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An old song I found - does it need a rewrite?


stickboymusic

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I know Lee did something similar the other day but i was going through my old files and found this song from 2006 (a very early song for me)

 

I remember liking it at the time but i've written many many songs since then and hope I have improved.... wondering if some of the lyrics could do with a tweak...I have a feeling they could

 

Black and blue

 

http://soundcloud.com/stickboy/black-and-blue-an-old-song-i

 

When magic dies where does it go?

does it sink into the ground just like snow

I questioned this and religions too

the sky is black and baby I am blue

 

And when we wake will we all be friends

Ive seen the picture of the outlaw on your hands

that killed a man, fact killed a few

the sky is black and baby i am blue

 

I felt the breeze upon my face

and i thought for just a minute i could be saved

but its too late to see it through

the sky was black and baby i was blue

 

And now im gone you'll sing my songs

I've been waiting for this moment for so long

and after all i wrote them all for you

but the sky was black and baby i was blue

 

I instantly REALLY wish I'd tied it all together at the end by saying "WHEN the sky was black and baby I was blue"

the sky was black and baby i was blue

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I can't put my finger on the actual cause, but it definitely isn't as strong as the stuff you are putting out now. Seems like there is a lot of forced(?), fake(?) drama, rather than straight forward. I've listened twice and still really don't know what you are talking about, which might be fine, except the melody isn't quite spectacular enough for me to not care about my lack of understanding.

 

I kind of wish you had tied the "black" part in with the verse rather than it always be the sky. Keep that part evolving and leave "baby I am/was blue" as the consistent theme.

 

As for the ending, how about

 

 

Yes I am black, and baby you are blue

 

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I can't put my finger on the actual cause, but it definitely isn't as strong as the stuff you are putting out now. Seems like there is a lot of forced(?), fake(?) drama, rather than straight forward. I've listened twice and still really don't know what you are talking about, which might be fine, except the melody isn't quite spectacular enough for me to not care about my lack of understanding.


I kind of wish you had tied the "black" part in to the verse rather than it always be the sky. Keep that part evolving and leave "baby I am/was blue" is the consistent one.


As for the ending, how about

 

 

ahh i quite liked the melody and idea...just thought the lyrics were lacking (as you've pointed out)

 

if the melody isnt really cutting it then i guess there is nothing to really work on.... id just forgotten about it and thought i quite liked it when rediscovering

 

maybe it was a more sentimental feeling.... maybe i should just ignore it!

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ahh i quite liked the melody and idea...just thought the lyrics were lacking (as you've pointed out)


if the melody isnt really cutting it then i guess there is nothing to really work on.... id just forgotten about it and thought i quite liked it when rediscovering


maybe it was a more sentimental feeling.... maybe i should just ignore it!

 

 

No, the melody is good, it just isn't good enough to overwhelm me and block out the other deficiancies.

 

Paired with a strong set of lyrics, you'd have a decent tune.

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No, the melody is good, it just isn't good enough to overwhelm me and block out the other deficiancies.


Paired with a strong set of lyrics, you'd have a decent tune.

 

 

Thats what i was hoping.... i quite like the "the sky was black and baby i was blue" the days were dark and i was depressed.....but why?!

 

thats what needs explaining

 

I quite like parts of the last verse too

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Yes...the hook chorus works great but the story line is not quite cohesive enough to suck me in.

 

You have really become an excellent songwriter since then. This song has enough strength to merit a rewrite. In fact, your engineering skills have improved dramatically since this recording which is another reason to take this song and let it be reborn.

 

Interesting...I am doing the exact thing with a song from a few years ago right now.

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I love it. And this bit, I think it's great!!!

 

 

And now im gone you'll sing my songs

I've been waiting for this moment for so long

and after all i wrote them all for you

but the sky was black and baby i was blue

 

 

Really, that works perfectly to me. If... he were to say something like,

 

And when we wake will we all be friends

Ive seen the picture of the outlaw on MY hands

that killed a man, fact killed a few

the sky is black and baby i am blue

 

Maybe? I love the idea that he wrote these songs for her and he's regretful that all the songs were from his "black and blue" period. Whick my be his entire adult life if he's the outlaw/killer. It think that's cool. I have no idea if that was your intention but it totally works for me. So, if you were to open it up and fix the lyric, I think the theme to use the metaphor of regretting all he wrote was dark songs. Sort of a metaphor for his regret of a lawless life. He looks back from the dead and regrets he misdeeds.

 

As far as the music. Well, I love it too. And I could hear this as a drunken roaring Pogues or Billy Bragg thing too. Or my old buddies The Beat Farmers. I love it.

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I love it. And this bit, I think it's great!!!




Really, that works perfectly to me. If... he were to say something like,


And when we wake will we all be friends

Ive seen the picture of the outlaw on
MY
hands

that killed a man, fact killed a few

the sky is black and baby i am blue


Maybe? I love the idea that he wrote these songs for her and he's regretful that all the songs were from his "black and blue" period. Whick my be his entire adult life if he's the outlaw/killer. It think that's cool. I have no idea if that was your intention but it totally works for me. So, if you were to open it up and fix the lyric, I think the theme to use the metaphor of regretting all he wrote was dark songs. Sort of a metaphor for his regret of a lawless life. He looks back from the dead and regrets he misdeeds.


As far as the music. Well, I love it too. And I could hear this as a drunken roaring Pogues or Billy Bragg thing too. Or my old buddies The Beat Farmers. I love it.

 

 

Thanks Lee - I love that little turnaround that kinda fixes most of the song

 

I still wish (and remember thinking it not long after id recorded it) that the end should be

 

And now im gone you'll sing my songs

I've been waiting for this moment for so long

and after all i wrote them all for you

WHEN the sky was black and baby i was blue

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Yeah, I see what you're saying. Are you going to go in and rework it?

 

I think I'm feeling a little different from the others. I think this is a cool tune. Something that draws me in. The poetic idea of talking from the afterlife. The Highwaymen sort of thing, I love it. Do you have the session file? Or just the 2 track mix? It does seem you could really pull some sparks out of this thing.

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Yeah, I see what you're saying. Are you going to go in and rework it?


I think I'm feeling a little different from the others. I think this is a cool tune. Something that draws me in. The poetic idea of talking from the afterlife. The Highwaymen sort of thing, I love it. Do you have the session file? Or just the 2 track mix? It does seem you could really pull some sparks out of this thing.

 

 

I'm "hoping" I have the session

 

Can't really be doing with re playing the slide part

 

Would like to redo the drums with a proper snare and brushes though

 

Will have to dig the old hard drive out and see

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Thanks Lee - I love that little turnaround that kinda fixes most of the song


I still wish (and remember thinking it not long after id recorded it) that the end should be


And now im gone you'll sing my songs

I've been waiting for this moment for so long

and after all i wrote them all for you

WHEN the sky was black and baby i was blue

 

 

This is starting to get really good.

 

LCK

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I reckon the song is worth having another pass at.

I definitely support the new end turnaround.

 

What I don't like about the song is the chunka chunka of the guitar - it's a bit primitive compared to your present-day guitar skills, so I hope you revisit that.

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