if i feel a song coming on

it's interesting how lyrics work. some people can craft a feeling or emotion out of some fucking words. some people just straight up tell a story. like, "boy named sue" or something.

jazmine has a good mix song: it's not quite a story, but starts "sitting here watching you fall apart in my arms / and i don't know what to say to make it better..." it goes on to detail some of the pain and sadness that her friend is going through. very nicely done. it's called "cry away yesterday," if you're wondering.

like josh's "bucket" - not quite a story, not quite pure abstract feelings.

i think my songs fall into the abstract a lot. it'd be good to write a story song.

i suppose haiku's aren't always self-contained. they conjure up a feeling: not necessarily a concrete example of anything.

max wrote a song that's a little like this, i'm not sure what the lyrics are exactly, but it's like, "we can climb a roof and ride a bike..." that sort of shit. it's not as ridiculous as some of the shit he's written. or he and charlie have written for that matter: "ooh baby, she's got critters!"

hell, i've done this too..."rub it raw" - for real? what a fuckin' joke.

even when i've got a song that's pretty serious, i can screw it up right in the middle "9 to 5 punks" is a damn fine example. it's all going good. real good. then, "raise a cup for the nine to five punks / we don't get healthcare but it's full time work / so if we die out then we die together / let's have some good times first..." okay, so it's a bit cheese and that might make the cut - except - EXCEPT - it's done over a bit of a break down. so the audience can clearly hear it: it's designed that way.

bullshit.

so, there are probably a million - but i think i've got it narrowed down to three types of songs - 1) the concrete story (first or third person it doesn't matter) designed to bring out emotion 2) the abstract, lines fitting but needing to be deciphered - you can sometimes hear these songs, understand the feeling right away, but not really know the nuances of it yet, or 3) fun crap. this can take care of stupid stephen lynch style joke songs (hate that guy. i hate tenacious d, too - if you're wondering) or bizarro shit about pirate ships

i think there are lots of examples of blurring these things. i just really like it when bands can do the first two well (and there are multiple examples of mixing the third with one of the first two and having it work, but the third cannot stand alone and be cool with me very often, the "critters" example from above is alright. i think it's saved by the self awareness of its chorus, "whaddya want from me?" almost like baiting you, "c'mon, you don't like these lyrics? what the fuck do you want from me?" so it works...it's a combo!)

the third can exist even with posturing, trent is usually really good at writing but there are a couple songs that i've even asked him about...what the fuck does "we're all near dead sheep wearing corroded crowns" mean? it sounds better than the songs max writes about pirate ships, but you know...

actually, trent is probably my favorite lyricist in town.

don't tell him though.

so, for lyricists there aren't all that many folks around here (that i'm readily familiar with) there's me, jazmine, josh, alex, watson, charlie, max, micah, joe, and eli? not sure about the last one. my guess is eli does write lyrics. i'm just not sure how those duties are split in the crooked gospel.

micah is really fucking good, too.

okay, so i've got a few favorites. jazmine's lyrics have really grown on me, despite the fact that i don't listen to ANYTHING remotely resembling her stuff.

i think i'm just into darker things. maybe that's why my favorite song of hers is either "cry away yesterday" or "settling" she's using her voice for affirmation. like reaching out from the darkness with song.

i can get behind that.

trent sometimes seems like he's promoting a style or posture more than writing a song, like he thinks, "what can i say here that will allow me to mention whiskey?" but that's kinda like what i do. maybe that's why i like his shit.

josh writes really well.

and - hey - joe andrus has "seeds and stems" or whatever he's calling it. fuckin' great words. if that song were played right before "settling" - that'd make a good little story.

fuck. i'm trying to think of this song micah has. it's like his latest tune, or something. i don't really know its story.

i called joe first, thought he'd know that song of micah's. then tried micah's house. then called charlie because he'd videotaped the simple infant men (an outfit that plays the song i'm talking about) and put it all on youtube or something - so, thought he'd know the song. finally got through to eli - and then micah - via eli's cell phone.

just got off the phone with him. the song is called "cajun cliffhanger" - he doesn't know what that title means. the lyrics are "the centrifuge is taking us all for a ride" - hmm...or something. i didn't write it down and our conversation went further and i maybe have forgotten.

he's gonna read this. he'll be the only one!

he asked me to mail this to him. yep, gave me his address and everything.

so, now this isn't as...hmm - without audience? his request - by my letting on that i was doing this - has shifted this from, "maybe someone will read this" to "yep, micah's gonna read this."

micah, i didn't go back and put the line, "micah kicks ass in here." i'd already written it.

i haven't changed anything but the tone here at the end. since, you know, now i've got an audience.

so, for micah, and for you - dear reader - let me say, this is just a bit of discussion on song lyrics that are local. i don't think i was very harsh. i don't know that i was very insightful either - that said - if you think i WAS a meany, i'm sure i didn't mean it. surely.

i just really like lyrics.