Great idea, Jets . . . I shall give it a whirl.\
James

Hi kbrassel,
This is a very good question - seems to me that the content of a second verse depends on whether your song is a 'snapshot' or a 'movie'.

For instance, Hank William's "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" is a 'snapshot' that vividly portrays the emotional impact of being all alone in the world.  Each verse simply adds to the portrait.  In fact, he paints a very strong picture by using both visual and auditory imagery.  For this 'snapshot' song, Williams uses each verse to say the same thing just a little bit differently.

On the other hand, Eric Bogle's "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda" is a 'movie' that has a plot and tells a complete story.  In this case each verse advances the plot and we see the story unfold step by step.  Likewise, Bob Dylan's "Tangled Up in Blue" relates chapters of a man's lifetime in each verse.  These 'movie' songs use each verse to bring the story closer to completion.

Ideally, any song is a self-contained unit providing the listener with whatever information they need to 'see' what the song is about.  Like Phill Williams said, a song need not be about an earth-shattering topic to be interesting or have impact.

Strive to keep it simple and strive to have each line of each verse 'do something' to make the song complete.  If words or phrases are repeated, they should be nice and juicy and relate somehow to the song's meaning.  This is easy to say - but harder to do.

I often churn out songs that have too many verses . . . for me, it's not 'Oh no, it's too short' - - it is more often, 'Oh no, it's way too long'.

They say that master songwriter Ira Gershwin would distill each lyrical idea down to just one or two words.  Then, he would work to make sure every bit of the song related directly to those words.  I guess his system worked - - we are still singing his stuff.

Hope this is helpful, James

I have just posted a 'raw & flawed' recording of "City on the Hill" here:
"Songs for Human and Autoharp"
http://www.myspace.com/r200james

Please give it a listen . . .

Hi skipper2001,
I teach Statistics - so once you've mastered Tabs, we can start you off on Algebra and the Calculus . . . just let me know when you're ready!
James

Hi topdown - I just noticed that another chordie use has very thoughtfully appended additional lyrics for 'Phht' in the comments below the version I edited!

This song is just pure goofiness and joy - it is a great campfire singalong since everybody can yowl and howl 'phht' away at the chorus.

For our non-American friends (or for those too young to remember this bit of silliness) here is a YouTube clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iqnm3A10m8I

Hee Haw - one of the greatest & stupidest shows ever . . .

Hello Matelot & a hearty (if belated) welcome to chordie!

Sorry, I did not see your posting until now . . .
Tuba is a magnificent instrument.  My father is a professional tubist!  As a kid I went to sleep many a night hearing him teach private brass lessons. 

Glad you are getting back into Music - this site is great resource.

Regarding chord structure - here is a link to a 'chord building grid' on my MySpace page.  It is based on an article that was in Wikipedia.  The article has since disappeared from their index, but I had printed out a copy so I just sort of re-created the substance of the chart.

http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.c … Id=1277923

The grid is very useful to 'see' what tones and intervals are used to build common chords (major, minor, 7ths, suspended, diminished, augmented, etc).  Plus, this grid is just really cool!

You can print it out as a full page - just read the instructions at the bottom of the image.  There are 2 versions there - one in flats and one in sharps.

Hope this helps & glad to make your acquaintance,
James

If I might add a little historical perspective here . . .

Tabs or tablature is not a modern invention.  Various forms of 'tab' notation have been used for centuries.  Renaissance and Baroque composers for the lute, archlute, vihuela, theorbo and other guitar precursors used several forms of tablature to convey their music on parchment or paper.

I support anything that helps people make music.

Bike thieves - a pox upon their gonads!

One of my neighbors reconditions old bikes and then gives them to people who need transportation.  People bring him unwanted bikes.  He has a garage full of frames and parts.  His little hobby has grown into a wonderful service.

Hi alanmac872 and welcome to chordie!

Playing in a waltz style is tricky at first, but you will get it with some happy feet effort.  Waltz time is dancing music.  Try this approach:

At first, just strum the downbeat; Dum 2 3 Dum 2 3 and so on.  Get this going in your head and arms and hips and feet - I find it helpful to be standing and swaying gracefully (although some would call it lurching about).

Once you have that triple feel going, try this:
Do a quick strum on the upbeat of 3; daDum 2 3daDum 2 3daDum and so on.

Another idea is to try a 6/8 waltz time.  This is a pair of triplets and the rhythm sounds like:
"Apricots Oranges Apricots Oranges Apricot Oranges . . . . . ."
The 'A' of Apricots gets a most emphasis and the 'O' of oranges gets a lighter feel.

A good practice tune is 'Amazing Grace'.  It is actually in 3/4 time (although many performers seem to make it a march in 4/4).

Here is a songbook I put together of waltz tunes:
In 3 Waltz Gems
http://www.chordie.com/publicbooks.php? … songid=816

I love waltz songs - keep at it, relax, and let the feel flow.
4/4 tends to be heavy & tromping - 3/4 is more graceful and tippytoe-ish.

Hope this helps,
James

Hello again, ApeDoctor!
I very much like the poetic style of you lyrics.  I took the liberty of editing in the voodoo codes - it was missing the {t:Pat Balloon} title and {st:ApeDoctor} subtitle bits.  Also, have sent a MySpace friend request to you.  James