1 Topic by Strummerboy Bill (edited by Strummerboy Bill 2017-11-20 03:50:02)

  • From: West Georgia
  • Registered: 2006-10-14
  • Posts: 2,557

Topic: Still Kickin'.....

........And still fighting the bugs, I'm afraid. I don't know if I wrote this already, but now Dondra has them, and we're both going to see a dermatologist once a week.

It was at first believed I have Lyme Disease, but it's not that. A parasite, yes, but not Lyme. Guess I should be happy about that. They did a biopsy, but it came back negative.

Even so, I have a few songs bouncing around in my head, and I'll share one with you here. It is not complete - there are no chords yet and I WAS going to post this under "POETRY" but given the other information I am sharing with you, it doesn't seem right there either.

It's got a kind of 50's "DOO-WOP" Flavor. See what you think. As you can tell it's a work in progress....

Get A Job - Bill Craig 11-2017

This tune has a choral response which appears in parentheses, the response is designed for harmonic voicing.

Well, I gotta get a job
(well he's gotta get a job)

'Cause I been lazy as my dawg
(lazy as his dawg)

I been lookin' for a year
(lookin' for a year)

But I ain't gonna find it here.
(gonna find it here)

Bridge---Gotta get it! (BOOM-BOOM) Won't quit it.... (BOOM-BOOM)

My new job
(well, he's gotta find a job)

==============================================
Verse 2

Well, I gotta get a life,
(He's gotta get a life)........


That's as far as I have gotten, feel free to play around with it if you like.....

By the way, the boom-booms are just accents. The drummer can put those in easily along with all other instruments,

As always, we send our love and best wishes.

Bill and Dondra

Epiphone Les Paul Studio
Fender GDO300 Orchestral - a gift from Amy & Jim
Rogue Beatle Bass
Journal: www.wheretobud.blogspot. com
  • From: The Land Of Song
  • Registered: 2007-12-10
  • Posts: 5,707

Re: Still Kickin'.....

I'm glad to hear you're still alive and kicking...lol

I got a kind of "see you later alligator" rhythm and tune basically. It'll make a fine rocker when it's done.

Can't help with your other problem except shave all your body hair and wash with tea tree oil....it might work?

Love to Dondra

Ask not what Chordie can do for you, but what you can do for Chordie.

Phill Williams's Website

  • From: The Land Of Song
  • Registered: 2007-12-10
  • Posts: 5,707

Re: Still Kickin'.....

Hey there Bill.

After switching off my tablet this morning I had a small epiphany in the guise of the completion of the second verse, I don't know how you want the song to go but hows does this fit for you?

Well, I gotta get a life.
To stop me staying in at night.
And I've got to get a job.
To pay off all the bills I've got.

Got to get it (boom, boom)  Wont quit it (boom, boom)
My new life. (or job? works either way)

Ask not what Chordie can do for you, but what you can do for Chordie.

Phill Williams's Website

  • Jandle
  • Jandle
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  • Registered: 2015-07-15
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Re: Still Kickin'.....

Great to see your still around Bill and writing songs as well smile

Laugh Lots ... Forgive Much ...  Love one another     smile
Covers and some Originals found over there    ------- >    https://soundcloud.com/ukulelejan

5 Reply by Peatle Jville (edited by Peatle Jville 2017-11-21 05:50:35)

  • Registered: 2015-07-31
  • Posts: 2,793

Re: Still Kickin'.....

I like your lyrics Bill glad to see your still around. I haven't played much music  recently as I dont have full movent in my hands and arms. It is also painful for me. I picked up the guitar first  time in a few weeks and banged this one out. A song I wrote after hearing a  young man in a Doctors waiting room talking about how he is doing his best to get by.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjZgNWD … e=youtu.be

Love to you and Dondra.

  • From: Nova Scotia, Canada
  • Registered: 2013-01-20
  • Posts: 4,083

Re: Still Kickin'.....

Good start to a great song, Bill ... and I also thought of "See ya later, alligator" when I read it. Keep on keepin' on, Bill!

7 Reply by Strummerboy Bill (edited by Strummerboy Bill 2017-11-22 12:19:27)

  • From: West Georgia
  • Registered: 2006-10-14
  • Posts: 2,557

Re: Still Kickin'.....

Heh-Heh. smile Has this ever happened to any of you? The words to a tune will "pop" into your head, and - in your head - you start putting it together..... Because you're in your car at the time. smile

Okay, now you have at least one verse composed (in your head), so what's it going to sound like? How do you want it to sound?

So now you have the melody - kind of - and you begin to bounce it around in your head a little.

Now you have one verse and a bit of melody. How about flavor? Doo-Wop, rock'n roll, ballad, etc. ....... I chose "doo-wop". For you "kids" that's music from the 50's with beautiful sounds voiced in harmonies and sometimes led by those voices singing a capella.....

But I digress, because here comes the "fun" but frustrating part of the whole song. "WHERE HAVE I HEARD THAT MELODY BEFORE????"

Because you know you have heard it before, don't you? Maybe just a part of it??? Could it possibly be this tune you (me) unknowingly, subconsciously.......STOLE?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BN1WwnEDWAM

Yup, that's what was running around in my head! smile

And there you have it. Of course you didn't set out to plagiarize the melody. Of course George Harrison didn't mean to steal the melody from "He's So Fine" for his "My Sweet Lord", but there it is anyway.

It's a little bit of a "downer" isn't it, when you think about it? And what I thought was, "Oh no! Have all the songs and all the melodies been written???"

But then I come here and read and listen and I realize I needn't have worried: The music is in good hands. Here on Chordie.

Our best wishes for a  Happy Thanksgiving to our  "Merkin" friends and a pleasant upcoming weekend to all of you!

Bill and Dondra

PS: I think this post may be the most I have ever coded here, but it was necessary to get all the accents in there. wink

Epiphone Les Paul Studio
Fender GDO300 Orchestral - a gift from Amy & Jim
Rogue Beatle Bass
Journal: www.wheretobud.blogspot. com
  • From: Nottingham England
  • Registered: 2014-01-13
  • Posts: 621

Re: Still Kickin'.....

Yes Biil, done that. I was given a poem a while ago called Black Cat, and asked if I could put a tune to it. Sat for a few nights strumming over and over adding a chord here and there till I eventually got it spot on. When I played the melody without looking at the lyrics I thought, where have I heard this before. Unknowingly I'd pinched the tune from Ralph McTell's Streets of London. If you see him please don't say anything

Thick as two short planks
  • From: Western Oregon,US
  • Registered: 2008-07-22
  • Posts: 2,498

Re: Still Kickin'.....

Happy "Turkey Day" to you too Bill & Dondra..... and all the rest of you "Party Animals" !!  big_smile

The main reason it seems that all the melodies have been "done" before is the conventions of "Western Music"..... in any key signature you only have "harmonious" chords consisting of three Major, three Minor, and one Dominant (or Diminished) chord to fiddle around with.  Broadly speaking, that is really not a lot to work with, so one WOULD expect a whole bunch of "overlap" within any genre.  I expect that is why you will see "key changes" in some tunes to add a few more options.  wink

"what is this quintessence of dust?"  - Shakespeare
  • From: The Land Of Song
  • Registered: 2007-12-10
  • Posts: 5,707

Re: Still Kickin'.....

Yep, I know the "sounds familiar" syndrome. I wrote and recorded a song a couple of years back. I sent it to Russ who quickly enlightened me to the fact it was an Eagles song with different words....gasp! Horror, so that was that. It's on a CD somewhere never to be heard again.

Bill, don't be downhearted, with a tweek or two here and there, no one will know the difference.

Ask not what Chordie can do for you, but what you can do for Chordie.

Phill Williams's Website

  • Zurf
  • Zurf
  • Blunt but well meaning moderator
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  • From: Virginia, USA
  • Registered: 2007-06-27
  • Posts: 7,522

Re: Still Kickin'.....

Supposedly "I Still Miss Someone" was written to the tune of "Red, Red Robin Goes Bob, Bob, Bobbing Along".  I can't hear it, but that's what Johnny Cash said. Most of us only use three or four chords. There's only so many arrangements one can make.

Granted B chord amnesty by King of the Mutants (Long live the king).
If it comes from the heart and you add a few beers... it'll be awesome! - Mekidsmom
When in doubt ... hats. - B.G. Dude

12 Reply by Peatle Jville (edited by Peatle Jville 2017-11-22 21:49:36)

  • Registered: 2015-07-31
  • Posts: 2,793

Re: Still Kickin'.....

“Come Together” is one of those songs that   Is the epitome of good Beatles music and the feelings behind the hippy movement.  Its beat is so pure that it’s been legally covered three times, each by other great bands like Aerosmith.  That song is so stolen, the Beatles acknowledged they stole it themselves.
In 1973, The Beatles were sued by Big Seven Music Corp which handled Chuck Berry’s “You Can’t Catch Me”. They claimed that not only was the beat from “Come Together” just Berry’s song slowed down, the lyrics were also stolen. 
Both parties settled out of court, but Lennon wasn’t done.  He vowed to record three more songs owned by Big Seven Music Corp.  Big Music responded politely by doing the same thing to John Lennon, releasing a series of unauthorized outtakes designed to embarrass Lennon.  When it was time to take the wreckage to court, both sides lawyered up in what must have been an epic legal showdown.  In the end, it was John Lennon that won, to the tune of 85 grand.