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I think Billy Joel deserves to be mentioned here too... Piano Man, Newy York State of Mind - great lyirics, great songs, great performances...
not jazz though but definitely blues rooted piano (I don't even mention 'atheist-you-know-who' relation)
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08-27-2015 10:24 AM
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Randy Newman - Louisianna 1927
What has happened down here, is the wind have changed?
Clouds roll in from the north and it started to rain
Rained real hard and rained for a real long time
Six feet of water in the streets of Evangeline
The river rose all day, the river rose all night
Some people got lost in the flood, some people got away alright
The river have busted through cleared down to Plaquemines
Six feet of water in the streets of Evangeline
Louisiana, Louisiana
They're tyrin' to wash us away
They're tryin' to wash us away
President Coolidge came down in a railroad train
With a little fat man with a note-pad in his hand
The president say, "Little fat man isn't it a shame
What the river has done to this poor crackers land"
Louisiana, Louisiana
They're tyrin' to wash us away
They're tryin' to wash us away
In this song he uses blues/gospel phrasing in a very natural way...
Rythmically bouncing lines with repertion of the first words
'The river rose all day, the river rose all night'
'Rained real hard // and rained for a real long time'
By the way, the firat line is symmetrical - and this type of lines we can find in European folk songs two (only rythm here is different)
But in the second line there's very special for blues and gospels prolongation of the second section - kind of 'tail' that makes narrative intonation even stronger.. and makes it assymetrical...
I think it's really typical for Afro - American melodic thinking... including jazz.. when it seems taht the line should be already over but the performer keeps 'talking'...
And he used the same phrasing in Sail Away
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Speaking of Randy Newman, here is his "Story of a Rock and Roll Band"----guy sure loves that ELO!
They were six fine English boys
Who knew each other in Birmingham
They bought a drum and guitar
Started a rock-roll band
And Johnny played little violin
And Bobby Joe played the big violin
The one that stands on the floor
They were all in the rock-roll band
Their first song sounded like this
Please get me a witness
Please get me a witness
Right off, they needed a name
Someone said, "How 'bout the Renegades ?"
Johnny said, "Well I don't know.
I prefer E.L.O."
I love their "Mr. Blue Skies"
Almost my favorite is "Turn to Stone"
And how 'bout "Telephone Line"?
I love that E.L.O.
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Anyone else a Lyle Lovett fan?
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Originally Posted by fep
" Honey, put down that flie swatter, and pour me some ice water"...
For those who don't know it, it's actually a very stark, ironic, almost sentimental, kind of melancholy tune.
His lyrics have a great sense of place and working class sensibility, without the usual chip on the shoulderthat comes with that, especially in country music. But he's not really "country" country.
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http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/lylel...ihadaboat.html
Lyle Lovett:
"If I Had A Boat"
If I had a boat
I'd go out on the ocean
And if I had a pony
I'd ride him on my boat
And we could all together
Go out on the ocean
Me upon my pony on my boat
If I were Roy Rogers
I'd sure enough be single
I couldn't bring myself to marrying old Dale
It'd just be me and trigger
We'd go riding through them movies
Then we'd buy a boat and on the sea we'd sail
The mystery masked man was smart
He got himself a Tonto
'Cause Tonto did the dirty work for free
But Tonto he was smarter
And one day said kemo sabe
Kiss my ass I bought a boat
I'm going out to sea
And if I were like lightning
I wouldn't need no sneakers
I'd come and go wherever I would please
And I'd scare 'em by the shade tree
And I'd scare 'em by the light pole
But I would not scare my pony on my boat out on the seaLast edited by matt.guitarteacher; 08-28-2015 at 02:51 PM.
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Originally Posted by destinytot
It was meant to be mildly amusing.
I failed.
Sorry.Last edited by Lazz; 09-04-2015 at 09:50 PM.
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Originally Posted by Lazz
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09-06-2015, 05:50 PM #209destinytot GuestOriginally Posted by Lazz
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09-06-2015, 05:54 PM #210destinytot Guest
Love David Byrne and Talking Heads...
'This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)'
Home is where I want to be
Pick me up and turn me around
I feel numb, burn with a weak heart
Guess I must be having fun
The less we say about it the better
Make it up as we go along
Feet on the ground, head in the sky
It's okay, I know nothing's wrong, nothing
I got plenty of time
You got light in your eyes
And you're standing here beside me
I love the passing of time
Never for money, always for love
Cover up and say goodnight, say goodnight
Home, is where I want to be
But I guess I'm already there
I come home, she lifted up her wings
I guess that this must be the place
I can't tell one from the other
I find you, or you find me?
There was a time before we were born
If someone asks, this is where I'll be, where I'll be
We drift in and out
Sing into my mouth
Out of all those kinds of people
You got a face with a view
I'm just an animal looking for a home
And share the same space for a minute or two
And you love me till my heart stops
Love me till I'm dead
Eyes that light up
Eyes look through you
Cover up the blank spots
Hit me on the head
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09-10-2015, 10:00 AM #211destinytot Guest
Johnny Mercer's lyrics to THE MIDNIGHT SUN - easier said than sung, but I'm determined to get there:
"Your lips were like a red and ruby chalice, warmer than the summer night
The clouds were like an alabaster palace, rising to a snowy height
Each star its own aurora borealis, suddenly you held me tight
I could see the midnight sun
I can't explain the silver rain that found me or was that a moonlit veil?
The music of the universe around me or was that a nightingale?
And then your arms miraculously found me, suddenly the sky turned pale
I could see the midnight sun
Was there such a night, it's a thrill I still don't quite believe
But after you were gone, there was still some stardust on my sleeve
The flame of it may dwindle to an ember and the stars forget to shine
And we may see the meadow in December, icy white and crystalline
But oh, my darling always I'll remember when your lips were close to mine
And we saw the midnight sun"
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11-28-2015, 12:19 PM #212destinytot Guest
Pop - but the phrasing is prosodic perfection:
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I enjoyed the Waterboys early on. (Might enjoy their later work too; can't say because I haven't heard it.) This was my favorite song of theirs
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11-28-2015, 12:46 PM #214destinytot GuestOriginally Posted by MarkRhodes
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One of my favorites by Willie Nelson
"I Never Cared for You"
The sun is filled with ice and gives no warmth at all
And the sky was never blue
The stars are raindrops searching for a place to fall
And I never cared for you
I know you won't believe these things I tell you
No, you won't believe
Your heart has been forewarned all men will lie to you
And your mind cannot conceive
Now all depends on what I say to you
And on your doubting me
So I've prepared these statements far from true
Pay heed and disbelieve
The sun is filled with ice and gives no warmth at all
The sky was never blue
Stars are raindrops searching for a place to fall
And I never cared for you
And the sun is filled with ice and gives no warmth at all
Sky was never blue
The stars are raindrops searching for a place to fall
And I never cared for you
I never cared for you
I never cared for you
Last edited by MaxTwang; 12-04-2015 at 03:25 AM.
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Here's a nice sentimental song by Emmylou Harris
"Not Enough"
Oh my darling, I miss you so.
How I loved you, you'll never know.
Though it's time for me to let you go.
Oh my darling, I'll miss you so.
Can't believe you're really gone for good.
I still hold on to places you once stood.
I should move on, but I never could,
Really believe you're gone for good.
Oh my friend, what could I do?
I just came home to bury you.
The road is long, the road is rough.
Your in my heart, that's not close enough.
All those years, disappear
All my tears, are not enough, not enough.
How can it be the ties that bind,
Cut down deep and are so unkind?
When we lose them we will never find,
Anything stronger than the ties that bind.
I still have your memory.
One or two pictures of you and me.
Life is long and life is tough,
But when you love someone,
Life is not long enough.
Emmylou H
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Joni Mitchell - Coyote. Her lyrics don't attempt to describe the emotion. Instead she tells a story and let you feel the emotion.
http://www.metrolyrics.com/coyote-ly...-mitchell.htmlLast edited by KirkP; 12-04-2015 at 12:46 PM.
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Not a great video but a great song----Chrissie Hynde singing about James Honeyman-Scott, the lead guitarist who died far too young...
"Back On The Chain Gang"
I found a picture of you, oh oh oh oh
What hijacked my world that night
To a place in the past
We've been cast out of? oh oh oh oh
Now we're back in the fight
We're back on the train
Oh, back on the chain gang
A circumstance beyond our control, oh oh oh oh
The phone, the tv and the news of the world
Got in the house like a pigeon from hell, oh oh oh oh
Threw sand in our eyes and descended like flies
Put us back on the train
Oh, back on the chain gang
The powers that be
That force us to live like we do
Bring me to my knees
When I see what they've done to you
But I'll die as I stand here today
Knowing that deep in my heart
They'll fall to ruin one day
For making us part
I found a picture of you, oh oh oh oh
Those were the happiest days of my life
Like a break in the battle was your part, oh oh oh oh
In the wretched life of a lonely heart
Now we're back on the train
Oh, back on the chain gang
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12-21-2015, 06:41 PM #219destinytot Guest
How to write 'em:
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02-14-2016, 06:48 PM #220destinytot Guest
I'm very pleased and excited because my wonderful collaborators have helped me do justice to the original lyrics by rendering them into English in a way that preserves the message while also being 'singable'.
Here are the original lyrics:https://www.letras.mus.br/ivan-lins/972717/
And here are versions and adaptations: Original versions of Lembrança written by Gilson Peranzzetta,Ivan Lins,Vitor Martins | SecondHandSongs
They're very nice, but the original message vanishes - and I think that's a shame.
I'm hopeful that I'll soon be able to post our recording (once proper licenses have been obtained - and also, hopefully, the approval of the composer).
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Originally Posted by MarkRhodes
about how they can be reinterpreted and morphed to capture a different vibe is what the most talented do IMHO. The kind of popular music that I hear today seems to fall into a couple of camps. One takes a very basic template that emphasizes a chorus that sounds rushed to create the "dance"vibe while failing to recognize that the whole song needs be a dance vibe. Another ignores any templated structure to create a monolith. I am amazed that this stuff captures people's spirits but evidently it does.
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something I have noticed in my life is that there are no child prodigies in literature
so you have to live life before you can say anything profound with the English language.
writing great lyrics is like catching lightning in a bottle. If there were a method or a checklist or anything like that, then anybody could do it.
but the fact is most people can't
in fact, the less you have in common with the average folks, I would say the less you have to say that would speak to them. Most average folks don't spend all their free time shedding melodic minor scales over dominant 7th chords through the circle of fifths.
So if you want to write lyrics, then I say get out there and live, love, get your heart broken, and then get out there and get some more. Put down your stupid phone and go talk to strangers. Talk to lots of strangers. Listen to their stories.
if you can't talk with a stranger and make a connection, then why would you think you could write lyrics that people would connect with?
But since putting down the phone and getting out there and living life probably isn't a very popular idea, I'll leave you boys to your own devices. Pun intended.
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Probably you're right if we speak about lyrics Nate... writing lyrics presumes some share of concious manipulation
But I do not think it is really like this if we peak about literature... real literature...
something I have noticed in my life is that there are no child prodigies in literature
Rimbaud is the the most outstanding example I believe...
But anyway if we speak about real art it definitely belings somewhere beyond or before experience.. I mean the greats are usually accomplished from teh very beginning...
But I do agree that just the nature of some arts requires commmon life expereince as material.. like writing prose.. you do not have to know many people but you habe ti know your life for sure ... otehrwise you wont have material for prose...
I think same for film directing or architecture
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Originally Posted by Jonah
and you're right. there have been some writers that were notorious loners. Frantz Kafka comes to mind.
But in general, you have to understand your audience. It helps to have shared some of the common experiences of the people you are wanting to reach. that's where getting out and talking to actual people helps.
I say talk to strangers because that's where you hear the most awesome stories.
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Originally Posted by Nate Miller
When we think of literary prodigies, they tend to be teenagers, while prodigies (as normally understood) are under age 10. Music is the most common field in which prodigies bloom. Interesting factoid, no?
Joe Yanuziello Electric
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