• From: Starkville, Mississippi USA
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 2,069

Topic: "If Life Was Fair"

So . . . what if life was 'fair'?

What if everybody got exactly what they really deserved?

A question way too deep for someone as shallow as myself - - - so, I wrote a song that sort of ignores all the really interesting philosphical issues and just scratches the surface.

I used this same chord cycle recently (on 'Loony Is') but I really like it so here it is again.

If Life Was FairJames McCormick, September 27, 2007


intro . [Am]...[D]...[Am]...[D]...[F]...[G]...[Am]...[E7].




If [Am]lifewas [D]fair I [Am]dobe-[D]lieve [F]we would [G]laugh and [Am]play


[Am]Frolic [D]in the [Am]sun - [D]shine go [F]barefoot [G]every [Am]day


We'd [Dm]nap a little [Em]in the shade, [Dm]snack on tasty [G]fruit


[Am]Fall in [D]love for [Am]e- - - [D]ver, and [F]always [E7]beso [Am]cute . . [E7]




If [Am]lifewas [D]fair I [Am]reckon [D]that the [F]fun would [G]never [Am]end


[Am]No such [D]thing as [Am]tummy[D]aches, [F]time would [G]be our [Am]friend


[Dm]Shelter, food, and [Em]good advice [Dm]everyone would [G]share


No [Am]jealou - [D]sy, no [Am]pover - [D]ty, no [F]hatred, [E7]no des-[Am]pair . . [E7]


If [Am]lifewas [D]fair it [Am]seemsto [D]me [F]trust would [G]have no [Am]price



[Am]Every [D]child [Am]che--[D]rished and [F]every [G]grown up [Am]nice


[Dm]Promises would [Em]all be kept, [Dm]no one would for-[G]get


No [Am]vengeance [D]dark, no [Am]guilt,no [D]shame, no [F]terri-[G]ble re-[Am]grets . . [E7]


If [Am]lifewas [D]fair, I [Am]knowthe [D]world would [F]be a [G]different [Am]place


We'd be [Am]one big [D]happy [Am]fa - - - [D]mily, [F]sharing [G]the same [Am]space


But [Dm]life is compli-[Em]cated, com-[Dm]petitive and [G]tough


The [Am]pompous [D]and the [Am]gree - [D]dy can [F]never [E7]get e-[Am]nough . . [E7]


If [Am]lifewas [D]fair I [Am]do be-[D]lieve [F]we would [G]laugh and [Am]play


[Am]Frolic [D]in the [Am]sun - [D]shine go [F]barefoot [G]every [Am]day


We'd [Dm]nap a little [Em]inthe shade, [Dm]snack on tasty [G]fruit


[Am]Fallin [D]love for [Am]e - - - [D]ver, and [F]always [E7]be so [Am]cute . . [E7]


"That darn Pythagorean Comma thing keeps messing me up!"
[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pythagorean_comma[/url]

James McCormick's Website

  • Registered: 2007-04-03
  • Posts: 3,489

Re: "If Life Was Fair"

Hi James,
I get back from life what i put into it, so im doing something wrong?
As i have a mountain of work today.
My thoughts today will be, Frolicing in the sunshine, go barefoot in the sand..
i can hear and smell the sea already and the warm sand!  "oooooooooooh
lovely feeling". Best start work!

Lovely Song!

Old Doll

Why Blend in with the Crowd ? When you were made to stand out !
  • From: Almancil, Algarve, Portugal
  • Registered: 2006-09-02
  • Posts: 6,204

Re: "If Life Was Fair"

Hi James,

You already know that I like this chord progression too. The lyrics, well they bring Utopia to mind which is a lovely thought.

Thank you,

Roger

"Do, or do not; there is no try"

Roger Guppy's Website

  • From: derbyshire
  • Registered: 2007-05-17
  • Posts: 2,843

Re: "If Life Was Fair"

hi james i think we'd all like this idea to develop in our own lives but i also think it is an impossibe dream with the way the world is today ...great song anyway....

love is life ,life is for love,keep a true heart and live life to the full....stay cool

daddycool's Website

  • selso
  • selso
  • Senior Member
  • Offline
  • From: El Paso, TX
  • Registered: 2007-07-18
  • Posts: 994

Re: "If Life Was Fair"

hey james, if life was fair id be able to write a song half as good as this

Everything is bad including me
But being bad is good policy
Reverend Horton Heat
  • From: Texas
  • Registered: 2007-07-31
  • Posts: 950

Re: "If Life Was Fair"

nice little song James,
I think its our own faults that keep things from being that way, keep in mind that if the world were actually FAIR, every time we act selfishly or mean we'd get exactly what we deserve.... but its a nice thought. Especially barefoot, i hate shoes.... actually im barefoot right now lol

All You Need is Love smile

HannahBeth's Website

  • From: Starkville, Mississippi USA
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 2,069

Re: "If Life Was Fair"

Hi All and thanks for your kind comments!  I have sort of decided that if Life was truly fair, I would have been a whole lot more careful and kind all through my life . . . it's not that I am a bad person, but I can think back and recall some occasions when I could have been a more honorable person.  If life was really fair, I would have deserved some serious consequences for my actions.

Selso, keep at it and you'll be cranking out the hits!  Just try writing a little bit every day (especially when you don't really feel like it).  This one started with just a scribble on a scrap when I heard a little kid complaining, "It's not fair!"  The scrap got stuffed into my notebook and stayed there until I found it again the other day and decided to ponder it some more . . . I'm glad I jotted the phrase down way back a few months ago.  Songwriting (like anything else that takes practice) is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.

"That darn Pythagorean Comma thing keeps messing me up!"
[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pythagorean_comma[/url]

James McCormick's Website

  • arkady
  • arkady
  • ambient moderator
  • Offline
  • From: England
  • Registered: 2006-11-23
  • Posts: 2,147

Re: "If Life Was Fair"

There may have been a place called the garden of Eden. It's probably a religious Myth....But it seems we weren't happy there.
I guess man would never be happy in a Utopia.
Nice to play James.

Regards

Ark

  • From: Starkville, Mississippi USA
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 2,069

Re: "If Life Was Fair"

I have just posted a recording of "If Life Was Fair" to my MySpace Music page.
  http://www.myspace.com/r200james

"That darn Pythagorean Comma thing keeps messing me up!"
[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pythagorean_comma[/url]

James McCormick's Website

  • From: Almancil, Algarve, Portugal
  • Registered: 2006-09-02
  • Posts: 6,204

Re: "If Life Was Fair"

Wonderful James,

I love the sound of your autoharp and this song, and the chord sequence, really does it justice.

Well done,

Roger

"Do, or do not; there is no try"

Roger Guppy's Website

  • From: Starkville, Mississippi USA
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 2,069

Re: "If Life Was Fair"

Roger, thanks for your encouragement all along the way - you and Ken (Upyerkilt) have been major inspirations in helping me have so much fun writing and recording songs.

There was a posting here yesterday (can't remember from whom,  and I don't see it here now?) suggesting that I learn some harmonica to further accompany my songs - it is an excellent suggestion and I shall give it a go!  Thanks for the great idea!

First, I need to find somebody here locally who can give me some practical tips.  Have already found several websites that offer suggestions - but I want to find a mentor who can ease the initial learning process.

"That darn Pythagorean Comma thing keeps messing me up!"
[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pythagorean_comma[/url]

James McCormick's Website

  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 2,662

Re: "If Life Was Fair"

"There was a posting here yesterday (can't remember from whom,  and I don't see it here now?) suggesting that I learn some harmonica to further accompany my songs - it is an excellent suggestion and I shall give it a go!  Thanks for the great idea!"

Hi James,
This was my suggestion and I removed it because I didn't get a reply and thought I may have offended you. Sorry?!?! I play harmonica on many of my tunes and it's very helpful in adding variety to my sound. When I first started playing harmonica many years ago a music buddy of mine who was helping me to understand this little 'comb of sound' gave me some helpful words. He told me,"the harmonica is probably one of the easiest instruments to play but one the hardest to play well."

The only useful tips I can give to you are freshen up on your major/relative minor associations. (G=Em ,C=Am, E=C#m, A=F#m,D=Bm) You can use a G harp for songs in the key of G major and E minor, if you're playing straight harp.(i.e. Bob Dylan, Neil Young type stuff) The cross harp, or blues style is more drawing(sucking air in) and I find a bit harder than straight. With the cross harp you'd use a D harp for a song in A, a C harp for a song in G, A harp for E.(get the picture) You can e-mail me if you like and I'll try to give a better explanation.

Sorry for Rushing to Judgement,
SouthPaw41L(Toney)

Give everything but up.
  • From: Starkville, Mississippi USA
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 2,069

Re: "If Life Was Fair"

Hi Toney -
How goes it with trombone?  Hope your lips are holding up to the strain.  I noticed your message yesterday, but was just popping onto the forum to delete spam, so I didn't take time to respond.

Thanks for the harmonica tips - I understand what you mean with the key stuff.  I tend to sing mostly in F, so guess I'll be getting myself F and a Bb harps to start.  Regarding ease of play - autoharp is also very easy to play - it's like chess, the basic moves are simple but putting them all together well is the challenge.

Finding a harmonica halo that doesn't interfere with the top edge of my autoharp will be a challenge since the instrument is strapped right up across my collar bone and almost against my neck.  (Actually, now that I think about it one of the nicest things about playing autoharp is that sits right against your sternum and the sound resonates in your chest).  Maybe I'll just have to do so some radical surgery on one to make it work - I'll figure something out.

Again, thanks for the idea!  James

"That darn Pythagorean Comma thing keeps messing me up!"
[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pythagorean_comma[/url]

James McCormick's Website

  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 2,662

Re: "If Life Was Fair"

Hi James,
You could possibly tape some type of foam to the bottom of the harmonica halo or just go over the top of the strap with it? The halo's are light and only take up about a half an inch on each side. It'll probably work without conflict.

I haven't contacted the elder Mr.McCormick as of yet. I have every intetion of doing so. I really need some pointers! I'm doing OK but man, I've got a long, long way to go. My son still has a look of pure fear on his face when I practice the trombone. What I've been doing is playing along with some music that I programmed on my practice keyboard( instrumental jazz in A# ). My embrouche is improving but there's so many more playing subleties that I need to grasp. It's fun nontheless. My cheeks get so dang sore. Sometimes I wake up feeling like I went a few rounds with Kelly Pavlik(new middleweight boxing champ).

Well, good luck with the harmonica, it looks like I sent you a bunch of info you were already aware of. The autoharp and the harmonica are gonna sound real nice together.

Have a Great Day,
SouthPaw41L(Toney)

Give everything but up.