Lyrics!
There are three songs below. No….not recorded properly. I sang them, naively and with trepidation, into the iPad. They are revisits to old songs from the 1970s period. Currently, new songs are being deep dived with new lyrics. Inspiration for lyrics is a struggle currently though. Life is pretty mundane at the moment. In a gentle way, but nevertheless…….very mundane.
There is a time when the lyrics flow naturally. Then there are times when they really are, as said, a struggle. Currently, my lyrics are strangely maudlin. A new perspective is being sought. So I began to look at how I wrote back in the day. The 1970/80s younger me.
Before the song titles ‘Mistaken Identity’, ‘Audience’ and ‘Natural Lady’ (all audio bar available below) are the numbers 6, 3 and 7. On my iPad there is a recent set up file called ‘Songs and Ideas. New, Finished and Old’. The list goes from number 1 up to 46. Under each title of all the songs in that list are ‘experimental lyrics’. The ‘Finished’ songs have all the lyrics done and dusted. So. That is why numbers exist in front of the song titles below. I simply performed copy and paste from the file. Didn’t want to re type all the lyrics again for the blog.
As just said, the songs list on my iPad file includes brand new ideas, recent songs that have been finished and uploaded here to WordPress over the last year and a half…….and a few of my old, solo self written songs from the 1970/early 80s that have tunes I rather like. From the times I experienced with the bands Soft Ground, The XCerts and Team 23.
For example of updating a song. ‘Old Man’ was a song I wrote really early in my Soft Ground days. It was impossible for me to remember the true nature of the song and how we played it. I remembered a fair few lyrics. So rewrote the vibe. I think the tune is fairly close too. But it was fun to hark back to my early songwriting days and see where new ideas went.
I realise I keep repeating this, but all the instruments (electric and acoustic guitars and AKAI MIDI keyboards) and vocals are played by myself. I use only the GarageBand drums, choices in their templates library, and tweak them to fit the songs. I know there is a massive amount of songs out there with AI input nowadays. Never touched it. Never will.
New tunes are always initially fine to put a La, La, La sung vibe to. Then comes the difficult part of finding inspiration and writing lyrics that have to be developed from deep within the psyche. They have to have a ‘sense of style’. However! Not only in the new songs. If there is to be a consideration of revisiting old songs…then changing old lyrics is vital for updating. I’m 70 this year. No longer 18 years old and fluffy headed. 18 years was 52 years ago! I don’t pose on dance floors anymore.
I love the new sound of Faded Walls (below). And, as stated, my lyrics here in this song are a bit maudlin. I need lighter therapeutic lyrics really. Despite the lyrics, there is an intention to get the swirling echo musical sound vibe of Faded Walls into the old songs further below when recording them again. Try to get a more upbeat lyric vibe too.
Because I wrote a fair few XCerts songs on my own, I feel it would be nice to re-imagine them. Comparison study of today’s views on life.
Audience, Natural Lady, Mistaken Identity and Losing Out are four that I feel, with new lyrics, could definitely be fun to work with..
First. Mistaken Identity. Got a feeling I can update this with a ‘Faded Walls’ swirling echo sound vibe. I like the XCerts tempo. But feel it would benefit a slightly slower pace.
6. Mistaken Identity. (Summers).
Original lyrics. Stick to or change? Wait until I record it probably and see what the vibe is.
I need you
To prove my innocence
I’ve no alibi
It’s up to you
To make them see sense
Goodbye you
Hello me
Mistaken identity
We’re unified, unified, unified.
What’s his name?
Find out
What d’ya mean
It’s the same as mine
This ain’t no game
I’ve been sentenced to a life inside
Goodbye you, etc.
Second. Audience.
3. Audience. (Summers).
Lyrics? Need altering or tweaking! Maybe imagine the line written recently in the song ‘18 years was 50 years ago’. ‘Stop hiding in the corner in your tip-top hat. Dreaming your back on the stage’. So, maybe it would be interesting to go with a reflective vibe of what it would feel like to be before an ‘Audience’ nowadays.
Or, maybe the Audience could be myself in the mirror. Literally looking at myself in the mirror and reflecting on the changes seen. That has a very Frail Autumn theme vibe.
ORIGINAL LYRICS BELOW.
Audience,
Won’t you stay awhile
We could pose a little
Particularly if you like the sound…
The style,
Hey Man!
I’ve been watching you.
But have you been
Watching me.
Blurred images
With no direction
It’s like looking in the mirror
With no reflection
Coz when I’m down
I’ve gotta get up
And when I’m up
Stick around
If I’m trapped
Then I’ve gotta break free
How can you call yourselves my friend
There’s a million reasons
Why I disagree
Dancing (I’m still dancing)
Blowing kisses imaginary
And I’m laughing
And you would be laughing too
If you could see what I see
Hey Man
I’ve been watching you
But have you been watching me.
Thirdly. Natural Lady.
7. Natural Lady. (Summers).
Original lyrics. As I seem to remember I wrote in the XCerts. Cannot find an original recording however. Do I change the title and write a completely new theme? It would be nice to write about a lady with no airs or graces really. Naturally beautiful in spirit and style. Write to determine that this is a lady who is much older now and has still has grace in her character and personality. Again, the Frail Autumn vibe continues.
The La, La, type vibe in the audio gives a completely different opportunity to expand from the original lyrics below. Singing the lyrics below over the La, La sounds in the audio bar didn’t fit. Got a bit more flowery with my recent melody update. A bit more experimental than the original one I wrote.
You,
You make me so damn nervous
Time after time
No need to impress.
No fancy clothes.
No makeup
In your worn down shoes
You don’t fake it
To tell you the truth
You light up each
And every day.
And oh yeah
No two bit smile
Just that look of ‘okay?’
Gives you a pure sense
Of style.
You’ve got a head full of dreams
You’re a poet
You’re a life in tune
And you know it
To tell you the truth
You brighten up life
In each and every way.
It’ll never be over
It will never, ever end
We’ve had some good times
As lovers and friends.
Thought I would add this piece of messing about. I can’t play keyboards in all seriousness. One finger pushing down a note at a time type stuff. Bit like my typewriting skills. But tinkering about with background sounds in the songs can give a vibe. Give me something real is one of my new recently written songs. I’ve begun catching new songs as experiments on the Mac system now. Gives me a better idea of the whole promise that it could be a decent worthwhile pursuit of a song. Or a ‘Nah! Bin it’ one.
Image above? Working on a future CD cover. I like the tops-turvy nature of first and second same print. Being simply turned upside down added a perspective of old and new. The left more thoughtful. The right more investigating experiences.
Also, I like that it displays that the more colourful left image (elder years and suggested aged colours of a life in experience and interests) is opposite to the right sided lighter coloured one (earlier youthful years of naivety and less colourful life so far lived). The right image seems more sonorous with shape positioning. The right is more ‘eager’ and seems to leap.
Also, song titles that fit Spring to Autumn can be added appropriately in each section. Maybe a Winter themed written song at the end of the ‘album’.
Gray Summers 
Hi Gray. It is always a joy reading the behind the scenes challenges and accomplishments relating to your song writing. In commemoration of 70, and your desire to update the lyrics to Audience, how about your perspective as you look back over the decades and how the world looks at you?
Just a thought. All the best
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Cheers Danny. I’m never bothered with uploading the warts and all approach undertaken. Since listening to Marc Bolan’s (Tyrannosaurus Rex and T.Rex) home-made tapes and The Beatles anthology tapes, it has always fascinated me that insights like these to how the basics of a song gets triggered from gentle warbling experimental to the go on to become full blown finished results you hear released on completion, are little gem pieces of enlightenment.
I love that Paul, George and Ringo took John’s simple experimental songs after his death and developed them into the new songs heard now. Free as a Bird and Real Love. And recently, Now and Then by Paul and Ringo. All three are so emotional for me when listened to.
Thanks for your suggestion regards the lyrical theme. It is indeed a ‘promising thought’ you suggest. I recently did write a song lyric experiment of someone, or even myself asking myself the questions, about the days of my life. Here you go. A brief experiment that will very much still need working on. Got a nice melody though. Mind you…it’s a bit maudlin!
Weird Old Town.
Opening experimental lyrics.
1st Verse.
How many years did it take,
To find that one dream?
Crawling on your hands and knees
In that weird old town.
It’s a mystery to me.
How you stuck with the lows
When the highs were free
Was it somewhere
You didn’t really wanna see
….Or be?
Chorus:
Were your days as long
As a Dylan song
A lamentation of
‘What went wrong’
Screaming out
‘This hurts
And I don’t belong’.
When you saw the light
In the dead of night
Did you ask the question
‘Do I have to fight?
To stay alive
In this game of hours
Spent in mysteries’.
2nd verse. How many……??
To be continued….
All the best Danny.
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I’m just thinking out loud here. I personally wouldn’t change lyrics as they are authentic to the tune. Don’t have a problem with a change to production and/or rhythmic elements in some cases and others will need a key change to match your changed vocal capacities. And some songs should never be changed. One of my favourites, Judgement by Chain was one such toon. Hear for yourself – the original in 1971 (https://youtu.be/ChhoDFrBTFw?si=amM8j1J6WngfLmBL) and the reworked 1987 model (https://youtu.be/P8PUgILZtBo?si=cMd6RGRVAONHbBps). Oh no! However they are your creative pieces and your decision and I’m sure you’ll nail it Gray.
Cheers the Ol’ Dawg Hisself 🤘
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Thanks for your thoughts Shep. I totally hear what you say concerning updates and changing the vibes. Status Quo changed completely when John and Alan left and the synergy went terrible. The replaced drums and bass sound completely changed to a strange ‘going through the motions’ soulless vibe. Alan left later than John. The sound then became really tinny and lightweight pop based. The raw edge of ‘The Frantic Four’ blues went. I saw them in both early and later line up forms live. What a difference.
I listened to the two versions of Judgement on your links Shep. Then went directly to YouTube and listened to an amazing early black and white filmed live version too. Your link to the later version was really lacking ‘soul’. The vocals were just going through the motions. The bass guitar was lighter too. At the end of that second later link there was a live ‘cheers and whistles’ reaction. So wonder if it is so different because it was live. The captured sound mixed at ‘top end’. But, even if it was a bad live recording and delivery, yup…..your ‘Oh!’ expression nails it.
The XCerts? I suppose we put a ‘shouty vocal ’ and punkier basic instruments vibe to our songs back then. And some of my lyrics were 70’s and early 80’s subject themed and socially led for that era. The going down the pub or nightclub type stuff. ‘Here’s the Weekend’ and buying a few beers for example. That and breaking up with girlfriends because of all of their ‘Lies’. Or pretend ‘wanting to stay at street level’ type stuff in ‘One of the Boys’. Our life long mates were disappearing because we were putting all our energy into the band. Travelling to distant gigs.
‘Don’t owe you anything,
It isn’t me who’s changed.
But if I put myself in your place.
Suppose I’d feel the same.
You don’t seem to realise
I’m still one of the boys
But I ain’t gonna be pushed around
Ain’t nobody’s toy’
It changed after punk too. New Wave and New Romantic vibes.
‘Don’t wanna rule the World don’t wanna be a politician.
All I want’s a steady job that pays for the fashion.
Posing on the dance floors, slicked back hair.
Am I a boy or a girl or a go between ?
It’s why you stop and stare’.
It would be so difficult to sing that type of stuff anymore Shep. But the melodies to my songs back then were quite nice. I’ve been doing the La, La stuff to them and they can sound quite catchy still. Avoiding the unsuitable for today lyrics. Been slowing them down too and playing my basic shuffle acoustic guitar along to the tunes. Wish I could play guitar better. Maybe that’s the problem. A bit of decent raw edge Gibson Les Paul is needed. And drums that can change and have soul instead of chugging along boringly because they are GarageBand library sounds.
John, our Team 23 drummer, said that him, my brother Steve and Steve’s old work colleague (a bass player) are meeting up next week for a jam session. They have a few Thin Lizzy numbers that they are doing. Also ‘The Summer of ‘69’ is going to be in there too. Probably some Dr Feelgood too. Should be a blast for them. Hope they record the session. It’s so good that Steve, now retired, is getting back to his roots. His new Les Paul is all perfectly set up now and raring to go. I imagine it having a Bolan-esque ‘20th Century Boy’ sound.
When I sent John the drummer this latest blog link yesterday on Messenger he said ‘Great you’re still pursuing this Gray. Many would have given up’. It really got me thinking Shep. I answered that nowadays I write songs for therapy. And that was a lightbulb moment of self admission. That’s all my songs are in truth. I analyse my songs because they are being recorded. And I want to get a decent total sound as I learn more. What I should be doing is just playing basic stuff really. An acoustic guitar, a few bass riffs and some nice toons to capture. Should go back and listen to early Paul in Scotland, just after The Beatles split. Or Marc Bolan in his home recordings in the Tyrannosaurus Rex days. Get some inspiration from listening to them getting back to the vibe of keeping their truth in song presentation. Listening to themselves produce their songs in pure form.
Cheers Shep. Sorry for the long reply. It’s 05.00 in the morning and I’m listening to the birds awakening outside. Lot of time to just tippy tap on the iPad with 🎧 on. Kind of Om land vibe. 🕉️😊
Hope 2026 is going well for you all.
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I’m with you man on all of that. No need to apologise. Yeah that live version of Judgement is actually with a different band it was Matt Taylor with Healing Force and it does go to another level. The classic Chain had broken up before this single was released! I wrote a blog on it many moons ago ‘Smoked Some Dope’. Gettin’ ready for Lach’s wedding tomoz. Exciting times. 🔔🔔
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Cheers for the update Shep. Read your Dope blog just now. Back in 2018 hey. Time flies. My blog before this one reflected on a 2018 blog on The Ninth Gate blog from back then. And yes, t repeat, it seems like time has flown since that blog. By the way, the blog from a couple of days ago about the Ninth Gate bag has a little short video on it that shows the countryside around our village. Angie iPhone videoed it on a recent walk. It’ll give you a vibe of where we live.
I agree with the Chain chats you wrote about and views on the music experiences side of things. The songs, recording the video, etc. Your blogs are always so informative Shep. Even down to harp playing technique. Great deep dives. And that harp playing and sound was bound to get you inspired to pursue the instrument and playing it for yourself.
Exciting times for you tomorrow then. It doesn’t seem five minutes when you said about Lach’s wedding. I haven’t seen my own two children married yet. I am a Grancher, with lots of grandchildren, as you know. But our two haven’t tied the knot with their partners yet. So I can only imagine the excitement you must be feeling about the wedding. Goosebumps I bet. All the best to you all for tomorrow. 💫✨🍾🥃🕺🏻
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