve gone away
You’ll see how much you really miss
our sweet Earth back at home
So let’s soon be on our way.
Hey Mike Van Horn,
How exciting to create a song and then hear it being made into music. Are you going to have these available to listen to when your book comes out? What a great idea to make your character come alive.
You could have an audio file of the songs for downloads as a free incentive when people buy the book, or make a complete album for purchase on the same page as your book.
Please keep us informed how your book is coming along. Love the teaming up with an alien.
xo
Pamela
Pamela, thanks for the encouragement and suggestions.
I just uploaded the first song to Soundcloud. Here’s a link if you’d like to listen
https://soundcloud.com/mike-van-horn/rocket-girl
I’ll upload four more as soon as I’m sure this works properly.
Feedback is welcome. (And also comments or likes on Soundcloud).
The story is coming along. One book has expanded into two:
“Aliens Crashed in My Back Yard” and
“My Spaceship Calls Out to Me.”
#1 is done (except for tweaks forced by the second one) and #2 is over half done.
Hello Pam.
I love writing lyrics, and this is one I wrote a few years back.
After studying the market, my coach discarded some of my lyrics, saying they were ‘poems’ and not song lyrics. I had to create something simply and easy to remember. I even dared to compose the music.
You Wonderful You.
Verse 1
The yellow moon winked her eye
When she saw that you and I
Were falling in love,
All the stars gathered round
They came shooting to the ground
As we fell in love.
I caught a falling star
And wished that I could be
Locked in your embrace
until eternity, Until eternity.
It’s a glorious feeling,
This feeling of being in-love.
I’m in-love with you,
You wonderful, marvellous you.
Chorus
Let the world stand still
Just until……..forever,
Let us stay this way
Not for just a day,
But forever and ever and ever,
So close to you.
You, wonderful, marvellous, you.
Verse 2
The yellow moon hid her face
While we tenderly embraced
As we fell in love.
And the stars in the skies
Shone like diamonds in your eyes
As we fell in-love.
I’m drifting up in space,
Wishing I could be
Locked in your embrace
until eternity, Until eternity.
It’s a glorious feeling
This feeling of being in-love.
Make my wish come true,
You wonderful, marvellous you.
(Repeat chorus)
Let the world stand still.
To…You, wonderful,
marvellous you.
Wow! What a great song. I even heard a tune in my head as I read it. Of course, I have no idea if the tune I heard is anything like the one you composed, but it does show how lyrical your piece is.
Thank you, Bruce.
I look forward to and appreciate your comments because I admire your posts, though I don’t comment.
My tune is a jolly, melodic one. Pity I don’t know how to share it.
I’m indescribably flattered to learn you admire my posts! I’ll think of you as a fan from now on.
The tune I heard was a simple country melody. It more or less became the tune for my song for this practice.
Wow, that is so beautiful! I absolutely love it, how it illustrates a true, lasting love. Lovely lyrics!
Many thanks, Reagan.
Hi Lillian,
Love the winking moon, and the stars gathering round. I can hear a tune too, like Bruce did. A sweet song about love. Thank you for sharing.
Repeating the moon reference is nice too, keeps the theme as a story. Like when the moon hid her face.
xo
Pamela
Song For October
Lyrics by Bruce Carroll
Music yet to be written, but should be a gentle country tune with acoustic guitar
The sun shines down upon my face
And life moves at a slower pace
In the summer, in the summer
Though the sounds of summer laughter I hear
I long for a different time of year
In the summer, in the summer
The leaves turning colors so prettily
As I sit on the porch drinking pumpkin spice tea
Wearing a cozy sweater knit by mother
The smell of a campfire from the neighbor’s yard
Though life isn’t easy it doesn’t have to be hard
October is a time like no other
We remember fallen soldiers as children return to school
And the weather is no longer so hot, though not exactly cool
In September, in September
And though it’s been a fruitful year
My favorite time is drawing near
In September, in September
The leaves turning colors so prettily
As I sit on the porch drinking pumpkin spice tea
Wearing a cozy sweater knit by mother
The smell of a campfire from the neighbor’s yard
Though life isn’t easy it doesn’t have to be hard
October is a time like no other
After the harvest some like to rest
But after the harvest, what I like best is…
Zombies rising in the dead of night
The quiet broken by screams of fright
Thinking of Norman Bates and his mother
The blood of the neighbors on the picket fence
The glowing eyes of vampires looking so intense
October is a time like no other
October is a time like no other
Sometimes I think of you…. Sometimes I think of you….
Your lyric, or ‘poem’ is created with beautiful language which allows me to visualise the scenes as I read the verses. Bravo!
Thanks for sharing, Bruce.
Thank you, Lillian. I think that’s the first time someone has ever described my writing as beautiful.
Hi Bruce,
Oh my, you totally had me at the ending. I love that it is sung as a gentle country tune with an acoustic guitar. The contrast with the lyrics and the tune is dramatic. I wonder what song Akiko would write? Would her song have more sensory imagery because she is blind? How is she, by the way?
Have any more strangers wearing Intensity cologne tried to take her photograph?
xo
Pamela
Pamela, you’re cracking me up with your questions about Akiko. I don’t think she’s ever tried writing a song.
Currently, she has found work at a vineyard on the California coast. Things are about to go bad for her yet again, though, as she is about to become a murder suspect.
A draft of my first chapter goes out to my newsletter subscribers (and only them) on Monday. If you aren’t on the mailing list, head over to authorbrucecarroll.com and subscribe.
I have many moments when, while listening to music, I get inspiration to write a new poem.
Only An Ocean Away by Sarah Brightman is one example. So , having the instrumental part in mind, here it is:
White Wolf
There was a time when I needed love
to take my hand and lift me above
to escape my feelings
to escape my feelings…
So I learned there’s another way
to find love for another day
even here in darkness
even here in darkness…
You come and you take me
to mountains of white
and give me a reason,
a star full of light
I don’t dare to ask why
I don’t dare to ask why…
I want to give all I have in me
I want to feel your arms holding me
our moment lasts forever
our moment lasts forever…
I want to be like the wind that blows,
then fly away and nobody knows
that I learned to let go
that I learned to let go…
You come and you take me
to mountains of white
and give me a reason,
a star full of light
I don’t dare to ask why
I don’t dare to ask why…
Hear the thunder and feel its rain
that drives away all that brought you pain
the white wolf is running
the white wolf is running…
You come and you take me
to mountains with sun
and give me a reason
to fly or to run
come and run beside me
come and run beside me…
Hear me crying when the moon is clear
all I want is to feel you near
be not afraid of me
be not afraid of me…
There was a time when I needed you
to tell me that everything is true
Our moment lasts forever
even here in darkness…
come and run beside me…
come and run beside me…
Hi Beatrix,
Your imagery is very strong. I love the image of the mountain and the thunder and rain. There is hope at the end with the mountains with sun.
Thank you for sharing your poem. I can hear the song in my head.
xo
Pamela
I am glad you like it 🙂
Here is a song in progress. All comments welcome!
His Song
(verse)
How can you still invade my dreams?
You flash upon my life
Like an unwanted memory
An unfinished painting gathering dust
Still waiting on the edge of my reality…
(Chorus)
Please let me go
Please let me mend
Tear your soul from mine
Please let this sadness end
(Verse)
If I let go of my tight control
I will lose this mask of sanity
I have tried so hard to hold.
Even with the passing years,
You are still the
Broken part of my soul.
(Chorus)
Please let me go
Please let me mend
Tear your soul from mine
Please let this torment end
(Bridge)
When will your tender touch
No longer caress my skin?
When will your soft voice
No longer echo within?
When will your words fade from my mind?
When will I put your love behind?
(Chorus/Ending)
Please let me go
Please let me mend
Take your bittersweet memories
And please, dear God, just let this love end!
Hello Melissa,
Thank you for sharing your song lyrics, the repetition is very powerful.
Please let me go
Please let me mend
Tear your soul from mine
Please let this sadness end
Then you repeat the refrain with a different ending-
Please let this torment end
And then the ending doesn’t follow the pattern, and you say,
“Take your bittersweet memories
And please, dear God, just let this love end!”
The ended seemed a bit jarring,
I wonder if repeating the first refrain would have kept the original tone of hopelessness. Sounding like you are trapped and can’t get out of the mental pain?
Please let me go
Please let me mend
Tear your soul from mine
Please let this sadness end
What do you think Melissa?
xo
Pamela
That’s an interesting observation, I hadn’t thought of that. I’m so new to this that I’m soaking up all suggestions and advice that I can. I will definitely think about that, because again, I tend to write poetry instead of lyrics, so need a lot of help in that area. Thank you! 🙂
I started writing by writing dark (and most likely terrible) poems in high school. At the time, I remember thinking they would have made good song lyrics. Kind of funny to think about it now, but it brings up something I never had never really thought about before: Songwriters ARE writers. Thanks for reminding us that in this post 🙂
Hey Jason Bougger,
Maybe your dark poems in high school were brilliant? Maybe they would have made great song lyrics. I wonder why writers often self-depreciate? What do you write now Jason?
Nice to hear from you.
xo
Pamela
Fiction and blogging stuff. I think the reason I say any attempts at poetry were “terrible” was because I did write poetry like song lyrics. In other words lots of rhyming. I still have them in a notebook somewhere. Maybe I’ll dig them out sometime and put ’em on my blog just for fun!
Hi TerriblyTerrific,
Shine brightly.
xo
Pamela
I write songs every once in awhile, and they all seem to have a whimsical, children’s song quality about them, even though that’s never been my conscious aim. This will, called “Opposable” seems to follow a pattern of verse, chorus, bridge, verse, chorus, bridge, verse, chorus.
I am an oddball, what can I do?
You have three joints; I’ve only got two.
You’re tall and thin, and I’m a stumpy thing.
I don’t wear ornaments, and you wear rings.
Just ‘cause I’m different doesn’t mean I’m dumb.
You are a finger and I am a thumb.
Opposable, opposable. Aren’t we lucky we’re opposable? (X2)
Sometimes I’m lonely going a different way.
You stick with your friends; I stick out like a sore thumb.
But we’re a good team; we pick up a lot.
I love what you are, I love what you’re not
Whoa…oh
If I was broken, you’d be broken, too.
‘Cause there’s so many things we couldn’t do.
Like putting on clothes and starting cars.
Not to mention opening pickle jars.
Opposable, opposable. Aren’t we lucky we’re opposable? (X2)
So raise your hands up high and treat them well!
Put those digits to work and make them tell the world
That we’re a family with so much to give.
Without each other it’d be hard to live. (And sad).
Whoa…oh.
So if we think that we’re on different sides,
We need to look down to where we abide.
We’re all connected to the place we stand.
And over there I see another hand!
Opposable, opposable. Aren’t we lucky we’re opposable? (X3)
Keep going, Sydney and put your song to music. I’m sure it’ll be a hit before long.
Title:- Walls and Bridges
One day, I woke up just to see
Oh no, A huge wall between us
Built upon our ego or some
So called rightfulness as we say.
There is no view, nor any sound
From the most beautiful thing
I’ve ever seen in my life and I
Feel guilty for all the things I’ve done.
I thought the wall would bring joy
And will take me to a far better place
Only to realize it won’t work that way
Leaving a big void within me.
All the memories of broken promises
Hitting me right in my head
And I see Camellia flowers on the wall
My longing desire yet to be fulfilled.
Can’t move ahead of the melodrama words
I can just say I miss you and will
For the rest of my life, Unless I
Break this wall and build a bridge over it.